As the school year begins, the swim team at Taylorsville High School is already preparing for the long season ahead. Their season is the longest in high school sports, spanning from September, all the way into early February. The commitment and effort required of the athletes can be intimidating. However, swimmers from both this year and previous years have a lot to say about their reasons for sticking with the sport.

Swimming can change many aspects of your life, physically, and mentally. There are the obvious benefits, such as improved health, and the benefit of being on a team. What is not common knowledge, is that swimming has some amazing benefits for your mental health and your lifestyle.

             “When I joined my freshman year, I was thinking it would be a fun sport to try, I didn’t really know what it would be. But over the years I have done it, I have built up a close community of friends that has really made my life a lot better,” said senior Ian Moore. 

Moore has been with the team since his freshman year and is one of the team captains this year. “It’s the most close-knit team of any team in the entire school. None of them [other school teams] are as close-knit as the swim team is. We all care about each other, and we all want the best for each other.” It is apparent that the team offers comradery, and has an abundant amount of team spirit.

              Needless to say, the swim team also offers lots of health benefits. An article from Healthline states that swimming can improve health conditions such as asthma by conditioning your lungs. It is also a low impact sport, meaning little to no pressure is exerted on your joints, making it a popular sport among people with MS or other diseases and injuries. 

Sophomore William Cooper, who is beginning his second season said, “It definitely changes your life physically, my friend Sammy Kiguthi is a perfect example. He does cross country, he comes to swim, and he just keeps getting stronger and stronger, so his running just gets faster and faster.” Any other athletics can be improved by adding the cardio and exercise that swimming offers.

Beyond physical benefits, swimming can change your mental status as well. The sport is very demanding of your entire body, including your brain. Whether it be pressure to do well in your races, or determination to finish your set during practice, your own will and work ethic plays a big role. 

The competition in swimming, or in any sport, has been shown to increase drive and work ethic, as the competitor puts in an effort to achieve their overall goal. Your brain can actually grow from the competition, as professor David Geary says “Our findings suggest brain size increases the most in areas with larger populations and this almost certainly increased the intensity of social competition,”

               Many extracurricular activities offer many different benefits, and swim has shown to offer many more than meets the eye. The team has shared stories of physical improvement, as well as personal improvement in most aspects of their lives. If you are looking for some friends, looking to develop a stronger work ethic, or looking to get some good exercise, the swim team is the place for you.