Do you consider swimming on a swim team a team sport?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s like tennis. There may technically be a tennis team, and sometimes they play in doubles, and they practice together, but they don’t need the team in order to function as a competitive tennis player. It’s not the same as soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, etc., where you need to play with a team to play the sport at all.

In swimming, your individual scores add up to a win/lose for the team you're on. Yes, you get your own individual times, too, but it's the collective performance of everyone on the team that amounts to a win.

There are gifted athletes on Football teams that might be real standouts - maybe they run in the most touchdowns in a game. But they will not win the game all by themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only loosely. Relays feel like a team competition, but aside from that a kid could go to a meet and never interact with anyone else from the “team.” There is socializing outside of the swimming, and some cheering for other swimmers, but there is no actual teamwork aside from relays.

Do you mean aside from hours upon hours practicing together? You know not every second = face underwater, right?

What would we do without you?

"There is no actual teamwork aside from relays." This is so dumb--you either weren't a swimmer, or you were a pretty bad one.

Coach works with team to strategize about who will train and swim what event. Teammates help each other with technique, starts, turns, drills, etc. One of my best memories from my high school team was being a freshman and having essentially a two-practice "master class" with the superstar butterfly senior, who helped improve both the timing/rhythm of my kicks, and the angle of my head during breaths. Sometimes, my coach would leave to adjust the chemicals, etc., and the seniors would decide on the next drill set. You work together, every day.

oooohhhhh, a swimming insult. You bad, PP, you so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s like tennis. There may technically be a tennis team, and sometimes they play in doubles, and they practice together, but they don’t need the team in order to function as a competitive tennis player. It’s not the same as soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, etc., where you need to play with a team to play the sport at all.

In swimming, your individual scores add up to a win/lose for the team you're on. Yes, you get your own individual times, too, but it's the collective performance of everyone on the team that amounts to a win.

There are gifted athletes on Football teams that might be real standouts - maybe they run in the most touchdowns in a game. But they will not win the game all by themselves.

No, because they can't PLAY the game by themselves. unlike swimmers. If you want to include relays, fine, but they are always individual swimmers first and relayers second.

At the end of the day though? Call it whatever you want, no one will care. Your child may swim for life, because they can, its not a team sport. My kid, if they want to play soccer for life, will have to join a team to do so. Different. (and I use my kid theoretically as my kids swim)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s like tennis. There may technically be a tennis team, and sometimes they play in doubles, and they practice together, but they don’t need the team in order to function as a competitive tennis player. It’s not the same as soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, etc., where you need to play with a team to play the sport at all.

In swimming, your individual scores add up to a win/lose for the team you're on. Yes, you get your own individual times, too, but it's the collective performance of everyone on the team that amounts to a win.

There are gifted athletes on Football teams that might be real standouts - maybe they run in the most touchdowns in a game. But they will not win the game all by themselves.

No, because they can't PLAY the game by themselves. unlike swimmers. If you want to include relays, fine, but they are always individual swimmers first and relayers second.

At the end of the day though? Call it whatever you want, no one will care. Your child may swim for life, because they can, its not a team sport. My kid, if they want to play soccer for life, will have to join a team to do so. Different. (and I use my kid theoretically as my kids swim)

Your kid can go out and practice soccer all by himself. Get him a net and a ball and let him practice his skills. My son can go out and practice batting, base running and even fielding with an automatic baseball pitcher. No team needed.

Of course a soccer player can't play a soccer game all by himself. Nor can a baseball player play a baseball game by himself. Nor can a swimmer swim a swim meet all by himself, either. It takes a team of various age groups of boys/girls on the team to win a meet.

[Anonymous]

YEs thanks I already noted just that. However, no one would say that that skill practice is sport practice. In swimming they are the same.

[Anonymous]

So if a runner is out running they are playing a team sport? Its just when its in a race that they need others around (or a meet), or else it isn't a team sport? That seems inane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only loosely. Relays feel like a team competition, but aside from that a kid could go to a meet and never interact with anyone else from the “team.” There is socializing outside of the swimming, and some cheering for other swimmers, but there is no actual teamwork aside from relays.

Do you mean aside from hours upon hours practicing together? You know not every second = face underwater, right?

What would we do without you?

"There is no actual teamwork aside from relays." This is so dumb--you either weren't a swimmer, or you were a pretty bad one.

Coach works with team to strategize about who will train and swim what event. Teammates help each other with technique, starts, turns, drills, etc. One of my best memories from my high school team was being a freshman and having essentially a two-practice "master class" with the superstar butterfly senior, who helped improve both the timing/rhythm of my kicks, and the angle of my head during breaths. Sometimes, my coach would leave to adjust the chemicals, etc., and the seniors would decide on the next drill set. You work together, every day.

oooohhhhh, a swimming insult. You bad, PP, you so bad.

Hush, everyone. Let’s listen to the expert. Go ahead, expert. Tell us more about those halcyon days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. My kids play baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey. Those are true team sports. They also do gymnastics, diving, track and field and swimming - those are individual sports to me with a strong team element. You care about your team and it is great when you win but the important thing at the end of the day seems to be individual performance more. Though when my daughter's team won track she was very happy that her finish helped push them over the line.

Impossible for your kids to do all those seriously unless some do some and other do others. Or your kids dabble and aren’t serious about any or most of them b

Oh my goodness are you the insufferable about everything or just the sports and leisure activities of children?

NP. I agree with pp that a kid who is on the swim team for 3 years straight, competes in meets, goes to morning practice and participates in Winter Swim.....is probably on more of a team sport than the dabbler who tries every sport out there.

FWIW, both of my kids have both dabbled at times and participated in team sports at times. It's all good.

