Competitive Swimming and Diving: Is It the Right Sport for Your Child?

Competitive swimmers and divers are often in better physical condition than their athletic peers. The sport, which provides excellent all-around exercise, also takes real commitment. Read on to find out if it's the right choice for your child.

Every four years, the Olympic Games bring additional excitement to the sport of swimming (next up: Tokyo in 2021). But did you know that swimming is one of the best forms of exercise year-round? Swimming tones muscles, strengthens the heart, and improves respiration. Competitive swimmers are often in better physical condition than many of their peers who participate in other sports. Those who become divers will have increased flexibility, body awareness, coordination, and balance. Swimmers and divers will learn leadership skills, as well.

"Swimming is not an easy sport," says Elliot Ptasnik, the director of Imagine School of Swimming and the head coach of the Manhattan-based Makos swim team. "If it were easy, then everyone would do it. It takes focus and commitment to become a great swimmer."

Makos is one of many USA Swimming teams in the New York area. USA Swimming, the sport's governing body, hosts regular swim meets for more than 300,000 swimmers from 2,800 clubs throughout the country. Makos, which began as a swim team two years ago, teaches young swimmers the four strokes used in competition - freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly - through interval swimming and drills. All children who join the team are required to have quite a bit of experience and pass a tryout before joining the team. Like with most club tryouts, children will be required to show mastery of flip turns, racing starts, and be able to meet the time standards that the team has in place. Currently, the team has 70 members ranging in age from 8 to 15.

Fun and Fitness Factors of Swimming for Kids

For young athletes, though, most coaches are more concerned with overall fitness than developing a winning edge.

"At the 92nd Street Y, we try to balance competitiveness with fun and health-related fitness," says Lane Wineski, director of the 92nd Street Y Aquatics program, who coaches children ages 6 to 18. "Of course, we want our Flying Dolphin swimmers to excel and we want the team to have success - but our coaches always foster a supportive and fun environment."

Water workouts, coupled with dry land training that allows swimmers to focus on building core strength and improving muscle development through various strength training routines, prepare the athletes to compete in local invitationals, which are usually held over the weekend for between 150 and 1,000 swimmers.