SWIMMING

Swimming is such a wonderful sport. Its tips and turns are tricky and many people can be made rich and famous by it. It can also be a relaxing kind of activity, lying on the warm water, feeling the soft little waves rock you side to side. Yes, it is comfortable, and it can also bring good health, as it exercises the whole body, from the tips of your fingers to the points of your toes.

There are four different kinds, or strokes, of swimming: Butterfly, Backstroke (back crawl), Breaststroke, and Freestyle (front crawl). Each one looks different, feels different, and goes a different speed.

Butterfly is tiring, as your arms have to heave over the water and bring your body up as your feet are kicking together rhythmically. But once it has been perfected, it looks a lot like a butterfly on the water.

Backstroke is the only stroke on your back, while your arms enter and exit the water in a circular motion, one at a time. The feet kick separately, so if one foot is kicking up, the other is kicking down. It goes quite fast, and is also relaxing.

Breaststroke is based on a frog, as it looks like. Your arms pull back as your head comes up, then shoot forward as you feet are doing some kind of ‘scissor kick’. It is not as fast as the others.

Freestyle is the fastest stroke of all. It is pretty much backstroke on your belly, with you feet kicking furiously, and your arms are swinging your head. There is always a love for freestyle in everyone, because of is speed and easiness.

Races might occur often if you are on a team. I love them, as they let you show how much you improved during the time between. The heat of the race pushes you on, urging you to go faster. When you finish, you might be surprised at the awesome time you made, or, unfortunately, dismayed. But that is that, and there are many other things to be happy about. The food is great, and my favorite is the Cup of Noodles, which are convenient, fast, and tasty. There might be some other games gong on, and I like a lot to play with my friends. They are always such a lively group!

Practice usually happens daily, for lengthy periods of time without practicing may seriously hurt your performance. It might be tiring at first, but with me, it gets better afterwards. I especially like my coach, Coach Michelle, because she is funny and likes to make jokes a lot. Now that I don’t see her anymore (it is summer break) I feel kind of sad. The Coach is often a big part of the practice.

Swimming in the ocean is very different than swimming in the pool. The colossal waves might splash you away, but it is still very fun. Also, since it is saltwater, it lets you float even higher and easier, so that it would be easier to swim. But you always have to be careful for your mouth. The water is very salty, with various bacteria in it, so you always have to be careful. Still, it is a very fun experience to enjoy.

So, however you like it, competitive or fun, or if you are lazy or active, swimming is certainly just for you! It gives you a full body workout, while you can still relax. With all these wonderful things about it, swimming is sure to come up on your to-do list!

David Xie
7/2/2008

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