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Sports Then and Now



How to Get Your Kids Into Competitive Swimming 2

Posted on November 05, 2018 by Martin Banks

If your kids enjoy swimming, the next logical step might be to introduce them to the world of competitive swimming. In some areas, children as young as five or six can join a local swim team, depending on their skill levels and how comfortable they are in the water. Swimming is a great way to stay active, and doing it competitively can be fun for both you and your child. So what do you need to know before getting your kids into competitive swimming?

swimming

Start With the Basics

Don’t throw your kids in the deep end and expect them to be Michael Phelps. Make sure you start with the basics. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until kids are four before they learn to swim, even though there are water safety classes that can teach the basics to children as young as six months old.

If they’re interested in starting competitive swimming, consider enrolling them in a pre-team class. These classes teach the basics of swimming as well as the four competitive strokes so that they’ll be prepared for tryouts and practice. Read the rest of this entry →

  • Vintage Athlete of the Month

    • Rusty Staub: A Man For All Ages
      April 8, 2024 | 1:26 pm
      Rusty Staub

      The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is a former major league baseball player who came into the game as a teenager and stayed until he was in his 40s. In between, Rusty Staub put up a solid career that was primarily spent on expansion or rebuilding teams.

      Originally signed by the Colt .45s at age 17, he made his major league debut as a 19-year old rookie and became only the second player in the modern era to play in more than 150 games as a teenager.

      Though he hit only .224 splitting time between first base and rightfield, Staub did start building a foundation that would turn him into an All-Star by 1967 when he finished fifth in the league with a .333 batting average.

      Read more »

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