Swimming World recently posted its annual listing of swim camps. For any swimmer or parent considering which of the available camps to attend, we have a few suggestions.

4 Things to Look for in a Swim Camp

  1. Low swimmer to instructor ratio. If you’re working with one coach and 40 other swimmers, chances are you will receive very limited personal feedback. You’ll get more out of the session if you receive individual attention.
  2. Emphasis on technique over conditioning. Conditioning is important, but a week of intense training will not have a long term impact on your physical fitness or your speed. To the extreme, over training can cause injury and technique usually gets worse with fatigue.
  3. High level of instruction. Check the credentials of the instructors and coaches at camps you are considering. If you’re serious about swimming faster, look for a camp that offers more than white board workouts and someone to call out the sets.
  4. A positive overall experience. Keep your goals in mind! Whether you want to swim faster or just have fun and meet new people, there IS a swim camp out there for you!