All sports · Sport guide
Swimming, for the parent in it.
Every read, drill, calendar, pathway, rule, and recruiting note we have on swimming. Use this as the front door.
44 pieces.
From The Drawer for swimming
Cost
What does swimming actually cost?
Pre-filled annual estimates by tier. Edit any line.
Pathway
Swimming by age
What good looks like at 7, 10, 13, 15.
Calendar
The swimming year
USA Swimming club calendar. Short course (25-yard pools) runs September through March with championship meets in February and March. Long course (50-meter pools) runs April through July with championships in late July and August. The break is two to four weeks in August, and that's it.
Rules
Rules at-a-glance
Five-minute primer.
Reads
Swimming articles
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
Building a Swimming Recruiting Profile Coaches Will Actually Look At
The profile is not a highlight reel. It's a times sheet, kept current, that a coach can check in under a minute.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
Club Swimming vs. High School Swimming: Two Teams, Two Coaches, One Kid
Your swimmer has two coaches, two teams, and two coaches who don't always agree on what matters this month.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
Varsity Swim Team: The Real Odds and How the Lineup Actually Works
Almost nobody gets cut from high school swimming. The real competition starts after the roster is set.
age 15-plus · Jul 6, 2026
When Your Swimmer Doesn't Get Recruited
Seven percent of high school swimmers end up on an NCAA roster. Here's what to say to the other ninety-three.
age 11-12 · Jul 4, 2026
Chasing a Cut Time: When Your Swimmer Is Three-Tenths of a Second Away
1:14.71. The cut was 1:14.40. Our kid has now missed it at four different meets by four different amounts, all of them small.
age all-ages · Jul 4, 2026
Why Swimming Doesn't Feel Like a Team Sport (Even Though It Is)
The scoreboard says team. The blocks say you're on your own for the next thirty-eight seconds.
age 8-10 · Jun 11, 2026
Swim team vs club swimming: what's the difference?
Summer rec league or year-round club — here is what each actually means.
age 15-plus · Jun 11, 2026
Swimming recruiting guide for parents
How college swimming recruiting actually works, what times matter, and when to start.
age 8-10 · Jun 11, 2026
Swimming strokes explained for parents
Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly — what they are, how they work, and what the rules actually say.
age all-ages · Jun 11, 2026
Youth swimming cost breakdown
Summer league, developmental club, and elite club — here is what each level actually costs.
age all-ages · Jun 11, 2026
Youth swimming gear guide
What to buy, what to skip, and what to spend money on when it actually matters.
age 11-12 · Jun 11, 2026
Youth swimming tryouts: what to expect
What the evaluation looks like, what coaches are measuring, and how to help your kid walk in ready.
Drills
Swimming drills
13 drills total. Most recent shown.
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· fundamentals
Backstroke Arm Stroke
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· fundamentals
Backstroke Kick on Back
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· fundamentals
Breaststroke Pull and Glide
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· fundamentals
Breaststroke Kick and Pull
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· fundamentals
Butterfly Kick with Kickboard
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· fundamentals
Flip Turn Progression
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· fundamentals
Freestyle Arm Stroke
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· fundamentals
Freestyle Bilateral Breathing
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· fundamentals
Freestyle Kick on a Board
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· fundamentals
Side Breathing Rhythm
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· fundamentals
Interval Set: 4x50
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· fundamentals
Catch-Up Freestyle
The Sideline File
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Chlorine and asthma in competitive swimmers: the indoor pool air quality problem
Indoor pools with poor ventilation produce chloramines that irritate airways. Why competitive swimmers have elevated asthma rates and what programs and families can do.
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Diving board rules and supervision: the protocol pool deaths come from skipping
Spinal injuries, head injuries, and drownings from diving boards happen in patterns. The rules that prevent them, and the supervision that backs the rules up.
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Drowning rescue and the post-rescue window: what happens after the pull-out
The first 10 minutes after a drowning rescue. The ER decision. What 'secondary drowning' actually is and when to worry.
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Hypothermia on the field: recognize, warm, escalate
The signs the kid is past 'cold' and into hypothermia. The protocol that warms safely. When to call 911.
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Open-water swim safety: lakes, ocean, off-site meets
What changes when the meet moves outside the pool. Cold-water shock, cramps, currents, and the bright-colored cap rule that makes the difference.
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Pool deck rules: shallow-water blackout, breath-holding, supervision
What USA Swimming and Red Cross publish on swim-team pool safety. The breath-holding rule that saves lives, lifeguard ratios, and what coaches and parents should be watching for.
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Shoulder dislocation on the field: do not put it back yourself
The kid is in pain, the arm hangs wrong, the joint is visibly out. The protocol that prevents the simple injury from becoming a complicated one.
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Spinal injury right now: do not move the kid
Suspected cervical-spine injury on the field. The protocol that prevents the temporary injury from becoming permanent.
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Sun and skin: youth athletes, sunscreen, and the melanoma math
The cumulative-exposure problem with kids in outdoor sports. SPF, the two-finger rule, when to reapply, and why hats and shirts are still the best UV protection.
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Swim ear infection: the prevention that takes 30 seconds
Swimmer's ear is one of the most-frequent youth-swim issues and one of the most-preventable. The drying drops, the swim caps, and the doctor visit timing.
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What's actually dangerous about youth water polo
Eye injuries, shoulder overuse, underwater contact, and the supervision standards that distinguish well-run programs.
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What's actually dangerous about youth swimming
Shallow-water blackout, the breath-holding rule, shoulder overuse, and the open-water risks at meets outside the pool.
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Youth triathlon swim safety: the open-water leg's specific risks
Cold-water shock, mass starts, sighting, wetsuit decisions. The published rules and the family-side preparation that keeps the swim leg safe.