Why We Love Swimming

Why Do We Love Swimming? Well, it’s complicated. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the team at SLAF is really in the LOVING mood. But maybe not in the way that Valentine’s Day usually goes. Instead, the love holiday has us reflecting on why we truly do love swimming. The cool thing about swimming is that although we all share some common things that we love about the sport, we all have our different reasons for choosing to be there in the pool. Here are some of OUR top reasons for Why We Love Swimming:

The THRILL of the Chase

OOOH this one is too good! With swimming comes big goals and little goals. A big goal could be to make an end of season best time or to swim at a new, higher-level meet. A little goal could be to improve your explosiveness off the wall, or to listen to your coach better (alright maybe that’s just a dream of coaches everywhere). But with each goal, and there are many, there’s the ADVENTURE of chasing something new. There’s a thrill of doing something that you’ve never been able to do before. And it is addicting.

The thrill of the chase is one of the reasons we love swimming, because the chasing never stops. There’s always something you can improve on. And that’s why it’s so much fun to watch our sport year after year. That’s why it’s so much fun to be surrounded by people who are also working to improve every single day. Chasing after a better technique, a better time, or a better version of yourself is what life is all about.

Virtual Coaching Plans

The FUN of a Team

We love swimming because it combines the thrill of the individual chase with the FUN of a team environment. Swimmers become lifelong friends for a reason, and that’s because it’s FUN to spend time with people who are also chasing the same dreams, and who you get to cheer on along the way. And, in our unbiased opinion, swimmers tend to be really fun and interesting people in general!

And don’t get us wrong, being on a team comes with its share of difficulties too. There are a lot of interpersonal skills that have to be developed. But within that we learn how to be better communicators, better conflict solvers, and better leaders.

The GROWTH within Yourself

There is very little that challenges you like swimming does. It demands time management, attention to detail, intense focus both in and out of the pool, and more. The sport knocks you down over and over and over again. And yet you get back up over and over and over again. Although this is certainly disheartening at times (trust us, we’ve been there), what a lot of younger swimmers don’t realize is that they’re developing a TREMENDOUS strength within themselves.

There’s nothing like the confidence of knowing that life will knock you down and you WILL be able to get back up. There’s nothing like knowing that whatever life throws at you (and you will get a lot thrown at you), you WILL handle it with grace and with skill. And the only comes because when a set is really hard for you, or when you work your hardest but still don’t achieve your goal, or when you comfort a teammate who is struggling, you’re handling the sport with grace and with skill. You’re practicing for life with every practice and with every meet. Every set even!

Check out this reel to see some SMILES:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝘼𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙨𝙝 🐠 (@theafish1)

Ultimately, by choosing to pursue the sport of swimming, you choose to make yourself grow. Sure, the growing pains aren’t fun. But what people don’t realize is that when they choose to go to practice on the days they REALLY don’t feel like it, they’re actually choosing to make themselves a better person in life.

There’s a reason that the feedback we hear from teachers, parents and the general community is “swimmers are good kids.” It’s because of the strength of character that must be grown in order to develop yourself at the pool day in and day out. It’s something not to be taken for granted. And it’s by far the #1 reason we love swimming.

Until Next Time,

Abbie Fish and the SLAF Team

PS. Although there’s so much to love about swimming, the love of swimming can oftentimes be why it’s so hard to leave the sport when it comes time to retire. If you’re a swammer, get some resources you need by reading this blog HERE.