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 don't care when you grew up, the number absolutely speak to an increase in both boys and girls participation. If the premise that more girls than boys means fewer boys in the sport, well, that is completely unproven by the facts from USA Swimming. If you go to a meet now and see lots of girls you might think there are fewer boys but that simply is not proven by the facts.
Since you insist on disputing figures due to population growth you should know the membership in USA swimming has grown at a faster rate than the US in general.
We seem to be way too hung up on the 1970s on this forum. Times have changed, the sport has grown. The constant whining about suit changes, stroke changes, persecuted boys is really about 25 years past its prime. It's like a scene from Grumpy Old Men or something. The 70s produced a lot of things good but also produced awful things like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and the worst song ever recorded (FREEBIRD).
Here's some stats for both Colorado and Ohio. Both states had a membership in USA swimming growth last year.
I don't care when you grew up, the number absolutely speak to an increase in both boys and girls participation. If the premise that more girls than boys means fewer boys in the sport, well, that is completely unproven by the facts from USA Swimming. If you go to a meet now and see lots of girls you might think there are fewer boys but that simply is not proven by the facts.
Since you insist on disputing figures due to population growth you should know the membership in USA swimming has grown at a faster rate than the US in general.
We seem to be way too hung up on the 1970s on this forum. Times have changed, the sport has grown. The constant whining about suit changes, stroke changes, persecuted boys is really about 25 years past its prime. It's like a scene from Grumpy Old Men or something. The 70s produced a lot of things good but also produced awful things like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and the worst song ever recorded (FREEBIRD).
Here's some stats for both Colorado and Ohio. Both states had a membership in USA swimming growth last year.
