Top 10 Things To Look Forward To In a New Swim Season

Top 10 Things To Look Forward To In a New Swim Season

A new swim season brings the feeling of the first day of school. You get to reconnect with teammates that you may not have seen as often during the between-season break, and you get the chance to attack your goals with a new sense of energy. Although the break can be productive and is needed to revitalize motivation and to allow your body to recover, swimmers yearn to see these things in a new season.

New Goals

Photo Courtesy: McKenna Ehrmantraut

There is nothing like putting a pencil to paper at the beginning of a new season while dreaming of new goals. New goals means new splits to chase, new catch angles and new race plans. They are what drives us to get up for early-morning practices and to push harder in the middle of sets. New seasons provide the opportunity to start dreaming and thinking again of the next few months’ training focuses.

New Equipment

Nothing feels better than ripping the plastic off a new pair of goggles or the tightness of a new swimsuit. A new season means that you may be making some upgrades or replacing equipment that needs to go. Pull sets wearing new hot pink paddles makes training in a new season feel that much more exciting.

New Training Focus

Woah, what is that wall doing there? The change of seasons means that most swimmers will be switching between long course and short course-focused training. Consequently, sets and race strategies shift to accommodate for the change in pool length. When you finally get to start training your preferred course, the new season looks that much more exciting.

Revitalizing Motivation

Normally before a new season starts, there is a much-needed period of rest. With less time at the pool over the summer, swimmers get to reflect on how much swimming impacts their everyday lives. Going into the new season, swimmers feel a new rush of appreciation that helps revitalize their motivation.

Reuniting with Friends

Haley Anderson celebrates 500 free win with teammates.

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Not spending hours everyday with your lane buddies during break can be difficult. They are the ones who cheer you through hard sets and demanding school assignments alike. Even if a break is needed, a new season means returning to your teammates’ support. Even better, a new season means new memories will be made, new places to travel, and new sets to conquer together.

Being Back in the Pool

As much as swimmers complain about smelling like chlorine all the time, a part of us actually likes being in the pool. There is nothing like the feeling of weightlessness and fluidity during a good set or the calming sound of water hitting the gutters before getting in the pool. A new season means more time at the pool, which is secretly or not so secretly one of our favorite places.

Racing

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

A new season means new and exciting racing opportunities to look forward to. Nothing feels better than seeing a meet date get closer and closer on the calendar. Swimmers crave the adrenaline jitters behind the blocks and the joy of cheering teammates on. Sometimes racing provides the opportunity to travel to other states and to create memories traveling with teammates.

Routine

A new season means settling into a new routine. Perhaps practice times shift or extra practices are added. After a period of swimming not being a part of the schedule, a new routine can be daunting and desired. Sometimes the consistent schedule of a new season can help all other commitments feel more manageable.

Sleep

Naps will just start hitting different. During the offseason, the decrease in physical exhaustion and mental calmness means that many athletes do not sleep soundly. A new season of training means that when your head hits the pillow, you will not have to spend time tossing and turning.

A Restart

michael andrew, chase kalisz, olympic trials, tokyo olympics, start

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

We don’t always meet some or all of our goals within a season. A new season means a chance to take the good from last season and think about how to change things for a more positive result. It is also time to let go of the achievements from the last season and to begin creating new ones. The fresh restart of a new season allows athletes to reinvent themselves and to let go of the experiences and expectations of past seasons.

Did we miss anything that you anticipate in the new seasons? Let us know in the comments!

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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