Commentary

There’s probably been several times where you’ve asked yourself “why are swimmers doing that?” I know that I’ve heard my family and even random people out in restaurants asking questions about the things swimmers do at the pool. So let’s clear some things up! Why wear goggles under the swim cap? Eve...

Commentary: We live in troubled times in many places and on many fronts. Silence is only the friend of those who would silence you. In that context, the best news this Sunday of Pentecost is this: we were called out by Simone Manuel for a headline and article that gave priority to what her USA and S...

Swimmers are renowned for their dedication to their sport. We train long hours at ridiculous times and spend all day at meets only to spend a few minutes actually racing in the pool. However, all swimmers reach a point in their careers when they question why they're still doing it. Although many rel...

You'd be lying if you said you've never racked your brain to come up with any--and I mean any--excuse to get out of going to practice. "I'm sick." Chances are you've already used that one...more times than you'd like to admit. "I'm too tired." True, but that one won't get you out of anything. "My sh...

We've all been there. You strike up a conversation with someone and they ask what sport you play. Jokingly, you respond that you "play" swimming. Before you know it, you are bombarded with a number of well-intentioned questions and statements. It makes your head spin how much people don't understand...

Wayne Goldsmith There's a lot of swimming articles about how to be successful: bet you've never read one that will tell you 5 Things You Must Do If You Want to Fail at Swimming. There must be a lot of swimmers who prefer to fail than to succeed.....because in every squad, in every city, in every nat...

Commentary: How One American Club Safely Returned to the Pool Today was a memorable day.  A giant reset button for swimmers at the Phoenix Swim Club in Arizona, USA and perhaps a model for those around the world.  The club conducted swim practices after getting permission from government and school ...

Love to Win or Hate to Lose? The most successful swimmers are driven by something more than just their passion for the sport. The thrill of getting your hand to the wall first encompasses so much more than the place number illuminated next to your lane on the scoreboard. The simple question of “Do y...

Is Swimming a Team or Individual Sport? When asking the question "is swimming an individual or team sport?" the answer can vary wildly. Though progress is made individually, and you can swim in your own lane, there comes a point in every swimmer’s career when they swim for something more than themse...

Swimmers and coaches alike know that it takes several factors to help a swimmer be successful and achieve his/her goals. One crucial factor that may be a given but under-addressed is the parental role in a swimmer’s achievement. While the swim parent and coach can make a great support team, they als...

Commentary: When a member of the Swim Coaches Idea Exchange Group posted a question yesterday, he also gave his answer: 'Is top 100 rankings for 9-10/11-12 years olds something we should be celebrating?' was followed by the suggestion that the coaching community "needs to get as far away from focusi...

As swimmers, we can be quick to jump for quick fixes. We know that we can adjust a flip-turn here, tweak a breath there, and throw in a few extra dolphin kicks off of our start—and that could shave off a full second off of even the shortest of races. However, we are not always eager to reach for the...

What Would You Do? Swimming Brings Tough Decisions There is no better way to learn about someone than asking them difficult questions. While playing the age-old game of "Would you Rather?", you might be surprised by what you can learn about yourself and others. Since there is no right or wrong answe...

Coronavirus - Dealing With Stress “I’m hanging in there.” That is a typical go-to answer when anyone asks how another is feeling, how they are juggling everything going on, or how they are handling life. That answer can be a front, when the truth is the individual is feeling overwhelmed and stressed...

As more pools, beaches and lakes open with proper protocols in place amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it is important that all individuals who use the water do so safely. This summer, families will hopefully pack up their towels and floaties and coolers to head out to the beach or the pool for a fun day ...

The Excellent Swim Coach Swimming is very much a sport of observation. Swimmers observe others' strokes underwater during practice and have a lot of time on deck during meets to watch the coach-swimmer dynamics surrounding us. I had 12 swim coaches in my 18 years of swimming. It's fun to go back and...

By Wayne Goldsmith. It's easy to spot a good coach - energy, passion, enthusiasm, dedication, connection with their swimmers, knowledge...and it's just as easy to identify terrible coaches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcT93A_6s4E&t=7s So how do you identify terrible coaches? Terrible coaches "Te...

21 Things to Love In this time of Covid-19 and separation from the pool, racing, teammates, pain and challenges, how much the sport means to athletes and coaches - and families - can be magnified. So, to honor a sport that has defined so many lives in many ways, here are 21 things individuals love t...

These past two months have been difficult, to say the least. The world has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of lives lost around the world. Meanwhile, financial strains have hit families and the normalcy of life has been disturbed, including at-home schooling becomi...

Decisions, Decisions! By Jennifer Yoo, Swimming World College Intern. Life is full of difficult decisions. There is an inexplicable pressure to make the right one, and each decision determines a different outcome that ultimately leads to even more choices. However, whether the choice was right or wr...