1. Discipline
Being a smart elite athlete means staying away from detrimental substances like drugs and alcohol. In this day and age, it can be so tempting to be like everyone else. But having dedication and goals conquers all of that.
2. Sacrifice
Yes, the phrase “Sorry, I can’t. I have practice,” can apply to any sport, but swimming seems to be one of the most time consuming sports. Not only do a lot of us train 6 days a week, but invitational and championship meets often take 6+ hours (even if you’re only swimming for 4 minutes).
3. Time management
Going hand-in-hand with #2, swimming pretty much takes over your life. Nothing teaches efficiency like trying to finish homework for five classes, go to swim practice, and study for three tests.
4. The meaning of TEAM
Rare is there a bond stronger than the one between athletes who spend hours upon hours together training. It is difficult for the average person to understand the frustrations, complaints, and hardships us swimmers go through.
5. Patience
You’d think that when you train hard, you get best times right? Wrong. Sometimes, hard work pays off almost immediately, but for some, it can take years of training to finally reach that best time again.
