So, you want to start competitive swimming... but wait - what's an IM? Butterfly isn't just an insect? And what in the world is a flip turn? Today we'll go over Swimming 101, complete with the basic rules and structures every beginner swimmer should know.

Competitive swimming involves swimmers racing one another, primarily in pools but also in open water. Swimmers aim for the fastest times across a variety of events, lengths and categories. There are four main strokes:

Freestyle (Front Crawl): The fastest stroke, often used in sprints and distance events, with alternating arm movements and a flutter kick. In freestyle events swimmers may choose any stroke, though the front crawl is the most common.
Backstroke: Swum on the back, allowing continuous breathing and using alternating arm strokes and a flutter kick.
Breaststroke: The slowest of the four, but the easiest for beginners to learn. The arms move together in mirrored circles while the legs perform a frog kick - a great stroke for cooling down after a race.
Butterfly: Known as the toughest, most demanding stroke, emphasizing power and rhythm. Both arms move together in a windmill motion while the legs perform a dolphin kick.

Events can be individual or team based: sprints (50-100m), mid-distance (200-400m), distance races (800m and above), medleys (all four strokes) and relays. An IM is an Individual Medley, where each swimmer swims every stroke for the required distance. Relays include medley relays and freestyle relays.

Rules ensure fair competition, safety and proper technique across all strokes and events. Competitions are governed by organizations such as USA Swimming and World Aquatics.

Starting procedure: Swimmers must respond to the starter's command of "take your mark" and stay stationary until the starting signal. Diving off early means disqualification.
Event limits: In preliminaries and finals, swimmers may compete in up to three individual events per day; timed finals allow up to six.
Officials and equipment: Competitions require referees, judges and timekeepers. Automatic officiating equipment may be used, but manual timing is required if it is unavailable.

For the turns between laps, swimmers use a variety of techniques - the most common being the open turn and the flip turn. In an open turn the swimmer touches the wall with one or both hands, then rotates to push off. A flip turn is exactly that: a forward flip into the wall and a streamlined push-off, allowing continuous movement, primarily used in freestyle and backstroke.

Truly the best way to understand competitive swimming is to dive in and do it. It is not an easy sport, but a uniquely rewarding one - the community, the exercise and the endorphins make it all worth it. I hope you learned something new today.