Virtual Swimming Championships Sean Cary Aquatics Coordinator, Seoul Foreign School
W
ith “no” so often being said in the last 15 months a “yes” can be so powerful and motivating in times when many events were postponed or cancelled altogether. And this is what we at Seoul Foreign British School had the courage to do. Swimming is one of the few sports that does not require an opponent to be in the same venue to compete. Offering a virtual meet with as much flexibility and time for schools to get in any competition was the least we could do as hosts to ensure students in our FOBISIA schools had the experience and excitement of what it meant to be a part of an international competition.
While virtual meets were not uncommon in swimming prior to COVID-19 it was not our first choice as hosts; indeed, we still hope to host an in-person meet in the future to make-up for the one we had to cancel in 2020. So why do a virtual meet, when competitors can be in the same venue watching, waiting and racing against each other in the future? Virtual meets are training platforms for an eventual in-person meet in the future. Knowing you are preparing to compete against an opponent who is not your teammate can drive a competitor to be stronger, and faster than before, improving on their own personal performance.
As a coach of this event we were bound by the restrictions that were in place by our host country and school. We had our swimmers in the water as often as we could. We took every opportunity to swim and prepare for this competition as it was the only competition that we were able to compete in. If we were told that virtual competition was going to be the only competition, we would take it. Watching our swimmers compete and find success in the pool gave their training efforts relevance. It gave them time together. Time to connect. Time to build a team for the future. A drop of normality in a pool of uncertainty.
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