"Swimming is not a team sport," or is it?

**Ahelee Sue Osborn** · February 25th, 2009, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by james lucas

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/sp...?_r=1&emc=eta1

"Though swimming is an individual pursuit, Steen treats it as a team sport. He preaches to his athletes that everybody has a redeeming quality; as teammates, their job is to find the positive in one another and let go of the rest."

GREAT pull quote James! Thank you for posting it to this thread.
You are definitely on to something!

Coaches who do not see or understand this are often more about their own personal success instead of building the strength of the team - member by member.

Perhaps we have unleashed the "Secrets of the Kenyon College Success"!

So far the recognition messages are all coming from Jim/James.
Jim C.
Jim T.
Jim S.
James L.
(all good guys)

**Rykno** · February 26th, 2009, 05:58 AM

Originally Posted by Ahelee Sue Osborn

Coaches who do not see or understand this are often more about their own personal success instead of building the strength of the team - member by member.

This is so true of our team's head coach! when ever anyone talks to him about the teams development/progress, it "all good". but when it's time to talk about individual development, he only talks about the 3 swimmers that are top of their age group. the others not qualified for a national level meet mean nothing to him.

and it starts to show on those swimmers that do not get the attention in the pool they need to develop into better swimmers.

**Flounder** · February 26th, 2009, 09:20 PM

I truly think that swimming is a team sport. Many a day have one or more of my swimmers come to me and mentioned that they "always" swim better, harder, faster when they have a team mate next to them or in their lane. As a coach I try to put the right swimmers together so they can challenge each other harder. This makes everyone a stronger swimmer, teaching them to tap into their deep reserves. When practice is over, everyone is excited about swimming as "a team". When they do end up going to meets or races together you can see how much support they give each other.

**jonblank** · February 27th, 2009, 03:12 PM

Team sport, without a doubt. I love relays for that very reason. Though I had a good collegiate swimming career as an individual, my favorite collegiate memory is of our 400 Medley Relay. The same holds true for me as a USMS swimmer - I really enjoy the relays that NC Masters puts together @ meets. And I agree with the comment about cheering on one's teammates - emphasis on the "team".

And (despite the favorable NY Times article posted a few notes above) I still hate Kenyon.

**orca1946** · February 27th, 2009, 06:05 PM

I am going with a team. We may swim as one till we are out of the pool , then all are a team!

**Ahelee Sue Osborn** · February 27th, 2009, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by orca1946

We may swim as one till we are out of the pool , then all are a team!

Ah... always looking for the team at the end.

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