From the USA Swimming website... By TrueSport Expert Nadia Kyba, MSW Mediation—the act of working with a neutral third party to solve a problem and come to a solution—can be an extremely useful tool for any athletic team. Rather than simply arguing amongst yourselves or bringing the coach in to solve every inter-team issue, being able to use mediation to settle disputes between team members can lead to a much healthier team overall. That "neutral facilitator" could be another teammate, a mutual friend, or a trusted adult, but it’s important...

From the Swimming World website... By Emma Foster, Swimming World College Intern Long Course. These two words have huge implications for even the most seasoned swimmer. The beginning of long course represents the transition from shorter pools broken up into 25 yards, to the much longer and sometimes more daunting 50-meter length. Read more >>

From the Swimming World website.. By Cathleen Pruden Full disclosure: I am a 400 IMer and I absolutely love it. It took me a while to come to terms with my fate as an IMer. I struggled with the fact that I didn’t have a “prime” stroke. It wasn’t until being well rounded started to get me cuts to meets (because when you’re younger, I swear the 400 IM cut is more generous than any other) that I started to appreciate my situation. Even better, learning to love my strength...

From the Swimming World website... By Annie Grevers After watching the Minneapolis Arena Pro Series this past weekend, I could not help but empathize with those swimmers who seemed to be swimming through mud. Coaches try to convey to age group parents routinely– this is part of the process, fast times are not meant to come midseason. They will be there when it counts. Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By Kristy Kinzer Many college athletes elect to room with another athlete, particularly a teammate, for the big transition to college life and sports. But those who room with non-athletic regular people (NARPs for short) must inform their new co room-dweller of the odd circumstances of their schedules and swimming life. Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By Jamie Kolar, Swimming World College Intern. Swimmers live busy lives. We never stop moving from the moment we wake up until the moment our head hits the pillow at night. We wake up, run to practice, run to class and then run to practice again. We fit meals and homework in there somehow, but we are hurricanes that never stop. Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By Niki Urquidi Many swimmers consider quitting at one time or another due to the intense demands of the sport. Waking up at 5 a.m. to be pushed to the limits day in and day out takes a toll on anyone’s psyche. Yet most swimmers only make empty threats rather than walk out on the sport that formed most of their identities. Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By J.P. MORTENSON Although swimmers with a wide variety of body types have found success in the sport, most at the international level tend to look similar, sporting tall and muscular bodies – typically with long torsos, long arms and short legs. This begs the question: If you could hypothetically build the perfect swimmer’s body in a lab, what would it look like? Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By Tera Bradham Swimmer. It’s a word that encompasses a brutality known only by those to whom it pertains. There is no sport more excruciating than swimming. While other athletes make similar claims, we know one day in our lives would silence them forever. When an outsider asks if we are swimmers, we nod politely, knowing that they do not and will not ever comprehend the true meaning of the word. Read more >>

From the Swimming World website... By SUSU ALMOUSA Early alarm clock rings. Morning lifting practice. Breakfast. School. Lunch. Practice. Dinner. Homework. Swimming steals a lot of your time and begs the question as to when is there ever time for school? Our education is an important part of our development and future opportunities. Yet, it can be tough to find time for schoolwork. But in actuality, swimming produces excellent students and here’s why... Read more >>