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've got 2 kids swimming here in Honolulu. By far the girls outnumber the boys right now - but the sport seems REALLY healthy to me. Nobody cares too much about high school swimming, but USA Swimming is huge.
The biggest draw back is that in 7th grade lots of kids want to switch to water polo because it is more like a game - and sports are supposed to be fun.
To some extent, we swimmers do it to ourselves. A couple years ago, I listened to Rowdy Gaines tell my kids (and other kids) - "if you stink at all other sports, try swimming...it worked for me." Why would kids be drawn to a sport if it is only for kids who can't do anything else? My kid's private school (Punahou) has over 300 state championships. Swimming is the only winter sport that does not cut and is open to all comers. So, even though Punhaou wins the state high school meet more often than not, the sport is frowned upon because kids that get cut from the other winter sports teams swim.
I've got 2 kids swimming here in Honolulu. By far the girls outnumber the boys right now - but the sport seems REALLY healthy to me. Nobody cares too much about high school swimming, but USA Swimming is huge.
The biggest draw back is that in 7th grade lots of kids want to switch to water polo because it is more like a game - and sports are supposed to be fun.
To some extent, we swimmers do it to ourselves. A couple years ago, I listened to Rowdy Gaines tell my kids (and other kids) - "if you stink at all other sports, try swimming...it worked for me." Why would kids be drawn to a sport if it is only for kids who can't do anything else? My kid's private school (Punahou) has over 300 state championships. Swimming is the only winter sport that does not cut and is open to all comers. So, even though Punhaou wins the state high school meet more often than not, the sport is frowned upon because kids that get cut from the other winter sports teams swim.
