Tagged with ' Competitive'

Introducing the new Arena Powerskin Primo, the world's first tensoelastic racing suit!

With championship season on the go, swimmers are priming up for their big meets of the year. After months of investing all of those early mornings and seemingly impossible main sets, the opportunity to reap the benefits of all of your hard work is upon you. So how do you prepare for a swim meet? Here are some tips.

Every swimmer knows that feeling of their aching body after a difficult practice. Making sure that your body recovers before your next session is important to help prevent injury and lactic acid from building up in the muscles. Here are the best ways to recover after practice.

Faster is always possible!

The world’s fastest suit got even better with space-grade technology. Engineered from Lamoral Space Tech, the new Speedo Fastskin LZR Intent and Valor 2.0 provide long-lasting water repellency for the ultimate glide. 

Developed for racing, Speedo's innovative Fastskin system provides swimmers with the best choice of racing gear that looks fast, feels fast and allows for maximum speed and performance in the water.

Arena, for its 50th birthday, asked 10 of its most representative athletes to tell which creature best represented them and why. What is the primordial instinct that guides them in their choices, from training to the starting block?

For each athlete, the perfect swimsuit has been chosen. The Carbon Glide, Cardon Core FX, and Powerskin Carbon Air² are the three selected racing models of the collection.

The next generation has never been greater! Arena have released the first ever FINA-approved race suit made with recycled fabric. 

Arena ST NEXT is made from ECONYL®, a high-quality 100% regenerated nylon yarn manufactured using pre- and post-consumer waste, such as fishing nets and other nylon waste.

By supporting Healthy Seas, arena contributes to the recovery of discarded fishing nets from the sea which, together with other nylon waste such as carpet flooring and industrial plastic, are transformed (the ones suitable for recycling) by Aquafil into ECONYL® yarn.

60% of the yarns in the fabric composition were sourced from pre and post-consumer waster that would otherwise end up in a landfill! Along with the improved fabric construction that makes the ST NEXT 20% lighter, the reinforced shoulder straps and enhanced fabric elasticity ensure that the ST next is both comfortable and compressive.

High Performance For All

Enhanced core support, body lift, and stability help swimmers maintain optimum form in the water. From beginners to world class champions, the POWERSKIN ST NEXT performs powerfully for athletes of every level at an incredible value.

Superior Support and Compression

Additional lining brings technical improvements to the ST range. Incorporated in to the top front of both the open back and jammer and extending down the back of the leg, the new lining provides greater muscle compression in targeted areas.

Reinforced Shoulder Strap

The ST NEXT’s shoulder structure features a new design with extra reinforcement in the center strap. Bolstered by the shell fabric and durable lining, the shoulder strap provides greater support in the shoulders and upper back, enhances the overall fit and feel of the suit, and adds an extra level of durability.

Easy On and Off

The upgraded fabric of ST NEXT has improved elasticity, which makes it easier and quicker to get on and off than other racing suits, while still providing good, targeted compression.

The New Arena ST NEXT are now available at ProSwimwear! You can browse our collection here.

Amplify your confidence in the HydroX™ - the newest and most advanced competitive swimsuits from FINIS. 

Their team of experts has meticulously refined every aspect of this racing suit, beginning with the fabric and how it interacts with your muscles. Their exclusive MemoryFlex™ fabric is carefully designed to optimise your muscles' natural expansion and contraction, delivering consistent compression for peak performance. This innovative material is also smart, allowing it to return to its original shape throughout the entire stroke cycle, ultimately improving flexibility and compression.

With FINIS HydroX™, you're guaranteed to experience the best possible results.

Championship season is exciting for all competitive swimmers, but it comes with a ton of preparation.This comes with buying a new tech suit. Worried about finding the right tech suit? Here are some facts to know when buying a tech suit.

What’s the importance of a tech suit? Why are they any better than a regular swimsuit? A tech suit is designed to reduce your drag in the water and help you efficiently move through the water. Tech suits are made from water-repellent fabric and don’t soak up all the water like a normal swimsuit does! They offer compression which is shown to be effective in improving circulation and can have an overall positive effect on recovery. 

