What Would You Say to Save Swimming?

I woke up this morning to an email from a Swimnetwork reader regarding an interesting and unfortunate predicament:

 

This reader's high school program is being eliminated.

 

In a few days she will travel back to her hometown to speak in front of the school board addressing this issue. She asked me what to say if I were in her position, standing in front of a somber group of adults faced with a budget crisis and a bad economy. I feel for her. My own father was once on a school board. Sometimes you have to make some tough calls. Which includes the elimination of swimming. Unforutnately, swimming isn't viewed by the vast majority of people as "necessary" and "worth it."

 

I pondered the question: how do you convince a school board that high school swimming is important? That it's worth keeping around?

 

What would you say?

 

I'd like to write a more thought-out guide: "What To Say If Your Pool/Swim Team Is Eliminated." I'd like to compile some of the essential facts, figures, and theories behind the necessities of swimming. After all, if we can't convince a local school board, how are we going to convince anyone? I'd like the guide to be at least a small resource whenever anyone wants to go to their own local school board and speak their mind about the elimination of a program and/or pool.

 

While the "official" guide will come later in a column, I figure I would jump-start the process with offering a few points and anecdotes to get the ball rolling:

 

1) There are other options. There are other options instead of cold-blood cutting a program. For example, I come from a small town in Michigan. We did not have a pool. I competed in high school swimming as part of a co-operative swim program with an adjacent high school. The co-op helped improve overall numbers and participation while cutting the costs since only one high school funded the facility. While we had to officially represent a different (and rival) high school, the result was that we were able to compete. To swim. And isn't that the point? Perhaps convincing a school board to explore the option of joining with a neighboring high school would at least buy some time or perhaps lead to a more stable co-op program.

 

2) Diversify athletic offerings. Make the argument that a school should be the ONE place in the world where kids have a variety of offerings to explore, grow, and learn. Placing one's budget into two sports (football and basketball) sends a message: if you're not one of these kids, you can't play sports. Well guess what? Not everyone was born to throw and catch a ball. Similar to a school only offering history, does it make sense to only offer one sport? The reader who emailed me this morning stated her high school program employs nearly 24 coaches (officially or unofficially) for 2 sports. Which is ridiculous - no matter how you look at it.

 

3) Swim education saves lives. While I wouldn't imagine that the emphasis of a high school swim team would be swim education, nevertheless, simply raising AWARENESS in the community helps save lives. When studies emerge that use numbers like 70% of African Americans can't swim, swimming awareness isn't just a hobby. It should be a necessity. High school swimming keeps the sport in the local newspaper clippings; it keeps the awareness factor around.

 

4) Athletics are just as important as anything else. Look back at your life. Look back at your education. When did you learn? When did you fall asleep? When did you learn most about yourself? I dedicate a majority of my time writing about this sport and sports in general because I believe in sports. I believe in them. I believe that people become the best versions of themselves when in sport. I believe sports offer the perfect harmony of body-mind-soul that you cannot find anywhere else. Sports, to me, are as important as classes in Western Civilization or AP Biology. Just as music class, art class, and all the other "non academic" areas of life that we frequently sweep under the table. Creating a culture of a diversified athletic department is important. Sports are important.

 

5) Swimmers grow up to be successful. I’d argue that swimming creates better individuals. Does anyone out there in the swim community have any statistics to back this up? I’m convinced that the mentality that swimming demands also develops people into better human beings, academically, in terms of work-ethic, etc. Swimmers are successful – more so than any other sport. (Of course, this is a biased opinion.)  Swimming teaches work ethic and sacrifice. 

 

I have not completely explained the benefits and importance of keeping a high school swim team, but I wanted to throw the issue out to the swim community to see if we could gather up some better responses and comments. I’d love to hear from people who have had not only high school programs cut, but also pools closed down, college programs eliminated, and community swim programs shut down. And what you did – and specifically what you said – to attempt to change course.

 

You’re standing there. Microphone in your hand, In front of a school board on the verge of eliminating swimming. It’s the question of all questions. Why is swimming important?

 

What would you say?