Commentary

A Letter to My Parents: From a Retired Swimmer  For some reason, a simple “thank you” does not encompass all of the gratitude that you deserve. When I was a young athlete, I did not see all of the sacrifices you made. I did not notice the early mornings you endured, the weekends you gave up, or the ...

The Big Deal About a Swimmer's Nutrition By Bailey Duran Swimming requires massive amounts of energy, whether it’s an elite-level practice or an age group practice. Because of this high energy expenditure, swimmers need to take the right steps to replenish the nutrients lost. According to wellness c...

Swimming Lessons Aren't Just for Kids: Adult Swim Lessons are Invaluable for Year-Round Water Safety By Crystal Petrovich - British Swim Schools, U.S. Swim School Association Accidental drownings change the lives of thousands of people across the U.S. each year. While most people think drowning is t...

4 Reasons Why Swimming in College is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make By Andy Ross To swim or not to swim? That is a question asked by many high school students. Envisioning a life of swimming for another four years can be intimidating. But as a former student-athlete myself, I can assure you that...

11 Things That Separate the Good Swimmer from the Great Swimmer By Brittany Oxley (Archive) “This is the difference between being good and being great.” That quote has been engrained in my head since I started swimming at 6 years old. I believe every coach I have ever swum for has said those words. ...

10 Things That Drive Swimmers Absolutely Crazy Being a seasoned swimmer has its ups and downs: we know our way around any and every pool, we constantly smell of chlorine, our faces have permanent goggle marks and we can all count in fives exceptionally well. Forty-five plus 45 equals 1:30, right? Wh...

3 Signs You’re An Over-Involved Swim Parent: Let Your Child and Coach Do Their Thing By Nicole Cassou, Swimming World College Intern I must preface this list with one simple fact: Swimming is hard. I’m not just referring to the extraordinary level of discipline and commitment this sport demands of i...

Commentary: Return of Russian Athletes to World Champs a Boost for Competition The World Championships in Singapore was full of memorable moments. The four gold medals won by Summer McIntosh, Leon Marchand’s world record in the 200 individual medley and Katie Ledecky’s seventh gold medal in the 800 ...

Katie Ledecky Overcame Unprecedented Competition to Cap Off Historic Season Few swimmers have ever matched the magic Katie Ledecky brought to international competition in her first five years of major meets. A 15-year-old prodigy pulling a huge upset at the 2012 Olympics turned into three world titl...

The Top American Women’s Water Polo Players of the NCAA Era (Part III: No. 10-No. 1) By Jeff Moulton - Guest Editorial In the third and final installment of this three-part series, water polo historian Jeff Moulton discusses the individuals he has ranked Nos. 1 to 10 in his unofficial list of the to...

How Swimming Equipment Makes a Difference in the Pool: What Are Your Needs? The summer sees us approach the critical point of the season where the training of the past 12 months comes to fruition and the best separate themselves from the competition. At this stage, every hundredth of a second is vit...

Michael Phelps Has Earned His Voice on USA Swimming’s Future The first brick was laid in 2000, a 15-year-old at the Sydney Olympic Games starting a project that would require dedication, patience and a skill set unto its own. Over the next dozen years, the walls rose, and a grandiose structure emerg...

Why Swimming World Records Keep Falling Ever notice that world-record swim times never seem to stand all that long? You are not alone. You also are not wrong. Every time we sit down to take in the latest Olympics or World Championships, a record seems to fall. It doesn’t matter whether it’s in frees...

Rowdy Gaines: I Stand With Michael Phelps; I'm Fighting Too During the World Championships, Olympic gold medalist and NBC Sports analyst Rowdy Gaines issued criticism of USA Swimming while Olympic legends Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte posted an image depicting a funeral from USA Swimming. These com...

Like a Girl: The Pride In Being a Female Athlete (From the Archive) “Back of the line,” the scruffy-headed blonde boy barks at you, shoving you away from the lane with a sharp elbow to the ribcage and a harmony of laughter. It’s time for swim practice, which means it’s time to pick a lane to swim in...

After World Championships, Questions Remain for United States Men as Road to Los Angeles Olympics Shortens Despite feeling the effects of a team-wide stomach illness throughout the week, the American women overcame adversity at the World Championships to win a medal in almost every event, the streak...

Why Open Water Swimming Deserves More Attention in the U.S.  At the break of dawn, a group of swimmers step into a quiet lake, scanning the open horizon. There are no lane lines, no black lines on the bottom of the pool. Simply the water, wind, and the unknown. This is open water swimming. It is raw...

World Championships: American Team Overcoming Adversity, Taking Steps Toward Los Angeles Goal The United States team has stabilized, following a difficult start to the World Championships. A widespread stomach illness forced three swimmers to withdraw from events on Day One, and the women’s and men’...

Swimsuits Not Lawsuits: U.S. Masters Swimming Wants to Focus on Our Mission and Members By Ed Coates and Dawson Hughes, U.S. Masters Swimming In recent weeks, U.S. Masters Swimming has come under scrutiny from politicians, state officials, and other outside organizations for reasons that have little...

What I Wish I'd Known As An Age Group Swimmer By Temarie Tomley After celebrating my recent birthday, I realized just how old I’ve gotten and how long I’ve been in this game. I’ve been swimming for 15 years, and in those 15 years I have learned so much. Everyone’s journey through this sport is diffe...