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 said many not all. There are some GREAT boy swimmers here also. I am just noticing the trends that there are more females then men. I have nothing against that (not a pervert), I just see the better athletes for the most part leave swimming now more than ever. TV, video games maybe. I think it is the X-Games phenomenon, and the major sports getting more and more hype from the media. I know basketball and football were popular in the 70's. But if you look at the TV hype today of those sports and compare to three decades ago, I think you will see a difference.
I was actually responding to Evil Title IX Hater, not you Sam. (Although I love his ALS status!) I see many great male athletes in swimming that could definitely do other sports. In fact, I see a trend toward much buffer teenage males rather than just the stereotypical long lanky ones. And they all seem to be imitating the new loping freestyle trend.
But I will give you that swimming is perhaps not as "cool" as other sports. And it takes a unique individual who can tolerate the pain. Plus, the number of workouts they have some kids doing at a young age is enough to make anyone run screaming. My kid, who is a social butterfly and loves her teammates, still complains that swimming takes so much time she has "no life." (This is wrong.)
Maybe it all comes down to boys liking video games more than girls. If so, how do you get the boys away from them?
I said many not all. There are some GREAT boy swimmers here also. I am just noticing the trends that there are more females then men. I have nothing against that (not a pervert), I just see the better athletes for the most part leave swimming now more than ever. TV, video games maybe. I think it is the X-Games phenomenon, and the major sports getting more and more hype from the media. I know basketball and football were popular in the 70's. But if you look at the TV hype today of those sports and compare to three decades ago, I think you will see a difference.
I was actually responding to Evil Title IX Hater, not you Sam. (Although I love his ALS status!) I see many great male athletes in swimming that could definitely do other sports. In fact, I see a trend toward much buffer teenage males rather than just the stereotypical long lanky ones. And they all seem to be imitating the new loping freestyle trend.
But I will give you that swimming is perhaps not as "cool" as other sports. And it takes a unique individual who can tolerate the pain. Plus, the number of workouts they have some kids doing at a young age is enough to make anyone run screaming. My kid, who is a social butterfly and loves her teammates, still complains that swimming takes so much time she has "no life." (This is wrong.)
Maybe it all comes down to boys liking video games more than girls. If so, how do you get the boys away from them?
