Swim teams
After COVID, we swim for good times
While summer league swimming can breed fierce rivalries between teams (and among swimmers on the same team), there’s also a focus on the fun side of the whole experience.
Matthew Rees
Opinion contributor
The Memorial Day weekend that just passed marks the symbolic start of America’s summer. And with it comes the kickoff of a longstanding American tradition – summer league swimming for kids – that’s going to be warmly received after a year of lockdowns.
Throughout the country, boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18 will be donning suits, caps and goggles as part of a routine that typically includes weekday morning practices and weekend meets. If you’ve ever wondered why the United States dominates swimming in the Olympics – having won more than four times the number of gold medals as any other country – the summer league system is part of the answer.