So, I'm the meh poster...thanks to the one who said they were insufferable First - I didn't realize they had to be hardcore about it to be able to tell whether it is a team sport or not? And I have multiple children so while no one is going to the Olympics - my kids are on competitive teams for these: gymnsatics, diving (make All Stars every summer), swimming - same always divisionals/All Stars during summer - swim and dive at a lighter level during winter to "keep up". baseball and soccer.

Yikes! I just think that with soccer your team is so critical to your individual success. While the team is important in swimming and gymnastics - not the same. Diving really just feells like a cheer squad - which is good!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if a runner is out running they are playing a team sport? Its just when its in a race that they need others around (or a meet), or else it isn't a team sport? That seems inane.

If a runner is out running the neighborhood by himself he is exercising. If the runner is actually running in a track meet, he is running on a team.

How is this even hard to understand? Really...it is not that complicated.

[Anonymous]

It is both a team sport and an individual sport. Its a team sport as teams are rated and ranked by points/scoring and its an individual sport as kids are also timed/ranked individual. There are individual swims and relays. Its competitive, but far less than other sports and most of the kids/parents cheer on the other kids and are very supportive, especially the slower kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. My kids play baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey. Those are true team sports. They also do gymnastics, diving, track and field and swimming - those are individual sports to me with a strong team element. You care about your team and it is great when you win but the important thing at the end of the day seems to be individual performance more. Though when my daughter's team won track she was very happy that her finish helped push them over the line.

Impossible for your kids to do all those seriously unless some do some and other do others. Or your kids dabble and aren’t serious about any or most of them b

Oh my goodness are you the insufferable about everything or just the sports and leisure activities of children?

NP. I agree with pp that a kid who is on the swim team for 3 years straight, competes in meets, goes to morning practice and participates in Winter Swim.....is probably on more of a team sport than the dabbler who tries every sport out there.

FWIW, both of my kids have both dabbled at times and participated in team sports at times. It's all good.

So, I'm the meh poster...thanks to the one who said they were insufferable First - I didn't realize they had to be hardcore about it to be able to tell whether it is a team sport or not? And I have multiple children so while no one is going to the Olympics - my kids are on competitive teams for these: gymnsatics, diving (make All Stars every summer), swimming - same always divisionals/All Stars during summer - swim and dive at a lighter level during winter to "keep up". baseball and soccer.

Yikes! I just think that with soccer your team is so critical to your individual success. While the team is important in swimming and gymnastics - not the same. Diving really just feells like a cheer squad - which is good!

They don't have to be hardcore about it at all. But the team dynamics are going to vary a lot when you are a dabbler vs an established team member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh. My kids play baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey. Those are true team sports. They also do gymnastics, diving, track and field and swimming - those are individual sports to me with a strong team element. You care about your team and it is great when you win but the important thing at the end of the day seems to be individual performance more. Though when my daughter's team won track she was very happy that her finish helped push them over the line.

You clearly don't get swim. Your kids sound like they dabble and don't specialize. After about 7-8, the only good way to get proficient at a sport is to specialize in that sport and focus on it. Most swimmers are going 3-4-5 days a week swim. There is no way your kids can do all those sports at the same time more than an hour a week. To say your kids swim, ok a swim lesson or a predevelopment class is very different from team. Same with diving and gymnastics. Or, your kids do diving/swim at the summer pool which is very different than year round swim. Swim, like other sports is a huge parental committment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a runner is out running they are playing a team sport? Its just when its in a race that they need others around (or a meet), or else it isn't a team sport? That seems inane.

If a runner is out running the neighborhood by himself he is exercising. If the runner is actually running in a track meet, he is running on a team.

How is this even hard to understand? Really...it is not that complicated.

So if he is running in a race, lets say a 5K, is he running or not running?

This is silly!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. My kids play baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey. Those are true team sports. They also do gymnastics, diving, track and field and swimming - those are individual sports to me with a strong team element. You care about your team and it is great when you win but the important thing at the end of the day seems to be individual performance more. Though when my daughter's team won track she was very happy that her finish helped push them over the line.

You clearly don't get swim. Your kids sound like they dabble and don't specialize. After about 7-8, the only good way to get proficient at a sport is to specialize in that sport and focus on it. Most swimmers are going 3-4-5 days a week swim. There is no way your kids can do all those sports at the same time more than an hour a week. To say your kids swim, ok a swim lesson or a predevelopment class is very different from team. Same with diving and gymnastics. Or, your kids do diving/swim at the summer pool which is very different than year round swim. Swim, like other sports is a huge parental committment.

Sure, if your kids aren't natural athletes. Sure. But their shortcomings don't factor into the definition of team. Or sport. Or even the word running.

Otherwise do you literally not play anything you didn't play before age 7? Gosh I've learned so many sports in that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. My kids play baseball, basketball, soccer, field hockey. Those are true team sports. They also do gymnastics, diving, track and field and swimming - those are individual sports to me with a strong team element. You care about your team and it is great when you win but the important thing at the end of the day seems to be individual performance more. Though when my daughter's team won track she was very happy that her finish helped push them over the line.

You clearly don't get swim. Your kids sound like they dabble and don't specialize. After about 7-8, the only good way to get proficient at a sport is to specialize in that sport and focus on it. Most swimmers are going 3-4-5 days a week swim. There is no way your kids can do all those sports at the same time more than an hour a week. To say your kids swim, ok a swim lesson or a predevelopment class is very different from team. Same with diving and gymnastics. Or, your kids do diving/swim at the summer pool which is very different than year round swim. Swim, like other sports is a huge parental committment.

So you’ve just decided to veer off from the OP’s question in an attempt to establish dominance over “lesser” swim parents and kids? Lol.