Keep Your Friends Close, And Your Rivals Closer

By Diana Pimer, Swimming World College Intern

College swimming can be one of life’s greatest experiences for swimmers. Most dream of swimming for a program where they make lifelong friends and memories. And there is nothing more calming before a big race or hard set than looking over at your friends, who are probably more confident in you than you are in yourself.

Now, as rewarding as college swimming is, I have always been a firm believer in how important high school swimming is to an athlete’s career. Some students choose to only swim club, and others choose private educations, but there is something special about representing the town you grew up in.

THE BEST BRING OUT THE BEST

Personally, I got to swim my four high school seasons with girls I had been swimming with since we were four years old. It is an honor to represent your town to the best of your ability. One thing that high school and college swimming both have in common, however, are rivalries.

The term “rivalry” holds a high standard. A rivalry can be between a team, individuals, or schools. Some rivalries are cut and dry- the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees or Swimming’s USA versus France men’s 4×100 free relay.

The funny thing is, some rivalries are just in our heads. Sure, the swimming world sees Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps as rivals. But to each other, they may just be really good friends who push each other. You may swim against a person you call your rival, when they may think of you as just another competitor, or the person who you always end up swimming against. Either way, whether they know it or not, the ones you think of as rivals are the ones who push you to your greatest potential and bring out the best in you.

OLD RIVALRIES

I was lucky in high school. My team had an incredible bond and a sense of pride for our town, which did not always hold the best reputation. But we worked to reverse the stereotypes and show our state what our town was made of. But in order to do this, we were pushed by some incredibly talented athletes, including one who I always considered to be my rival.

I am not sure if she felt the same way about me or not. She pushed me through four years of high school swimming, and now, four years of college swimming as well. While I chose Division III and she chose Division I, I figured senior year of high school would be the last time we’d ever race. Little did I know, we would end up racing each other later on.

This weekend, my old high school “rival” pushed me to a great race. With .1 seconds separating us in our signature event, it was just like old times. And even though I raced to a well-fought second place, this was my fastest dual meet time of the season. She brought out the best in me. In the midst of winter training, being a senior looking for jobs, and trying to motivate my team, she reminded me of the swimmer I was in high school.

SWIMMING WITH PASSION

As we grow up, we sometimes forget how much fun it is just to race, to lay it all on the line, and to swim with passion. This is how I always swam growing up, and like many other college swimmers, my passion and fire fluctuates from time to time. No swimmer is completely happy and driven 100 percent of the time.

So for the lesson I learned during that 100 breaststroke, I can say nothing but “thank you” to the swimmer who I feared but simultaneously looked up to in high school. In swimming, it is really the people who swam before you and are swimming next to you that help you become successful. Someone must have a record before you in order for you to break it. The swimmer seeded .1 ahead of you is who drives you to be victorious.

Not every swimmer is the same, but I know I swim best when the race really means something. Whether it is a dual meet, an important relay, or me swimming for me, my competitors are what drive me to perform better. It is always good to swim for yourself and have internal motivation, but sometimes you just need a little help from your friends…or your rivals.

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