s/o: POC and swimming - what are your experiences?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the swim teams my DC's summer team swims against is 95% black, and they're a REALLY good team. So I'm not finding that POC swim at a lesser rate than whites. Also, my DCs are mixed and their team is pretty diverse.

Where is this? We swim in NVSL and I can count in one hand the number of POC that have been on the teams. Seriously in our 2 yrs on swim team we've raced against more than 700 kids on various teams.

It's largely due to access to a pool and socioeconomic status.

[Anonymous]

As others have said- hair has a huge impact on swimming. If you have spent $$ having your hair treated, you are not going to want to get in a pool.
Even natural braided styles suffer in the pool. My young AA daughter understands this, and will resist getting in the pool (which she loves) when she has a new hairstyle she is particular pleased with.

[Anonymous]

I'm AA. I swim and my family, including my AA husband, parents, siblings, and child swim. My dad taught me and it was reinforced with swimming lessons over the years.

[Anonymous]

I am white but DD is AA, she is 5 and a good swimmer. We did lessons at Kids First in Laurel and most of the kids there learning were AA. Honestly I think in this area it's a cost factor, swimming lessons are expensive, I am finding out swim team is also expensive. I have not heard of the YMCA giving free lessons.

[Anonymous]

This weekend is the Potomac valley 14 &U age group championships. This region has some of the best young swimmers in the country.

Based on the many hours i have spent at that meet over the last few days, i estimate that the racial makeup is 5% AA, 30% Asian, and the rest white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given the newly-added citations, I don't doubt the statistic.

Should swimming be taught in every public school and be mandatory?

Most public schools don't have pools.

My oldest was at Piney Branch ES in MCPS and had swimming every year, I think, as part of PE. However, she was already a strong swimmer by then. I don't think any other MCPS ES has a pool. Jackson Rd ES could walk to the MLK pool easily, but I don't know if they do.

In Arlington kids start swim in 3rd grade. I think it is a bit late but I think it is a great program for kids who don't have regular access to a swimming pool. They use the local HS's which all have pools.

BTW my 2 brothers and I, and my son are all POC and we all swim. I kind of hate it though. Used to teach young kids to swim and now I have developed a bit of a fear.

[Anonymous]

40 something Black woman here- I never learned to swim. My father who grew up in a rural area, learned to swim in a creek. My mother never learned to swim. There was no creek where she grew up, and pools were segregated. I don't have children of my own. DH knows how to swim and taught his children from previous marriage. Swim lessons were on my summer To Do list, but I have so little free time right now. I do intend to learn at some point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:40 something Black woman here- I never learned to swim. My father who grew up in a rural area, learned to swim in a creek. My mother never learned to swim. There was no creek where she grew up, and pools were segregated. I don't have children of my own. DH knows how to swim and taught his children from previous marriage. Swim lessons were on my summer To Do list, but I have so little free time right now. I do intend to learn at some point.

PP here, most of my younger relatives have had swim lessons, so the trend is changing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given the newly-added citations, I don't doubt the statistic.

Should swimming be taught in every public school and be mandatory?

Most public schools don't have pools.

My oldest was at Piney Branch ES in MCPS and had swimming every year, I think, as part of PE. However, she was already a strong swimmer by then. I don't think any other MCPS ES has a pool. Jackson Rd ES could walk to the MLK pool easily, but I don't know if they do.

Grew up in Germany where schools didn't have pools either, so we were brought to the local pool by bus. We had swim class in 3rd grade. And before that our parents made sure we took swim classes, which cost money, btw. In DC pools offer swim classes for FREE and they still have to rescue about 2 kids per season. Pulling them out of the pool and then no parents to be found. It boils down to lazy parents/ lack of parenting skills in within certain communities.

You got here quick

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to a PP/ARTICLE black people don't swim due to violence and intimidation? Does anyone actually believe this crap?

There are news stories every few years about AA patrons or invited guests of white patrons of private pools being turned away or subjected to harassment for no other reason than being black.

WOW! Sounds like a wide spread problem.
You know the media plays the race card all the time to generate $$$$, right?

What is a "race card?" Where do you get them?

[Anonymous]

NP AA woman. My parents grew up down South during Jim Crow and don't swim. They started me in lessons when I was 4. My cousin and I took lessons together and he was a life guard at one point. I swim regularly at the pools in DC now. The hair thing is an issue, but getting the exercise is more important to me. Many many many of my AA friends don't know how to swim and will not get in the water because of hair issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP AA woman. My parents grew up down South during Jim Crow and don't swim. They started me in lessons when I was 4. My cousin and I took lessons together and he was a life guard at one point. I swim regularly at the pools in DC now. The hair thing is an issue, but getting the exercise is more important to me. Many many many of my AA friends don't know how to swim and will not get in the water because of hair issues.

Ignorant question on the hair issues: is the problem just related to chlorine and other chemicals in a standard pool? Or would swimming in the ocean (or a salt-water pool) or lake cause the same problems?

[Anonymous]

A lot of black women don't swim because of their hair.

[Anonymous]

We live in Alex City, and lots of people use the public pools because there are no private swim clubs (except for HOA condo and apartment pools). Plenty of Black and white children are at the pool but I do find that many times the Black children aren't swimmers but are comfortable in the water as long as they can touch the bottom of the pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue isn't necessarily money but it's skin color. POC tend to not want to get darker, esp in earlier generations. Swimming was an outdoor activity. Every POC I know has a relative or knows someone who has a skin color issue about getting darker.

Signed,
POC

I agree but money is still an issue. I live in the burbs and I haven't met a PoC (including AAs) that didn't swim. We have a pool, live in a diverse neighborhood with kids of all races coming over to play, and the only neighbor who's children struggled with swimming (at 7 & 11) were white. That had more to do with the mom not letting them swim due to her own fears.
Not having money to afford swim lessons, living in an area where public pools are very crowded, and parents not knowing how to swim are probably all contributing factors.