Naperville Swim Conference

🏊‍♀️ NSC Sponsor Spotlight: Grow Sport Psychology 🏊‍♂️

Success in swimming isn't just physical—it's mental, too.

Grow Sport Psychology helps athletes build confidence, resilience, and focus both in and out of competition. Their team specializes in helping athletes overcome pressure, setbacks, and performance challenges through proven mental skills training.

Whether you're working toward a personal best, preparing for a big meet, or looking to stay motivated throughout the season, Grow Sport Psychology is dedicated to helping athletes reach their full potential.

Thank you to Grow Sport Psychology for supporting the Naperville Swim Conference this season!

Learn more: https://www.growwellnessgroup.com/

Let's talk about the butterfly DQ. 💙

If breaststroke is the most technical stroke in the water, butterfly is the most demanding. It's powerful, it's beautiful when done right, and it is absolutely unforgiving when the rules aren't followed to the letter. Which means DQs happen — even to swimmers who have been working on this stroke all season long.

Here's why it happens, and what to say to your swimmer when it does.

🦋 WHY BUTTERFLY GETS DQ'D
Like breaststroke, butterfly has very specific rules that must be followed from the moment the swimmer leaves the block to the moment they touch the wall. The most common reasons for a DQ include:

• Asymmetrical arm pull — both arms must recover over the water simultaneously. If one arm comes over even slightly ahead of the other, that's a DQ. Butterfly demands perfect symmetry from start to finish.
• Illegal kick — butterfly requires a dolphin kick — both legs moving together at the same time.
• One-hand touch at the wall — just like breaststroke, butterfly requires a simultaneous two-hand touch at every turn and at the finish.
• Pulling past the hipline on the first stroke — on the pullout after the start and each turn, the first arm stroke must not pull past the hip before the kick and recovery begin.
• Breaking the surface too early — during the underwater pullout at the start and turns, swimmers must break the surface by the 15-meter mark. Going too far underwater — even if it feels faster — is a DQ.

The honest truth? Butterfly is HARD. The stroke requires full-body coordination, timing, and strength that young swimmers are still building. A DQ doesn't mean your child can't swim butterfly — it means they're learning one of the most physically demanding skills in the sport.

💬 WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR SWIMMER

• "I am so proud of you for swimming that race. Butterfly is one of the hardest things to do."
• "DQs happen to every butterfly swimmer at some point. Even the elite ones."
• "Your coach is going to help you work on it and you are going to be so much stronger for it."
• "That stroke takes time to master and you are getting there. I can see it."
• "Let's get a snack and shake it off." (Still works every time.)

The swimmers who get DQ'd in butterfly, go back to practice, fix the technique, and race again — those are the ones who eventually make it look effortless. A DQ today is just the beginning of a really great butterfly story.

Keep swimming, everyone. 🌊💙

WE'RE HIRING! 🌊

The Naperville Swim Conference is looking for certified lifeguards to work at our end-of-season NSC Classic Swim Meet on Friday, July 18th at Naperville Central High School!

Here's what you need to know:

📍 Location: Naperville Central High School
📅 Date: Friday, July 18th
⏰ Sessions: AM or PM — choose the shift that works for you!
💵 Pay: $16 per hour
✅ Requirement: Must be lifeguard certified

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of one of the biggest and most exciting events of the NSC summer — with 20 teams, hundreds of swimmers, and an energy that is truly unlike anything else in Naperville.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this post and help us spread the word! The more the merrier on deck for this one. 💙

To sign up or for more information, please scan the QR code. or click on the link below. We'd love to have you on the team!

Sign Up:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lFbZnVn4JmKQb5ZAoYVRh5qu_LD23rXZnWAjohbMEVU/viewform?edit_requested=true