Amelia, 11, New York, NY
I do competitive swimming in New York. I LOVE IT! Here are three things I love about swimming:
Like any sport, you learn important life lessons. These are lessons that you can’t learn anywhere else except in sports. You learn teamwork (even though swim is an individual sport), perseverance, commitment, etc. You learn that progress doesn't happen overnight and that the only way to get results is through hard work. Overall, you learn a lot of important life lessons in swimming.
You also make lifelong friends. You spend SO much time with your teammates so it's only natural that you create really strong friendships. They see you at your best and at your worst and accept you for who you are. The best part is they understand everything about swimming that your normal friends don’t because they are swimmers, too. Some of my best memories are with my teammates. They are there all the time encouraging you, laughing with you and crying with you. And of course, in other sports you make friends but not as strong ones. That's just another perk of being a swimmer! :)
Last but not least, you are exercising. Swimmers burn anywhere from 413-704 calories or more an hour depending on their weight and speed. Swimming is very technical and therefore a very hard sport. But, once you get the hang of it and get better and better, it's a very enjoyable and rewarding sport. But it's not for everyone. I’ve loved the water from a very young age and started swimming lessons at 6 months old. I love swimming and hope that other people love it, too!