One thing you will notice with most tech suits and swim jammers is that they are very smooth. Almost seamless? Don’t worry, this is on purpose! By removing the seams through multiple stitching and designing the seams to direct the flow of the water, the suits become closer to being a second skin that allows you to move faster and more freely through the water. Fastskin suits are designed to give you a slight bump in performance.

When buying a Fastskin, size doesn’t matter. Are you a 24”? Tech race suits are going to be different sizes. They are designed to be tighter fit so you get all the benefits of the suit! Also, it is often that a swimmer’s body changes size as they grow, change and develop. You want a suit that fits you and that you feel ready to race in. Sizing is just a number! Measure to find your current sizes to compare to size charts to find the size that you need.

Try on a few styles before making a decision! Many female swimmers prefer the classic open back suit, but there are both closed back and powerback suits to be considered. Are closed back suits harder to bend, twist and move in? Not at all! Try on different styles to find the one that is best for you and that you feel the most comfortable in. It’s important to get a good feel of your options to find the best fit.

Remember, you’re the one wearing the tech suit. You are the one that has to race in it! So, make sure you feel confident in the tech suit you choose. 

Tech suits are not cheap. They are an investment, especially in a swimmer’s training and success. You don’t wear tech suits to regular swim meets. Tech suits are made so you can invest in your goals and designed for the athletes at their most elite competitions. They are racing suits for when you are prepared to race! 

Shopping for a new race suit is an exciting task, not something that should be daunting and scary. It means that your big competition is coming up and you are achieving your goals!

At ProSwimwear, we have a large range of performance suits to browse through. Check them out here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/fina-approved-swimwear.html 

Still have questions? Contact us at ProSwimwear about any of the tech suits on our website and our customer service team will be ready and excited to help you get the perfect race suit for you.

Competitive swimmers know there are set rules to follow whilst swimming to ensure good lane etiquette and keeping peace between swimmers. For those new to competitive swimming, don’t worry we have you covered! Here are the rules to abide by when swimming in the lanes!

Getting into a lane

Choose the right lane for you. You may frequent the fast lane, but that doesn’t mean it’s always going to be the right lane for you. The best lane is the lane that will not impact your performance or your fellow swimmer’s performance. Take a second to evaluate the lane speeds before getting into the water. Be sure to observe the lane direction to see which direction you should be swimming. Clockwise? Anti-clockwise? Make sure you know the flow of the lane.

There should be lane signs to refer to in case you are unsure. If you are still unsure, check with a lifeguard! Don’t be the one to swim in the wrong direction as this can be dangerous. Just take a second to know you’re going the right way around.

Now you understand the lane you plan to get into, make sure it is clear when you get in. Don’t slide straight in! Make sure there are no oncoming swimmers before you enter the pool. If there is no safe space to jump in, sit to the side to indicate to other swimmers that you are there and ready to join the lane. Only join when safe to do so.

Don’t push off straight away behind a fellow swimmer. If you are close to the swimmer ahead of you, the more the person is dragging you along. Your swim becomes easier and theirs becomes harder. Wait a minimum of five seconds before pushing off - wait even longer if possible!

Be mindful of others

Certain swimming techniques require you to be more streamlined, keeping your arms and legs closer to your body, such as front crawl and backstroke. When it comes to techniques such as butterfly or breaststroke, you will be taking up more space with wider strokes. Be mindful of your fellow swimmers when practising. If possible, move to an empty lane when practising these techniques. Or you could pull one arm stroke where possible and try to reduce the size of your kick when passing another swimmer.

If someone touches your foot when swimming, don’t panic! Swimmers often tap each other’s feet to let them know they want to pass you. If your foot is tapped, all you have to do is move either to the wall or to the lane rope and let them pass by! Swim until you reach the end of the lane and stop at the wall to let them turn ahead of you. 

Taking a break

Need a break? When you need to stop, tuck yourself into the corner of the lane or sit on the poolside. Remove yourself from the end of the lane to allow other swimmers to carry on with their set without any disruptions.

When you’re taking a break, you shouldn’t ever hang off the lane ropes! Not only could you cut yourself, but the lane becomes loose and starts to wobble, effecting both your lane and the neighbouring lane.

