Swimming being underrated?

Question

i am getting really tired of seeing swimming as a sport receive no respect at all. everyone thinks it's so simple, and they can just dive in and swim a nice 500 in 5 minutes.

i was recenetly looking at something on espn.com saying that swimming was the 36th most difficult sport(out of 60), ranked UNDERNEATH sports like badminton and auto-racing. swimming is HARD, and anyone who disagrees has obviously never tried it. who's with me?!

Answer 1

I've done it.  It is hard!  Props to swimmers.

Answer 2

i agree it is hard!!!

i went to like only one day of practice because i had to quit after that, but anyways it is VERY hard!

i would have liked to continue but i couldnt!

Answer 3

Maybe badminton is more difficult than we think, but swimming is one of the greatest sports ever.  Think of all the muscles, endurance, technique and training you have to do to be competitive in the sport.  Not to mention things like reading a clock for intervals, dryland and the cryptic workouts the coaches write.  I think anyone can play the big 3 (football, basketball and baseball) although not as well as the pros, but get those pros to do just a recovery swimming practice for a 12 year old and I bet there would be a lot of tired "athletes".  Who would you rather see in a speedo a football player or a swimmer?  That says it all!

Answer 4

I'm on the swim team, and it is HARD. It takes a lot of strength and energy to swim all the different sets and it takes a lot to do well in the strokes.

Answer 5

I'm with you! I would at least rank swimming in the top 5. As swimmers, we have long grueling practices that involve work not only in the pool, but out of the pool as well. Also we have the water as a resistance making you have to work harder to overcome it and most importantly, we have to hold our breath while doing so!

Answer 6

swimming is hard...... geez! i have the most respect for swimmers

Answer 7

I swim 6-7 days a week for 60-90 minutes a set, all I know is there is no way in heck I would ever play badminton that much.  Oh, wait, that's not because it harder it's because badminton is stupid.

Swimming is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Answer 8

ME!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/spo...

^^ its right there. it doesnt make any sense. it also says badminton is harder than running sprints!

Answer 9

Right on the head of the nail! I almost drowned when around 10, in a river and it took years to recover from the phobia. It takes a clear understanding of floatation and fluid motion principles to get the hang of what the swimming process is all about. There are often between 12-15 areas of arms, hands, head, thighs, lower legs and feet positioning and movements which must be executed accurately. Else you tire easily and your muscles and joints become strained, needlessly.

But then, swimming is such a beneficial skill, which may help to save one's life and others, one day. Every person must learn it at the earliest opportunity, during childhood. To wait until one is retired from working, giving the excuse of being busy, is unacceptable and foolish. Parents must inculcate this sense of safety for their children and dont wait for tragedies to happen.

It is a most tricky and essential skill in life, but is really worth mastering.

Answer 10

omg...i agree. i did not know that about espn. that is just so dumb. swimming is harder than badminton. come on...

people at my school consider swimming as not even a sport.

its not fair. it is hard. just "swimming" doggy paddle might not be hard or just floating and going slow but when u have to do a 500 long course...uhhh ya...its hard. i totally agree with u...