Olympics likely to boost interest, but swimming is hard work

Minutes after breaking yet another world record, there's Michael Phelps again, talking to reporters, just barely out of breath.

In the last week, millions tuned into the Olympics. They watched gymnasts flip twice over tiny balance beams and many thought "no way." Then they watched Phelps glide through the pool for win after win and thought "maybe."

After all, he makes it all look so easy.

Well, it's not, according to local swim coaches who are bracing themselves for an increase in new swimmers this year. Swim coaches are happy to see novice swimmers, but remind people the sport isn't about splashing around in a pool. Most swimmers practice five to six times a week year round. Swim meets last most of a day. A typical practice for a 14-year-old is more than two hours long and includes between 5,000 and 6,000 yards - that's more than 200 laps.

Even the great Phelps admits workouts are hard: "Most painful workout: There have been too many to pick one," he wrote on his personal Web site.

"I'm not sure people realize the schedules of these swimmers," said Pete Kozura, executive director of Illinois Swimming Inc., a group that oversees about 100 swim clubs in the state. "It's a tough grind. In high school most swimmers practice before school and after school."

Just ask Leo Miklius. He has six kids, ages 11 to 26 years old, and they're all swimmers.

"If you have multiple kids swimming in a meet, one is in the morning session and one swims later," said Miklius, who lives in Palatine. "You're at the meet from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. sometimes. But that's just how it is and you deal with it."

Mark Townsend is the head coach of Naperville's Mavericks swim club, which has about 400 swimmers ages 6 years old though high school. Returning members of the swim club can sign up before newcomers so they are guaranteed a spot. After that, there aren't a whole lot of spots open.

"Every kid is watching swimming right now and that's great," Townsend said. "But I wish broadcasters would talk more about Phelps' regime. People don't have any concept how grueling it is."

Brigitta Kempken is the head coach of the Elgin Pelican YMCA swim team. There are about 90 swimmers on her team now, and she is expecting an additional 16 swimmers just because of the Olympics. She figures about half of the 16 swimmers will continue the sport into next year.

"I've been getting so many e-mails this week," Kempken said. "But swimming is not an easy sport. The older kids swim so many laps. It takes a lot of dedication."

It's also fun, though, Miklius and others said.

"All of them tried other sports, but they all migrated back to swimming," Miklius said of his kids. "They made some of their best friends on swim teams and the sport gave them a great work ethic."

And Miklius said his kids love watching Michael Phelps, who he dubs "the Tiger Woods of swimming."

Swimming is also an affordable sport that doesn't have to be abandoned with age, said Steve Neill, aquatics supervisor for the Arlington Heights Park District.

"Swimming is a lifelong sport," he said. "Football is something you can't do for the rest of your life."

The park district's summer swim season is six weeks long and costs $135 per swimmer, Neill said. More than 700 kids signed up for the season this year, the highest number Neill can recall.

In fact, swimming numbers are up all around. Illinois is second to only California when it comes to the number of swimmers, Kozura said.

Each swim club in Illinois is individually owned and operated. This year the state saw 500 new swimmers sign up, bumping the total from 15,500 to 16,000 statewide, said Pam Lowenthal, administrative director at Illinois Swimming. She's expecting a lot more with all the attention coverage of Phelps has given the sport.

"We won't really know the numbers until December," Lowenthal. "I plan on not getting any sleep or going to bed before midnight until then."

Lowenthal also hopes that Cullen Jones will inspire more African-Americans to join local swim clubs. Jones was the first African-American to participate in an Olympic swim relay final. He was on the 4-by-100-meter freestyle relay team that won Olympic gold by a split second.

So you want to be a swimmer

Most Illinois swim clubs don't have tryouts, but some are more competitive than others. Parents should carefully read each swim club's mission statement before picking a club, said Pam Lowenthal, administrative director of Illinois Swimming Inc.

Parents also should call swim coaches to get more information. If one swim club is too competitive for novice swimmers, the coach will probably know of a club that concentrates more on having fun, she said.

Most park districts also have swim teams during the summer.

To find a swim club near you, go to www.ilswim.org