Swimming is one the most demanding sports out there. Swimming season is not just a "fall sport", it is a year-round sport. Take one week off swimming, and you are trying to get back in shape for a whole 3 weeks. However, that is also what makes swimming such a great sport, it teaches you so much about who you are as a person. Swimming is a sport that will give you lessons that will stick with you for life. No matter if you used to swim, only swim in the summer, or are currently swimming competitively, I believe anyone can relate to these life lessons.

1. Hard Work

Swimming teaches you how to work hard everyday. When I jump into the freezing water, I want to give everything I have for that two hour practice. You have to push yourself hard if you want to succeed in this sport. Having the ability to work hard does not have to only relate to swimming, but school and even work. It is a great trait to have for the rest of your life.

2. Dedication

*Beep, Beep*. Your alarm goes off, and you look outside: it is pitch black because it's 5 AM. Most swimmers understand how hard it is to get out of bed on those cold, dark mornings, when you are tired and sore. However, swimmers DO get out of bed and go to practice day in and day out. 8 or 9 practices a week for one swim meet a month, now that is dedication. Swimmers accept and thrive off the daily grind. After going through rigorous swimming practices week in and week out, 9 to 5 work days does not sound all that bad

3. Time Management

Two hour practices in the morning, and two hour practices in the night. Now try to fit in the rest of your day around those practices. When you are exhausted and sleep deprived, you still have to do homework or go to school. Swimming has taught me how to manage my time wisely so I can have a social life, get good grades and practice 4 hours a day. Sometimes, it gets very overwhelming, but if you just take it one thing at a time it gets better. Every person should learn time management, as it gives your life a great balance.

4. Mental Toughness

It is the end of the week, and you are exhausted. Then your coach tells you to do 20x200 Butterfly. At first you are in shock, then you are angry, maybe even some tears get in your googles. But then you get tough. That set is just a way to test your mental toughness. Doing things that you DO NOT want to do, but know will make you better- that is the motto of the sport of swimming. One of the best feelings in swimming is finishing a hard set and having that sense of accomplishment. That same sense of accomplishment can be felt after you ace a super hard test, or have a great job interview.

5. Leadership

Being one of the older members on the team, younger swimmers look up to you. They do not know what to expect or even how to get through some of those long hard days. Therefore, it is your job to be inspirational, push your teammates, and ultimately be there for them. This also means telling people what they do not want to hear, and making them work harder. This is a great quality if you ever have a leadership position in a club, or a job. Being able to be a leader will help you throughout your life.

6. Maturity

Friday nights, and most swimmers stay in and watch a movie instead of going out. With early Saturday morning practice, most swimmers do not want to stay out late since they want to do well at practice. This shows maturity to not go out with your friends and have fun with them. There will be times to do that, but swimming teaches you how to balance your social life.

8. Failure

Swimming is a cruel sport. With all the hard work and time you put into the sport, you still might not do as well as you want. Swimming shows you who you are as a person and when your life is not going the way you want it to, how you will handle it. It is very hard to be positive when you are not swimming well. However, those people who are positive even when they are not doing well, show maturity and growth. Failure makes you stronger and is something everyone deals with it at least once in their life. Learning how to deal with failure early makes it easier to handle it later in life.

9. Success

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Yes, swimming is a cruel sport and there are many lows. But the highs make up for all the lows. Winning a relay, getting a best time, getting a time cut- those are the moments that you will remember for the rest of your life. Swimming teaches you how to be humble when you are doing well, because you remember those times when you were not. But then it also reminds you that hard work does pay off in the end, with the sweet, sweet feeling of success.