3 Lessons Swimmers Can Learn From Volleyball

Photo Courtesy: Doug Keller

By Cathleen Pruden, Swimming World College Intern

“You’re tall. Do you play volleyball?”

“No, I’m not that coordinated. I swim.”

That is a conversation I’ve had before. While I don’t enjoy putting myself through strenuous activity on dry land, I still love to support my fellow student-athletes. This fall, while sitting at a volleyball game I was in awe of the height of the players’ jumps and the power of their serves. While there are many rules I still do not know, I have realized there are a few lessons to be learned from volleyball that we as swimmers could apply to our own athletic endeavors.

1. Have the same positive reaction to every outcome.

Photo Courtesy: Doug Keller

Win or lose a point, volleyball players stay loud and stay proud. After every point they high five each other or flash their hand signal to indicate what move got them their success. Even when a point has been lost, volleyball players lift each other up. They give somebody a tap, an “it’s alright,” and rally for the next one. The energy level stays high. The positivity is constant and the pity parties are rare.

Have you ever had a bad swim to start a meet and not recovered mentally for the rest of the session? Do you ever find yourself behind at the 100 mark in the 200 and instead of making the effort to negative split you let the whole thing fall down the drain? If the intervals on the first set are too hard, do you ever decide that this is just not the practice you’re going to excell at?

Don’t. It was one race, one lap, or one set. You have more to come. Make the next swim count. Like a volleyball player, channel the positive energy and move on in a productive way– add your missing kick, fix your high head position, remind yourself of your larger goal, and get back to work. One bad swim does not define you. If you frown and pout your body will know something is off. If you quit on yourself, you’re losing an opportunity. Stay positive. Keep the energy high.

By the final relay of a swim meet everybody is on their feet screaming. That’s the energy volleyball players maintain through an entire three to five sets. And, they do it together.

While swimming is very individual, we can still be great teammates. We may not have the fancy, unique hand signals, but we can have the high fives. We can show our teammates that we support them. We can recover and make our next swims better, together.

2. Dive for the ground.

Photo Courtesy: Doug Keller

No matter how much you know the 400 IM is about to hurt, I am NOT suggesting that you head the wrong way off the block and onto the concrete deck. Quite the opposite. I’m recommending that you stay underwater for that sixth dolphin kick on the final wall.

Crazy? Maybe. Volleyball mindset? I think so.

If the ball is ever headed to the ground, a player is too. They’ll throw their bodies to the hardwood floors to get their arms under the ball. That has to hurt, but the play is not over yet. What is even more impressive? How quickly they stand back up again. (Volleyball players must do a lot of burpees.)

These athletes do whatever it takes to be successful even when that means crashing into hardwood floors. No excuses. Swimmers can do that too. Stop taking the lazy breathes. Flip with force. Know that success is going to hurt. Practice it, and hopefully it will hurt less.

3. Sportsmanship

Photo Courtesy: Doug Keller

I generally consider swimmers to be pretty good sports. But, it’s refreshing and new to see great sportsmanship in another form. Before a volleyball game, the two teams run along the net for a round of high fives. While the whole affair is consistent and formalized, the exchange seems genuine.

The players want their competition to be at their best. The exciting points are hard fought, not simply the ball nailed over the net without any defense.

While we all dream of having our own Katie Ledecky moments when we swim so far away from the competition that everybody else looks like they’re practicing, many of our most exciting, most memorable swims are when we, as well as our competition, rise to the occasion (think 2008 men’s 400 freestyle relay).

While our success can be independent of our competitors, it’s a more rewarding and usually a more successful experience when we are all on our A game. In the heat of the pre-race routine, a “good luck” may not always precede competition, but remembering that sportsmanship is important too. As much as you want to beat your competition, you can still want them to compete.

You can definitely thank them for the challenge afterword, with something as little as a high five over the lane line. That kind of gesture also shows respect for your opponent which is all a part of the competitive process.

Sure, swimming and volleyball are different. Land versus water. Oxygen versus not so much oxygen. Team versus individual-ish. But, sports are sports. We’re all striving for success in an enjoyable environment. We can bring these three lessons with us from the court into the pool. And stay tuned, I might discover some of our other land friends have some ideas for us, too!

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