Hey guys and girls, im 14 and want to start swimming with my school swim team. I dont know how my families going to react to this they kind of think its a girly sport. How should i hanndle this and i need some tips on what type of swim suit and cap? What dry land training should i do? Should i shave?
Scott
Parents
Former Member
First off, howdy, and welcome!
Your story sounds pretty similar to mine, with a few obvious exceptions (I'm a girl, so a girly sport would be okay for me).
However.......I was a high school swimmer, in a tiny Southern Ohio town ruled by a religion we call high school football. There were a record-breaking 7 people on my team my sophomore year, and we were teased endlessly by the other jocks in the school....until we invited them to a practice. You won't always earn their respect, but you're not swimming for them.
You're also not swimming for your family, and the same theory applies. Invite them to some practices, and let them see the work you're doing. My dad played high school and college football, basketball, and baseball. All of my athletic talent comes from him, and he was so disappointed that I never got into softball or basketball that he has attended one (1!) of my swim meets in my entire career, and I've swum in hundreds of meets.
Your coach, and your teammates will help you with suits, traditions, shaving advice, drag, taper, everything. All I can offer you is the advice of a high schooler who's been exactly where you are, and I can tell you that when you're doing a sport that you love, nothing else really matters, and the people you're worried about won't matter when you're in the water.
You gotta do this for you, sugar, and enjoy finding a common oddity among your teammates. It takes extraordinary discipline and mentality to be a competitive swimmer, and those that got it, got it. Those that don't, don't get it.
Good Luck!
First off, howdy, and welcome!
Your story sounds pretty similar to mine, with a few obvious exceptions (I'm a girl, so a girly sport would be okay for me).
However.......I was a high school swimmer, in a tiny Southern Ohio town ruled by a religion we call high school football. There were a record-breaking 7 people on my team my sophomore year, and we were teased endlessly by the other jocks in the school....until we invited them to a practice. You won't always earn their respect, but you're not swimming for them.
You're also not swimming for your family, and the same theory applies. Invite them to some practices, and let them see the work you're doing. My dad played high school and college football, basketball, and baseball. All of my athletic talent comes from him, and he was so disappointed that I never got into softball or basketball that he has attended one (1!) of my swim meets in my entire career, and I've swum in hundreds of meets.
Your coach, and your teammates will help you with suits, traditions, shaving advice, drag, taper, everything. All I can offer you is the advice of a high schooler who's been exactly where you are, and I can tell you that when you're doing a sport that you love, nothing else really matters, and the people you're worried about won't matter when you're in the water.
You gotta do this for you, sugar, and enjoy finding a common oddity among your teammates. It takes extraordinary discipline and mentality to be a competitive swimmer, and those that got it, got it. Those that don't, don't get it.
Good Luck!
