14 Ways To Tell You Come From a Swimming Family

deloof-sisters
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

14 Ways To Tell You Come From a Swimming Family

By J.P. Mortenson

Due to the sport’s all-consuming nature, swimming inevitably becomes a family affair. And once your family becomes a swimming family, the sport will affect your home life in more ways than you could have ever imagined! Here are 15 ways to tell you come from a swimming family.

1. Somewhere In Your House Is A Dedicated Gear Area.

Alabama

Photo Courtesy: Amelia J. Brackin

This place is full of mesh bags, old see-through swimsuits, goggles, caps, and has a distinct smell of chlorine.

2. There Is Also Probably A Bucket Of Old Medals And Ribbons.

medalsA12Z3635

Photo Courtesy: Vaughn Ridley/Swimming Canada

After many years of meets, what was once so precious now just seems to pile up.

3. Chlorine-Fried Hair In Family Photos.

federica-pellegrini-blonde-hair-2017-euro-sc-champs

Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Insidefoto / Deepbluemedia

No need to pay for haircuts when it just breaks off, and who doesn’t love that nice green tint?

4. Unending Amounts of Moisturizer.

IMG_5252

Photo Courtesy: Isabelle Robuck

In swimming families, dry skin becomes a family-wide epidemic due to constant immersion in large bodies of chlorinated water. Moisturizer becomes an intimate family friend, as you probably have bottles of moisturizer in your car, shower, bag, and basically any other place you can think of.

5. Parkas.

parka-uvm-vermont-teammate

Photo Courtesy: Chandler Brandes

For swimmers, parkas are like a warm hug that you get to wear on your way to the pool right up until the horrible moment when you have to take it off and jump into the freezing water for warmup. If you come from a swimming family, there are probably swimming parkas stashed all over your home, and you almost certainly have become either the recipient or donor of a hand-me-down.

6. Early Alarm Clocks.

Beep! Beep! Beep! It is 4:30 a.m. and still dark outside, of course indicating that it is time to go to the pool! If you come from a family of swimmers, it is almost a guaranteed that your family rises earlier than most.

7. Wardrobes That Are Full Of Worn Out Team And Meet Apparel.

team-canada-

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

After years of being on teams and going to competitions, your family is likely to have large quantities of team shorts, shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and basically any other type of garment. Even parents seem to accumulate quite a bit of gear.

8. Stocked Fridge.

If you come from a swimming family, your fridge is probably overstocked with any type of food you can imagine, and it will shock you how quickly it all seemingly disappears into thin air. Your family’s grocery bill also probably resembles the national debt.

9. Family Vacations Only Being in August.

Anyone who thinks swimming is “seasonal,” think again. December break? Think “training.” Spring break? Think “training.” The good news is that most swimmers get a couple weeks off in August.

10. The Unending Barrage of Wet Towels.

Some swimming families have to have two dryers. And don’t even think about the towels that get forgotten in a swim bag for a few days. The good news is that most towels are new-ish, as many towels get orphaned at swim meets and practices. 

11. The Summer Olympics Are a Must-See Family Blockbuster Event.

ervin-prelims-relay-2016-rio-olympics

Photo Courtesy: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

At the Olympics, swimming is shown prime-time, and swimmers are among the leading men and women. Can we do this more often than one week every four years?

12. A Noticeable Lack of Land-Sport Ability and Coordination.

In nature, there are water animals, and there are land animals. For that same reason, if a swimmer is a two-sport athlete, the second sport is usually water polo.

13. Parents Who Are Willing To Wait For Hours To Watch Their Kids Swim For 30 Seconds, And Who Run And Hide At The Sentence “We Need Timers!”

mens-ncaa-nc-state-wolfpack-parents

Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

Parents are champions for enduring swim meet marathons, and Mom and Dad are no fools.

14. Kids Who Have Learned How to Annoy Each Other Because You Spend So Much Time In The Car Driving To Meets.

agua-kids-june-17

Photo Courtesy: Swimming World

Do you love singing every verse of “100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” three times? Do you love hearing it?

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

72 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Patricia Santos de Brito

This is so us Amanda and Harrison

Susan L. Lansbury
5 years ago

#13 !!!! So true!

Mark Arzaga
5 years ago

Terry Mac Michelle Arzaga Mikey W Arz Wilfred Arzaga ?

Mary Jo Pursley
5 years ago

#16 you find things like paddles in the toy box.

Brid Browne
5 years ago

Leza O’Donoghue how many of these can you relate to, it’s the endless towels for me and I actually have some of the exact moisturiser they have in the picture!

Leza O'Donoghue
5 years ago
Reply to  Brid Browne

Brid Browne ??

Brenda Norcross Woods
5 years ago

Amen

Susan L. Lansbury
5 years ago

Alice O’Leary McClenahan, Sam O’Leary, David Schraven?

Ainslie E Gordon
5 years ago

Vacations in between short-course and long-course or in August!!??????

Sharon Rinaldi
5 years ago

Sounds about right… but still the greatest sport ever!!!

Toni Darr
5 years ago

And forgotten wet gear in the swim bags?

Matthew Sherman
5 years ago
Reply to  Toni Darr

Swim bag science experiments!

Bert Schreuders
5 years ago

Anahi Schreuders Mikel Schreuders

Grace Hallman
5 years ago

Jennifer Hallman

Jennifer Hallman
5 years ago
Reply to  Grace Hallman

Grace Hallman Yup.

Becca Sykes
5 years ago

Emily Sykes StevenandKim Sykes

StevenandKim Sykes
5 years ago
Reply to  Becca Sykes

Becca Sykes All of it is true, and we wouldn’t change it for anything?

Pauline Juffermans
5 years ago

Ashleigh no. 13 definitely ??

