The Basics of Swimming

Out of the numerous sports, clubs, and other extra curricular activities that La Salle has to offer its students, few are as unknown as the swim team, or even the sport of swimming itself. It is rather unfortunate that swimming Most people typically know more about the sports that have been popularized, such as football and soccer. than swimming, and that is rather unfortunate. Once light is brought upon the several elements that go into the sport of swimming, most would agree that it is one of the most physically grueling sports out there.

Though swimming is one of the most popular events of the summer Olympic Games, most people do not know much about it. At the basic high school level, the sport includes four different strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle, or the “front crawl.” Swim meets, which usually last about two hours, include eleven events. There are four freestyle races, which measure 50, 100, 200, and 500 meters in distance, one 100-meter race each of the butterfly, backstroke, and, breaststroke, one 200-meter race of the individual medley, which consists of two laps of each of the four strokes, and three relays. The pool is twenty-five meters in length, as opposed to an Olympic-sized pool, which is fifty meters in length. Basically, the objective of each race is for one to obtain the fastest time in his or her event, or to simply achieve a personal best time. This simple explanation of the sport may make it appear to be rather uncomplicated, but be assured that such a statement is far from the truth.

At first glance, it is common for people to assume that swimming is easy to learn in a short amount of time. However, competitive swimming and leisurely swimming are in two completely different ballparks. Having the capability to join a competitive swim team requires much more than the simple ability to swim, as there are several factors that are needed in addition to said ability in order to become a successful racer. Technique and speed, the most important factors, go hand in hand; however, technique is by far the most important factor for a swimmer. Though speed would seem to be most important, lack of technique will cause one’s stroke to fall apart, and without proper technique, speed cannot be achieved. Therefore, technique must be mastered prior to the addition of speed in one’s stroke. In addition, there are different techniques that go into the training for each individual stroke, and it is the intensity of the training that classifies swimming as “difficult.”

Often, most people do not understand the demanding nature of and the dedication that is required to be successful in the sport. The La Salle swim team practices daily at Rhode Island College, and based on the amount of time the team has been given to use the pool, the duration of a practice is usually 90 minutes. In said amount of time, swimmers complete a workout measuring a minimum of 3,000 meters, which is equivalent to the distance of approximately 33 football fields. The workout varies from practice to practice and is designed to increase endurance, strength, and technique in all four strokes, and although a 90 minute practice is a bit shorter than one would expect, the workout is just as exhausting due to the fact that swimming works almost every muscle in one’s body at the same time and that the sport also entails constant resistance through the water. Practices increase in difficulty throughout the season, which lasts from the beginning of December through the end of February. During the three months of the season, swimmers must devote themselves to the sport if they wish to be successful in it. Aside from school and health, swimming must be considered before everything. Diet and sleep have strong effects on a swimmer’s performance and both must be monitored. Practice continues through Christmas vacation and February vacation, and cannot be skipped without a valid reason. Lateness will not be tolerated, and the location of the facility often makes long days for those students who live out of the way. However, despite the several elements that make competitive swimming seem like a turn-off, there are also several elements that make it enjoyable.

Though most swimmers find their own sport to be unbearable, involvement with the sport teaches valuable life skills. Students learn how to be part of a team, how strongly their everyday actions affect their athletic performance, how to be disciplined and responsible for themselves, etc. With long hours and painful practices comes the formation of strong bonds between teammates, which creates lifelong friends that make practicing a bit more tolerable, and swimmers often find that the results they attain at the end of each season do not compare to the friendships they have formed. Therefore, swimming is much more than the personal best one achieves in his or her event or the medals that one wins at a state championship meet. Additionally, when the competition aspect of the sport is removed, swimming is a lifetime activity for everyone of all ages. The resistance training offered by keeping up with the sport is highly beneficial for overall physical fitness and condition, and it is due to this fact that swimming has been proven to be one of the healthiest activities. Despite the hard work and determination that all swimmers put into the sport, it is the life skills and friendships that swimmers create that make up the heart of the sport.