And remember, when getting back into the lane, treat it as if you’re getting in for the first time! Check for other swimmers before getting in and keep your distance from the swimmer ahead of you.

Other etiquette rules

Don’t take equipment from others! When there are floats placed at the end of a lane, it’s because a swimmer has chosen to put them there and will be using them for their training plan. Be sure to have all your own equipment before swimming!

Be prepared. At ProSwimwear, we have a great range of equipment available for this: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/swimming-training-aids.html 

Now you know the rules of the lane! Remember to check your surroundings and be aware of other swimmers. 

Triathlon season is fast approaching! Still trying to improve your swimming technique for your next triathlon? We’ve got you covered! Here is how you can improve your technique for triathlons.

Bilateral breathing will open up the ability to take in what is happening around you, but can also reduce damage to your shoulders and neck from the repetitive motion of only breathing on one side. By doing this, you will be able to see more of your surroundings and see any hazards, such as oncoming waves or other swimmers. Try learning to breathe on both sides of your stroke. It will also help make your stroke more symmetrical.

Swimming in open water can throw a lot of variables into the mix. Many routes for triathlons include a turn around a buoy and swimming blindly with your head down will put you at a disadvantage. Identify landmarks before you swim that you will easily recognise and be able to see when taking a quick check of your surroundings.

To sight properly, lift your head slightly up so that only your eyes appear above the surface. Quickly scan to place where you are before lowering your head back underwater. You can do this as often as needed to understand your location and with your positioning in the race.

A major part of success in triathlon is being able to distribute the workload amongst you and your fellow competitors, it is key to not waste unnecessary effort on your first discipline, that you’ll be wanting to save for the rest of your swim. Identify the strongest swimmers around your pace level, and position yourself slightly to the side of them, making sure that you breathe away from the side of the swimmer’s leg. Make sure to push when you have the energy to do so! 

Keeping a high position in the water will keep your legs from weighing you down and sinking into the water, reducing the drag from your own body. Your wetsuit should assist with buoyancy but having the best head position will help guide the rest of your body through the water. Keep your fingers and toes closed to keep your streamline position throughout your body and you will see an increase in your efficiency!

For many triathletes, swimming can be their weakest of the three sports. However, making improvements to your swimming technique will help you move up through the ranks! Try out the points above and win your next triathlon.

The weather is getting warmer and those competitions are getting closer. The idea of your child swimming can sound more appealing during the nice weather as a way to keep them healthy. But, is your child looking to become a competitive swimmer? Here are a few things you should know before your child competes.

Don’t skip the basics! Your child should feel comfortable in the water and have a good level of confidence. Practise those four techniques used in competitive swimming: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Swim programs are perfect to help a child prepare for swimming at a next level, helping your child to perfect their technique.

The team you decide to go with should fit what you and your child want out of swimming. Having a good team with similar goals in mind will help build confidence in your child and allow them to have friends who are also going through the same struggles to support each other and push each other on to achieve their goals. 

Having the right gear is important for any competitive race. Check with the coach or instructor to see what is required for your team members. Some essentials you will need are goggles and caps! Also make sure to have spares of everything, including their swimsuit in case any issues arise, such as a strap breaking. 

Unlike other sports, swimming is a low-impact sport that helps prevent strain. Swimming is a sport that can be a lifelong activity for your child, even one that can be a launching point if they are interested in pursuing competitions and triathlons at younger ages. Although swimming is a team activity, your child will often be competing in individual events. Keep in mind that your child will put in a lot of practice before the competition!

Most importantly, your child’s safety should come first. Your child should be monitored in the water, even after a child learns to swim and improves their skill. It’s crucial to prevent drowning and other accidents happening by going to practices where you and the instructor can keep an eye on your child.

Is your child heading to their first swim meet and you’re not sure what to expect? Check out more information here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/what-to-really-expect-at-your-childs-first-swim-meet-/ 

One rule all swimmers and coaches agree with on race day is keeping your routine and sticking to strategies that you know work and lead to your best performance. Have a series of checklists that will help set you up to achieve your peak performance. In this blog, we will go through the different ways to prepare for that big race.

