All sports teach athletes life lessons that they carry with them for the rest of their lives. Swimmers go through experiences that help them learn and grow not only as athletes, but as people, too. The sport of swimming teaches kids at a young age the importance of teamwork, time management, work ethic, leadership and perseverance. Read along to learn more about these five life lessons that you will discover as a swimmer, and how they carry into the real world.
Teamwork
Being a part of a team is a rewarding experience that teaches people what it is like to support others, as well as feel supported. Operating as a team player is not always easy, though. As a teammate, you will have to learn how to work with difficult and unmotivated people who may not care about the success of a team nearly as much as you do. Learning how to engage with those who may not have the same mindset as you is something that may be challenging, but beneficial in the long run. Once your swimming career comes to an end, many people will go on to pursue a job in the real world. Your experiences as a teammate will prepare you to understand the importance of working together to achieve something collectively, even if it isn’t always easy.
Time Management
Swimmers practice year-round, and sometimes, they train twice a day. It’s almost like there is no offseason… oh wait, there isn’t. All athletes have to learn how to manage their time well by balancing their academic and athletic schedule. It is not easy constantly having a jam-packed schedule, but swimmers find ways to utilize their time accordingly and make it work. Practicing time management at a young age is something that swimmers will take with them as their life goes on. Giving yourself plenty of time to complete tasks and submit them on time is crucial no matter what job you will have later down the road.
Work Ethic
Sports teach athletes the importance of working hard to achieve something great. Swimming is a sport where success doesn’t come around often. Often, you have to train hard over the course of an entire season before seeing the results that you set out to achieve. Swimming teaches you how to hold yourself accountable, as well as hold your teammates accountable. It is sometimes hard to stay motivated over the course of a long season, especially when practices start to wear down your body. The sport of swimming teaches you how to tackle life’s challenges even when it gets hard, and when you don’t want to do something. Having a strong work ethic from a young age will carry into your adult life and future career.
Leadership
Leaders set the tone for an entire team. It is important to have strong leaders on every team because they have the ability to shape the team culture and leave an impact on many different individuals. Leaders know how to build a positive environment where everybody has bought into the process. Swimming teaches people how to motivate others and hold each other accountable during tough times. As an athlete, you will learn how to make hard decisions that are best for the team, even if some don’t agree. The leadership skills that you will gain from swimming will benefit you outside of the pool. When interviewing for jobs or working in a team environment, those same skills will remain useful.
Perseverance
Swimming is a sport where no matter how hard you try, you might not always see the results you hoped for. Experiencing perseverance leaves such an impact among individuals. This teaches you how to overcome adversity, refocus your mind and move forward. In order to achieve success, you might need to switch up your habits. Making changes to your training or everyday habits is sometimes all you need when striving for that final push. Perseverance is humbling. It is something that everybody will/needs to possess in order to grow and succeed.
Swimming teaches athletes major life lessons at a very young age. Sports help kids grow into remarkable people because of the experiences they go through, and the lessons they learn. The great things that athletes take away from swimming go a long way. Swimmers will never forget the fun times they had or the difficult times they went through. Experiences are what shape us into who we become.
Even more important, swimming is the ultimate teacher of delayed gratification and coping with ups and downs… Swimmers have to work so hard take minute bits of time off their personal bests, and even when they “work hard”, they don’t always go faster at the next meet… They have to keep at it… Learning how to handle the ups and downs is one of the toughest things (some parents struggle with it too), but for those who learn to press on in the toughest times, make a big impact both in and out of the pool.
As a competitive swimmer for most of my young life, a swim teacher, a life guard, and a coach I experienced many different situations in swimming that called for my attention and care. I agree with Edie Sawyer, in that swimming prepares you if you work at it in so many positive ways. It makes a path for later life that leads one to clear thinking, good decision making, an understanding of cooperation and leadership. I have never regretted my time spent in the pool. On the contrary, Sawyer reminds me it is a noble practice.
Sports just get somebody’s feelings hurt by either being in a losing team or sitting on the bench all the time or in the case of swimming losing to somebody who swims faster or can reach the wall before they do because the other swimmer has a longer body
In cases like this, the mindset you need is “Get Better.” Overcome that adversity and prove your worth to not only yourself, but your coaches and opponents.
Just stick to book learning