Distance Matters

Hi All,

This is a quick post so no need for audio and video...

I just saw that one of my former 14 & Unders just won the World Junior Open Water 10k. I am happy for her, her family and, of course, Team USA. I wanted to bring this to your attention because it brings up an important point. Distance matters. Here’s why.

I know that there is an emphasis on sprint events in swimming. Sprinting is the majority of HS and college events. Relays score double which makes sprinters valable in terms of points. This fact leads many to over emphasize the importance of sprints in the developing swimmer. While I agree that sprints are important, that should not preclude a focus on distance swimming; especially with our under 14s.

Many of our nation's best “sprinters” got their first national level cuts in distance swimming. A focus on the longer events at a young age helps build an aerobic base that will help the athlete later in their career, even in the shorter events. Doing longer sets at a young age also gives the swimmer more “trials” to find their most efficient stroke. It also helps their walls, streamlines and so many other aspects they will need to perfect as they grow and mature in the sport...of course they will have to do them properly to get the full benefit but that is a topic we can discuss in a future post 🙂

Claire started out as a distance swimmer. She won FLAGS in the mile and has obviously kept to her distance roots to achieve success at this extremely high level. For every Claire, I can mention two or three “sprinters” who started out with a focus on distance and eventually became more successful in shorter races.

I bring this up because I know that we do more yardage and offer more workout times than most clubs. Sometimes I get asked, “why?”. We do this to ensure that our athletes have every opportunity for long term success as possible. While we do not have any required minimums, I can tell you that all of the successful swimmers I referenced above, all strived to be at as many workouts as possible. This focus and determination to get better help them achieve great things. 

At FAA, we will continue to provide our younger swimmers with the educational and training opportunities they need to become their best. 

Dream Big, Work Hard & Have Fun!

See you at the pool - Rich