A place where you are appreciated for
being a swimmer
Only swimmers understand how hard it is to balance the swim life and what it takes to leave the warm bed at 5am on a Saturday morning to go jump in a freezing cold pool.
Skick is a social app for swimmers that lets you be who you are.
There are no annoying people who tell you that swimming is not a sport just because it doesn't have a ball.
Join the swimming fam 🏊
Swimming is much more than people realize
Adding time after months of hard training was my biggest fear.
The fear became overwhelming at Nationals when I was a high school junior.
Nationals. The big moment everyone has been training for. I didn't want to disappoint my teammates.
I've already gone through 7 months of intense training that season. 10 workouts per week.
That repetitive rhythm of morning swims, and school and afternoon swim and afternoon drylands, and homework, and...
I spent hours and hours swimming thousands of strokes while looking at the dark line at the bottom of the pool. The never-ending long course pool.
My first race was 50 LCM breaststroke. Years of effort are all summed in a 30-second race.
Just a little mistake and the fear will come true. If I start my finishing stroke too early everything will go to waste. If I slip on the starting block everything will go to waste.
All the hard sets that almost made me throw up, shivering in the cold pool, missed sleep, pushups and situps, muscle cramps — all of that will go to waste.
But if I just do one little thing better than the last time, I'll drop time.
Just one perfect stroke at the finish and I'll drop 2 tenths of a second. A small piece of a second, but enough to make me the happiest person.
Moments before the race, while waiting for the heat before me to finish, I started doubting myself.
"These guys are taller tha..."
STOP. Don't think about it. You can do it. You can do it.
Take your MARKS. — GO!
Looking at my time on the board. And a big disappointment. The worst feeling ever. Why did I add .2?
Disappointment. All the hard training didn't make me any faster. WHY?
At the time, I was running a swim Instagram page. Talking to other swimmers there made me realize that I'm not alone:
“Maybe I'm missing something”
I started thinking about the top swimmers. What makes them so much better? How is it possible they're 5 seconds faster than me in a 50?
How do these people get full ride scholarships for DI schools?
I've tried countless of things...
- I've tried doing technique drills on my own after workouts.
- I've tried racing in the same suits as top swimmers.
- I've tried 6 different kinds of protein shakes.
- I've tried shaving before big meets.
- I've tried...
Yes, shaving helped me get a better feeling for water.
Yes, a new tech suit helped me float better.
But none of it made me achieve exceptional results that I wanted to achieve.
There must be something deeper.
Imagine a successful swimmer that you admire:
When they get on the starting block, is their head filled with doubt? If they swim a slow time do they rush online to buy a fancy new tech suit to make them faster?
Of course not. If you look at their success, their ability to control their lives instead of overreacting like so many people, is their mastery that makes the difference.
They face the same challenges as the rest of us, but they focus on things they can control.
Even if they have a bad race, they get up and race again.
The fear of bad times doesn't control them.
The winning mindset
With that conclusion, the way I think about swimming started to change.I was recruited to swim in college and got an athletic scholarship. I became part of the team under the legendary swim coach Sam Freas.
That's when my swimming mindset really changed.
My coach once told me something I’ll never forget:
"Stop thinking and forget about the times. Remember the first time you raced when you were a kid. You didn't think about times. Swimming is fun. Have fun."
That's one of those moments that you always remember. I loved what he was saying — I could go into any pool, anywhere, race anyone, and just have fun.
A coach puts me in 200 fly? "Not a problem. My friends will have a good laugh watching."
The first race didn't go that well? "There are still 7 left in the meet."
I don't feel like practicing today? "All my friends will be there today."
That made me realize that swimming is much more than times on a scoreboard.
Swimming is:
- Having fun with friends
- The confidence to get on a starting block and race
- The motivation to keep pushing, even when times get tough
- The focus to know what to spend time on — and what to ignore
- The optimism to know it will all work out
Even though I never became an Olympic-level athlete, I was able to fulfill my potential.
It wouldn't be possible without my coach and swim team.
Not everyone gets a chance to be a part of a college swim team or to have an iconic swim coach.
I started to think...
"How can I help other swimmers to experience having a great coach and be a part of an exceptional team?"
Skick gives you the support you need to become a successful swimmer.
Skick is for you if...
Skick is an app that makes you a part of an exclusive swimming team.
The group of swimmers and coaches that helps each other get better.
Skick will finally make you part of the team that's happy about your success and give you access to world-class coaches.
The Team
Become a part of unique swimming community.- 💛
Make new friends
Talk to swimmers from all around the country
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Share your success
Share videos of swimming races on your profile
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Stay motivated
Share workouts that you've successfully completed
Your Personal Coach
Our coaches will work with you to make you a winner.Because we reached our capacity, personal coaching is currently closed for new signups.
You can still join the social app.
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Unbeatable Confidence
One-on-one calls
A person who will listen to you and give you advice. Get the energy and excitement before your big meet.
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Detailed Focus
Swim Video Analysis
Coach puts focus on areas such as stroke technique or race tactics and tells you exactly what to do to improve.
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Positive Mental Mindset
Swim Meet reflections
What went well and what didn't? Coach will work with you to identify what can be better to swim even faster in your next meet.
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Proven Experience
Personalized workouts
Know that you're doing the right thing. Our coaches have taken hundreds of athletes from the age-group level to college or professional level. They'll tell you what it takes.
Mental Training + Dryland + Flexibility + Pool Training = Success
Skick gives you the missing parts of what's been holding you back.