That's really interesting when you compare it with football.
I wonder if there's a similar comparison with other team V individual sports?
I know swimmers have hit back against cash for medal in athletics but not swimming. I wonder if this reflects - again - the lack of funding for individual sports.
Do other sports do this does anyone know re cash for medals or what funding is like?
There does seem to be a huge focus (mainly from parents!) of younger swimmers of 8/9 and training hours, county times, rankings etc. from a parent who's swimmer joined a small club when 12 I don't get it.
Maybe we were just lucky it doesn't seem to have held him back?
But I also deal with parents telling me ds is lucky to be a para swimmer because he gets more opportunities. I never quite know how to (politely) reply that I wouldn't call having degenerative condition that's a form of MND "lucky".
But I also don't think it's why he gets the opportunities. He's no way at the level of our top swimmers. Not internationally. He just happens to be making his way upwards and doing quite well atm and they are seeing what they can develop - they can easily drop him as fast as they picked him up and he knows this.
He also isn't on a programme. There's plenty of swimmers in his club who are.
I try and tell people swimmers should focus on enjoying their swimming and the process and not a one track outcome.
Very few swimmers get to olympics and worlds and even fewer medal at that level.
Ds knows he's about to get his arse kicked at euros but he sees that as a positive opportunity to see what he needs to do next 😂