Swimming

History of Swimming

Although humans have been swimming for thousands of years, swimming only became a competitive sport in the early 1800s. Today, swimming is the third most-watched sport in the Olympic Games.

The Debut of Modern Olympic Swimming

In the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, men competed in four swimming events, all contested in the choppy open water of the Mediterranean Sea. Four years later at the 1900 Summer Games in Paris, all the swimming events (which included an obstacle course) were contested in the Seine River.

Freestyle Evolves

In the early years of recreational and competitive swimming, breastroke was the only stroke swum. In 1902, Australian Richard Cavill was the first to swim with an up-and-down kick and alternating over-arm recoveries. This stroke, dubbed the “Australian crawl,” was the beginning of modern freestyle. Johnny Weissmuller (who went on greater fame playing Tarzan in the movie of the same name) became the first man to break the one-minute barrier in the 100 Freestyle in 1912.

Women Make Splash Entering Swimming Record Books

For a variety of reasons, women had not been allowed to compete in Olympic swimming (or most other Olympic sports, for that matter) prior to 1912. But that year, women made their Olympic swimming debut, racing in the 100 meter Freestyle and the 4 x 100 meter Freestyle Relay.
Here are 5 reasons why you should give Swim a try at Fox Tech!

1. Just about anyone can do it! The only pre-requisite at our pool for joining summer swim is the ability to swim (anyway, anyhow) across the pool. No previous swim experience required. But you do need a desire to work hard and learn. And as an added bonus, swimming is a lifelong sport and useful life skill.

2. Affordable. As far as equipment goes, you really just need a one-piece swim suit and a pair of goggles to get started. Some teams will give your swimmer a team swim cap – others may require you to purchase it. Either way, they are not too expensive. (My favorite online resources for high quality swim gear at great prices)

3. Social. It is real easy to make friends with kids you train with just about every day! Then there are the swim meets themselves, tons of cheering for each other, writing sayings like “eat my bubbles” on each other’s backs, and relays!

4. Fitness. Whether your child plays soccer in the spring, basketball in the winter, or gymnastics all year long, swimming an hour a day 4-5 days a week for the bulk of the summer just improves their overall fitness level. Cross training is excellent for any athlete.

5. Self Esteem. Regardless of what skill level your child starts the summer with, it is just about guaranteed they will improve as the summer goes along.

Article Reference:

• http://sportsgirlsplay.com
• http://swim.isport.com

Click on the below for more information on swimming here at Fox Tech.

Schedule

Click the below links to find information on Fox Tech's Swim Team Highlights:

Buffaloes bring home the first Gold Medal Relay in over 25 years