Let’s Talk Swimming Competition!!

Introduction

I’m going to be honest here: swimming is intimidating. It’s the one sport where you can’t really hide your ability level, and with so many variables—water temperature, pool size, lane width, other competitors—it can be difficult to know what to expect during a competition. But by breaking down the basics of a typical swimming meet into bite-sized pieces, you’ll feel more confident about getting in that water come race day. Here’s how it works:

What is it?

A swimming competition is a meet that has been organized by a governing body (the USA Swimming Association). The purpose of this meet is to decide who gets the gold medal and who takes home the silver.

A swim meet is just like a swimming competition except it’s not organized by any governing body.

The Competition.

The competition is a little different from a regular swim meet. You may be used to long distances and timed laps, but this will be more like a sprint race. You’ll compete against other swimmers in heats of four or five people based on your age group and gender. There are also some special events such as relay races where you can team up with someone else!

The rules are pretty simple:

• Don’t touch any part of the wall while swimming; if you do it will count as an automatic disqualification (DQ).
• You must touch each lane marker before making any turns or changes in direction when making turns; failure to do so will result in another DQ. If there are no lane markers present then just stay within the boundaries set by organizers at either end of the pool area so that everyone has space between themselves and others around them during their swims — if someone bumps into another person accidentally because they were too close together then both parties could get disqualified! This helps keep everyone safe during competition times but also prevents cheating from happening too often since all competitors need room enough so nobody gets crowded out unfairly due out lack thereof space left over after initial setup procedures were completed successfully beforehand.”

The Pool.

The pool is a place where you swim and compete. There are different pools for different events, but the rules of each one are the same: you must know where you are going! You can get lost in the pool if you don’t pay attention and follow instructions carefully.

Warmup.

The warmup is perhaps the most important part of your race. It’s not just about getting your muscles warm, but also preparing mentally and physically for what’s to come. A good warmup should include a combination of drills and sets that will get your body ready for the rest of your race–and help you avoid injury in the process!

• Drills: Drills are exercises that focus on specific muscle groups or strokes, but aren’t meant to be done at full speed or distance (for example, kicking underwater) because they require too much energy. They’re used as part of a larger routine designed specifically for pre-race preparation purposes only. Some examples include kicking on one side while holding onto lane lines; kicking with both arms extended out in front while keeping shoulders relaxed so they don’t rise above water level; doing breaststroke kicks while wearing fins so there’s less drag than usual).
• Sets: Sets are like drills except they involve some sort of movement pattern repeated multiple times consecutively without interruption (like swimming freestyle 25 yards then backstroke 25 yards then butterfly 25 yards). This allows swimmers who aren’t yet comfortable enough with their technique during practice sessions alone time where they can still get cardio benefits without worrying about falling apart completely when faced with unfamiliar movements during actual competition!

Races, who do you race against?

• You race against people of your age and gender.
• You race against people who are faster than you, slower than you, and at the same speed as you.
• You’ll probably be racing against people who have been training for longer than you.
• And sometimes they might have trained less time than you did!

Time and preliminaries, what time is the race and where do you go?

The next thing to consider is what time your race is, and where you need to go. Most swimming competitions have preliminaries and finals. Preliminaries are when all the swimmers in your age group swim their races one after another (like how there’s a line at an amusement park ride). Finals are when only the top 8 or 16 swimmers from each age group compete against each other for first place!

When you arrive at your competition venue, make sure that you know where your assigned lane/swimmer number is located so that when it’s time for your event, there won’t be any confusion about where exactly everyone needs to gather before starting their race. Also keep in mind whether or not this particular tournament has lanes designated specifically for warm-up purposes only–these lanes should not be used during actual competition!

Warm up again.

After your warm up, it’s time to get ready for the race. Do a few laps around the pool and make sure that you feel ready for what’s ahead of you. It can be helpful to visualize yourself on top of the podium with your medals! When I was little, my dad would always tell me before each swim meet: “Don’t worry about everyone else–just focus on doing your best.” This helped me stay calm when things got tough out there in the water!

Do your best and have fun!

• Do your best and have fun!
• Be confident in yourself, but not cocky. You don’t want to get caught up in the hype of being at a competition.
• Focus on your breathing and visualize yourself doing the race in your mind before it actually happens.
• Exercise regularly so that you are physically fit for competition and practice your race routine as much as possible before taking part in an actual event!

Conclusion

So there you have it! As you can see, swimming competitions are not as scary as they seem. Just remember to do your best and have fun!