I stopped swimming at my freshman year of college. I am a sophmore in college now. I quit swimming because I hadnt improved on my times in years, was a very mental swimmer and just couldnt handle the stress of it.. I know i stll couldnt handle those things. But my point is I miss swimming like crazy. My life seems so differnt and incomplete without it and I dont know how to react to this. I miss being part of a team and in the best shape of my life and all those wonderful things the sport of swimming has to offer. I feel like i have no point in going to school anymore, when i was in high school i always wanted to go to college because of swimming and now that its gone i am so lost. I still know I would not be completly happy with my choice if i was swimming, but would it be better to have that extra stress then to feel like something that is such a big part of me is missing....
help please
I swam one year in college and then was cut by the coach. At the time, I was pretty burned out and didn't entirely mind it. I took up some other sports, particularly running and racquetball and tennis, and had fun doing these. But gradually, like you, I found myself missing swimming. I started going on my own to just workout at the rec pools. After graduating, I moved back home and actually joined the kids team at the Y in my home town--this was before masters had come to our area. Even with these little adolescent pains in the ass, there is a kind of camaraderie that was pretty nice. I must say, however, that when I finally did find a masters team to join, I have never again had to worry about a teammate putting itching powder into my Speedo (something that one of the less endearing pains in the ass actually did once.)
From what I understand, masters swimming for college kids and recent grads is one of the big growth areas in our sports. You can compete in our meets as young as 18 or 19 depending on whether it's USMS or YMCA masters. Anyhow, I think one of the things lots of former high school and college swimmers tend to like is that you can be as competitive as you want to be. Good coaches don't yell at you, scholarships are dangled and withdrawn depending on your performance, etc. Most masters teams I have been on have such a range of people from different walks of life and ages and jobs and experiences. You quickly learn that swimming here is a great part of life. But it is not ALL of life. And that is actually both a stress-relieving and inspiring thing to learn.
Sure, people still can go a little crazy about their times and the ongoing zeal to improve, etc. But there are so many other nice aspects that it becomes much easier to put this in perspective. I wish you luck finding a nice masters team in your area. You might find that a number of your teammates also do sports like triathlons, and who knows? Maybe you will try branching out a bit in new directions. Good luck! I do think you'll find the masters world different--in at least some very good ways--from college competitive swimming. I must say: I like it infinitely more.
I swam one year in college and then was cut by the coach. At the time, I was pretty burned out and didn't entirely mind it. I took up some other sports, particularly running and racquetball and tennis, and had fun doing these. But gradually, like you, I found myself missing swimming. I started going on my own to just workout at the rec pools. After graduating, I moved back home and actually joined the kids team at the Y in my home town--this was before masters had come to our area. Even with these little adolescent pains in the ass, there is a kind of camaraderie that was pretty nice. I must say, however, that when I finally did find a masters team to join, I have never again had to worry about a teammate putting itching powder into my Speedo (something that one of the less endearing pains in the ass actually did once.)
From what I understand, masters swimming for college kids and recent grads is one of the big growth areas in our sports. You can compete in our meets as young as 18 or 19 depending on whether it's USMS or YMCA masters. Anyhow, I think one of the things lots of former high school and college swimmers tend to like is that you can be as competitive as you want to be. Good coaches don't yell at you, scholarships are dangled and withdrawn depending on your performance, etc. Most masters teams I have been on have such a range of people from different walks of life and ages and jobs and experiences. You quickly learn that swimming here is a great part of life. But it is not ALL of life. And that is actually both a stress-relieving and inspiring thing to learn.
Sure, people still can go a little crazy about their times and the ongoing zeal to improve, etc. But there are so many other nice aspects that it becomes much easier to put this in perspective. I wish you luck finding a nice masters team in your area. You might find that a number of your teammates also do sports like triathlons, and who knows? Maybe you will try branching out a bit in new directions. Good luck! I do think you'll find the masters world different--in at least some very good ways--from college competitive swimming. I must say: I like it infinitely more.
