Swim Life

Yale's Kiphuth Exhibition Pool Holds a Special Place in Swimming Lore In the center of Kiphuth Exhibition Pool stands a large, wooden desk.  It’s an odd place for such a device, a majestic wood design contrasting the deck’s sheer white tile. You could travel around the country and never see anything...

One Team Woven From a Single Thread: Including Transgender, Non-Binary and Queer Swimmers By Kerri Nicole McCaffrey - Guest Editorial “Diversity (in USA Swimming) is an issue right now…we need to develop coaching and athlete heroes that are of a diverse nature so that we can attract those athletes m...

What Sets the Best Swimmers Apart: Mental Habits That Lead to Growth Swimmers spend up to 30 hours per week training, stretching, lifting weights, and rehabilitating injuries. In the pool, they build endurance, focus on technique, and push to be as fast and efficient as possible. In the weight room,...

Choosing the right swim school can be overwhelming — especially with so many great programs expanding across the U.S. From nurturing early swim experiences to developing strong stroke technique, the best schools share a commitment to safety, consistency, and confidence-building. Whether you're looki...

6 Tips and Tricks While Swimming in the Summer Heat The sun beams down, striking you with overwhelming heat. In the warm water, you feel heavier and heavier with every stroke. The clustered lanes are filled with sweaty, out-of-breath swimmers. Swimming outside can be one of the greatest joys of summ...

A Look at Swimmer Muscles by Stroke By Bri Groves, Swimming World College Intern, in collaboration with the creator of Swim Science, Dr. G. John Mullen It’s no surprise that swimmers keep their bodies in peak shape and their commitment comes with an added benefit for fans. Not only can we watch them...

Breaking Barriers In and Out of the Water: Michael Gunning on Diversity, Teamwork and Mental Strength This exclusive interview with Michael Gunning was conducted by Chris Tompkins of The Motivational Speakers Agency. Michael Gunning is a former international swimmer who represented both Great Britai...

The 7 Sins of Swimming (From the Archive - Originally Published 2017) By Chandler Brandes There is no such thing as a perfect swimmer. As swimmers, we sometimes (although rarely) make mistakes. We may DQ, forget our heat and lane, or even accidentally-on-purpose rip our cap at the exact moment a har...

Olympic Medalist Elizabeth Beisel Joins AOAP as Water Safety Spokesperson Olympic medalist and broadcaster Elizabeth Beisel has joined the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP) as a water safety spokesperson. Beisel will lead the AOAP’s national efforts in promoting water safety, preventing dr...

After Decorated Soccer Career, Kelley O’Hara is Back in the Pool Kelley O’Hara went nearly 30 years between meaningful swimming experiences. The first shaped her trajectory toward the soccer field. The second, she hopes, will help define what comes next. After a storied career on the soccer pitch, w...

College Recruiting: How to Know If a School Is the Right Fit for You Throughout the recruiting process, seeking input from club coaches, family members, and teammates is advised, but the choice regarding academics, athletics, and location is ultimately yours to make. Luckily, with hundreds of school...

The Swimming Dictionary: A List of Words and Phrases Lost on the Non-Swimmer Like any sport, swimming has its own set of words. Here we have compiled a list of some of the most commonly used and commonly confusing terms and phrases swimmers use that non-swimmers may not understand. Words Heat Sheet ...

The Benefits of Adding Running to Your Training Program Swimmers, you might not want to hear this. What if I told you that running could actually benefit your swimming? Yes, you read that correctly. Running, the dreaded activity that most swimmers avoid at all costs, can help you swim faster. Now...

Toward Fairness: The Future of Transgender and Non-Binary Swimmers By Kerri Nicole McCaffrey - Guest Editorial “But you have heard me say many times there should be no discrimination. Nobody should be excluded from our competitions.  Our sport must be open to everybody.” World Aquatics President, Hu...

You Are Not Behind: Your Progress Is Right on Time  In swimming, it’s easy to look around and feel like everyone is moving faster than you. A teammate drops five seconds in their best event. Someone your age qualifies for a meet you’ve been chasing. You show up to every practice and work hard, but y...

Scientific Research Says Music Benefits Athletic Performance Swimmers who listen to music before a race aren’t participating in a mindless task, they are utilizing a scientifically proven method to enhance their performance. Significant research has been conducted to further understand the impact th...

A Letter to Swim Coaches Everywhere: Thank You From the Archive Dear Coach, I would like to begin this letter by asking you a question. A simple, one-word question: Why? Why did you pursue this career? Why do you wake up at the most ungodly hours every day, just to inevitably scream at your swimmers...

10 Hidden Benefits of Swimming Everyone wants to be an Olympic swimmer. But luckily, you don’t have to be an Olympic swimmer to benefit from the sport. People of all ages, from all backgrounds, and with various levels of experience can benefit from swimming. Swimming is one of the few sports you can...

Does Freezing Help? An Ice Baths Analysis Thousands of yards. Long, exhausting meets.  As swimmers, a lot of pain is endured on the path to success, both physical and mental. And yet, perhaps the most excruciating part of the swimming world is a method used for recovery.  Ice baths, also known as co...

What Goes Through the Mind of a Swimmer During a Race? As we approach the business end of the swimming season, athletes will be competing across a number of large and important target meets - regardless of level. The dedication they have put in over the past few months will be tested by the stopwatc...