Competitions push a swimmer to their limit, adding additional challenges. Swimmers often have to warm up multiple times during the day, once at the beginning of a session and again before each swim. Most warm-ups in the water consist of a moderate level of swimming, maybe try 400 to 800 metres! This can include stroke drills and even high intensity workouts that last around 50 seconds. 

Here are a few things you can do to help prepare that little more:

• Finish your main warm-up at least 30 minutes before you have to race.
• Finish your pre-event warm-up as close to the start of the event as possible. Leave it to the last five minutes of when your race is to begin
• If possible, try getting back into the water 10 to 15 minutes before the race.
• Only work your body enough to warm it up! Don’t work so hard that you fatigue your body before stepping up on the blocks!

As important warming up in the water is for a race, you should also incorporate dryland training into your warm-up, especially if the pool space at a competition is limited and no warm-up pool is available. Dryland training can improve a swimmer’s power, athleticism and speed for when they get back into the water. 

Swimmers need a strong core to transfer force efficiently from one part of the body to another, to push off from the wall and essentially win the race. Good core strength enables the swimmer to accelerate faster and to carry more speed in a dive. Core training can help to improve your breathing flow in the water, improve posture and upper body strength. You can do many dryland workouts that help to improve core strength, such as using resistance bands or doing sit-ups. Dryland training has many benefits for a swimmer. Want to learn more on why dryland training is important to a swimmer? Read more here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/why-you-should-begin-dryland-training-/ 

Although your physical ability and health is important for a race, being mentally prepared and ready for a race is also very important. Having a well-known routine that helps prepare your brain for the race is always a great way to have your mind focused and will help to increase your performance.

Having strong self-confidence is also important to being prepared for a race. When a swimmer is able to see future successes as part of their mental preparation, their confidence isn’t too far behind. Confidence is something you can train and sharpen and isn’t something you have to fake. Recognising what you have done well helps to boost your self-esteem and to appreciate how far you have come. Want to learn more on how swimming increases self-esteem and confidence? Read more here :https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/how-swimming-increases-self-esteem/ 

Overall, preparing for your race on the day should be with workouts and routines you are familiar with. Have confidence in yourself and don’t tire your body during warm-ups! We wish you the best of luck with your next competition!

If you already love swimming, you don’t need to be reminded about the benefits of the sport. If you’re a keen swimmer and are looking to take your practice to the next level you may want to consider competitive swimming. 

Whether you choose to train and compete in a club environment or continue solo is up to you. A club environment provides you with a community to interact with, get tips from and to build friendships within, while also giving you the structure to your training routines. A club can make a swim meet incredibly fun and exciting, spending a lot of time with your team and helping to support each other. 

Another great benefit of competitive swimming is the versatility in training, where you can choose between breaststroke, butterfly, and other techniques. Will you focus on a sprint or endurance event? 

You can also add training aids to help your sessions, such as kickboards or fins, that can test and push your technique, and challenge your ability to focus. Make sure to check out our range of training aids:

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/swimming-training-aids.html

With a more dedicated schedule and more swim meets to attend, this means you will need competitive swimwear that is going to support you through your competitions. Investing in competitive swimwear will help to boost your performance, keeping you as streamlined as possible. The FINIS range of swimwear is designed to help swimmers by better improving their performance. Check out our FINA swimwear that we offer at ProSwimwear:

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/fina-approved-swimwear.html?approval=284

Swimming can also help to boost your mood and focus, helping to improve mental health. Being a part of a club offers you support from like-minded swimmers. Swimming helps to decrease stress and anxiety, but in competitive swimming, you can increase your mental health from the benefits of this sport. Learn more about how swimming improves your mental health here:

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/blog/how-swimming-can-improve-your-mental-health-/

It is important to train your mind, once you know that swimming has many health benefits and is a great exercise to keep you physically fit with a toned/lean body shape, competitive swimming does this and trains your mind too! Both your body and mind will be working at full capacity, it may help you focus on other areas of your life as well. 

We wish you the best of luck at your first swimming competition! Your first medal is just around the corner!

The butterfly stroke is iconic in the swimming world. It is challenging to learn, and difficult to master, but the physical and mental rewards of improving in this stroke are very much worth it. You’ll feel your body become stronger and more in sync with each day you practice the butterfly stroke. 

