Practicing relentlessly from a small swimming pool in the basement of the school, SIS has one of the most underappreciated varsity swim teams among Korea’s international schools. Rarely represented on social media, the swim team is nowhere to be found amid the countless basketball match results and highlights. Despite the boys’ varsity swim team winning an unforeseen second in KAIAC and the girl’s varsity with a meager three members getting third at AISA, the Tiger Sports Council social media account has been idle, posting a singular statistics post as its only remnant of this astonishing accomplishment.
With the swim season’s practices and meets coinciding with the popular basketball season, the hype and attention tend to focus significantly more on the games. The swim team is most likely struggling to compete in popularity due to limited student engagement.
One of the main reasons for its lack of student interest is the construction of the swimming pool. Students cannot attend swimming events since they are held in other international schools, limiting student involvement. Sports like basketball and soccer create opportunities for students to sell snacks and drinks to fundraise for clubs and other activities. This kind of environment is non-existent for the swim team because swim meets never occur on SIS campus.
“Our pool is short of regulation length, and because of that, we are not allowed to hold any official competitions,” Brandon Fraseur, Athletics & Activities Director, said. “When the concrete was poured in during construction, as it dried the concrete expanded, resulting in the pool being short by a few centimeters.”
The construction of the view dock for the swimming pool has also resulted in minimal engagement. Due to the swimming pool being located underground, the pool’s dock is very restricted in size and shares the moist environment of the pool.
“I think that it would not be very comfortable to watch meets hosted at our school,” Noella Shin (10), varsity girl swimmer, said. “The dock created for watching the swimming pool doesn’t have a good clear view of the pool and it becomes very damp and hot really quickly.”
Unlike sports like basketball and volleyball which have large bleachers and multiple gyms to accommodate games, the swimming pool lacks facilities that enhance the experience for spectators. Moreover, fast-paced sports are viewed as more entertaining for the general student body. Intense moments from basketball and volleyball games can easily be captured in a short social media post, attracting interest and support. Soccer and basketball teams have social media accounts dedicated to it made by the players, showcasing the experience of being part of the team. Without the team’s active presence on social media, it can be difficult for the student body to stay engaged with the swim team’s events and records.
The SIS swim team needs to find ways to make swimming more engaging, encapsulating the tension and excitement of swimming, whether it be through short videos or posts on social media. The swim team needs to increase awareness about their accomplishments and dedication that are submerged under the waters. The team should also consider creating a separate social media account to add personality and color to its members. Growing the team’s presence beyond the waters will result in more engagement within the student body, opening the community to appreciate the hard and diligent work of the SIS varsity swim team.
