By Caitlin Daday, Swimming World College Intern.
Scrolling through Facebook I recently came across an article written about a month ago called, “High School Track: It’s Springtime and the Living is Easy,” written by Mike Gross for Lancaster Online, an online news website for Lancaster County, Pa. In the article Gross discusses what he sees as the casual and laid back nature of track. He compares the sport to football, and relates how relaxing covering track is as opposed to football. To him, a sport like track is seemingly carefree and easy.
“Football, to which This Space devotes most of its year, is the most intense, high-pressure American sport,” he writes. “Track and field, to which we devote three pleasant weekends each spring, is every bit as intense and high-pressure as frisbee golf. It’s a nice contrast.”
He goes on: “A big meet is a smorgasbord of diverse and diffuse activity and inactivity: kids running and jumping and throwing but also stretching and limbering and pulling sweats on and off and on and off and even lying under tents on beach towels and waiting. Or napping.”
Gross’s article sparked an outrage in the track and field world, quite understandably. And, while the article did not seem to get any attention in the swimming world, it should spark the same outrage among swimmers.
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Track and field and swimming certainly have their differences. Obviously, since one is done on land and the other in water. Yet both sports share a commonality in that they are both individual in nature. They are each about running or swimming as fast as you can, jumping as high or far as you can, or doing whatever it is that you do the best that you can. Even relays and team scores are determined by the sum of individual performances. Unlike football, where the whole is what matters, swimming and track rely on the individual.
While it is fair to say that sports like swimming and track differ in the way in which they are intense from a sport like football, it is completely inappropriate to say that they are not equally as intense, if not more intense than football and other similar sports. Just because a sport is based more on individual performance does not mean that it cannot be intense. In fact, in sports like swimming or track, once you start a race you do not stop until it is over. There are no breaks. You give 100% from start to finish.
To say that that kind of effort in a competition is not intense is small-minded. Even if an athlete’s race lasts less than 30 seconds, they have still put just as much training and commitment into that race as any football or lacrosse or soccer player has put into their game. I previously wrote that greatness happens when someone goes after their goals with all of their heart. That applies to any sport–team or individual.
Gross further disparaged track for requiring greater self-motivation than sports like football. Who would ever have thought that being self-motivated would be a bad thing?
Self-motivation cultivates responsibility. In a sport like swimming, as opposed to football, you alone are responsible for your performance. What the person next to you does or what your teammates do does not solely determine your performance. How you perform is only determined by what goes on between your two lane lines. No football player will ever have that kind of intensity–they are always going to have a large number of teammates to pick up their slack. When your performance is all on you, the pressure is all on you. The more pressure on you, the more intense it is.
Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Further, in swimming and other individual sports, you have to be more disciplined in order to have that kind of self-motivation. You have to want to do better, and once again, regardless of coaches and teammates, only you can make yourself better. Only your own will to succeed will get you out of bed at 5am for practice. Obviously any athlete with goals has a certain determination, but when the only factor determining your performance is yourself, the discipline you need to have to be committed is much greater. At the end of the day, when the majority of us have to leave sport behind and go out into the workforce, these are the kinds of qualities that people are going to look for.
To say that that kind of self motivation and discipline does not make an individual sport like swimming or track every bit as intense as football is pure ignorance. Just because a sport is different or does not receive the massive fanfare does not mean it is not as equally intense of a sport. Every athlete in every sport–swimmers, runners, and football players alike–all have the same goals. They want to be the best they can be. If an athlete is truly dedicated to their sport and is committed to getting better every day, it will never be easy.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
Amen! American Football is more less Handball with barricades, highly compensated Athletes which I would call slightly overeaten athletes lucky if they aren’t having trauma once they finish with their career! Swimmers and Track & Field athletes are permanente practicing to improve skills, warrior on their own and consumption of food in take is well selected by the top athletes. Great write up, that deserve attention! Bravo! ???
Great article Kylie Marie. Swimmers have only a few to motivate them but it is definitely something within the swimmer that drives them and keeps them going. YOU have it girl! Keep up the good work.
Thanks you!!!
I would say the lower ranking in popularity the harder the sport is on the athletes
Swimming is also a thinking person’s sport…
Gema Fandila Bunce
How do we contact this guy and rip him ??? Also a question?
Which came first – the brain damage or playing football ??? Lowest GPA in NCAA, most criminals
Liv Giampietro,Grace Giampietro
Wow, what a great article!!
Love it
My teammate’s father was a Defensive End for the Oakland Raiders and he readily admitted that swimming was harder/tougher than football.
I remember one morning on ESPN radio ex pro football player Mike Golic talked about it. He referenced his son who played division 1 football, and his daughter who swam at Notre Dame. He said the daughter without a doubt worked harder, put more hours in, and competed in the harder sport.