When my boys were old enough to join a sports team, I never considered swimming as an option. Soccer, baseball, flag football, etc., yes – because those are all in my face all the time. “Soccer mom” is as easy a phrase as breathing. But “swim team mom” is not something that is programmed into the vernacular in quite the same way.
I’m a little sad about that now, actually, because I think that swimming, with its emphasis on “team” and its constant exercise and activity, would have been a great sport to encourage my children to try. It’s not too late, though, as five time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres recently reassured me and other parenting bloggers on hand at the US National Championships swim meet in Irvine, CA.
Torres is the spokesperson for SwimToday, a special campaign sponsored by USA Swimming and other partners designed to motivate people to try swimming as a sport, not just splashing around in the pool like goofballs, the way my children approach the activity. Torres is a parent herself, and when she relocated to Boston she was surprised to learn that it was hard to find a swim team for her daughter Tessa to join. SwimToday makes it easy for parents to locate swim programs and teams for families all over the country.
In an afternoon of chatting, a behind the scenes tour of the meet, and a once-in-a-lifetime swim coaching session for the kids with Torres, I joined the other parents and children in learning about the benefits of swimming. Torres noted that as a swimmer, you’ll never be on the bench for the whole game – everyone participates. Aside from the obvious physical benefits (that swim meet was an event for the .3 % top swimmers in the U.S.: not an ounce of body fat in sight!), swimmers get team spirit, camaraderie, and a sense of accomplishment. And unlike other sports like soccer where true competitors get started as tiny tots, my kids aren’t too old to get involved.
As we toured Irvine High School’s swimming pools – which were amazing – my boys kept getting distracted by the heats and hanging back to watch. I don’t blame them. The swimmers were intense and they were fun to watch. The main pool even had a jumbo social media board up in one corner where tweets were posted if they were labeled with the #Phillips66Nats hashtag.
After they spent about 30 minutes in the pool receiving instruction from Torres about the proper ways to kick, stroke, and breathe, Kyle and Brady seemed very fired up about swimming. They love going to the pool and playing around. Now I’d love to motivate them to achieve better form and even check out a local swim team.
SwimToday has everything parents need to get started – a tool to locate local teams, advice about how to know when your child is ready to join a team, and information about gear and training. Their mission is for kids and adults alike to learn why swimming is the Funnest Sport!
This post is sponsored by #MomTrendsSwim. Many thanks to MomTrends, USA Swimming, and Swim Today for hosting us on what turned out to be a very educational and inspiring afternoon.
I started on a swim team when I was 9. It was in my genes as my dad was a world class swimmer. I swam for about 4 years straight then did a couple years in high school. I think it is a GREAT sport! And while I switched to crew in college (got a bit tired of the pool) I am SO glad my mom made me do it. I tried soccer for one AYSO season, but sucked at it. Back to the pool I went. I love that I am SO confident in water now, even as out of shape as I am!
SWIM!
Julia recently posted…Second Trip To Maui With Harper – Summer Fun Part 2!
Awesome.
You’ve inspired me to tell my lazy kids to get off the couch and go swim some laps.
I’m not sure how happy THEY will be, but I am 🙂
p.s. Does this mean I need to exercise too? Hmmm…..
I’m thinking about swimming for my little one. She’s not much into potential bodily harm (scratch basketball, soccer and softball)so it seems like it might be a good fit.
Chara recently posted…The Seven Stages Of Summer Vacation
I loved being on summer swim team. Very cool to have her as a day instructor. Great team sport to do thru college too
Swimming is best exercise to keep body fitness. The advantages of sports have long been established, including physical, social and emotional benefits.
Marcia recently posted…Gloves for First Base: Which are the best options?
If you have a chance go and let your kids be taught to swim effectively. I always loved swimming and taught myself front crawl and butterfly but was never fast. Being short doesn’t help of course. I got into triathlon during uni but swimming then became my least favorite part. It seems those who were out of the water first had all had proper training and their swimming technique made a hell of a difference in their speed.
Silke recently posted…Fun Stuff: Watch These Amazing Basketball Dunks in the Pool
i am an adult and still in learning phase 🙁 but really enjoying doing swimming. its always better to let your child learn at their teenage 🙂
This is such a nice article. I wish my parents taught me how to swim when I was still young. Now, I am struggling with how to survive in the water. hahaha. I’ll make sure my nieces and nephews will be enrolled in swimming lessons like yours asap. Cheers!
SO scary. You make really great points. I was always nervous at pool parties, especially if there was a diving board. Just writing that now makes me still cringe…
I never did consider my boys to go swimming too. Our family loves basketball. But the day they tried swimming, OMG! They wouldn’t go out of the water. Hahaha. Thanks for this.
No matter what kind of sports do our kids play but we should teach them to swim because it is really important for them plus swimming is the best exercise.
I loved that you mentioned that swimming has a strong emphasis on teamwork. I would really like to enroll my daughter in swimming lessons since she’s turning 6. She’s never done lessons before, but I think it’s an important skill and one that she could learn to love.