Whether you’re a beginner recreational swimmer just learning how to swim butterfly or a competitive swimmer this race season looking for extra tips and pointers, this article will provide a few ideas to help you further achieve the excellent butterfly form. 

Tips for improved butterfly form

Of all the swimming strokes, butterfly is one of the most challenging. It burns more calories during one hour of swimming than any other stroke. A butterfly swimmer who weighs 155 pounds (70kg) will burn 774 calories in an hour. That is 70 more than the same person would burn when swimming freestyle or breaststroke. 

Not only does the stroke expend a lot of energy, but the form itself can be hard to master. Taking the time to train with the proper butterfly technique will help you improve the efficiency in your stroke, allowing you to maximise the energy you use while swimming. The following tips will help to improve critical areas of your stroke technique. 

Body position

How you position your body in the water plays significant roles in efficiency and speed. With butterflies, you want to make sure your body is aligned. When you do this properly, each part of your body will be participating in the movement.

Butterfly will mean that you will be undulating when you move through the water. Undulation allows you to move through the water efficiently. This type of body motion is to propel yourself forwards in the water, similarly to the motion used during an underwater dolphin kick. It allows your upper body and legs to alternate to help in propelling yourself across the pool with more efficiency and faster speed.

Butterfly arms

As you take butterfly strokes, focus on the correct arm movement and how your hands enter the water. Extend your arms with your elbows slightly bent, and keep your hands somewhat further apart than the width of your shoulders when they enter the water. 

Once your hands enter the water, pull, as if performing a freestyle stroke but using both hands simultaneously. Focus on pulling equally with both arms, using your forearms and hands to catch as much water as possible. Pull straight down at first and allow your hands to come slightly closer together as you continue to pull towards your hips. 

In the arm recovery phase of the stroke, your hands should leave the water by your hips and stay close to the surface. Do not lift your arms too high out of the pool, this wastes energy. 

Butterfly kick

Kicking provides a large amount of propulsion. Both legs perform a large, powerful kicking motion at the same time. Your legs must remain together, and keep your feet pointed directly out behind you.

For every stroke cycle, you will kick twice. The first kick you take provides enough forward motion so you can lift your arms out of the water during the recovery phase of your stroke cycle. The second kick happens before you begin your pull and adds additional drive to keep the forward momentum going.

Breathing

When focusing on breathing technique, you want to avoid lifting your head too high out of the water. Lifting your head too far out of the water can tilt your body and cause drag, slowing you down. Your head should come out of the water just enough for you to take a breath before returning to a neutral position.

Butterfly is a tiring technique, so you might need to breathe with every stroke if you are new to it. As your form improves, you might find you can take breaths less frequently than every stroke cycle. Breathing every other or every third stroke allows you to keep your head down longer and cut out drag, allowing your momentum to be significantly stronger as you move through the water. 

Twelve butterfly drills to practice your skills

Now that you have the basic understanding of how to swim this challenging stroke with proper form, you can practice some of the swimming drills below to improve your skills. Remember to stay positive throughout your training, and as you continue to train you’ll see improvement. 

• By the side of the pool
  

Mimicking and practising the butterfly movement at the side of the pool, outside of the water, can help you to improve your technique. Lay on your stomach and bend your knees slightly to imitate the leg kick as your hands come forwards to enter the imaginary water. Kick again when your hands reach your sides. This drill can help visualise the mechanics of the stroke before you enter the water, assisting when applying it in the water. 

• With Short fins

Training fins make an excellent option for butterfly drills. Swim this stroke with short swim fins, taking one arm stroke for every 4 kicks. Focus on the form of your leg. The added resistance provided by the fins will allow more sensory response to the movement of your legs through the stroke, providing more focus on the movement.

• Butterfly kick drill

For this drill, you will need a kickboard. Grab the kickboard firming and practice your kicking technique. Allow the kickboard to dive under the water in front of you and then come back to the surface as you complete your kicking cycle. This will help you master the movement of the stroke. 

