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What Is SKWIM™
SKWIM™ is a fun, fast-paced surface water-disk sport. It is
easy to learn and a ton of fun to play. People of all ages and
swimming ability can get in the water, grab a disk and have a
blast.
How is the game played?
The game is played with a soft foam
disk that skims across the surface of the water. Team members,
swimming with special fins, pass the disk to one another and score
by skimming the disk into the center trap of their opponent’s
floating goal. The goal is circular and allows players to score
from 360°.
Does the pool need to be a certain size or
depth?
SKWIM™ is suitable for most pools and
swim-safe open water. It’s easy to get SKWIM™ started
in your area because the lagoon (The rectanglular playing area
separeted into 3 parts marked by red and white boundaries) can be
as small as 18’ x 40’, or as big as 20
meters by 40 meters!.
Do I have to tread water the entire
time?
SKWIM™ can be played in varying depths of
water, allowing players of all swimming abilities to get involved
or stand when they get tired. Players wear SKWIM™ fins.
These fins are comfortable and allow players to swim for a longer
duration of time without getting as tired. If you enjoy being
in the water, then there is a place on a SKWIM™ team for
you!
How can I get involved?
Click HERE to
contact us! We also invite you to check the schedule of open
SKWIM™ times in your area and encourage you to become a
member of SKWIM™ International. This will more easily allow
us to help you find or bring SKWIM™ to a pool, lake, or
lagoon near you! Members of SKWIM™ International also get
discounts on official SKWIM™ equipment and
merchandise.
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Why SKWIM??
By
Kevin McCarthy
A)
SKWIM is the first
interactive team sport for both the occasional and avid
swimmer!
B)
“Lets go to the pool and have a “pick-up game”.
U.S. and global
aquatic enthusiasts deserve an interactive and social team sport
that reaches a broader populous; for all ages and abilities.
Roughly 150 million Americans (50% of the population) can
swim. Approx. 52 million (18%) swims at least once a year
(NSGA 2007), second only to walking. But less than 1% swim
regularly or seasonally.
C)
SKWIM enhances water
safety and can help save lives ! According
to the CDC (Center for Disease Control 2006) 50 people a day in the
U.S. are hospitalized due to a near drowning or drowning
incident. Of these 50, 10 do not survive the incident, and
another 20 are disabled, either physically, psychologically, or
emotionally. SKWIM is possibly the most engaging,
entertaining, and gratifying way to becoming Water-Safe,
Water-Smart, and Water-Strong. The sport mechanics of SKWIM
most closely emulate lifesaving technique, and help prepare
students for lifeguard training.
D)
SKWIM appeals to the
social being! Both demographics and
history show that people prefer to
“interact” in a sporting
event. Of the top U.S. youth sports, the majority of
participants are involved in interactive team sports, vs.
individualized sporting events. The top 3 being soccer, baseball,
and basketball. In addition, these top three are also non-contact,
co-gender, and have a common ease of entry. SKWIM is the only
watersport that shares these same 4 common traits.
E)
SKWIM is more about team
skills!. It requires a composite of
many skills, and not just swimming speed, or strength. SKWIM
is more about technique and less about power; more about
imagination, and less about determination. More like soccer
and basketball, and less like track or football.
F)
SKWIM is about playing
time! Swim Racing requires large
amounts of water-time to shave small milliseconds off a
racer’s time. Racers often spend 10-20 hours a week and more
in the water. This can be hard on the shoulders, skin and
pocket book. SKWIM requires less overall water time for
practice, using more for actual “game-time”.
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Well, if you have come this far
into our website, you are possibly seeking the same thing millions
of people are. Are you interested in a way to become
water-safe, water-smart and water-strong without lap swimming?
Also, you may be thinking.
1)
“I have grown up around the water and love swimming but
I am not fast; is there a water-sport I can play once a week or a
few times a month, and still be part of a competitive
team?”
2)
“I want to learn to swim, but at this point of my life, I
don’t know. Is there a way to learn that is fun and
teaches me more quickly and more engagingly?
3)
“I am over 50 and finding it harder staying in shape without
injury. I miss being active and competitive. I miss
playing on a team. I miss the camaraderie. Is there a
sport my body can hold up to ?
4)
I’m very busy with travel and cannot keep up on my training
right now. Is there a sport I can jump in on and play a
pick-up game that is safe? I can’t afford a turned ankle
or torn cartilage. I can’t miss work!
5)
I’m a stay home mom. You would think I would have some time
for the gym. I like team sports. Is there a team I can
join without it taking over my life?
6)
I’m a busy parent of a couple kids and we need to spend more
time together, but I also need some exercise. Is there a sport
that I can play with my kids instead of sitting there
watching??
Recent studies, sponsored by USA
Swimming, show that only about 50% of children ages 6-15 can
swim. Other studies indicate that only 30% of the U.S.
population can swim 100 yards (300 feet).
Swimming, like many activities,
involves a series of complex motor skills which when practiced and
repeated, become more efficient and effective, thus increasing both
performance and confidence. Bottom line, kids need to be in
the water regularly, in a structured swim class, in order to
improve beyond “beginning swimming”. As with most
other activities and sports, improvement comes with consistent
“practice” while under a teacher’s positive
instruction. Among professionals, a common number
discussed is 2 times a week or more, in order to see results in
fitness, and efficiency of movement.
SKWIM is a water sport that will
keep you “engaged”.
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