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
It takes a lot of commitment, hard work, patience and focus to be an athlete on any level and more and more it seems fewer kids (mostly boys) have it.
The same for these games...but the games allow suspension of reality and immediate heroic status among one's peers without the sweat. It's tough work trying to get kids to do a bit of all things in health proportions...
Maybe someone will invent a video game you can play in the water while swimming. Efficent strokes and speed can be measured to generate some sort of progression towards a goal...just ruminating..."Beat the Geek" seems like a good title for anyone needing some input ;)
It takes a lot of commitment, hard work, patience and focus to be an athlete on any level and more and more it seems fewer kids (mostly boys) have it.
The same for these games...but the games allow suspension of reality and immediate heroic status among one's peers without the sweat. It's tough work trying to get kids to do a bit of all things in health proportions...
Maybe someone will invent a video game you can play in the water while swimming. Efficent strokes and speed can be measured to generate some sort of progression towards a goal...just ruminating..."Beat the Geek" seems like a good title for anyone needing some input ;)
