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
I continue to be baffled by "the sky is falling mentality" at a time when USA swimming is achieving an unprecendented level of success internationally and nationally. Just because one group outnumbers another group in no way suggests the demise of anything. Here's the real facts from USA Swimming:
1986 - 170K members, 2600 clubs
2007 - 251K members, 2700 clubs
Conclusion - major growth in swimming participation - 48% growth in raw numbers of participants.
2007 - girls 58.4%, boys 41.6% - no where near 2/1 ratio
Using the percentages above and applying them to 1986 numbers (1986 splits not readily found), there would have been (estimate) 100K girls and 70K boys. This yields about a 50% growth in boys since 1986.
Further, from 2006 to 2007 boys increased 7 FOLD to girls in raw numbers.
In 2007, only boys aged 16 saw a decrease in membership from the all-important 12-19 & over age groups. This decrease was roughly 2/3 the decrease that girls saw in the same age group. Girls saw decreases in ages 14,15, and 16 and a net increase of 1 swimmer in the 12 year olds.
So, looking at the cup as full, not half full or half empty, USA swimming has increased 50% in 20 years. There are 80K more registered swimmers than 20 years ago. And, male participation has grown, in fact outpaced, female participation in the past year.
I'm not disputing there are more girls but it is completely inaccurate to state male participation is shrinking, that swimming is shrinking or that the sport is on its deathbed.
Shrinkage - poor choice of words for boys swimming.
I continue to be baffled by "the sky is falling mentality" at a time when USA swimming is achieving an unprecendented level of success internationally and nationally. Just because one group outnumbers another group in no way suggests the demise of anything. Here's the real facts from USA Swimming:
1986 - 170K members, 2600 clubs
2007 - 251K members, 2700 clubs
Conclusion - major growth in swimming participation - 48% growth in raw numbers of participants.
2007 - girls 58.4%, boys 41.6% - no where near 2/1 ratio
Using the percentages above and applying them to 1986 numbers (1986 splits not readily found), there would have been (estimate) 100K girls and 70K boys. This yields about a 50% growth in boys since 1986.
Further, from 2006 to 2007 boys increased 7 FOLD to girls in raw numbers.
In 2007, only boys aged 16 saw a decrease in membership from the all-important 12-19 & over age groups. This decrease was roughly 2/3 the decrease that girls saw in the same age group. Girls saw decreases in ages 14,15, and 16 and a net increase of 1 swimmer in the 12 year olds.
So, looking at the cup as full, not half full or half empty, USA swimming has increased 50% in 20 years. There are 80K more registered swimmers than 20 years ago. And, male participation has grown, in fact outpaced, female participation in the past year.
I'm not disputing there are more girls but it is completely inaccurate to state male participation is shrinking, that swimming is shrinking or that the sport is on its deathbed.
Shrinkage - poor choice of words for boys swimming.