• With pull buoy

Place a pull buoy between your legs and swim butterfly using only your arms. This drill will help improve your arm strength and help you focus on the upper body mechanics of the butterfly technique. Try to pull equally with both your left and right arm during each stroke.

• One-armed butterfly

Swimming the butterfly with just one arm can help improve technique. Keep the arm that you are not using extended out in front of you or along your side. It is extremely important to remember to breathe forwards and not sideways when doing this drill.

• Breaststroke legs with lateral breathing

Swim the butterfly whilst using a breaststroke kick for every arm stroke. Breath once to the right and once to the left. Attempt to keep your head underwater as much as possible. This should help you get more comfortable with your breathing technique.

• Adding flutter kick

Swim the butterfly using a freestyle leg kick, try to keep your shoulders above the water when performing this drill. Focus on your arm mechanics and practice a powerful pull-through and efficient recovery phase.

• Variable entry

Your first stroke of your arms in the water should have a wide entry. In your second stroke, your hand should enter the water at half the width of the previous stroke. For the third, your hands should enter next to one another in front of your head. Repeat this variable entry cycle throughout to get used to the movement.

• Recovery underwater
  

Swim the butterfly without the recovery part of the arm stroke. Make sure your arms are below the chest and try to go as deep as possible with your shoulders by thrusting your back powerfully downward. 

•  Clenched fists

Swim the butterfly with clenched fists to keep your arms and legs as coordinated as possible. 

• One leg kick

Swim this stroke by just making one leg kick for every complete arm cycle, inserting it at the end of the pull phase right before beginning the recovery phase around the water. 

•  Full stroke
  

Once you feel more comfortable swimming the complete stroke with proper form, try timing yourself swimming 50 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres and a time. Keeping a log of your times is a great way to track improvement throughout practising the drills!

Essentially, the key to improving any swimming technique is to keep up with consistent practice, and to take your time to think about proper mechanics before you enter the water while you are swimming. Remember, practice makes perfect, and our swimming aids at Proswimwear also contribute towards that.

Check out our range of training aids here: https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swimming-accessories/swimming-training-aids.html

Ah, it’s that time. The first swim meet. It’s easy to look back at the good old days, where expectations were low and we were just happy that the kids made it from one side of the pool to the other. Many new swim team parents enter the world of competitive swimming, with no point of reference of what to expect. What they’re expecting is often far different than their first swim team experience…  

What swim team parents expect at first swim meet

You wake up early, eat breakfast with the family and then head to the pool. There are lots of nerves in the car, but everyone is happy, excited for the new experience. 

While your child warms up to prepare to swim, you find a comfy spot in the spectator area. Thankfully, there’s lots of leg space, so you can spread out and get comfortable. While waiting for the warm up to end, you text your friends, sort out some work. How long would it take for your child to be ready? 

About 30 minutes later, your child walks up behind the blocks and searches for you in the crowd, you can’t help but beam with pride. 

The starter blows the whistle, and they shoot off like a rocket and swim a fast length of the pool, touching the wall first. Your child jumps out of the water gleefully, ready for their next race which they also win. 

When both races are finished, your child quickly collects all their belongings and you leave quickly - you weren’t there for longer than an hour, and you get to go back home and catch-up on work, and texting your friends! It was a successful day!

What swim meets are really like 

When you arrive at a swim meet, your child may be after a few more children and not be the first to swim, which can lead to a long time waiting. After scanning the heat sheet, you may realise there are five pages before your child will even reach the water. Be prepared for a long wait. Heat 2 is in the water and your child is in heat 4. They should be getting their goggles on soon, but they’re just standing there.

Finally, your child is lined up behind the blocks. Your child’s gaze is fixed on something off in the distance. Heat 2 has just finished racing and they are watching other kids swing around their goggles and laugh along with them. 

The starter calls your child up to heat 4 and all the other swimmers to take their blocks. Your child is still laughing at his newfound friends and you shout to them, but they can’t hear. The beep goes off and your child looks at the scoreboard, then down at his arm, before they realise something is wrong. The coach then finds them to tell them they have missed their event.

Your child feels deflated. Another hour passes before their next race. This time, the coach has reminded them to pay attention to the blocks. This time, they are ready to race. 

