Swimming and Basketball (comparison and contrast)

Sports activities are something everyone will take part in. Different people prefer different types of sports. Taking part in competitive training for a sport requires both physical and mental toughness; each sport requires different types of training. Swimming and basketball, for example are two different sports played on different venues. Swimming and basketball are two different sports which use different methods and equipment to maximize the performance of the players.

Swimming requires a lot of time during training, because one would be repeating sets on a target time. Basketball on the other hand requires one to do strengthening drills to improve one’s game. Though both would require one to be able to withstand a lot of stress on your muscles, swimming focuses on improving stroke techniques, because good stroke technique helps you one move forward without using too much energy while basketball focuses on building up strength because when one is on the court and you are physically stronger than the others one can score a lot easier and can defend opponents better. Swimming and basketball have another difference in terms of training programs. Swimming needs one to build up a lot speed, while applying the proper technique. The one who can explode and go all out from the start is usually the winner of the race; basketball requires the athlete to be more skilful than others especially when handling the ball, when the team has fewer turnovers than their opponent it gives them a higher chance of winning the game.

The ways of playing each sport is also different. Swimming is more on the individual performance of each man on the team, because points are awarded to the team if one of its athletes is able to make it to the top 8. Which means one really needs to work hard on improving yourself for that spot. While in basketball the team needs to play as one and execute plays to perfection. Constant communication with one’s teammates is very important; teams who show that they can work as one are the ones who win championships.

To maximize the performance of the athletes different sets of equipment are used in each sport. In swimming goggles swimming caps and trunks are made to become more hydrodynamic to decrease the water resistance and help one move faster and increase the chances of winning. On the other hand basketball shoes and jerseys are made lighter to help the player to be more aerodynamic and durable to withstand the physicality of the game. Millions of dollars are spent every year to research and improve sports equipment to enhance the performance of athletes in both training and competition.

Swimming and basketball may have similarities but they would always be two different sports that compete in different venues and require not only different equipment but also different methods of training which help maximize the performance of its athletes during a completion.