Robles, Nikki S.

STEM 12 - BSN1

ASSIGNMENT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION

DEFINITION OF SWIMMING

Swimming is an individual or team sport that requires the use of one's

entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or
open water. Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic
sports, with varied distance events in butterfly, backstroke,
breaststroke, freestyle, and individual medley.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SWIMMING

Swimming is an ancient activity that has taken place since both water
and humans were on the earth. Prehistoric drawings from the
southwestern part of Egypt show original documentation of people
swimming. The images seem to show the dog paddle or breaststroke,
but these may have been more ritualistic than anything. Of course,
anciently, swimming was done because it was necessary for survival.
Whether people needed to cross a river to safety on the other side or
simply know how to tread water to prevent drowning, swimming has
certainly come a long way since its ancient days. Here is the history of
swimming in a competitive sense as it is known today.
Recognizing swimming

England is recognized as the first country to participate in swimming as

a recreation and competitive sport. In 1837, competitions were held in
man-made pools in London. The National Swimming Society in England
organized the competitions which grew quickly in popularity. The very
first indoor pool in the history of swimming was constructed in 1862 in
England. Soon, more pools were built and another swimming
organization was established in 1880. It was known as the Amateur
Swimming Association of Great Britain, an organization with more than
300 member clubs. The main swimming styles utilized in competitions
were the breaststroke and the recently-developed sidestroke.

Entering the Olympics

Swimming joined the Olympics in 1896 as a men’s sport. They

competed in the categories of 100-meter and 1500-meter Freestyle.
These were held in open water. More Olympic events were soon added
during the history of swimming, including breaststroke, backstroke,
butterfly, and individual medley. The first few Olympic Games that
featured swimming did not include women. It was not until 1912 that
women’s swimming made its debut. There are now 16 races held for
men and women, totaling 32 altogether, in each Summer Olympic
Games. The Special Olympics also has 22 swimming categories for men
and women, totaling 44 altogether.

Modifying for speed

Modifications in swimming techniques occurred through this point in
the history of swimming as different counties changed the way they
accomplished the backstroke and breaststroke. This occurred between
1935 and 1945 and into the 1950s, creating controversy at the
Olympics. Around this same time, war shortages demanded a reduction
in fabric for making swimming suits. Thus, the first two-piece swimming
suits were invented in 1943. Techniques for winning Olympic gold
medals changed at this time as swimmers spent more time unnoder
water to gain an advantage of speed. It is a technique that is still used
today.

EQUIPMENTS FOR SWIMMING

Earplugs and Nose Clips

Some swimmers use earplugs to block water from entering the ear
canal while they are swimming. Excess water entering the ear can cause
discomfort for several hours after swimming and can also increase your
chances of developing an outer ear infection, known as swimmer's ear.
Some swimmers also use nose clips to prevent water from entering
their nose while they are swimming.
Goggles

Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually

enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent
particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes.

Swim Caps

The swim cap is a piece of equipment that provides multiple benefits.

For professional swimmers, swim caps reduce drag to increase speed in
the water. Swim caps also keep hair out of the face, help reduce the
effects of chlorine on the hair and help swimmers retain body heat
when they are swimming in colder water.
Rash Guard

A rash guard, also known as rash vest or rashie, is an athletic shirt made
of spandex and nylon or polyester. The name rash guard reflects the fact
that the shirt protects the wearer against rashes caused by abrasion, or
by sunburn from extended exposure to the sun.

TOPIC

TOOLS FOR TRAINING AND TECHNIQUE

Numerous pieces of swimming equipment are designed to help in

strength training and technique while swimming. For example, pull
buoys are foam flotation devices that can be placed between the legs
and used to strengthen and place focus on arm technique. The pull
buoy forces swimmers to rely less on their legs to push through the
water and more on the arms. Swim paddles develop arm strength by
increasing resistance in the water, and they also help develop proper
stroke mechanics.

REFLECTION
In swimming, technique is of utmost importance to performance.
Efficiency in the process of movement, whether stroking through the
water, lifting weights or swinging a club relates to the improvement in
performance and a decrease in chance of injury. So for the swimming
athletes they tend to had a training and techniques for enhancing body
coordination and fast movements.

I've learned that it's not only all about speed and fast swimming there
should be also a enhanced coordination of body. Whether you go fast
using your feet or you go fast using your arms. It's where your strength
and weaknesses should be enhanced for a better performance and
using some floatation devices will really helps a lot.