let them meet the high school girls of the swim team......in uniform.

no brainer

Tell them this.

I'm not sure what it's like in your neck of the woods but I remember back in HS sports like swimming, rowing, cycling etc the biggest obstacle was getting guys comfortable with wearing spandex, especially in sports where you're training around the girls team a lot. I still remember walking out of the change rooms and down to the docks my first day of rowing practice in spandex, past the girls team. Me and a few other of the novice guys were probably 8 shades of red in the face. Of course this only lasted a day or two, and training along side the girls eventually led to a great social environment between the girls and guys side, probably the most fun I had in high school was with the rowing team, and I hear it was similar for swimming. But just getting over that initial "I have to wear WHAT?! In front of WHO?!" factor scared a lot of athletic guys off at the beginning of the season who just thought they were 'too cool' to participate in these types of sports.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

I got into swimming because I wanted to be in shape for baseball season. Maybe reach out to coaches of spring sports and see what they can do for you.

Hot chicks in bathing suits is all it took for me

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"I like you. I'll gladly sit down and have dinner with you after the race. But when the gun goes off, I pretty much hate you, and I want to stomp your guts out. That's racing." -Rappstar

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Good idea. I'll offer the Track coaches a cross training opportunity for their athletes. Especially to those that might be injured and needing time off of running.

Just tell them how much they'll regret not learning swimming early on, once they become BOP age-group tri swimmers!

You got something a lot of kids want - a varsity letter, so get the word out and sell it. Do whatever it takes to make sure that every kid in the school and every single parent knows you can get a varsity letter for being on the swim team. There are likely at least 5 kids who's moms will make them come out for the team just to pad their college applications.

Get your 12 current swimmers to talk to their friends. They should be able to come up with at least 3 or 4 new guys. Talk to kids on other teams who are not doing a sport during your season. As mentioned, cross country team is a great place to start. Every boys high school team I know of has one or 2 cross country kids on it, and some of them turn out to be stellar swimmers.

Going forward, kids will swim or do anything else for that matter, because they like being part of the group. So, make this a special group to be a part of. It is important to understand that to build a good program, you must treat it seriously from day 1. You can not wait for the talent to show up in a few years to start the "real" swim team. So, at least in terms of attitude, if not actual training, run the team like you would if had 10 state championships under its belt. Make it clear by word and deed that its a big deal to be on this team. It is special and the kids on it are special. Get them the best swag you can come up with. Start some traditions. You don't have to actually win meets before you can act like a team. Let the kids know they are coolest things going at the school. Have morning practices a couple times a week even if the kids suck so they can show up at school at 5:30am then mock the lazy ass basketball players when they roll in at 8. Find things to celebrate and make sure they are celebrated as a team If they do win a meet, make sure the whole school knows about it. Set some basic rules and follow them. If you treat them like athletes, they will act like athletes. If they act like athletes and are having fun, other kids will want to be part of the team.

sex...

My brother went from high school through all american in college and got more than his fair share of tail. Swimming builds up the pecs and arms which young chicks love, rather than the lonely long distance runner....

x4 on the chicks story

that's how we pretty much upped the number of guys on our team. I'm not sure where you're from, but the majority of the guys were surfers/bodyboarders so swim training always helped them become stronger out in the water. However, when the surf was up, lot of the guys wouldn't show up or would come late.

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This x 1,000.

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I always recruited two or three guys out of the football team and dared the rest of them to come to a practice for a day. The "sissy" sport then became respected and I always got more guys out because of it. Always helped to have the girls team swimming in the lane beside them too :)

Not sure what part of the country your in and it does not appear your in a hotbed of HS swimming. Some other areas around the country very different. But I would suggest you got to your local middle schools that are in your zone this spring before the year ends and get the word out, there has to be some competitive age groupers ready to tear up the HS swimming scene. Once you can get some boys interested there will be more to follow. Also for some reason the soccer boys even though swimming is not their sport seem to be pretty good HS swimmers. Surprisingly good in my area where my daughters swam anyway. If you build it they will come. And if your of a mind to pray about it that helps too.

Let them wear jammers to train until they get over the spandex shyness.

Good point about how boy swimmers' torsos look. Any way to show that off besides at a swim meet? I'd have team dinners and other team events that let them gel as a group. Team shirts? Dress a certain way before a meet? My boys play high school sports and like to wear team shirts on the designated day. One swam.

You ought to benefit from the Summer Olympics effect, too. More boys will try out after watching them.

I'm 16. Not on the swim team or XC but all my friends are. I completely agree with STP start with the XC team and other fall sports. You really shouldn't have to do any recruiting though. Find 2 or 3 leaders of the 12 you have and get them to do it, seriously. They have to want and be dedicated to but they will be more successful than you could be. Definitely get some good swag and even though it should be serious if you want numbers you have to be accommodating to kids playing club sports or other extracurriculars. Make sure everyone has fun and acts like a team outside swimming. Its about being part of team for most kids, the competition comes second.

Put out some posters reminding them that swimmers are badasses...



...and that the girls are generally smokin HOT.

Yo, where da weed pipe?

another vote for this.

When I swam in HS in the late 80's, early 90's, we had 8 guys my freshman year. We were coached by a woman who represented our state in the Miss America Pagent a couple of years earlier. Within a couple of years, we had 40 guys trying out for the team. Sex sells when it comes t boys swimming in HS.

Perhaps they would rather study so that they know the difference between "then" and "than"!

I swam in high school back in the the day. During my senior year, the state face-off champion on the Lacrosse team needed a way to get in shape. He joined the swim team and focused on the 50. He may of had his reasons, but I swam because of the girls. The girls on my team were, and still are, great people.

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What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699

If the high school offers (or enforces) P.E. classes, talk the administration into making swimming a big part of the P.E. program.

At my high school, every freshman took a general P.E. class, in which most of October was spent in the pool. The varsity swim coach taught these classes and got to evaluate every single freshman, which led to pretty good recruiting. Most freshmen actually had fun with it too, so there wasn't the same negative stigma that some other schools had about men's swimming.

See, more reasons to stay out of the pool and concentrate on grammar!

Sorry, I'll stop now!

X2 for off-season for other sports...I initially started swimming in HS as off-season for baseball. I was a better baseball player because of it, no doubt.

While the point about getting to hang out with chicks in bathing suits is a good one, I am not sure that you can put up a flyer in school that says "Swimmin: Come for the T&A. Stay for the Competition."

My HS did not have a swim team. (I think they do now). Thinking back many years ago to what might have worked to get me to join-
1. Talk to the womens coach. See if you can get her girls to recruit for you. Maybe some sort of contest. "If the boys swim team gets 20 new members, we will buy the girls swim team (pizza, swim caps, manicures, etc).
2. I like the idea of daring some of the "meatheads" to try out. Get them to a practice and I bet they will think it is the best workout they have ever had.
3. Have some sort of swim team open house/open pool day. Just get them in the pool and let them splash around a little. Maybe set up some relay races and get the kids who have never had any formal coaching the chance to see what they can do. Some may find they are decent. Some may get pissed they are so bad and join the team for the challenge.