New to the pool?
There are plenty of amazing resources out there to help you get more comfortable and confident in the pool.
US Masters Swimming(USMS):
USMS was designed as a way to give adults and place and opportunity to swim with other motivated swimmers. The great thing about USMS is that it takes the things about swimming that are hard for us and takes them out of the equation. So you basically get access to a pool and get to have a great workout created for you. Another bonus is that you receive awesome camaraderie. Even though I don't compete in any of the meets with my clubs, these gatherings provide a great workout. Worried about not being up to par? Your coach can make adjustments to create a doable workout for you. Also there are a wide varieties of ages and swim levels involved. It's about having fun and engaging in something that makes you feel good.
Stroke Clinics
I recently attended the Fitter Faster Tour up in Allentown. This particular clinic focussed on breastroke. Even though I'm fairly familiar with the techniques involved in the breaststroke, clinics tend to bring great insight as they allow you to learn new drills along with going back to the basics. If there is one thing I've learned in swimming, it's that you need a solid foundation to be a good swimmer. The details tend to come later in your development and no matter how experienced you are, reviewing the basics never hurt anyone. Another great thing about swim clinics is that you tend to meet people with the same interests as you. At a clinic you may meet a great swim buddy. Swim Clinics happen around the country on a regular basis. Check out a university or community center to see when the latest ones are happening! I know the Fitter Faster Tour provides all types of clinics all year round In various locations!
Swimmer:
Swimmer is a magazine that focuses on providing more knowledge to swimmers, so that they can become the best athlete possible. They have tons of great articles geared around nutrition, equipment, and stroke technique. Those are just a few topics that can be found in Swimmers magazine. My favorite part of the magazine is that they tend to give great visuals on what swimmers should look like while doing a stroke or drill. Visual aids are a great aid in the learning process.
Websites and Apps:
Go Swim Lite (App): From what I have explored from Go Swim they have a ton of drills, which allow you the chance to work on your stroke and make you a stronger swimmer. If you're a visual learner, watching someone do a well executed stroke will be a perfect aid on your swim journey. Plus they have a mobile app so you can access this on the phone at the pool. You can press play and practice in the pool.
Swim Swam (website) :
Swim Swam is a great website! The site embodies swimmer culture as it gives you a break down on the latest in the swim world. They keep you up to date on what's going on with NCAA swimming and Olympic swimmers. You can really get into the culture of swimming as you have access to interviews from the pros, drills and equipment. All the fun stuff can be found here.
I encourage all my readers to check out various sources. It keeps the learning process enjoyable!!!! Try them all out to find something that works for you!!