The Misunderstood Sport of Swimmimg — Hauptman

Imagine coming into school on Friday after your three hour practices those four nights before and you’re so sore from all of those hours you just put in that week and you know that you have two more practices in the next 24 hours before the weekend is all yours assuming you’re not competing. And you’re minding your own business and some tells you “I bet I can beat you in a swim race” and this person has never swam a practice in their life. All you think of are those long practices where you suffer while they watch TV from home. It probably doesn’t feel good even though you know it’s not true. The complication as I see it, is swimming is misunderstood as a sport and swimmers work too hard for that. I think this because I swim, swimmers practice 7200 yards a practice which is almost four and a half miles, and most competitive swimmers are in the water 6-9 times a week. In order to fix this dilemma, everyone should rethink their understanding of swimming as an intense competitive sport. You might persist that there are plenty of other sports that practice the hours swimmers do. Yes I’m sure some sports put in the hours. However, “[Swimming] Provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are used during swimming.” Not many other sports can work out all of the muscles in your body like that. If a sport works out almost every muscle in your body then that will challenge you, if you are doing that for two to three hours a day several times a week, then that is a grind. If a swimmer grinds just as hard if not harder then any other sport why don’t they get the recognition or even the same thought that comes to mind  that other sports do? Not to mention that swimming is year round with very little rest. Often you will only have about two to three weeks between long course and short course. Almost all other sports are seasonal. Basketball is in the winter Baseball is in the Spring and Football is in the Fall. Swimming is going on while all three of those are happening as if it were like practicing for three different sports and a summer sport! I’m not saying that swimming is the best sport. Yes, I have a strong bias for swimming, but that is not the problem. All that must be done is for you to take thirty seconds and realize that swimming is more than it seems. Realize that it is a grind and is one hundred percent hard work. Change your mindset. 

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2 thoughts on “The Misunderstood Sport of Swimmimg — Hauptman

  1. Ben, I think you did a great job of explaining your opinion and what you believe in. You used convincing evidence and did a great job of leading the reader into your side. I especially think you did a phenomenal job of describing why swimmers deserve so much more recognition then they are getting, and definitely made me realize how much hard work swimming takes. Nicely done!!

  2. You did a great showing what you believe and sharing your opinion. I would though show more of a problem with a counter claim. I do like your pasion. I also like some of your facts like 7200 yards a practice. Overal good job nice work.

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