5 Timeless and Unforgettable Aspects of Swimming
By Mauro Pacsi, Swimming World College Intern
As you get older, you take notice of the nature of the sport changing around you. You get to see changes in the USA Swimming rulebook, witness new developments in strokes or drills, and even see changes in the way coaches approach their jobs. Before you know it, the way you were accustomed to swimming, “back in your day,” will be nothing but the past. However, there are some things in swimming that will forever stay the same. Here are some things in the sport that will stand the test of time.
Getting Your First Tech Suit
Katie Ledecky – Photo courtesy: TYR
Getting your first tech suit is something you will not forget, especially if you have a good experience. It is almost like a sign of aging up, considering that older kids in high school and above wear them. A tech suit is a super suit for swimmers, or it can also be seen as our own superhero costume. When a swimmer puts one on, their confidence, feel for the water and speed are all elevated to a slightly higher level. That elevation can be felt the moment a swimmer dives in and swims their first laps. It does take a while to get tech suits on, so be warned.
Taper=Heaven
No matter the era, every swimmer loves taper time. Taper is the coming of heaven for swimmers, where rest and paradise are found. The grueling training work during the season comes to an end, allowing swimmers to blossom like newly budded flowers. Practices get shorter and long sets turn into short, race-pace training. In addition, each swimmer starts to feel a bit faster and gets excited. This excitement brings a lot of fun and new energy to everyone on a team leading up to a big meet.
Going a Best Time
In a sport like swimming, success in events are largely dependent on the individual. There is nothing more satisfying than a swimmer going a best time on their own terms. Putting together the perfect race to drop anywhere from milliseconds to seconds is incredible. Hard work and dedication are reflected in those best times, along with the risks the swimmer took to achieve it. However, best times come for every swimmer at a different time in the season. Whether some might drop time early on, in the middle, or at the end of the season does not matter. The fact is that best times can be achieved at any point and every swimmer can achieve them!
Someone Must Move the Lane Lines
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Depending on where you swim, to start and end practice, the lane lines must be moved. Lane lines are necessary to keep all the swimmers in order, and without them, you can expect an open water swim. They are either pulled into the pool or pulled out and rolled up on to the deck after practice. It is no easy task to do, but it is necessary. Swimmers will run and hide from moving them, but no one can escape the task forever.
Volunteers Are Superheroes
A meet cannot run smoothly without its volunteers on deck. Every volunteer, from timers, to runners, deck coordinators, marshals, and officials, is essential. Without them a meet would be utter chaos, and no one would ever want to host. They put a lot of effort and time into setting up and running meetings to determine what each volunteer will do. Most of these volunteers happen to also be parents of swimmers at the meet. Other volunteers just happen to be lovers of the sport and the competition. No matter what the reason may be, meets always need volunteers and the swimming community will always be thankful for them.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.