New to competitive swimming, what should I expect?

Question

I'm new to competitive swimming, what should I expect? I'm a rising junior in high school, and at school, the team is high caliber, but there aren't any tryouts to get on the team. I've been told this is because they don't have enough people who want to be swimmers because the practices and the schedule are pretty demanding (morning practices starting at 4:30 until 7:30 three times a week, then afternoon practices 5 times a week, with a Saturday practice for on top) although not all practices are required.

So onto the question...I know nothing about swimming times, per se. I'm in pretty good shape, a regional qualifier in track and also a soccer player. Will that training be beneficial in swimming? I know the events for swimming in short distance are the 50, 100, 200, 400, and 500(?) but I'm not sure of the long distance. As a complete novice, what will I be doing? Can I expect to get through the practices with the physical condition I'm in (track shape, a different physical form).

Answer 1

You are in good athletic shape and I'm sure you will do fine. It will taking some adjusting to though, since swimming is rather different than other sports and some people might get more tired than others.

Anyways, since there are no tryouts for your team and same with mine, I'm sure the coaches will teach you everything you need to know.

There are many on my swim team who knew nothing about swimming and now theyre really good and they love it!

You will learn how to swim the four different strokes (butterfly, freestyle, backstroke, and breastroke) You will also learn certain techniques to tone your stroke so that you can get to your maximum speed!

I would consider the 50 and 100 to be short distances and the 200, 400, and 500 long distances. Each 25 yards equals 1 lap of the pool so a 50 is two laps, 100 is 4, 500 is 20, etc. In our league, the 50s, 100s, 500 free, and 200 IM are individual events. The 400 is usually a freestyle or medley relay and there is also a 200 relay.

As a novice, they will most likely start you off in the 50s, but you will probably be doing 100s too. I'm sure they won't force you to do a 200 or 500.

At practices, you will be doing a lot of yardage and laps. Some workouts will turn out to equal swimming a mile or so which burns a lot more calories than running a mile. But don't worry, not all of it is full out swimming. Coaches will vary with just kicking (with kickboards and/or fins), pulling (with a pool buoy), or drills to tone your stroke (kind of like doing half of a stroke).

You will learn diving off a block and flip turns too!

Don't worry about being the fastest because swimming is realy and indvidual sport where you race against time and yourself. You want to get the best time you can possibly get.

You are going to do great and don't forget to have fun, Goood LUCK!

Answer 2

At first it will be hard(not to scare you or anything)each day it will get easier and easier because you stamina will grow. be sure to fill your self up before practice because you'll probley get weak in the last 30 min. or so

And yes practice is beneficial to all events.

Answer 3

For high school teams these are the only competitive events:

200 Medley Relay: four person Relay event with each athlete swimming 50 yards in the following order: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle.

200 Freestyle

200 Individual Medley: individual event with one athlete swimming 50 yards of each stroke in the following order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle.

50 Freestyle

100 Butterfly

100 Freestyle

500 Freestyle

200 Freestyle Relay

100 Backstroke

100 Breaststroke

400 Freestyle Relay: 4 person relay event with each athlete swimming 100 yards of freestyle.

Your training will be somewhat beneficial, but you will still be extremely tired the first couple weeks of practice while your lungs get used to it. Swimming and running are different. Even when I am in good shape from swimming, I get winded from running easily.

The first practices are going to be hard not only on your lungs, but your arms as well. Your team's schedule sounds like one I had when I was on a club swim team and if the workouts are like those I experienced on that team it will be difficult. I swam club off and on, and when I would start up again after a month or two off, it is like starting fresh again, in terms of your endurance. So don't count on still being in shape after a summer off necessarily.

After the first couple weeks you should be set. I find that swimming helps to take my mind off things and can be really peaceful. I always feel the best after a work out.

Good luck and stick with it, even if its hard at first. It will be very rewarding.

Answer 4

Well it is good to hear that you are in shape going into this. I would suggest that you begin swimming a bit on your own if possible before you begin practices with the team.

You will be swimming either short course or long course. Generally speaking durring the summer we swim long course and the winter is short course. A short course pool is the usual pool sized 25yards a length. Long course is twice the size of a normal pool usually 50 yards or meters long.

That being said...  I don't know much about the team but from what you said it sounds pretty intense. What you can expect....

You will most likely spend 2-2 1/2 hours in the pool durring the afternoon practices. In the morning it really varies team to team.

However that being said most teams do much more than swim.

You might be running (sounds like this will be easy for you)

You might be weight lifiting (prob. in the mornings like 3 days a week)

You might be doing other dryland activites like ....

pushups, pull ups, ab work such as crunches or v ups, running or hopping up stairs, lunges, stuff with med balls, and many more. The options for dryland is unlimited.

As far as the swimming goes...

Depending on the team and the coaching style you will be swimming (assuming it is short course) around 4-10 thousand yards in an afternoon practice. Usually most teams do around 5-7 thousand but at different times of the season it could vary. Just to give you an idea of how much that is

5,000 yards in a 25 yard pool is 200 lengths.

These yards will consist of the 4 main strokes

Backstroke , breast-stroke, butterfly, and freestyle

You will also do some pulling sets where you just use your arms and some kicking sets where you just use your legs.

The distance events are the 500, 1000, and the 1650 for free. Stroke events is a 200 of that stroke or the 400 IM.

Even if the practices are not mandantory you should attend as many as possible and at LEAST 6 a week.

There is so much more I could tell you but that is a start.

The most important thing I can tell you is to start preparing now because swimming is nothing like any sport you have done before and secondly if this is your dream and passion and you are willing to give what it takes then go for it and don't let anything stand in your way.

Good Luck!