Why the Sport of Swimming Is Broken—and How We Fix It

Great kids are quitting swimming—and it’s not because they don’t love the water. It’s because the way we run swim teams is broken.

Most programs think one swim meet a month is “plenty.” But imagine a youth soccer team that only plays once a month? It would never work—and it’s not working in swimming either.

My Journey from Olympic Gold to Swimmingly

I had the honor of representing Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics, winning gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay. But after the Olympics, I wanted to do something more impactful—something that would improve the sport itself.

So, I used my Olympic prize money to start Swimmingly, with a mission to change swimming from the ground up.

The Problem

Swimming has a participation problem.

Millions of kids learn to swim, yet USA Swimming membership has flatlined under 400,000. Why?

Because swim meets are outdated, infrequent, and overwhelming.

• Kids train for weeks before they race.

• Meets are long, far away, and poorly run.

• Families and volunteers get burned out.

• It’s easier to quit than stick with it.

We’ve created a sport that prioritizes training—but forgets to let kids play.

The Practice-to-Play Ratio

In soccer, kids practice once or twice a week and then play on the weekend.

Swimming? Practice every week. Meets? Maybe once a month.

The practice-to-play ratio in swimming is broken. Kids feel like they’re exercising—not playing a sport.

The Solution: Weekly In-House Meets

What if swim teams held meets every week—at their own pools?

• Fast, fun, 1-hour meets

• No buses, hotels, or all-day commitments

• Just like a soccer game: practice and play every week

We’ve seen teams using this model double, triple, and even 4x their participation. Why? Because it’s fun. And kids stay engaged.

Why Swimmingly Exists

We built Swimmingly to make this model possible:

• No equipment required

• Just phones and the app

• Automatic timing, scoring, and results

• Minimal volunteers needed

Swimmingly transforms swim meets from a burden into your greatest asset.

Let’s Fix Swimming—Together

To grow the sport, we must:

• Host weekly in-house meets at your pool

• Stop sending families across town for racing

• Prioritize play, not just practice

• Make swim meets simple, fast, and fun

Because kids don’t quit swimming—they quit boredom.

Want to know how optimized your team is for growth?
Take our Swim Team Quiz and see what’s possible.

Let’s build a swim culture where kids don’t just swim—they race.
The future of swimming starts now.