Sports are supposed to be good for kids. In theory, a sport should build strong bodies, not tear them down. It should promote sportsmanship, self-discipline and perseverance....

Unfortunately, not all sports live up to these ideas, swimming, however, does it quite well.

According to many authors of articles on sports for children, the fact that swimming uniquely develops the cardiovascular system to the maximum makes it an idea sport for children since an efficient cardiovascular system is the key to life long health. This is in addition to the fact that children run so little risk of injury in swimming.

Swimming is rated as a “most desirable” sport in insurance company premiums. Swimming is a sport in the true sense of the word. It is a pursuit of a striving for excellence. Its very nature demands self-discipline and great strength of purpose. It is not merely an athletic “contest” which requires a minimum of training and maximum luck.

There can be no team mates or bad luck to blame in swimming. There is only you, the water and the watch, and the watch never lies – Swimmers more than most learn early the relationship between work and results. Good training soon overshadows exceptional size and ability.