My oldest grandson joined the swim team at his HS for some extra credit... his main two sports being Football and Basketball. Good athlete... went on to DII football. And yet, his first race in the pool he almost drowned.
I tried to tell him, "Swim ain't like football"
My granddaughter joined the same swim team a few years later... again for some extra credit. She's a dancer, not involved with sports.
Now my youngest grandson has joined the swim team... but this time it appears, (never know at his young age), that it's the real deal... NOT extra credit, he prefers Swim to baseball.
Not like other sports... Swim Meets are social events with lots of eating, drinking, and gossip. Also... and I found this fascinating... swimmer's bodies became walking sandwich boards.... with writing all over them - arms, legs, backs, etc. Yes, they write their events - times - lane... but also slogans, memes, rah rah stuff.... cute little puppies and dolphins and whales and sharks and hearts and cupids and the name of the love of their life and a lot of other stuff. There is no need to bring a book to a Swim Meet.
Mom's get a LOT of exercise... mostly searching for their child's lost goggles but also helping their kid, and other kids, getting to the starting blocks, (I don't know what those things are called at swimming pools).
Nothing ever starts on time at swim meets. And meets are looooooooooong. Last night's meet ran from 6pm to just after 9:30pm.
I liked it, it was fun. - JamesJM