Make sure your child is prepared to race by the time they walk up to their block for their race to avoid missing their event. When they step up onto their block, make sure they are prepared and wearing their goggles before they dive into the water to avoid any delays.

Don’t forget extra swimwear and accessories- avoid those malfunctions

It’s Friday and you learn that your meeting is on Saturday morning. This is when you realise your children’s goggles broke in practice and you have no replacements. Now you rush around frantically, hoping to get to the pool even earlier in search of goggles. You head off to the meeting, arriving for warm ups and they have spare goggles you can borrow for now.

Your child jumps into the water and comes up almost immediately because the brand new goggles have fallen off or are filled with water. They adjust them back on and swim again, only to come up a few seconds later because their goggles have fallen off again. 

Avoid the malfunctions. When you first go to a meet, you don’t realise that you need spare goggles, caps and swim suits just in case a terrible breakage happens minutes from the next race or your goggle strap snaps just before they're about to dive into the water.

Once you get home, and unpack your child’s bag, you smile to yourself and realise that the whole event is a memory for you both, and it wasn’t as bad as what you previously thought. You then unpack his bag. But one item is missing: their brand new goggles! 

Remember food and drink!

While waiting for your child’s race, it starts to get hot beside the pool. Your child starts to feel tired and less energised as the hours go by waiting for their race. You start to wonder if the fizzy drink and chocolate bar they begged for in the morning was a good idea, as they start to look fatigued and tired at the poolside. Remember to keep up your child’s hydration and energy levels through the proper drink and food that you provide them with before. 

Avoid quick high and low drinks like chocolate bars and sugary drinks. Flavoured water with an electrolyte tablet in is great to keep hydration up and mineral salt balance maintained. Though, you may have a sugary drink as a treat every now and again! 

A great meal the night before the race is slow release carbohydrates, such as rice and pasta, and also on the event day, to make sure your child’s energy is constantly being topped up. Fruit like bananas are also great for this, and if your child prefers a sweet treat, malt loaf is a nice alternative to sweets, and is released slowly in the body, which will help them race to their best ability. It is important to feed your child the correct food, because they will use energy and hydration during the warm up sessions, and whilst playing around the pool side before they even get to their race! 

Overall, swim meets are long, tiring, and often a nervous environment for you and your child. But when our kids are having fun, and making memories, it's worth every second of doubt.

You’d do it again, in a heartbeat!

At Proswimwear, we have all of the equipment, swimwear and training aids that you’d need. Make sure to browse our website to get the very best deals on your child’s prized swimming costumes. Make sure you don’t forget to get a spare pair of goggles! 

Find out all you need to know about the FINIS Tech Suits and their sizing with this FINIS reference guide!

Featuring the Fuse, Vapor Pro, Rival and Rival 2.0 suits, which will you choose?

Introducing Level X: The new virtual swimming competition! 

Swim England is introducing a new way to for swim clubs to virtually compete! 

In this blog we will tell you... 

• What exactlty Level X is
• Who the first clubs competing are going to be
• How it's taking place
• How it's scored
• And what comes next for virtual swimming! 

We will be updating you on the latest Level X news throughout this exciting new journey!

Read more now! 

In this blog we will be discussing the return of the International Swimming League! 

The International Swimming sensation returns for season 2!

We will discuss: 

• How the ISL is making it's return 
• What will be happening to ensure safety during the current global pandemic
• Who will be making their return to the starting blocks
• And everything else you need to know about it's return! 

This is an exciting event for the Swimming Community! 

We can't wait to see what this season unfolds! 

Read more now! 

In this blog we will be talking about 5 thoughts every parent has at a swim meet! 

These will discuss... 

• The thoughts before the race begins 
• How we feel waiting for the race 
• The parents around us
• The thoughts when our kid is swimming

Every swim parent will be able to relate to these thoughts!

Read more now! 

In this blog Rob from team ProSwimwear talks about his experience in the Arena League! 

This blog will include... 

• A Q and A with Rob
• He talks about what the first round was like
• And what we can expect in the second round of the Arena League!

Read more to get an inside look at the Arena League!

Thanks to Rob from Team ProSwimwear, and good luck to everyone competing in the up and coming events!