5 Reasons Why MVP Stands For Most Valuable Practices at College Level

5 Reasons Why MVP Stands For Most Valuable Practices In College Swimming and Diving

By Gigi Picard, Swimming World College Intern

For college athletes, the future fall of 2020 has brought new meaning to the phrase “you never know what you got till it’s gone.” In case you’ve been living under a rock, colleges have switched to online learning or hybrid learning, a mix of in-person and online classes, for at least the fall semester. Some schools have cut swimming and diving while others have simply transitioned to a non-traditional season consisting of only practices. For those who are practicing, while it is something to do, the experience will never ever be the same. Freshmen won’t be able to experience proper first year team traditions. Seniors won’t be able to have a proper senior year.

As a swimmer at Mount Holyoke College, I’m going to feel a huge void once fall semester starts. I won’t be able to blow bubble rings underwater, race for the Halloween treats my coach tosses in the water, or venture outside with my teammates in the snow in our Jolyns.

I am sure I’m not the only swimmer who will feel a bit lost and nostalgic in just a few weeks. In that spirit, I’m sharing five things college divers and swimmers like myself might miss about fall practices.

Pool Sweet Pool

Undoubtedly, an athlete’s second home is the pool. Every pool is different. One may be known for having a cold pool deck, an overpowering smell of chlorine or extremely slippery tiles. But to the athlete, these characteristics might be reminders that they are home. My home consists of an eight lane, 25 yard pool separated from a wide diving well with warm jets that briefly take my mind off of the cold water. The banners of our NEWMAC Conference rivals are hoisted up on the walls. Occasionally, some memes based on past season adventures appear on the walls. Does any other pool have a diver engraved bell to ring loud and proud when a diver learns a new dive?

The Grind

The first few fall practices sweep into an athlete’s life like a gentle, welcome-back breeze – old friends, new teammates, maybe a few new techniques for the muscles. THEN BOOM! The hell weeks creep up on them. Throwing up on deck, anyone? This would be a result of aggravating sprint, long distance, or IM sets. Having more than a 10 second rest now might make athletes break out into a happy dance. The grind of racing the clock is one of the frightening traditions of swimming – who’d have thought they’d miss it?

The Pump Up

Who doesn’t miss pumping iron in the weight room? All of the lifting, core workouts and more help build those strong muscles we all know too well. Yet whenever athletes shake out their arms and legs at practice, they take notice of how flabby they appear to be, and this can drive them back to dryland. Hopefully, the endless squats, deadlifts, pushups, planks, pull-ups, etc. will all rectify the doubtful situation. Something to be missed, for sure, especially if the athlete challenges others in an arm wrestling match.

The First Splash

Arguably the hardest part of practice is taking the first jump, slide in or dive into the frigid water. Even the smallest toe dip into an iceberg of a pool might make a confident, enthusiastic athlete want to run for their lives. However, the first plunge marks the birth of a swimmer and the warmup leading up to the several 100s holding race pace set.

The Family

Every individual team is its own family and doesn’t just support each other at meets. During practices, the coaches not only explain the horrible IM set coming our way a minimum of three times, but they give notes and encouragement along the way. Throughout my swimming career, coaches have pushed us to motivate one another during practices. In college, I need to hear the words LAST ONE TIL THE LAST ONE and then LAST ONE, FAST ONE (LOFO)! My teammates, even the divers cheering us on from the other end of the pool, keep me going. I will miss that this fall. Maybe most of all.

Personally, I reserve my tears for consecutive yards of butterfly in September. But, I’m on my way to buy a Finding Nemo tissue box a month early.

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