Infographics are all the rage! Check out the blog Information Is Beautiful for some examples of other types of infographics. I felt inspired so I decided to create my own on the topic of NCAA Aquatic Sport Participation (download source statistics).

Not to play the blame game, but when you visualize the stats as a graphic, you can really see how few NCAA athletes are playing aquatic sports. I wish I could make a similar graphic with budget distribution but I don’t have the data. Remember, because it’s an infographic, everything is perfectly to scale – enjoy!

The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame put together a nice induction video for Olympic diver Jenny Keim. Watch the tribute video above, and you can also check out Jenny’s acceptance speech posted online.

What is it? Over & Under is a new series following the Arizona State University Swimming & Diving Team and their journey to rebuild the legendary swim program after a series of state-wide budget cuts threatened the team’s very existence. Produced by Ontracc LLC, and presented by The Sun Devil Swimming Association, this web series follows a swim team from their first dryland practice of the season all the way through to the spring conference meet. It’s filmed like a reality show (but without the zany gimmicks) and provides a real world view of a swim team known for their perseverance.

Why is it so important? This series will give a broader audience access to the personal struggles college teams are faced with on a daily basis. Because the men’s team at ASU was officially cut and then officially reinstated – the program serves as an inspiration to college teams everywhere. By publicizing the story of their perseverance, Over & Under could lead the rally cry for the full spectrum of “non-revenue” sports fighting to stay afloat.

Where to watch. Watch previews from the first episode on Facebook beginning May 2010. ‘Like’ the page to receive the latest announcements about the series (facebook.com/overandunder).

Check out the series intro to get a feel for the show:

An article on The Swimmers Circle brought the story from Cincinnati.com to my attention. When Josh Schneider won the 50 yd Freestyle at this year’s NCAA Championships, he brought some well deserved attention to the University of Cincinnati with the team’s first national title since 1946.

Unfortunately, as previously announced by UC Athletics Director, Mike Thomas, all signed and current financial aid promises to swimmers and divers will be honored, but no new scholarships will be given out until the university is closer to balancing its athletics budget. Schneider compared the financial aid phase-out to “cutting off the blood to your heart… you’re going to die slowly” (source).

Schneider seems convinced that the program must reinstate scholarships in order to continue. He is further quoted in the Cincinnati.com article as saying:

“I think they will be able to get it back. I don’t know how long it will take. If not, they’ll have to cut it. They’re just waiting for it to implode.” (source)

Branden over at The Swimmers Circle brings up the argument about whether a team can support itself following a club model, or whether a scholarship cut is just the first step toward cutting the program. It seems the University of Cincinnati is in the unfortunate position of testing the theories. The nation will surely keep an eye on Cincinnati to see whether a program capable of producing national champions will fizzle without its blood supply.

“Life guards sanitize bleachers at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion at Ohio State University on Thursday, March 25, 2010″ (source).

> McCrory Brings Home NCAA Platform Diving Title GoDuke.com
> 2010 Men’s NCAA Division I Championships Photo Gallery Swimming World
> NCAA Postponement Affects BYU Diver CollegeSwimming.com
> Worst Fears Confirmed: It’s the Norovirus CollegeSwimming.com
> California’s Nathan Adrian Sets Pool Record, Wins 100 Free Swimming World
> Attention all swim coaches Springboards And More
> 2010-2009 Men’s NCAA Comparison Swimming Science
> Friday Food Fact: Red Meat Garrett Weber-Gale

There was talk earlier this week about a rumored (and later confirmed) case of several NCAA swimmers coming down with some sort of severe illness shortly after arriving in Columbus, OH for the 2010 Men’s D1 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Swimming World picked up the story, and then posted an update – including a press release from The Ohio State University Media Relations.

According to a tweet by Ricky Berens, the swim teams from Stanford, Arizona, and Texas were all on the same flight. On Monday, March 22nd, Ricky described the flight as “productive” and didn’t mention anything about an illness. Later, Berens tweeted that Arizona had stolen their dinner reservations – meaning they were eating at the same place.

36 hours later, 9 Arizona swimmers were hospitalized and several Texas and Stanford swimmers were also reportedly ill.

It’s easy to speculate that something must have been going around either at dinner or on the plane that could cause members of three NCAA swim teams to become so sick.

The latest news out of this story: an emergency coaches meeting was called for Wednesday night. According to CollegeSwimming.com, the meet has officially been postponed until Friday, March 26th at noon. The situation is so serious that the Center for Disease Control is not letting the infected swimmers into the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion until Friday.

> The full story behind Sasquatch DiveMeets.com
> Past Decade of Women’s NCAA Results Swimming Science
> Sterling silver swimming charm Kast-A-Way Swimwear
> An Open Letter To My Diving Friends The Screaming Viking!
> 2012 London Olympic Aquatics Center Under Construction Video About.com
> Backstroke in Caramel, GTD Prizes, & More Race Footage

I was checking out an ad for the Tennessee Diving Camp, via the USA Diving Direct e-Newsletter, and I saw a photo of the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center lit up like a rave! No kidding? Do they really have a scaffold of stage lights mounted over the diving well? As you can see by the Pool < Rave Pool < Rave Meter, this natatorium is clearly stepping into new territory.

I’d like to see more of this kind of lighting treatment in world class facilities. Can you imagine walking in to the final heat of the 400 Freestyle Relay with these lights swirling overhead and “Sandstorm” blaring over the PA system? Other than at the latest Duel In The Pool, swimming hasn’t seen its fair share of dramatic lighting.

Since it was announced on Monday that Duquesne University will be cutting their men’s swimming program after the current season, a web presence calling for donations and support has cropped up online.

According to a press release, Duquesne will be annually reallocating $1 million of Athletic Department money to a “core group of sports” that no longer includes men’s swimming, baseball, men’s golf, and wrestling.

An online presence has already been established in the form of a donations website, and Facebook Group.

It is rumored that the program needs $2 million to save itself – but aside from monetary donations, Dave Sheets has asked for support in the form of a letter-writing campaign, and a grace period for recruiting his swimmers until after Championship season.

There is one comment/point I’d like to make. This excerpt from the press release caught my attention:

“The decision follows an extended period of comprehensive research,” Amodio said. “Although it is an extremely difficult move, it will place the athletics program in the very best position to be successful in the future,” he said, adding that this will better align the programs offered with the department’s operational budget and donor base.

Translation: We’re keeping the sports that have the most active donors. This just reinforces the importance of having a strong alumni donor base. I believe that achieving a high percentage of ‘active’ alumni is important to send a message to any athletic department. Teams in fear of the chop, take notice of this wording.

Organize a swim team reunion and bring your check books, ask the coach if there are any immediate costs that need alleviating. As a recent graduate, I understand that money is tight – but by staying involved and giving what you can, your dollars do more than pick up the tab at Olive Garden, they send a message to the department that you want to stay involved.