Swim kicks off

Leyla Ilyazova, Reporter

IN YOUR typical high school, it is not difficult to see all the athletes. Cross-country is running laps around the track, soccer players are on the field, Swim team is in the pool, and tennis players are occupied on the courts. Regardless of the sport, high school athletes devote hours to their game. Playing a sport is a big responsibility, it teaches students lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom. Many students at Granger High School are on the swim team. The swim team helps athletes sharpen skills, get steady physical activity, reach goals, and create better team players. Being a part of a team will guide a person in finding out more about themselves and teammates, it can give various insights, benefits, and advantages in the professional world. It’s easy to overlook the impact participation in a sport can have on students’ lives, even after their athletic careers end. “I will definitely look more into college swim teams after high school,” Brian Wilkey (9) said. Swim coaches start each season by having their swimmers set preseason goals. “We all set out to reach our goals, and we don’t stop until we’ve pushed ourselves to our limit,” Gale Cutshaw (12) said. This gives swimmers the motivation to work progressively harder to reach their goals The importance of goal setting is that, in addition to the fact that it provides fulfillment when the goal is reached, it is something that can be used outside of the game also. Although all goals might not be accomplished, that is OK since it gives a powerful steppingstone towards progress and offers them the chance to be the best that they can be. Another advantage of swimming in a team is that it constrains athletes to manage their time through a more insightful lens. “It takes up a lot of time, maintaining schoolwork, swimming, and other activities,” Grayson Bigler (10) said. Dealing with school, home obligations, jobs, and athletics on top of all things considered, is an ability that swimmers will have to acquire. Regardless of whether the swim team has one, two, or three practices a day, swimmers will have a lot of involvement with managing their time. This will help later in the professional world.