5 Ways Your Local Pool Benefits Competitive Swimming

Courtesy of Ryan Turner, a swimmer at Columbia and Lancaster Aquatic Club.

At the foundation of our sport is something that is often overlooked and taken for granted: the community pool. As a whole, we swimmers often focus on higher levels of competition, but weshould notforget where most of us started out — the place that sparked that initial curiosity and desire about the next level of swimming. These are our local community pools, country clubs, YMCA’s and learn-to-swim programs, all of which laid the groundwork for some of the greatest athletes of all time. As competitive swimmers who have “moved on” to bigger things, we should always respect the roles of these organizations.

Here are five ways in which your local pool helps competitive swimming:

1. Establishing a foundation

There’s no easy way to make a small child enter a pool for the first time, short of simply tossing them in. Though some are eager to learn, many fear that first splash into unknown territory. Thankfully, many parents utilize their local swim lesson programs to conquer that fear. Due to the thousands of swim instructors around the globe, many children are exposed to swimming, even if only at a basic level.

2013 USA Swimming National Championships (Image courtesy of Mike Lewis, olavistaphotograhy.com)

2. Spreading the word

After learning the fundamentals of swimming, new swimmers are gradually exposed to the sport of competitive swimming. It may simply be a matter of seeing an older swimmer moving quickly through the water, or catching a glimpse of a professional on television, but nonetheless a young swimmer’s interest can originate from almost anywhere.

Though it is hazy, I personally remember how awestruck I was as a young six-year old when an older high school swimmer casually strolled out onto the deck. Ignoring commands barked by my swim instructor, I stopped at the edge of the pool and stared. Eagerly anticipating the start of practice, and dressed in a smiley-faced brief, my new friend began stretching and focusing on the water, mentally preparing for what lay ahead. From that moment on, I wanted to be exactly like him, and I knew I was born to be a swimmer.

3. Local clubs

What many do not realize is that there are thousands of recreational swim clubs across the United States that exist to create a healthy competitive environment for kids, but are not registered with USA Swimming. Serving to provide several practices a week, while also helping to improve the strokes of young swimmers, these clubs are hubs for developing talent. They combine training and development with an another important factor – fun, in a less serious environment, meaning that oftentimes there are no qualifying times to make it to the “big” meet, you only have to beat the guy next to you.

4. Learning how to be on a “team”

Local clubs are great places to experience working as a group, and for many beginners, their first swim club is often the first time they experience having to work with others. Putting aside the debate about whether or not swimming is an individual or a team sport, there is nothing quite like the bond formed with another teammate at a young age. Exposure to other peers, especially outside of school, is incredibly beneficial in learning how to work with others.

 5. Goals

Beyond teaching you how to be a part of a team, a local club can also teach you how to set goals for yourself, a critical element of competitive swimming and a great concept to learn as a kid. A core idea in competitive swimming, goal setting is not something easily learned, and many young swimmers struggle to grasp the idea of continually striving to improve. For a youngster, even just making the promise to themselves to try harder in a kick set, or maybe swimming an event they haven’t been comfortable with before, can be huge step forward in learning how to become a better swimmer.