Men's NCAAs 2009

The current issue of the ASCA editorial by John Leonard just happens to be about saving college swimming. Below is the email I sent him today; "John, I enjoyed your article’ “Preserve, Protect and Expand Collegiate Swimming” …however I found it interesting that no mention of foreign swimmers on college teams was mentioned. If there truly is an organization being formed by the ASCA, CSCAA & USA Swimming to work on this effort can they truly avoid a discussion about the impact of allowing the limited (and declining) resources and opportunities to swim at the college level to be spent on training other countries athletes? Please don’t get me wrong, I’m all for having colleges recruit and train foreign athletes…to a point…I enjoyed the friendships and increased caliber of training/competition of that at while I was at UCSB. My point however is that if you and others believe that “The prospect of swimming in college is a major draw to keep high school swimmers in our sport and progressing” than what message are we sending these kids when they are on the bubble of being good enough to get a scholarship but see instead that it goes to a foreign athlete? Honestly I’m surprised no one has proposed a cap of “X” percentage of foreign swimmers/scholarships per team…or is it really win at any cost? Finally I’m also wondering what the thoughts of those who just watched the NCAA’s on TV/the Internet recently were seeing/hearing chants of “USA, USA” after the awards ceremony for the 400 free relay where Texas breaks the AR and takes 4th? Best regards, Paul Smith" Good luck with that argument. I was with you on the online courses and training with the team arguments, but training U.S. athletes is more a USA swimming issue than an NCAA issue. Obviously, the coaches and athletes are intermingled to a great extent, but definitely two separate matters. I have a lot of respect for coaches that try to uphold their commitment to USA swimming while coaching NCAA swimming, but maybe they should make the occasional exception on their teams if winning matters that much to them or the university. After seeing the results from Division II, I wonder if Division II isn't the new place for the non-elite college swimmer (bubble swimmers) and a source of scholarships. I am sure there are plenty of foreign swimmers in Division II as well, but I have to say I was surprised a bit by number of Division II programs from schools that never had programs when I was in college that fielded reasonable teams. I assume Division II will keep getting better and stronger as the depth of Division I programs diminishes. Maybe there will be a Division II Olympian someday. Tim

Mr. Stephenson, It is fairly obvious that there can be no "strong case" against the current situation as you are a supporter of the status quo. As for your supposition that it is not the duty of a university or its swim coach to advance the interests of the US National Team. Try reconciling that logic with the coaches who have both duties with the same group of swimmers. The overlap is evident.

Good luck with that argument. I was with you on the online courses and training with the team arguments, but training U.S. athletes is more a USA swimming issue than an NCAA issue. Obviously, the coaches and athletes are intermingled to a great extent, but definitely two separate matters. I have a lot of respect for coaches that try to uphold their commitment to USA swimming while coaching NCAA swimming, but maybe they should make the occasional exception on their teams if winning matters that much to them or the university. After seeing the results from Division II, I wonder if Division II isn't the new place for the non-elite college swimmer (bubble swimmers) and a source of scholarships. I am sure there are plenty of foreign swimmers in Division II as well, but I have to say I was surprised a bit by number of Division II programs from schools that never had programs when I was in college that fielded reasonable teams. I assume Division II will keep getting better and stronger as the depth of Division I programs diminishes. Maybe there will be a Division II Olympian someday. Tim Tim, as I pointed out in the letter these 3 organizations are now coordinating their efforts to try and save/grow college swimming...and I think its about time because we are all in this together. And unless there are some actual rules governing the situation then we'll continue to see some coaches take the path of least resisitance and bring in outside talent vs. spend the time to try and develop a US kid. In Leonard's editorial he mentions the "net loss" of Div I programs (almost entirely mens but some womens and other Olympic sports are just as bad if not worse) and the increase in Div III programs and the fact the the NCAA statistics don't "hide" this situation.

Globalization is all around. Auburn showed every one what teamwork is all about. How many individual events did they win, one? It came down to coaching, prepardness and clutch performance. Everything fell into place on Saturday night. Auburn scored BIG. The burnt orange was toast. War Eagle!!!

Auburn swam VERY well the 3rd day of the NCAAs. However, there still remains vastly different opinions on recruiting approaches between the top schools and some of the nations leading coaches.

