I was a skinny 14-year-old high school freshman who played a lot of sports and liked to swim. It was a defining moment in my life that set me on a journey that, to this day, has affected my career and family. It happened one afternoon at the Madison East High School pool. I was goofing off in lane six; the lane where they put team members who were not serious, just getting by, going through the motions. But my coach at the time, Pat Barry, pulled me out of the pool grabbed my little finger and said "Jim you have more talent in your little pinkie than the rest of the swimmers in the whole pool combined. You have so much more potential – if you would just use it!"
February Newsletter
~ We are excited to announce JMSS has joined USA Swimming foundation water safety initiative, Make a Splash.
The Olympics are here and everyone loves to watch the swimmers race during prime time on TV. Swimming is fun to watch but also one of the best sports to get into. Swimming has always been a big part of my life. I joined my first swim team at 7 years old and ever since, swimming has shaped my journey.
I started to swim competitively when I was 7 years old and almost 60 years later I am still going strong. There was only one time I hung up my swimsuit and quit swimming. That was way back in the late 70s when I had finished my college and international competitive swim career. What got me back into the pool was gaining 30 pounds and a change in attitude. I would like to share a few of my motivational tips that have helped me along the way.
Coach Jim wrote this in October of 1982 on how transitioning from a competitive athlete affected his swimming and how much he was in the water.
Top 7 Benefits of Year-Round Swimming (Scientifically Speaking): 1. Development of the whole child Not only does swimming benefit children physically, but it also improves their development intellectually AND emotionally! According to scientific studies at the German Sports College Cologne, kids who swim year-round fared better academically, partic...
Even though swimmers practice their sport immersed in water, they still sweat and need to drink just as much as land-based athletes.
Summer is fast approaching and parents are realizing it may be time for kids to learn to swim. You research the best swim facilities, take a tour, buy a new swimsuit and goggles, and the anticipation has gotten to both you and your kiddo. The first lesson has arrived and it is time to begin but something may not be how you expected it.
We have all been there, watching our kids in an activity and wondering when they are going to attain that next skill. For some, it is the simple task of enjoying the activity while for others it can be perfecting a task they have been working on. The bottom line is that all parents want to see their kids make progress and at the Jim Montgomery Swim School we have your back.
In 1976, I set a world record in the 100 meter freestyle at the Montreal Olympics, the first person ever to break 50 seconds. World records don't come easy, but as a member of the best American Men's Olympic swim team of all time, I learned that to achieve success in the pool requires as much intelligence as muscle.
