Games for Synchronized Swimming

Olympic synchronized swimming judges watch underwater technique as well as above water gestures, according to a CBS report. While gymnastics improve dive entrances and swimming laps improves breath control, strength and endurance, synchronized swimming teams need to drill in the water. They need to drill mostly underwater. They also need to work as a team. Games can help build team spirit.

  1. Follow the Leader

    • A flock of birds moves together in fluid, improvised maneuvers.

      Choose a leader, put on a song that the team has not learned any routines to and space everyone apart outside the pool, ready to dive in. The leader makes an entrance into the pool. As soon as she figures out which entrance the leader did, the swimmer next to the leader enters as well, and so on along the line. Each swimmer stays in her own lane and swims back and forth across the pool, copying the leader as she improvises to the music. Stipulate ahead of time if the leader may only do different strokes or if maneuvers, gestures or made-up tricks count. As they swim, award a point to the swimmer who catches on the fastest to each stroke or move the leader does. The winner gets to lead next.

    Synchronized Water Polo

    • Not your father's water polo.

      Divide the team into duets. All duets start in the water, along one end of the pool. Throw a ball into the other end of the pool. The first duet to get the ball to its starting location wins the point. Each duet must remain side by side and synchronize its movement. The coach may play music to aid the duets in synchronizing. Hint: Each duet should choose one player to try to get the ball to its location, while the other player follows alongside her.

    Underwater Volleyball

    • String a tennis net across the deep end of the pool, a few feet below the surface but with room to put a ball under the net. Pick two teams and have them line up across the pool, parallel to the net. Play similarly to regular pool volleyball, except that players keep the ball underwater instead of up in the air. Signal the beginning of each rally so that all players go underwater at the same time. The server swims underwater to the net and releases the ball so that it starts to go up on the other side. The nearest player on the other side grabs the ball before it surfaces. He swims to the net and releases the ball so it starts to go up on the other side, and so on until the ball surfaces. If the ball starts to surface on the wrong side of the net, the team has two more chances to grab it, swim to the net and release it on the other side.