A DEEP DIVE

A Behind The Scenes Look Into The Life Of A Swimmer

Swimmers all around Indiana wake up at the crack of dawn to practice for the biggest meet of the season – Sectionals. At Hamilton Southeastern high school, swimmers are preparing to compete in the sectionals on February second and fourth, and balancing these efforts with school and personal responsibility is difficult. “Balancing school and swim is no easy task, so I use my study hall and pathways wisely.” Said junior Audrey Crawford.

Swimmers start their day at 5 am, having a 2-hour practice, swimmers do not have time to go home after their first practice and usually go to school after their practice is over. On top of putting so many hours into their sport, swimmers must keep their grades up in school so that they can still be part of the team and continue to swim. Because of their practice schedule, it is imperative that swimmers put time and effort into completing homework during the school day.

Despite having a school day, swimmers must focus on their swim meets right after school. Competitions are around the corner and facing some of our rival schools like Fishers and Carmel high school, not only motivating other swimmers but making them think about their future.

Jumping in the pool, counting your breaths, and making quick changes from your swimsuit to clothes. It’s more than just hard work and dedication, but instead love for the sport that will get you somewhere and make you better. Not only practicing in the water to perfect their form, but also in the weight room to strengthen their endurance and help them the water.

Beginning the morning at the swimming pool, doing laps for hours and deep diving into the 13-foot pool, HSE Swimmers compete many times over the course of the week. Crawford is driven to practice in order to improve her skill along with her team. “Who are ranked higher than us team wise so it’s motivating just to strive to close that gap between our teams” Crawford said. Hamilton Southeastern swimmers strive for wholeheartedness and devote themselves for a couple of minutes till they hear the buzz to beat the other school’s time and represent Hamilton Southeastern swimming. Story by Grace Duffy and Caroline Hiott. Photos by Rotimi Aluko.

Competition Day Timestamps

Adding To The Knowledge About Sports All Over The World

International sports, like rugby and cricket, are not commonly recognized by people in the United States but help to entertain and build connections with other countries around the world. International sports bring people from different countries, beliefs and culture together, even with their differences and encourage them to be more open to learning about their different traditions. With such sports, people find out they have more in common and build friendships.

Rugby is one sport that helps build connections. Rugby is a technical sport that originated in England and is played throughout the world, even here at HSE. Rugby has grown into one of the world’s fastest growing sports. But many might not know that there is a Rugby World Cup that originated in 1905.

Some events, like the FIFA World Cup, spark more viewership in America due to its traditions that not many other countries have, including mascots, ball design and national anthems. The World Cup is the most watched sporting event internationally. As reported by CNN, 58 percent of soccer fans plan to watch the tournament, and that number will continue to grow in upcoming years. The World Cup not only contains an entertainment factor, but also allows countries all over the world to earn billions of dollars in winnings.

Another sport that is not well known is cricket. Cricket was first played in Southeast England in the 1600s and is now most popular in India. This is bat-and-ball game is played between two teams of eleven players on a grass field. Cricket is more often played in developing countries, but America has adopted a game known as baseball. Both sports contain similar ideas but differ in the shape of their fields and other rules.

The lack of knowledge of these sports is evident across the United States, as many people are not informed of about the positive effects of international sports. This includes genuine connections between countries and sharing cultures between athletics. This is key to helping better acknowledge the struggles of people with different backgrounds, which is what international sports help do. All these sports that the United States lack to represent and more influence many aspects of the world, from a country’s ideologies or amusement to their economic success. Story by Emma Bieberich and Jordyn Grant.