From the Swimming World website.. By Dr. Donald Lee Aivalotis, II – Guest Editorial I once told my wife that we would NEVER become a swim family! I was serious. My son was playing basketball, a sport with a clear season. “Those swim families are crazy,” I told her. “They don’t sleep!” We are now a swim family. While I love everything about it and wouldn’t change a thing, it is absolutely “no joke!” Being a swim family is hard. It’s exhaustingly amazing! Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By ALICE REEVES-TURNER Swimmers are renowned for their dedication to their sport. We train long hours at ridiculous times and spend all day at meets only to spend a few minutes actually racing in the pool. However, all swimmers reach a point in their careers when they question why they’re still doing it. Although many relocate their love for the water, there are several factors which can stop a swimmer returning to the sport, especially in the early years. Read more >>

From the USA Swimming website... By TrueSport Expert Kevin Chapman, PhD Have you waited until the last night before a report is due to write it? Or delayed doing laundry until you don’t have any clean clothes left? That’s procrastination, and it’s very common! Read more >>

From the USA Swimming website... By TrueSport Expert Dr. Kevin Chapman As caregivers, you want your athlete to perform at their best and achieve excellence in their sport, at school, and in their other extracurricular activities. But while striving to be their best is important, sometimes athletes can take these behaviors too far and end up hurting themselves as a result. So, how can you help your athlete strive for greatness—while avoiding the dangers that can come from perfectionist tendencies? Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By Elise Devlin Swim meets are pretty much the ideal place to people watch. Every swimmer prepares to race fast completely differently. This can all depend on your personality, your meet lineup, or even what kind of day you’re having. Yet every swimmer has their own set of pre-race rituals, or just a way they tend to carry themselves on meet day. When evaluating all of this, you’ll notice that each swimmer falls under a category. Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By Summer Finke When I look back on my swimming career, the milestones and medals are clear—but what stands out even more is the incredible network of support that helped get me there. My parents volunteered as officials, drove countless miles to early morning practices and late-night meets, and never stopped believing in me—even when I struggled to believe in myself. My coaches, often running on little more than coffee and passion, were there through every high and low, pushing me to grow both in...

From the Swimming World website... By CHANDLER BRANDES Swimming is a sport like no other. You learn a lot about yourself throughout your years as a swimmer and the sport inherently instills valuable life lessons in you. Even when your time as a competitive swimmer is done, you still continue to learn more about the sport and have time to reflect. Read more >>

From the USA Swimming website... By TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, RD, CSSD When grocery prices seem like they are always on the rise, many caregivers are understandably stressed out when it comes to shopping for their athlete. And there’s plenty of messaging out there that suggests you should spend top dollar on your athlete’s food in order to be a ‘good’ caregiver. Read more >>

From the USA Swimming website... By TrueSport Expert Nadia Kyba, MSW Mediation—the act of working with a neutral third party to solve a problem and come to a solution—can be an extremely useful tool for any athletic team. Rather than simply arguing amongst yourselves or bringing the coach in to solve every inter-team issue, being able to use mediation to settle disputes between team members can lead to a much healthier team overall. That "neutral facilitator" could be another teammate, a mutual friend, or a trusted adult, but it’s important...

From the Swimming World website... By Emma Foster, Swimming World College Intern Long Course. These two words have huge implications for even the most seasoned swimmer. The beginning of long course represents the transition from shorter pools broken up into 25 yards, to the much longer and sometimes more daunting 50-meter length. Read more >>