How to Prepare for High School Swim Team Tryouts
Joining the high school swim team is an exciting opportunity for young swimmers to compete, grow, and experience the team spirit of school sports. However, swim team tryouts can be challenging, often requiring focused preparation and skill refinement. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare can help your child make the team and feel confident as they begin the season. Here’s how to help them get ready for a successful high school swim team tryout.
Set Clear Goals and Stay Consistent
Before training begins, sit down with your child to discuss their goals for tryouts and the upcoming swim season. Whether they want to make the varsity team, improve a particular stroke, or build endurance, clear goals provide a foundation for their training. Help them create a balanced schedule with consistent swim practices, including at least three to four sessions per week. This routine will build their stamina and refine their technique in the lead-up to tryouts.
Focus on Stroke Techniques
High school swim teams often evaluate swimmers on their proficiency across multiple strokes. Help your child focus on refining their techniques for freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. If they have a preferred stroke, encourage them to keep practicing that, but make sure they’re comfortable with all strokes to showcase versatility. Small adjustments, like perfecting hand placement and timing, can make a big difference in their performance.
Increase Endurance and Speed with Interval Training
Endurance and speed are essential to stand out in tryouts. Encourage your child to incorporate interval training into their practice routine. Interval sets, like swimming four 100-meter laps with a short rest between each, help swimmers learn to manage speed and recovery. Increasing intensity over time will build endurance and prepare them for race conditions. Consistently working on intervals will also help them handle the physical demands of swim meets.
Perfect the Streamline Position and Push-Offs
The streamline position is essential for speed and efficiency in the water. Practicing streamline drills helps swimmers reduce drag and improve momentum. Teach your child to bring their arms tightly together above their head, pressing their biceps against their ears and stacking their hands with fingers pointed forward. Mastering this position and practicing powerful push-offs from the wall allows them to maintain momentum throughout each lap, making a positive impression during tryouts.
Work on Turns and Finishes
Flip turns and strong finishes often set competitive swimmers apart. In high school swimming, smooth, quick turns and confident finishes are essential. For flip turns, encourage your child to practice tucking their chin, pulling their knees toward their chest, and extending their legs to push off the wall quickly. For finishes, emphasize the importance of maintaining a strong, steady stroke right to the wall—never gliding in or slowing down before finishing. Coaches appreciate swimmers who show determination and attention to detail in these final moments.
Practice Starts to Gain a Competitive Edge
Strong starts can set the tone for the entire swim. Start drills help swimmers enter the water with minimal splash and maximum speed. Encourage your child to practice their starts from the pool’s edge, focusing on launching themselves forward and keeping their body in the streamline position. Practicing starts on a regular basis can improve their reaction time and help them gain an advantage in each race.
Build Core Strength
Core strength supports nearly every movement in swimming, from maintaining balance to executing powerful strokes. Outside of the pool, encourage your child to work on exercises like planks, Russian twists, and leg lifts, all of which strengthen core muscles. In the water, exercises like vertical kicking (keeping their body upright while kicking) can also improve core stability. A strong core enhances both speed and endurance, giving swimmers an extra edge in their performance.
Prioritize Breath Control
Effective breathing techniques reduce fatigue and help swimmers maintain speed. In the lead-up to tryouts, encourage your child to work on breath control by taking fewer breaths per stroke and gradually increasing the distance they can swim without taking a breath. This builds lung capacity and helps swimmers stay relaxed and in rhythm during races. Practicing breath control also improves mental focus, an invaluable asset during competition.
Time Trials to Gauge Progress
Setting up time trials mimics the pressure and pace of tryouts, helping swimmers assess their strengths and weaknesses. During practice sessions, set a target time for each lap or distance and see how close they can get to that goal. This type of training not only improves speed but also helps swimmers manage nerves by making race-like conditions feel familiar. Time trials are a great way to track progress and adjust training as needed.
Plan for Rest and Recovery
With rigorous training, rest and recovery are essential. Ensure that your child takes one or two rest days per week, allowing muscles to recover and prevent burnout. Stretching after each workout and incorporating gentle activities like yoga can also help with flexibility and relaxation. Proper sleep and nutrition will further enhance recovery and support overall performance, helping them show up to tryouts at their best.
Practice Team Spirit and Good Sportsmanship
Swimming isn’t just about individual performance; it’s about contributing to a team and showing good sportsmanship. Coaches look for swimmers who can bring a positive attitude, encourage their peers, and contribute to team morale. Teach your child the importance of cheering on teammates, acknowledging others’ efforts, and maintaining a supportive mindset. Swimming with a group helps build camaraderie, and demonstrating good sportsmanship at tryouts can leave a lasting impression on coaches.
By preparing mentally and physically, your child can approach high school swim team tryouts with confidence and composure. This journey is as much about growth as it is about competition, and each lap, flip turn, and finish line is a stepping stone to success.