Arlene Miles
Arlene Miles
5 years ago

This article is somewhat naive. We had a competitive figure skater, a hockey player and finally a swimmer. Most of these points are applicable to other sports,, including the August vacation. The only points that were not applicable were thrones involving chlorine and towels.

John John
John John
5 years ago
Reply to  Arlene Miles

Let the man publish his article in peace! Do you just go about hating on random internet lists about swimming that have no impact on your life? Lay off woman.

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago
Reply to  John John

Someone got up on the wrong side of 2019 today. YOU need to lay off.

Barry McCockiner
Barry McCockiner
5 years ago
Reply to  John John

Not even brave enough to show your real name huh? John John is standing up against toxicity and if you don’t watch out YOU will be next my friend.

John John
John John
5 years ago
Reply to  Arlene Miles

Let him post his list in peace Arlene! Do you just go around hating on random internet lists with no bearing on your life? Lay off woman.

Rich Davis
5 years ago

All true after 3 kids who all made it to national level!!!!

Cj Moser-Flatley
5 years ago

People go on vacations other than August???

Marie Moffitt
5 years ago

When you belong to a multi-generational swimming family, you also have that moment in every family gathering, including Thanksgiving dinner, when one or more people start waving their arms around, demonstrating some point about swimming strokes.

Kari Koenig Walter
5 years ago
Reply to  Marie Moffitt

Or remember a time from a race 20 years ago but can’t remember to put the milk away….

Jessica Brustad
5 years ago

Mitchell Brustad Lori Brustad James Brustad

John McCormack
5 years ago

Nailed it… and clogged drains from a shaving “party”….

Janelle Barnett
5 years ago

Corey McMeeking Candice Dawson ?

Kari Koenig Walter
5 years ago

Hey Fosters- looking good on that cover shot!! Reading this list was like TBT – and can’t say that I miss it AT ALL! ? Best of luck to all those dedicated swimmers (and parents!) out there! ??‍♂️??‍♀️

Tracey King
5 years ago

Cal we ticked off every one ?

Mama Coach
5 years ago

They forgot to mention the dry rack/s in the kitchen as swimsuits nowadays are not allowed to dry in the sun.

Anne GB
5 years ago

No communication matters here. The great thing about swimming is that “anyone” can swim. We remember well training next to some of the “elite” Commonwealth Games swimmers – and teaching “learn to swim” to the kids.

Anne GB
5 years ago
Reply to  Anne GB

Got to say Les Mills and Ms Timbers – great support – and always the focus on training and lots of practice for the main meets and “event/s”!!

Louise Holland
5 years ago

Definitely got a bucket of medals ?

Beth Navin Duffy
5 years ago

So very true!!

Tracy Jones
5 years ago

Yep

Louise Willdridge
5 years ago

Mary Richard Helen Tom number 13 ?

Helen Jane Willdridge
5 years ago

Louise Willdridge 1, 2,6, and 10 seem to fit too ?‍♀️?‍♂️???

Jo.
Jo.
5 years ago

Nice. But…. need 1 more. 1 of the parents begs off work for a Friday swim meet becaused the 3 day meet needs officials.

Mona Barger
5 years ago

Wouldn’t have it any other way

Sharon Schultz
5 years ago

Sarah Schultz ??

Dyan Braden
5 years ago

Erin Braden Goss

Shayn Fun-De Cuba
5 years ago

Ronald Paul Fun

Ann Moran
5 years ago

Omg. This is our life. ??

Mary Liz Finn
5 years ago

Julia Moran Ann Moran Bill Moran Liam

Lisa Agung
3 years ago

Linda Rudzis Kim Brennan Nicky Al ??

Gail Culberson
3 years ago

Yes! ❤️

Jenny Lynn Utendorf
3 years ago

This a good article ❤️❤️

Michelle Matson
3 years ago

Fleur this definitely Team Turner-Parker!! ??‍♀️ xxxxx

Fleur Turner
3 years ago

Michelle Matson love it and so true!!! Kept reading going “yep” ??xxxxx

Emily Siebrecht
3 years ago

Lara Siebrecht Deborah Siebrecht quite a few are accurate here – ‘designated gear area’ – aka Keller

Deborah Siebrecht
3 years ago

Emily Siebrecht all are True ?

Caitlin Poulson
3 years ago

Deborah Poulson number 14

Deborah Poulson
3 years ago

Caitlin Poulson ???

Maureen Morse Stefanides

Kyle Stefanides Isabella Stefanides Angelika Stefanides

Kareena Seyfang
3 years ago

Sheean Seyfang Mel Brooks Kerry Evans Aaron Seyfang

Aaron Seyfang
3 years ago

Kareena Seyfang number 13 is definitely me

Kareena Seyfang
3 years ago

Aaron Seyfang me too

Kareena Seyfang
3 years ago
Kerry Evans
3 years ago

Kareena Seyfang And me! Can’t run to save my life but can easily swim 2 km before the sun comes up! ?

Kareena Seyfang
3 years ago

Kerry Evans

Shari Perry Stewart
3 years ago

Exactly! And wouldn’t change it for anything in the entire world!

Will Gallagher
3 years ago

Sarah Gallagher

भष्म खरानी

#JusticForNirmala

Debbi Harris Wingfield

#14???

Christine Coakley
3 years ago

# 10
For last nine years!!

Michelle Matson
3 years ago

Fleur Turner definitely your house!! ??‍♀️?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️ xxxxx

Fleur Turner
3 years ago

Michelle Matson ??? think we relate to all of those!! Made me think of the alarms going off in the middle of the night to watch Peaty in Rio! Family affair in our bedroom ?? xxxxx

72
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x