Rachel Grant

[Archaea]

isn't she the daughter of a poster on her or on CB.

http://www.byucougars.com/Filing.jsp?ID=10195

[SteelBlue]

I think it's Blue Hart on cougarboard.

[Archaea]

I think it's Blue Hart on cougarboard.

Looks like she's continuing from where she left off in high school.

[SteelBlue]

Yeah, she's quite an athlete. I guess he's got another daughter swimming who has some top 16 times. For those who don't know, USA Swimming keeps track of the top 16 times (top 16 because that's 2 heats worth) in the nation in every event in every age group and publishes them twice per year. To have a top 16 time at any point in one's career is an amazing feat.

[MikeWaters]

To me, dominating swimming is a bit like being an amazing lacrosse player--such a niche sport. I should have taken up a niche sport.

[cougjunkie]

To me, dominating swimming is a bit like being an amazing lacrosse player--such a niche sport. I should have taken up a niche sport.

Didnt you say you ran track? Is that not a niche sport?

[MikeWaters]

Didnt you say you ran track? Is that not a niche sport?

I quit after the 8th grade. No, I would not call track a niche sport. Because track has poor urban kids that play it.

[cougjunkie]

I quit after the 8th grade. No, I would not call track a niche sport. Because track has poor urban kids that play it.

I think I am going to teach my kids how to fence. Probably not a lot of competition there.

[creekster]

I think I am going to teach my kids how to fence. Probably not a lot of competition there.

It's expensive.

[SteelBlue]

To me, dominating swimming is a bit like being an amazing lacrosse player--such a niche sport. I should have taken up a niche sport.

Yes, you would probably have top 16 times.

[MikeWaters]

Yes, you would probably have top 16 times.

much more likely to be top 16 in swimming, than top 16 in <insert almost every major sport>.

I knew a guy at BYU who was on his high school water polo team. I'll bet he would have been the top water polo person in Texas if he was there. Since he would be the only one who had played. Water polor = niche sport.

[SteelBlue]

much more likely to be top 16 in swimming, than top 16 in <insert almost every major sport>.


When more likely is still next to impossible I don't think it matters much. You make the assertion that you should have played a niche sport and I assume you mean that's because you think you'd dominate. I'm here to tell you that I doubt it.

[MikeWaters]

Swimming is like track and field olympics in 1912. It's wide-open.

[Archaea]

Swimming is like track and field olympics in 1912. It's wide-open.

Okay, Mr. Lingo.

Swimming in a narrow field won't mean much but on a national level it does. Competing against spots against the Aussies and Chinese if formidable.

The conditioning required coupled with enough talented athletes is also significant. Would it be better if more minorities participated? Probably. It's mostly driven middle income families in warm weather states, Cali, SoCal and NoCal, Texas, Florida and a little bit from everywhere else. Though during the days of Spitz, Indiana University excelled due to its world class coach. You may have excelled within your city but the size of today's sprinters also included athletes. Most of the guys go 6'2" and beyond and female swimmers are also comparatively long.

Distance is about lots of work. People who don't swim underestimate the quality of the top notch swimmers.

The main difference is the lack of depth below national level.