10 Competitive Swimming Life Skills

In this article, we’ll provide advice, hacks and tips on swimming life skills, as acquired by competitive swimmers and how they can be used in daily life.

1. The swimmer is required to master a set of key technical skills and drills.
2. They are required to be physically fit and strong, with added endurance.
3. The swimmer is required to be committed and dedicated to the sport.
4. They are required to be able to perform in pressurised and stressful situations.
5. Swimmers require quality nutrition and hydration.
6. They are required to be able to recover effectively from the rigours of swimming.
7. Swimmers require the correct support and training.

During their quest for swimming excellence, swimmers acquire a broad range of skills and disciplines. Many of these are swimming life skills.

What are swimming life skills?

Swimming life skills are a set of skills acquired by a competitive swimmer.

• These can enable them to effectively deal with situations encountered in daily life.

These include,

1.    Swimming itself is a key life skill

Perhaps one of the greatest swimming life skills is swimming itself.  Learning to swim can help save a life.

• Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths worldwide.
• These account for 7% of all injury-related deaths.
• There are an estimated 360,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide.

For more information please see: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drowning

2.    Confidence

Competitive swimming can develop a swimmer both technically and physically.

• This can be a major boost to their self-confidence.
• Swimmers can get an enormous sense of achievement when learning new skills.
• This is also the case when they achieve success in competition.
• Competitive swimming helps develop a fit, healthy and toned body. Which can also boost a swimmer’s self-confidence.
• This new-found confidence often translates to increase confidence in daily life.

3.    Time management

Top swimmers learn to understand the importance of good time management.

• Many swimmers have to manage a variety of commitments.
• These can include training, competition, school/college, work, social and family commitments.
• Swimmers are very rarely late for an appointment.
• They also learn to get up very early in the morning to attend morning training.

We have produced a related article on the benefits of good swimming time management. Which you can view by clicking this link: swimming time management.

4.    Goal setting

Goal setting is not just confined to swimming, it’s a life skill. This helps establish and focus on clear targets, priorities and expectations.

• They are a useful tool to gauge the swimmer’s progress towards achieving their ambitions.

We have produced a related article on the benefits of setting swimming goals. Which you can view by clicking this link: setting swimming goals.

5.    Adopting a healthy lifestyle

Competitive swimming educates the swimmer about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

• Swimmers focus on their diet and hydration in particular.
• Ensuring they consume healthy, ‘swimming friendly’ food and drink. To help optimum swimming performance.
• Many swimmers also undertake additional land-based training. This supplements their training in the water.
• They also ensure they spend time relaxing and recovering. As swimming training and competition are often rigorous.

We have produced related articles, on swimming nutrition and swimming hydration. Which you can view by clicking these links: swimming nutrition | swimming hydration.

We have produced a series of related articles, on additional ‘land/dryland’ training. Which you can view by clicking these links: developing your swimming core | invisible training | plyometric exercises for swimmers | swimming yoga.

6.    Mental skills

Many top swimmers use a range of mental techniques.

• These include how to adopt a positive attitude, relaxation, self-talk and visualization.
• These skills can be used to help in all types of pressurised and stressful situations.

We have produced a range of related articles on the benefits of swimming mental skills. Which you can view by clicking these links: positive attitude | relaxation | self-talk | visualisation |

7.    Focusing on your own performance

Many top swimmers develop the ability to focus on their own performance.

• Top swimmer’s focus on the things they can control.
• Such as their own swimming performance.
• They do not worry about things that they can’t control.
• Such as the performance of other swimmers
• Swimmers also learn to accept that you can only do your best
• They also learn from any setbacks.
• As they know that there’s always room for improvement

We have produced a related article on improving a swimmer’s focus. Which you can view by clicking this link: improving a swimmer’s focus.

8.    Self-improvement

Competitive swimmers are constantly striving for self-improvement.

• They spend a great deal of time and energy in the pursuit of becoming faster, fitter and stronger.
• The quest for self-improvement is a key life skill.

9.    Perseverance and dedication

When asked ‘what is the key to swimming success’? Dick Hannula, the legendary American swim coach replied, “be consistently persistent”.

• As in life, there are rarely any short cuts to swimming success.
• To be successful in competitive swimming takes a great work ethic and years of perseverance and dedication.

10.  Teamwork and communication

For a competitive swimmer to reach their full swimming potential, they need to be provided with the correct support and training.

• Providing support is mainly the responsibility of the parents.
• Providing training is mainly the responsibility of the coach.
• There needs to effective communication between the swimmer, coach and parents.
• To ensure the swimmer receives the correct support and training.

We have produced a related article on swimming coaches & parents: building the relationship. Which you can view by clicking this link: swimming coaches & parents.

• Both have a key supporting role during training and competition.
• Learning how to develop friendships and working relationships is a key swimming life skill.

We have produced a related article on a swimming training partner: why you should have one. Which you can view by clicking this link: a swimming training partner

Takeaways

Swimming life skills are a set of skills acquired by a competitive swimmer.

• These can enable them to effectively deal with situations encountered in daily life.

They include,

• Swimming itself
• Confidence
• Time management
• Goal setting
• Adopting a healthy lifestyle
• Mental skills
• Focusing on your own performance
• Self-improvement
• Perseverance and dedication
• Teamwork and communication

Swimming resource library

We have provided a swimming resource library.

• This contains links to all of our publications and blog articles.
• Now with an easy to use index.
• To access any article simply click on the attached page link: swimming resource library