Below are the number of entrants for each event at the Junior Nationals for 2008. What do these figures mean for men's swimming long term? The number of boys in the sport trails girls quite siginficantly in many events. In relays where a team tends to show its depth, boys are out numbered by girls nearly 2:1
If things continue or get worse we've got problems ahead of us in 2 Olympics.
It's a good thing collegiate budgets aren't cutting mens swimming these days.... :-)
ncsassociation.homestead.com/PsychFINAL.htm
.............Women Men
1650/1000... 78.. 75
Med. Relay... 97.. 51
100 free... 264.. 140
100 ***... 179.. 102
200 back... 173.. 111
200 fly... 149.. 91
800 fr rly... 81.. 43
50 fly... 170.. 106
50 ***... 151.. 82
200 free... 252.. 159
400 IM... 183.. 106
400 free rly... 84.. 45
100 back... 194.. 152
500 free... 188.. 112
200 ***... 152.. 82
100 fly... 242.. 161
200 fr rly... 84.. 45
50 back... 135.. 115
200 IM... 268.. 169
50 free... 282.. 153
800/1500 fr... 98.. 67
400 med rly... 105.. 54
Parents
Former Member
I attribute the decrease to the following reasons.
1. The increase in numbers of other sport programs, ie. soccer programs, lacrosse programs, youth football programs etc. I cannot speak for other regions in the US, but Ohio has had a huge increase in these other sports in the youth leagues. Drawing people away from swimming.
2. Another reason I see in my region for the decrease in swimming is the reluctance to build indoor facilities. It used to be that when you built a high school, you included a pool in the construction cost. Now, the school districts have to take into account litigation when building a pool, and expensive tax based bond issues. You can have as many gyms, fieldhouses, fields as you want, but when you build a pool, the scare is there that someone could die from drowning. It's not worth the cost. There are several municipal rec centers around, but as most of you know, the time at these facilities is monopolized by the community programs.
3. Swimming is hard. It takes a unique individual to become a good swimmer.
I attribute the decrease to the following reasons.
1. The increase in numbers of other sport programs, ie. soccer programs, lacrosse programs, youth football programs etc. I cannot speak for other regions in the US, but Ohio has had a huge increase in these other sports in the youth leagues. Drawing people away from swimming.
2. Another reason I see in my region for the decrease in swimming is the reluctance to build indoor facilities. It used to be that when you built a high school, you included a pool in the construction cost. Now, the school districts have to take into account litigation when building a pool, and expensive tax based bond issues. You can have as many gyms, fieldhouses, fields as you want, but when you build a pool, the scare is there that someone could die from drowning. It's not worth the cost. There are several municipal rec centers around, but as most of you know, the time at these facilities is monopolized by the community programs.
3. Swimming is hard. It takes a unique individual to become a good swimmer.
