I have a theory that Masters has more males than females is because high school and college programs in the past spent their time on male swimmers. I remember my high school having only distances like 25 yard butterfly and the 50's of the other strokes and only the 100 for freestyle and IM. This was up to my sophmore year. And at the Jr year, the girls finally had 200 yard Im and 500 yard freestyle and the 100's of the other strokes like the boys. Also, I remember that the community college workout for women was a lot less yardage than that for guys. The California community college had the 100 and 50 distances for women and the 100 and 200 yard distances for men. The women did vote to keep the sprints and California community college is the only college system with the 50 sprints for other strokes besides freestyle. Anyways, college scohlorships for women came available starting mainly with the 1970's in swimming. Now at the age group level for USA Swimming girls outnumber boys. So in the future masters swimming will probably end up with more women.
Parents
Former Member
There was a poll that showed most master swimmers under 50 years old had some previous swim background. Those over 50 years old were less likely to have a previous background. And the youngest groups were more likely to have swam in summer league or Usa swimming or high school or college. The average master is in their 40's. Like I stated before high school programs and college programs for people now in their 40's favored male swimmers, so masters tends to be more male than female. Yet, in the younger age groups there are less differences in the number between the sexes, since their is a less emphasis on male swimmers in school swimming than in the past.
There was a poll that showed most master swimmers under 50 years old had some previous swim background. Those over 50 years old were less likely to have a previous background. And the youngest groups were more likely to have swam in summer league or Usa swimming or high school or college. The average master is in their 40's. Like I stated before high school programs and college programs for people now in their 40's favored male swimmers, so masters tends to be more male than female. Yet, in the younger age groups there are less differences in the number between the sexes, since their is a less emphasis on male swimmers in school swimming than in the past.
