Should you only Swim?
This is a loaded question. As discussed in this article, devoting all of your athletic time to one specific activity has its benefits, but doing so at too young of an age also can have many drawbacks.

The Porpoises are in complete agreement with the views of USA swimming. We believe that children of a young age (roughly 12 and under) should try their hand at a number of different activities during the year in order to fully develop spatial awareness, motor neurons, and total fitness. Once a child reaches puberty and finds that they have a true passion for a sport and a chance to excel with greater time devotion, it may be time to consider narrowing the number of activities and sports they are engaged in.

But don't go just by what we say. Read the article!

Practice Makes Perfect
Practice makes perfect. That is the standard motto that we all live by no matter the skill or activity we are attempting to perfect. But in most cases, perfect practice makes perfect, and this is what we should strive for every opportunity that you have to get in the pool, on the slope, on the field or hard court, or, open a book.

The greatest and most effective coach you have is your own focus, hard work, motivation, and determination to perfect your craft. Your coaches are here to foster and guide you in all your endeavors. But it takes two, babe.

Matt is available to chat with swimmers or parents on Tuesday nights at Riverton at 6:45. Please make an appointment with Matt at matt@portlandporpoises.com.

Swimming Rocks!
Swimming is considered to be the best exercise one can do. It is one of the few complete body exercises, and best of all it puts minimal impact on joints. Swimming is a wonderful way to improve your muscular and aerobic endurance. Because of its holistic quality, you can become more physically fit than your friends who don't swim.

Here are some benefits of swimming:

1. Improving your aerobic capacity: swimming demands the utilization of arms, legs, core, and lungs in unison. Because of this, swimmers have an increased aerobic capacity.
2. Strengthening your heart: because of the total body workout, swimming helps to build a heart muscle that pumps blood at a much faster rate, providing more oxygenated blood to the body's vascular system.
3. Strength against disease: in general, exercise helps in the fight against diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. However, because swimming engages the entire body and demands the heart to pump more oxygenated blood, swimming builds stronger, more efficient capillaries for the blood to flow.
4. Building muscle: water creates 12 times the resistance of air. This resistance helps to create major muscle groups such as hips, shoulders, arms and back that are stronger than muscles that are only exercised on land.
5. Safe exercise: swimming is one of the safest, low-impact forms of physical exercises. Many athletes use swimming or water exercises for rehabilitation purposes when they suffer injury.
6. It's fun: swimming is rhythmic, meditative, and fun! Swimmers often feel refreshed and satisfied when they have completed a practice. There's no sport that's more fun and rewarding than swimming with a team full of friends!