HOWARD COUNTY, Md., USA, August 29. COULD high school swimming be headed to Howard County? If a group of parents and hopeful swimmers have their way, the answer will be a resounding yes. At a Howard County school board meeting last week, a standing-room-only crowd pushed for the introduction of swimming as a varsity sport.
According to an article in the Baltimore Sun by Larry Carson, members of the crowd pitched a plan that would create a 240-swimmer program for Howard County at a cost of $65,000. The plan included the use of local facilities, as the schools in Howard County do not have pools. Schools in Montgomery County and Prince George’s County also do not have pools, but have used local establishments.
Maryland has scheduled a new state-championship competition for 2007, making it the perfect time for swimming to gain varsity status as soon as possible. During the school-board meeting, it was indicated that there are more than 2,000 swimmers on local swim teams in Howard County, many of whom wish to compete at the scholastic level once they reach high school. School-district officials indicated they would look into the possibility of adding swimming as a varsity sport.