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
dorothyde - your situation is 180 degrees different from here. Teams are busting at the seams. Not appropriate to generalize based on either of our experiences, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Smith - how can you say fewer kids have less of a "commitment, hard work, patience and focus to be an athlete on any level " when participation numbers for both boys and girls are at historic highs and growing year-to-year? That's simply untrue. On any level the numbers are absolutely growing.
What we have here is perception that runs totally contrary to all supporting information.
Signing up for "participation" vs. long term retention are two very differant things my geeky friend. Show me what the turnover is from someone swimming at 11 or 12 and making it thru high school and on to college and how that is tied to general population increases...
I don't have the stats to back it up but based on discussions I've had with club coaches/college coaches I would bet the turnover is VERY high. JS and I were talking about this the other day after his son (12) blasted a 25.5 50 fly....how do you keep a kid that talentedl involved for the next 6 years an on into college....especially as he pointed out its a full time battle getting him away from his video games?
And Dorthy is correct....with far less colleges offering swimming programs let alone scholoraships....what parent would want to encourage their kids to stay in the sport? I already told JS to get his kid a baseball and start working on his left handed fastball....and I'll be his agent!
dorothyde - your situation is 180 degrees different from here. Teams are busting at the seams. Not appropriate to generalize based on either of our experiences, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Smith - how can you say fewer kids have less of a "commitment, hard work, patience and focus to be an athlete on any level " when participation numbers for both boys and girls are at historic highs and growing year-to-year? That's simply untrue. On any level the numbers are absolutely growing.
What we have here is perception that runs totally contrary to all supporting information.
Signing up for "participation" vs. long term retention are two very differant things my geeky friend. Show me what the turnover is from someone swimming at 11 or 12 and making it thru high school and on to college and how that is tied to general population increases...
I don't have the stats to back it up but based on discussions I've had with club coaches/college coaches I would bet the turnover is VERY high. JS and I were talking about this the other day after his son (12) blasted a 25.5 50 fly....how do you keep a kid that talentedl involved for the next 6 years an on into college....especially as he pointed out its a full time battle getting him away from his video games?
And Dorthy is correct....with far less colleges offering swimming programs let alone scholoraships....what parent would want to encourage their kids to stay in the sport? I already told JS to get his kid a baseball and start working on his left handed fastball....and I'll be his agent!
