Save the Syracuse University Swimming and Diving Program
Saturday June 16, 2007
The Syracuse University Swimming and Diving Program is being cut from the school to be replaced with Women's Hockey. The Athletic Dept. Head Dr. Daryl Gross has put reason behind it saying that he feels Women's Ice Hockey will be more competitive in the NCAA. There are only 33 teams for a Syracuse women's ice hockey team to compete against. This is not only ending the 90 years of swimming, but severing the swimming community from Syracuse University.There is little that just the swim team can do now without everyone taking an active role in incessantly sending e-mails and making phone calls to the administration at the school. Right now, there is nothing that is making them need to re-think their decision. A petition is just a forum for signatures and complaints at this time. Would you like to add your name to the petition to Save the Syracuse University Swimming and Diving Program? Go ahead!
Comments
I was disturbed to hear that my alma mater Syracuse University may be joining the growing list of universities that have cancelled their swimming programs.
I have fond memories of the university and was a member of the 1982 Big East Championship swimming team.
Today, in my “spare” time, I’m a coach of a USA Swimming age group team and the head coach of a US Masters Swim Team in the Philadelphia area. Every week I’m around hundreds of swimmers of all ages and see first hand how important the sport is in developing healthy lifestyles and long lasting friendships.
In addition, I have two daughters who are excellent swimmers and I hope that they can compete in the sport that they love through college. It appears as if they won’t be able to do that at Syracuse University. The same is true for the many other soon-to-be-college-age swimmers I coach.
Evidently, SU wants to compete in sports in which they can regularly contend for NCAA championships. Rather than try to build the team, they chose to quit. That’s the “winning spirit.” What a negative message to send to athletes of any sport.
Did I break any NCAA swimming records? No.
Was I part of something special 25 years ago? I’d like to think so.
Did college swimming help me down the path to a happy, healthy, and successful life? Absolutely.
Shame on Syracuse University for taking that opportunity away from others.
Robert Bonsall
Syracuse University Class of 1985
Syracuse University is betraying all its students, not just its swimmer athletes. SU and Dr Gross could easily connect with the SU football and basketbll program, to EASILY finance swim/dive team as well as field hockey and all other current SU sports. Check with www.womenssportsfoundation.org (East Meadow, Long Island NY) to see how to do this well and easily….SU will then benefit many more times than by severing swim/dive teams even tho adding another team sport.
WOW….You’ve got to be kidding! All I do all semester long is brag about Syracuse to my students at SC State and how when our “City” team went there… & all we could do was stare with our mouths open! It was like a dream come true…a sparkling heaven with numerous boards like clouds. Our hearts pounding…the adreneline rush was just over-whelming. The beauty of those sparkling facilities was like a crystal dream. For a kid like me from Harlem, it was all the more reason to practice, practice, practice. I can still hear my team-mates decribing every detail of the meet. “They looked at us…we looked at them…yeaaaahh baaby…it was on! Dr. Katz in the background, giving us the “thumbs-up”,Coach Rodrequez his mouth straight,nodding… spit those goggles, bend, toes digging in and then “bonk”….splaaash! When I walked down my street, drug dealers would push addicts out of my way and say…”Yo’…make room for the college girl!” My body was tight and my mind was tighter. I manned many area pools and beaches because of my training and inspired alot of young kids to go to school & stay healthy. I may not have gone to Syracuse, but I am glad I got to see one of the finest institutions on the east coast. After thirty years, I can still smell that sweet, crystal clear chlorine. All of my instructors came from Syracuse (by way of Jamaica & Puerto Rico) Don’t stop now, you never know whose life you are saving. PEACE
Disapointing ! Syracuse should be promoting Life sports, which can be continued as a lifetime activity for maintaining a sound body. Swimming is such a lifetime sport. Cutting swimming is not in the best interest of the student body or the alumni.
Don Mac Rae, Bethlehem, Pa. Masters Swimmer and Syracuse Boxing Team, ‘52/’53.
According to publicly available data the entire budget for the SU men’s and women’s swim teams was approximately $280,000 combined for 2006-2007. In that same year, the SU football program LOST $157,085 on budgeted expenses of $15,023,146.
I’m not sure how any arguement can be made in favor of dropping the swim program.
check: http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/main.asp