Competitive Swimming in Montana

Competitive Swimming

in Montana

WRITTEN BY JONI HARDY WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CHRISTEL CHVILICEK AND CATY FLIKKEMA

Swimming in Montana is often overlooked, but that doesn’t mean the sport isn’t thriving.

There are 15 clubs operating around the state, with anywhere from 25 to 150 kids per team. Montana’s population and geographical size means that most swim families traverse the state in all weather conditions throughout the year for competitions.

Swimming is a year-round sport with two seasons during the year: short and long course. Short course uses a 25-yard pool, and is the same that high school and collegiate teams use. Long course swimmers find themselves in a 50-meter pool, which is what Olympians use. Short course runs September through mid-March, while long course runs April through the beginning of August. Swimmers that participate in both seasons get a few weeks break between them.

The journey to becoming a competitive swimmer is a long and arduous one. To advance in swimming means a commitment to attending and qualifying for different levels of meets, the first being an invitational, which is open to all swimmers of every ability. This meet introduces novice swimmers to competition and gives seasoned swimmers a chance to hone their skills. To attend any of the qualifying meets, swimmers must meet certain time standards for each race. The state meet is the first level to qualify. The next standard for which a swimmer can qualify is a regional/zone meet, with kids competing from all over the western U.S. Each new level introduces higher competition as the pool of swimmers who qualify gets smaller. The highest level meet is the Olympic Trials.

Currently, four swimmers are competing at Olympic Trials 2021 who have qualified under Montana coaches: two from Billings Aquatic Club, one from Missoula Aquatic Club, and one from the Bozeman Brookies.

Competitive swimming requires determination, a good attitude and the ability to handle defeat. Success can be determined by how well one places in a meet, but, ultimately, it’s about setting a goal to beat the previous best time raced. Not only is swimming a full body workout (often, athletes swim two-to-three miles, six-to-eight times per week), but it has hidden benefits as well, such as improving social well-being, learning how to set goals, building confidence, and it can help individuals who have asthma.

If you are interested in learning more or need assistance finding a swim team in your area, visit Montana Swimming on Facebook or Instagram.