Kate Smarjesse - (Author)

The Next Level: 3 Key Differences Between High School and College Swimming To swim or not to swim? Eventually, every high school-level athlete will face this question sooner or later. And sometimes it can be very difficult to decide what the best course of action might be. Change can be both excitin...

Is it Time? A Couple of Reasons Why Quitting is NOT the Answer When should I quit? Does it matter anymore? I’m not getting any faster! Should I just be done? Swimming is a difficult sport. It always has been and it will continue to be far into the future. And - for many high school athletes - it tak...

Having Fun: Why Relaxing Before a Meet Can Benefit Swimmers Chasing a specific time can be exhausting. Frustrating. Saddening. Annoying. All these words can be used to describe a slower race that some swimmers will only see as "bad." When in sharp pursuit of a faster time, it can be easy to lose sig...

The Benefits of Swimming on a Club Team During College Upon graduation, student athletes will have to choose whether or not they would like to continue swimming in college. It can be a tough choice. Especially for someone who has been swimming for several years and has fallen in love with the sport....

How Swimming Changed My Life (And The Merits Of Being a Swimmer) When I was younger, I tried nearly every sport, searching for the one I would fall in love with. Looking back, I realize why nothing felt right. I never felt like I belonged in any of the other, non-swimming, sports. I wasn’t loud or a...

Other Activities Swimmers Can Take Part In During the Offseason In order to become strong athletes, young swimmers must attend practice as often as possible. That fact is undisputed. Every athlete who has ever tried to improve their swimming knows it to be true. However, as important as pool exercis...

Breaking Down the Basics of Sprinting and Distance Swimming: Where Do You Fit? In the world of swimming, there are many different types of swimmers. Some are good at all types and distances of races, while others excel at one in particular. Some enjoy flying across the water as fast as possible, whi...

Stepping Up: How Young Athletes Can Adapt to a Shifting Team Atmosphere It's finally time. The team has made it to the end of a long, hard season and now they must say goodbye to the seniors, who will be graduating in the spring. Often, strong team leaders are part of the graduating class. Dealing w...

Preparing for the New Year: 4 Things Swimmers Can Do to Make the Most of 2022 With 2021 drawing to a close, many athletes must begin to think about the New Year. What do they hope to accomplish in the next 12 months? What goals can they create to help them stay on track? How can they make this year ...

How Swimming Can Help Improve Mental Health (Or Ease Stress) Recently, the topic of mental health has started to come up more and more in discussions about sports. Adults and students alike want to raise awareness about mental-heatlth issues. They also want to offer solutions on how to deal with str...

A Few Ways The Sport of Swimming Can Change Your Life What do you think about when you hear the words "competitive swimming?" Michael Phelps at the Olympics? A long pool? Early morning practices? Do you ever think about how beneficial it can be - for both your mental and your physical health? How it...

Helpful Tips and Tricks for Parenting a Swimmer Being an athlete's parent is not an easy job. In fact, it may be one of the hardest jobs out there. It can be difficult to watch kids grow up and get ready to go to college - especially if children are on the fence about playing their sport in the futu...

Creating the Future: Why Swimmers Can Make Great Leaders What makes a good leader? I know, that question can have myriad answers. For one person, a positive leadership influence can come from a great coach, while another looks up to a particular teacher. There is no one, clear-cut formula that "grea...

Think Like Queen Lilly King: How Confidence Can Make You a Better Swimmer "I just like to see if I can win the race before it starts," Olympic swimmer Lilly King commented on an Olympic Channel podcast last October. King is the reigning Olympic and world champion in the 100-meter breaststroke, and t...

A lot of teenagers competed at the 2021 Olympic Trials this year, staking their claims in the future of the swimming world. Many of these teenagers came from USA Swimming-affiliated teams, or other feeder programs. That fact is more important than some people realize. Feeder programs work to get new...

Sibling Rivalry in the Water: How to Make the Most of the Situation It's no secret that younger siblings tend to try to copy or "take after" their older siblings. Close siblings even tend to play the same games, read the same books, and get involved in the same activities. Naturally, many swimmers a...

The Path to Becoming an I.M. Swimmer - Breakdown of the Four Strokes Has anyone ever asked you what your favorite stroke is? What did you answer?  For some swimmers, coming up with one favorite stroke might be difficult. This is especially true for those who love to swim the 200 or 400 individuals m...

A Swimmer's Summer: Tips For Improvement During Long Course Season The school year is nearly over and spring is in the air! That means that it's almost time for USA Swimming's long course swim season to begin. This long course season starts in late April and runs until early August, taking up most o...

Three Tips for Aspiring Swimmers of All Ages One of the most positive aspects about competitive swimming is that anyone can do it. No matter what level you're at or what age you are, swimming can provide an excellent form of exercise. It can also function as a stress reliever from other daily activi...

An Important Choice: Breaking Down The College Swimming Decision The college recruitment process normally requires a lot of phone calls, emails, campus visits and more. Finding the right college "fit" is a long, hard road traveled by any and all aspiring student-athletes. Making a decision can somet...