1. Derek Sportsman
Ms. Oaks
Frosh Core 3
13 September, 2013
The Real Sport
How much practice is put into your sport? In competitive swim, you need to practice several
hours a day. Some people don’t consider swimming to be a real sport, since the competitions are not as
popular as other sports. However, swimming is just as much of a sport as any other, because you have
to practice daily, learn techniques for each specific stroke, and swim in almost any weather condition.
Nevertheless, the only well-known swimming competition by the average citizen in the United States is
the Olympic competition.
Swimming daily takes a lot of commitment.“A race is not won with a great swim, but it can be
lost with a poor swim”(Kostich). Whether you are a student, parent, or if you just have a job, it can be
hard to find time to practice. You have to learn to manage your time well if you want to be a successful
swimmer (Hesse). Although it can leave you tired, swimming daily is refreshing and it makes it much
easier to focus on a certain topic, such as math homework. Thinking too much or too little about your
practice or ability can make a negative impact on your performance (Swim Smooth). Many sports only
require 3-4 days a week. If you want to become a strong swimmer, you must practice at least 5 days a
week, if not more. The advanced swimmer can often be lazy when it comes to swim practice and lack
motivation (Swim Smooth).
Some people believe that swimming is simple and easy to learn. “Swimming is just as difficult as
any other sport” (Hesse).For competitive swimmers, you have to learn and perfect different techniques
for each stroke: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly. There are more than 500 local and
regional competitions for adult swimmers around the country each year.(Diehl) Every day you should

2. Sportsman 2
practice at least 30 minutes of each style to improve the effectiveness of each stroke. “I can't remember
the last day I didn't train” (Phelps). Sometimes it can be good to go home and study the different
technique you learned that day.
While baseball doesn’t compete when it is just raining, swimmers compete when it is
hailing..That causes a lot of discomfort because the cubes of ice smack you in the face. The only weather
condition swimmers don’t practice in (other than natural disasters) is a lightning storm.“I think goals
should never be easy; they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time”
(Phelps). However, even then swimmers will find a way to practice, whether it is in an indoor pool or dry
land exercises. “If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren't willing to do”
(Phelps).
Swimming can help clear your mind, and it improves your fitness. You have to practice
hard and learn many techniques. Weather conditions will not stop you from practicing, so no
excuses!Swimming is definitely a real sport because you have to practice daily, learn multiple
techniques, and compete in almost all weather conditions. How does your sport compare to
swimming?
Works Cited
Diehl, Dave. usms.org. 23 August 2012. Document. 6 September 2013.
Hesse, Debbie. USASwimming.org. 14 August 2013. Document. 6 September 2013.
Kostich, Alex. beta.active.com. 1 July 2013. Document. 4 September 2013.
Phelps, Micheal. Brainyquote.com. 6 February 2013. Document. 6 September 2013.
Swim Smooth. swimsmooth.com. 2013. 9 September 2013.