Top 5 Games To Play During Swim Practice

Top 5 Games To Play During Swim Practice

Here are the top five games to play during swim practice - sharks and minnows, greasy watermelon, water polo, car races, and pigeon.

May 25, 2017 by Alexis Preski
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As long as competitive swimming has been around, various games have accompanied its existence and have offered respite from the rigors of training. They are a light at the end of the tunnel of a long practice, a brief hiatus during warmup or warm down, or simply just for fun. The games may seem harder than expected, all part of your coach's plan of course.

 

1.  Sharks and Minnows

An all-time classic. You've been playing sharks and minnows since you were just a mere minnow yourself starting out on the team. The objective is simple -- don't get tagged by the shark. While there are several variations of the game, the most standard rules are listed here.


Play the length of the pool; a diving well works best if you have one. If not, you can play the length of a 25- or 50-meter pool. Be wary of your coach's ulterior motives.


Pick a shark -- it can be anybody with the appetite and drive to dominate the game. A strong shark is intimidating.


The shark then proceeds to get people out, by tagging their heads only once they're above the water (this is where the game gets a bit dangerous). Beware -- sharks may team up to get one person out. Form alliances with your friends to survive together.


Every person who is tagged by the shark also becomes a shark. The last person across the pool untagged is the winner.

 

2. Greasy Watermelon

Don't be deceived by the simplicity of this game -- it may be much more strenuous than first anticipated.


Obtain a large watermelon.


Obtain tub of vaseline or Crisco.


The first person (or team if so desired) to get the watermelon out of the pool is the winner.


3. Water Polo

It's the basic "swimming pool game." The earliest recorded game of water polo dates back to the 1800s and Bleacher Report ranks it the fifth-best sport to watch at the Summer Olympics.


Split the team in half, or in fourths, for a tournament.


Set up two goals on opposite sides of the pool. Nets are optional but not required. If you are really creative, prop up some dryland mats and use those as goals.


The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins. Bragging rights are the best prize.


*Note: Nets can be replaced with trash cans for a fun game of pool basketball.

 

4. Car Races

There are lots of factors and modifications that can be added into this game, but the end goal is like most car races: beat your opponent and complete the course as fast as possible.


As many people can participate as there are lanes in the pool.


Each participant will need his or her own Hot Wheels toy car.


Coaches can decide the length of the race (25, 50, 75, 100 meters, etc.) and if it's an individual or relay event.


The swimmers dive down to the bottom of the pool with their toy cars and have to drive them along the bottom of the pool, using the black line as a track. Breathing costs time, so the less breathing during the race the faster.


Fastest driver wins.


*Note: Fins are recommended but not required.

 

5. Pigeon

One of the most amusing and creative games to ever grace the swimming world. It can definitely be played for hours on end, with each game being more diverse and creative than the last. Not only is the game competitive, but it also makes for one entertaining sprint workout.


Picking the storyteller is the first task. This can be a coach or a swimmer, and the storyteller can change after each round.


The remaining players all line up at one end of the pool, and the storyteller begins his or her tale.


As the storyteller is creating his or her own narrative, he or she must incorporate the word "pigeon." This signals the competitors to race across the pool as fast as possible, and the last person to climb out of the pool at the other end is withdrawn from the game.


The storyteller can make his or her tale as tricky as he or she wants -- using words that start with a "P" sound such as pickle, parrot, etc. If a player is fooled and false starts, he or she is disqualified from the game until a new round starts.


The winner is the last remaining person in the game.

 

Warning: Some of these games are dangerous, and all of them will cause you to become dangerously competitive. But then again, what swimmer doesn't love a little competition?

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