Swimming is much more than a physical sport for competitive swimmers at GA. Every day involves not only intense training, but also navigating the mental challenges that come with striving for greatness in the pool. Swim routines revolve around long practice schedules, sometimes two practices a day. It is key to stay motivated to push through the highs and lows of the sport.
The day of a swimmer begins early. There can be swim practice one or more mornings a week before school, starting at 6 a.m. The team practices every day after school and on Saturdays with a combination of swimming and weightlifting. Between swimming and lifting, some swimmers can have more than four hours a day of practice, working towards the swim meets later into the weekend.
GA swimmer Emily Hamill ‘25 has taught herself how to cope with the immense swim training.
“Swimmers put many hours into practices and lifts,” Hamill said. “The reality of swimming is that despite all the hard work, sometimes the outcome isn’t what you expect. The key is not to let it defeat you mentally. My teammates and coaches keep me motivated to continue putting in the effort to reach my goals.”
Because of their practice schedule, swimmers have to manage their time well as a component to succeed.
“Time management and organization is important,” swimmer Brandon Fleck ‘25 said. “I try to get a lot of my work done during free periods, and before meets I plan ahead to make sure I have very little work to do at home.”
Fleck also acknowledges that finding time to relax or for social activities can be challenging.
“Spending 7 hours at school, multiple hours at practice, and a lot of time studying and doing homework can be rough,” Fleck said. “One tip I would give student-athletes is that if you can find a little time throughout the day to just relax and take a break, you’ll find it easier to balance your sport with your schoolwork.”
That said, athletes on the swim team must be committed and dedicated. While every swimmer has different goals, all swimmers alike share the same work ethic and enjoyment of the time and memories they make from being a part of the swim team. From that, the swim team looks forward to starting the season off strong at their first school meet at home on Dec. 10 against the Haverford School and Agnes Irwin School.