Missy Franklin, 14, never thought she would be hanging out with Michael Phelps and competing in world-cup meets as a high school freshman. As a member of the U.S. youth team, she gets that chance. (photo courtesy of D.A. Franklin)
It’s a very, very good time to be a talented high school swimmer in the United States.
Not only will 46 of the nation’s best teenage swimmers get flown to a pair of elite-level European world cup meets this fall, but their mid-November excursion to Berlin, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden, will offer this bonus:
Fourteen-time Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps will be the team’s mentor — dining, attending meetings and training with the high schoolers — and his coach, Bob Bowman, will lead the coaching staff.
“I have never been so excited for anything in my life,” said Missy Franklin, 14, a high school freshman from Denver who is widely regarded as the top female swimmer on the team. “It’s so incredible.”
The trip abroad and the bonus hand-holding from Phelps and Bowman represent an offshoot of a recent push by USA Swimming to create — and pay for — big-time training and competitive chances for the nation’s most exceptional youngsters. Two local swimmers, Andrew Cosgarea of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and Steven Hill of Manassas’ QDD Swim Team, won spots on the 2009 National Youth World Cup Team by posting the first- or second-best times in their events among swimmers under 18.
“It’s a great way for Michael to give back, and to give back to up-and-coming swimmers who don’t get to spend a lot of time with him,” Bowman said by phone Wednesday. “It will be a great experience for them to see him at a meet, how he operates, how he gets ready to race. For him, it will be like he is on the team with them.”
However fun it might be for the teens to spend time with Phelps, his selection was a serious matter. Phelps, 24, has been criticized for a number of very public miss-steps, but precisely none has occurred in a competitive setting, where he is known for extraordinary focus and the ability to excel under extreme pressure.
Phelps, it is worth noting, will have serious business to attend to when he’s not engaged in his mentor duties; he likely will face Germany’s Paul Biedermann, who upset Phelps in the 200-meter freestyle at this summer’s world championships, in both Berlin and Stockholm.
With older swimmers remaining in the sport longer than previously, USA Swimming officials began to realize it was becoming harder for youngsters to win national team spots and international assignments. Besides allocating about $2 million — several times more than ever before — to the youth program for 2009-2012, USA Swimming last year hired a full-time national youth team head coach Jack Roach, and decided to increase the number of international meets team members could attend.
“We took a look at what was going on on the national team, and we thought we could better serve the youth team if it mirrored as closely as it could what the national team did,” Roach said.
Though they missed the world-cup cut, NBAC’s Bryan Offutt and Camryne Morris also were named to the youth team, which was finalized Wednesday and consists of the top six under-18 swimmers in each Olympic event. They will have a chance to compete in the Mel Zajac Jr. International swim meet next May in Vancouver. (Matthew Benecki of The Fish and Kaitlin Pawlowicz of Curl-Burke Swim Club competed in this year’s Zajac meet as members of the ’08 youth squad.)
For this year’s team, Franklin is the top girl, having qualified in the 50, 100 and 200 free, 100 and 200 back and 200 medley. Indiana’s Kyle Whitaker is the top boy, having earned slots in the 200 free, 100 and 200 fly and 200 and 400 medleys; that pair will lead the world cup squad.
NBAC high schoolers Elizabeth Pelton and Felicia Lee also will attend the world cups, but as members of NBAC and the U.S. national team, not the youth team.
“This is going to be quite a challenge for our youth team,” Bowman said. “The results will be what they are, but it will be very challenging for these guys to make finals.”
As for what the team should wear? Though Bowman despises the high-tech suits that the world governing body (FINA) has vowed to ban as of January, he said he would urge the swimmers to use suits in which they thought they could swim fast.
“Honestly, if some of them are going to be competitive, they’re going to need to wear some of the super-duper suits,” Bowman said. “If we can live through three more months of frustration, then hopefully we can move on.”
You can find the 2009-10 National Youth World Cup Team as well as the entire 2009-10 National Youth Team here.
stats corner
Bowman is another hypocritic. Against the hi tech suits he is encouraging the swimmers to swim in them while in Europe. If so, USA Swimming should allow the swimsuits till Jan 1, 2010. Otherwise, we’re just stuck with a bunch suit. If Europe can go till Jan 1 so can USA Swimming. What will 3 months hurt. Some will be losing a lot money because the governing bodies went crazy this summer making new rules every 3 weeks. Now, most don’t know what they will wear this Fall or Spring. When the new list comes out, there surely will a big back log on people trying to get the new approve suits. I’ll bet the suit makers won’t be able to keep up forcing some to swim in their practice suits. It’ll a screwed up year.