I will never accept that having foreign athletes in any sport not living in the US, not at the college training with the team and taking on-line courses to get eligible in time to show up for NCAA's allowed. It's not illegal but I think its wrong. I agree with this statement so much that I would even delete the modifier "foreign" and state that it should apply to ANY athlete. "…however I found it interesting that no mention of foreign swimmers on college teams was mentioned. If there truly is an organization being formed by the ASCA, CSCAA & USA Swimming to work on this effort can they truly avoid a discussion about the impact of allowing the limited (and declining) resources and opportunities to swim at the college level to be spent on training other countries athletes? Please don’t get me wrong, I’m all for having colleges recruit and train foreign athletes…to a point…I enjoyed the friendships and increased caliber of training/competition of that at while I was at UCSB. My point however is that if you and others believe that “The prospect of swimming in college is a major draw to keep high school swimmers in our sport and progressing” than what message are we sending these kids when they are on the bubble of being good enough to get a scholarship but see instead that it goes to a foreign athlete? Honestly I’m surprised no one has proposed a cap of “X” percentage of foreign swimmers/scholarships per team…or is it really win at any cost? Finally I’m also wondering what the thoughts of those who just watched the NCAA’s on TV/the Internet recently were seeing/hearing chants of “USA, USA” after the awards ceremony for the 400 free relay where Texas breaks the AR and takes 2nd? Public universities are funded mostly by three groups: taxpayers, tuition from matriculating students, and donations from alums. The institutional mission is education in its broadest sense. So tell me: -- what role does athletics, and swimming in particular, play in the institutional mission? -- how does the presence of foreign athletes compromise this mission in any way? The vast majority of the people paying the bills at universities are not competitive swimmers and have no interest in the sport. They certainly don't put their money down expecting that it will be spent to improve the US Olympic Team. I can make a better case that the presence of foreign students (athletes or otherwise) has a more positive impact on the education of the general student than substituting him for a homegrown jock with sub-par admission statistics. Athletic scholarships are not a God-given right. If a homegrown talent wants one, he can swim fast enough to earn one. If he loves the sport and wants to swim in college, he can do so without one. If USAS is depending on (ever-diminishing numbers of) athletic scholarships to improve the prospects of US Swimming on the international level...well, I think that's pretty poor strategic planning.

Athletic scholarships are not a God-given right. Amen. -- These scholarships are being handed out based on merit. These kids have for the most part EARNED the right to the money they receive - whether it be their grades, SAT's or athletic skills. Why should someone's country of origin determine whether or not they get a spot in school? Isn't that discrimination? Look, I'm all for encouraging Americans to attend American universities, but this country gives opportunities to all people. If I'm in charge of handing out scholarships and if Joe American's profile tells me that his slacker ass doesn't deserve any of my money, I'm giving it to Joe Foreigner.

If only all slacker a** would be denied scholarships over hard workers, college swimming would be so great. But, some swimmers are able to make Jr. or Senior Natls cuts without any hard work and get those scholarships on the basis that the college coach thought that the swimmer worked his/her butt off to get those times. I swam with a boatload of slacker a**es in my age group days. It is really annoying to watch someone get a full ride to a CAA or whatever school and these people are leaving 30 minutes after the start of practice and hanging out at a ice cream parlor for the same amount of time that you did a 8K to 10K workout. It is not fun nor funny.

If USAS is depending on (ever-diminishing numbers of) athletic scholarships to improve the prospects of US Swimming on the international level...well, I think that's pretty poor strategic planning. I'll be interested to get your take on the ASCA editorial I referenced...the Amercian Swimming Coaches Association, The College Swimming Coaches Association of America & USA-Swimming "are working together to fund an organization called "Preserve, Protect and Expand Collegiate Swimming". There is a quote from NCAA president Myles Brand "it's ok, it's good, for a University to support financially, its athletic department....we don't realistically expect the athletic departments to self-fund" (there is quite a bit more. So call me a patriot, call me a hater, whatever...if Europe wants to have college athletics they should do it. I feel they should be welcome here to a point but that first and foremost we need to offer the majority of our rssoter spots and avaialble funds to US citizens. If the mission, as this coalition states is to work together and help save/exapnd college swimming AND thru that offer incentives for US high school students to stay in the sport I think that is a good thing.

It is unfortunate that Auburn will not have a relay American Record with this recruiting strategy.