Parents

Why Should My Child Be a Swimmer?

  1. Swimming is an outstanding activity for young people.
  2. Swimming promotes fitness and teaches a child to strive for physical achievement. Many super-stars in other sports started out as swimmers and gained strength and coordination that helped them to excel.
  3. Swimming is an exciting individual and team sport.
  4. Swimming is a technical and specialized activity involving extensive skill development.
  5. Swimming is a healthy "lifetime" activity. Participants may be 1 or 101 years old.
  6. Swimming is relatively injury free in comparison to other youth sports.
  7. Swimming teaches the life lessons of sport and sportsmanship which include learning to deal with winning and losing, as well as working with officials, teammates and coaches.
  8. Swimming motivates participants to strive for self improvement and teaches goal orientation. 
  9. Swimming cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem.
  10. Swimming can prevent drowning.

Proper Suit Fit

Speedo Tip of the Week comes from Lindsay Goodson, the corporate marketing manager at USA Swimming. Goodson, who recently traveled the country fitting swimmers in Speedo suits, offers swimmers some advice on the proper fit of a competitive suit.

  • The process of finding a proper fit of a suit takes time and patience. Competitive suits, whether it is a full-body suit or record breaker, are meant to compress the body but not constrict it. A suit can take as long as 20 minutes to get on, but this does not necessarily mean the suit is too small. It is important to remember not to sacrifice size for mobility.
  • Ask your local dealer to try multiple sizes before purchasing the suit. While the suit may not be tested in the water prior to buying it, keep in mind that it will loosen and mold to your body once in the pool.
  • When putting on a full-body suit, continually pull it from the knees – not the straps or torso region – similar to putting on women’s nylons. If you are struggling to pull the suit up, try getting your finger tips wet to work the suit over your hips. If the suit does not go over your hips, this is your first sign it is too small. But once it is on your hips, make sure the seams are not twisted. Align the seams with your hips and torso.
  • Once the suit is on, it should be tight across the chest and core. It if is loose, then try a size smaller. A good rule of thumb is the straps should only be pulled one to two inches away from the shoulders.
  • Don’t be afraid to try different suits for different races. While many breaststrokes prefer a jammer-style suit, this may not be what works best for you. Try a variety of suits and pick the one that gives you the most comfort.


Most importantly, remember that while the suit can help propel you to faster times, it is the work you do in the pool that determines the end result.