Commentary

Lessons to Learn When Swimming Seems So Cruel From the Swimming World Archive The 400 IM is a race I only had to swim once to decide it was not my calling. Now when I watch people race it, and love all 16 laps of it, I cannot relate, but I certainly can respect. One such swimmer was shooting for his...

11 Things Your Swimming Coach Is Always Yelling By Allison Peters, Swimming World College Intern We all know what it is like to have your swimming coaches yelling at the top of their lungs during practice, trying to get our attention. Here's a few things that you can improve on to reduce some of thi...

Why You Should Train Your Off Stroke: The Benefits of Mixing Things Up (From the Archive) “What is the hardest swimming event?” There are many answers to this question. Many would say the 400 IM. Why? You start off with a 100 fly, which can easily tire you out, followed by a 100 back. Next you have ...

An Explanation Of How Tech Suits Benefit Swimmers When it comes time to race, many swimmers, especially those racing in high-level competitions, wear specialized knee-length swimsuits known as tech suits. They're everywhere in the swimming world. But how do tech suits work? And do they actually make...

The Future of Swimming: Emerging Trends and What to Expect in the Next Decade As swimming evolves, several trends are set to shape the sport in the next decade. First, data-driven training is revolutionizing performance analysis with AI-powered tools and wearable technology, both providing precise i...

The 'Why' In Coaching: The Importance Of Providing An Explanation Three minutes into the coach’s monologue on butterfly technique, ninth grader Sam raised his hand and asked, "why?’" “I thought I was a good coach,” says his Middle Atlantic mentor. “I had state-championship teams, high school All-Ame...

Six Ways Swim Parents and Coaches Can Work Together In A Beneficial Manner The coach-parent relationship is critical as athletes work toward improving and achieving their goals. In many cases, this relationship is smooth and proves beneficial. Unfortunately, there are times when parents do not give ...

All sports teach athletes life lessons that they carry with them for the rest of their lives. Swimmers go through experiences that help them learn and grow not only as athletes, but as people, too. The sport of swimming teaches kids at a young age the importance of teamwork, time management, work et...

13 Weird Objects That Have Been Found in the Pool Picture this: you're swimming along during practice minding your own business when suddenly, you become entangled in a web of an unidentified object floating by. You have no idea where it came from and thrash around trying to free yourself from the....

By Olivia McKelvey, Swimming World College Intern. When it comes to nutrition, swimmers - like any other athletes - tend to take on the "body is my temple approach." Meaning that the elite of the elite preach new health fads, supplements, and other information about nutrition that can lead them to t...

The Next Level: 3 Key Differences Between High School and College Swimming To swim or not to swim? Eventually, every high school-level athlete will face this question sooner or later. And sometimes it can be very difficult to decide what the best course of action might be. Change can be both excitin...

Labor Day Weekend Swim Tip: 4 Ways to Thank Your Body for Its Hard Work By Molly Lloyd As the saying goes, your body is a temple. So you should treat it like one, right? We work our bodies – our beautiful, chlorine-saturated bodies – in hopes of being the best swimmer or diver we can be. Our bodies ...

How Science Can Be Used to Promote Faster Swimming; Competitive Swimming Needs Radical Change By Rod Havriluk If a swimmer was asked about his/her: Index of Coordination (quantifies arm coordination), Active drag coefficient (quantifies technique), Intracycle velocity variations (identifies general ...

The Positive Effects of Swimming On the Brain By Alice Reeves-Turner If there is one thing all swimmers (and ex-swimmers) can agree on, it is the addictive nature of swimming. We all crave the smell of chlorine on our skin, the pain of a long, hard set and the adrenaline rush that comes from every r...

Video Analysis: How Pan Zhanle Shattered World Record in the 100 Freestyle (Athletes Only Podcast) At the Olympic Games in Paris, only two individual world records were set. While American Bobby Finke established a global standard in the 1500-meter freestyle on the final night of competition, China'...

10 Ways to Increase the Life of Your Racing Suit By Bri Groves Suits are a necessity for water sports, but they can be expensive. Racing suits are sold at an even higher price, eventually wear out, and are relied on by swimmers during peak performance. Suit life can be extended if properly mai...

By Chandler Brandes, Swimming World College Intern. Although it’s easier to come up with reasons why it would be easier to do anything but swim or dive, it’s important to take a step back and think about the reasons why you’re here. To all of the high school students who recently committed, are yet ...

Adjusting to Life With a New Coach: Be Open and Positive A typical feeling swimmers have when they experience a coaching change is anxiety. A swimmer will feel this because they have gotten used to their normal routine. There is trepidation concerning the new coach's style and personality. But all s...

A Letter To the Coach Who Left Me Throughout our careers, we will have relationships with a few different coaches. If we are lucky, we will get to know and be close to a few. Those relationships will be some of the most important and influential ones of your career and life. They mean a lot to you -...

The Big Deal About a Swimmer's Nutrition By Bailey Duran Swimming requires massive amounts of energy, whether it’s an elite-level practice or an age group practice. Because of this high energy expenditure, swimmers need to take the right steps to replenish the nutrients lost. According to wellness c...