Club vs. Varsity Swimming & Teammates

WLU Team Photo at Laurier February 2016 

I was recently asked what the difference is between club and varsity swimming. To be truly honest, many of the core aspects are quiet similar, but when it comes to the fine details, they can make or break a team. What do I mean by this? In this post I’ll break down some of the key aspects of the sport that are truly critical.

One of the biggest things I have noticed in my first year here at Laurier is the importance of team! Everything we do is as a team, whether it is training in the water in the weight room, going for a bite to eat after a tough workout, doing homework together, traveling to meets, celebrating success in the season and many other things.

On any club team, teammates are the glue to a team’s success. This is something I see all the time with larger teams at small clubs and especially at provincial and national level meets. These types of clubs are swimming more for the club then themselves. In varsity swimming, racing for team points and the team overrides the individual performance. The overall goal is representing your team and doing the best possible to move the team up in rankings, win heats, cheer loud and proud, and be supportive to one another. This is not something difficult to do and you feel really good doing it.

WLU at Western for the 2016 OUA Championships

 Attending the 2016 Ontario University Association Championships last month in London at Western was the most exciting and loudest meet I have ever attended. The energy in the building was electrifying as teams big and small cheered loud and proud for there swimmers, regardless if they were placing first or eighth in the heat. I have been to loud meets like Team Champs, but OUA’s was way louder. It definitely has to do with wearing the team cap and uniform on deck. As student athletes we are on deck representing our school! We have proven to the coaching staff, teammates, and ourselves that we are good enough to be present and deserve this opportunity. This fight is much different then any club team.

 I can honestly say if it was not for my teammates, both varsity at WLU and WRMS looking out for me and checking in I would not be the swimmer I am today. Having these amazing teammates to train with everyday is incredible. It allows us to push one another in training to allow everyone the chance to reach new limits and heights. I truly believe this is something that is difficult to achieve alone. The people you train with everyday understand the pain and struggles we facing head on. They look at the “T” for hours a week, doing the same thing, attending classes, and holding down a social life. I am not saying you have to spend every second of the day with your teammates, I am saying we will all have a time in our careers where teammates will be needed to workout problems or ask for advice.

 

When it comes to giving advice I am often one that can lay down some thoughts about stroke, or the sport in general. Recently at W Ross we spent the entire 2-hour workout reviewing and reflecting on the short course season that is now behind us. Sometimes these sessions are important to have. I have learnt over the many years in this sport mental processing is 90% and the physical aspect is 10%. These types of sessions only make a team stronger. It allows teammates to share issues or success that have been reach as well allow for comment on areas that need improving. WLU has done this exercise several times over the season and in my mind it has only made us strong.

As we shift into the long course season, things pretty well continue as business as usual. The quality of practice remains the same and type of workouts will shift at key points in the season. LC is much shorter then the SC season and swimmers have less opportunities to make qualifying times. Every race is critical and important. Having the support of teammates at every single race and event will only make us faster and stronger mentally. I honestly do not know what I would do without my teammates in my life and in the water with me everyday!