Swimming Because You Want To: Finding New Reasons to Love the Sport
As swimmers, saying “I have practice” and “I get to practice” could be differentiated by a good night’s sleep. Other times, it takes a little more reflection.
Swimming tests a lot of us, in terms of time, energy, discipline and the willingness to keep working toward improvements that do not always arrive as expected. Even when we love the sport, there will be days when getting in the water feels like a chore.
That does not make our love for swimming less real. It gives us a reason to check in with it.
Commitment and Enjoyment Can Co-Exist
Swimming because you want to does not mean being excited about every set. You can dread the main set and still love the satisfaction of finishing it. You can feel nervous before a race and still enjoy the challenge of competing.
Dedication helps us follow through on difficult days. But somewhere between practice schedules, team expectations and chasing times, it can become easy to focus entirely on what we are supposed to do.
But what it is you are looking forward to depends on the swimmer. Maybe it is testing a new drill, trying a new pre-race routine or seeing the teammate who makes a long practice feel shorter. Having something specific to look forward to gives the routine a purpose you can feel.
Your Reasons Can Grow with You
“Remember why you started” is familiar advice. But the reason you joined swimming at eight might be different from the reason you choose it at 20.
That is a sign of growth.
As a college swimmer, captain, and sociology student, I am interested in how our surroundings shape what matters to us. Swimming is an individual sport on the results sheet, but the experience is deeply social. The people beside us help shape how we feel about the work.
A team can make effort feel meaningful through small moments: someone cheering during the last round of a set, or teammates who are excited about an improvement that never appears on a scoreboard.
I think there is value in making room for those moments. Encouraging someone to work hard and helping them enjoy being there can happen in the same breath.
Give Yourself Something to Choose
Reconnecting with swimming can start with a small goal that feels personally exciting.
Choose a skill you want to improve. Talk with your coach about an event you are curious to try. Pay attention to progress beyond your personal best: a more controlled opening 50, a stronger finish or greater confidence on the blocks.
These details give you something to pursue each day, even while bigger goals remain ahead.
It also helps to have a full life outside the pool. Classes, friendships and other interests give us room to grow, and something new to bring back to our teams. Swimming can be an important part of who we are while sharing space with everything else we are becoming.
We do not need to recreate the exact excitement we felt when we first started. We can build a relationship with the sport that fits who we are now.
We ask swimmers what time they want to go, what event they want to swim and what meet they are preparing for.
We should also ask what makes them want to come back.
And when they answer, we should listen as carefully as we watch the clock.