“If they are going to be competitive they are going to have to wear the Super Duper suits…” Cmon coach, Phelps didn’t need the Super Suits to set the WR in the Fly!
This is a huge mistake given Michael’s recent indiscretions. Did USA Swimming take into consideration his supension from swimming due to drug abuse. Is it fair to the parents of these young swimmers to have to send their children off to europe with a person with this kind of background. Sorry but the question must be asked.
Carlos said :
“against the hi tech suits he is encouraging the swimmers to swim in them while in Europe. If so, USA Swimming should allow the swimsuits till Jan 1, 2010. Otherwise, we’re just stuck with a bunch suit. If Europe can go till Jan 1 so can USA Swimming.”
USA Swimming is allowing the suits until 1/1/2010. do your homework!
Phelps，I am Chinese。I love you。
I’m surprised, too, that USA Swimming chose Michael Phelps to “mentor” these teen-agers. But they know more about Michael’s character than we do, so the decision must make sense to them. I guess they are at peace with his total inability to manage his life outside the pool.
It’s quite profound, actually… I think you guys might enjoy learning this: I saw a scan of Michael’s MARYLAND driver’s license on the Jimmy Kimmel show from September 2008! Remember last month, Michael got a traffic citation for “failure to establish residency” in Maryland, i.e., not having a Maryland driver’s license. Well he had a valid one last September, which doesn’t expire until April 25, 2020! You can see it on YOUTUBE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMhHfuLgxKM
Look for the Driver’s License at 0:36 minutes into the video.
Totally bizzarre, apparently he LOST this valid driver’s license shortly before the accident, and apparently he didn’t think it would help the situation to tell the Police that he really DID have a valid Maryland license….just not ON him. A case in point that DRY LAND is not his oyster.
If this is his normal way of operating, I guess USA Swimming cuts him some slack because they realize how “Challenged” he is.
Enough..Phelps made a mistake, owned up to it and is moving on..unlike some of the posters.
He has been great for the sport and much of the increased popularity in swimming can be attributed to him and his dominance in the sport.
As far as the youth team goes, congrats to the great talent.It was much harder to make the team this year then last.Last year you just had to hit a time, this year you had to go top 6 in 18 and under(high school senior and younger)..it was modeled after the way you qualify for the national team.I think the team is about (particularly the girls) a third of last years size and many of those on last years didnt make it this year because those top 6 times are so fast.
I am looking forward to seeing what Missy Franklin does in the next couple years.Its nice to see a young American sprinter..Lea Niel too!
RogerDoger: thanks for the reply on the suits. But I haven’t seen anything from USA Swimming allowing LZR or polyurethane suits at any USA Swimming Meet this Fall. USA Swimming does have an up coming meeting, shortly. Everything I’ve read is that they will ban them before the Jan 1, 2010. Enlighten me, same a link saying they will allow them till Jan. 01,2010
I meant, “sent a link”
the french federation is aplying the new fina rules beginning the 15 september for all the meets in france and will be pushing LEN the europeen swimming federation to apply th rule at the europeen short course championship this december .
Great that you mentioned the youngsters but how about a shout out to Mei Christensen..a South Lakes high school swimmer from Reston that used to swim here (fish/cubu) but got REALLY good when she got to UVA with Bernardino (along with other area swimmers, uva gets alot and they get better)….Wha-hoo!! Mei made national team in backstroke this year after an outstanding season with the Cavaliers i Charlotesville where she trains year round…Go Mei! and go UVA
Phelps could teach the swimmer how to take “hits” from the “bong” and not get photographed
To the poster named Dinah you need to get your facts straight. Do you believe everything you see on You Tube? That was a bogus Maryland driver’s license. MP had a Michigan driver’s license and that’s the only one he’s had since living there from 2005 to pre-Beijing Olympics. Yes he’s made some mistakes, so what. Who hasn’t? There’s nothing wrong with giving back to the community and if mentoring kids is what he wants to do I’d say that’s a plus for the kids. Don’t worry MP I’ve got your back! Let the haters be your motivators!