Swim Tip
Nike Swim Camp Tip: The New Landscape of Virtual Swim Meets
The daily skill progressions and challenging swim sets are adjusted to reflect skill and performance levels.
The events of 2020 turned the world of sports on its head. For many athletes, it’s been hard to imagine consistently training this year, let alone competing—especially when it comes to swimming.
The training regimen for swimmers typically demands high intensity and endurance, which has undoubtedly been impacted by the pandemic. The implementation of virtual swim meets is bringing some semblance of “normal” back to a time that’s felt anything but.
This piece explores the what, why, and how of virtual swim meets. Here’s everything you need to know about the future of this alternative direction.
What are virtual swim meets?
Virtual swim meets are just like regular swim meets—teams compete against one another, and the fastest athletes win. However, instead of competing at the same pool, different teams run through the events on their home territory. Results are officiated, recorded, and uploaded to a platform like the USA Swimming Virtual Meet Simulator for overall scoring. Though there is a digital component involved, virtual swim meets are not classified as e-sports as they still require teams to compete in a physical pool.
The virtual swim meet format might feel pandemic-centric, but it’s actually nothing new. A great number of clubs and organizations have long used this format with great success to host swim meets with teams from all over the country.
Why are virtual swim meets effective?
With stringent social distancing requirements and spectator limits in place, virtual swim meets resolve many of the pressing health and safety issues related to COVID-19 while allowing athletes to continue competing against other teams. Since their introduction, virtual meets have been shown to be a safe and effective way to celebrate the sport, while also reducing extra points of contact like team transport vehicles, pool decks, and locker rooms.
The most important thing is that virtual swim meets allow athletes to get back in the water and post times—which is always a massive positive, especially for those looking to be recruited, no matter what adaptations have to be made.
How to implement virtual swim meets
If your swim program has yet to embrace virtual swim meets, it’s time to look toward this nationally recognized opportunity. A virtual meet can help you benchmark your athletes’ progress, compete with other teams, motivate your swimmers, and—most importantly—bring fun and team spirit back to the sport.
The rules that govern virtual swim meets echo those of real-life swim meets—these are still official events, after all. One team must elect to be the “host” and oversee the administrative duties, like sanctioning, announcing, coordinating, and managing the event and event data. Every event needs to be meticulously timed and recorded in a file that will ultimately be uploaded to the master event file. For more guidance on how to host a virtual swim meet, explore USA Swimming’s official guidelines.
Looking ahead
As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, keeping athletes focused and opening up opportunities for them to return to competitive sport is more important than ever. A virtual swim meet is an innovative way to allow swimmers to safely challenge themselves and become better competitors, even in the midst of uncertainty. After all, resiliency is a big part of competitive character.
Check out more swim training tips to help take your game to the next level!