Episode 7: Swimming and Well-Being

Episode 7: Swimming and Well-Being

Author: Sport and Leisure Cultures Research Group November 13, 2020 Duration: 54:28

In this episode of Transforming Sport, Alex Channon interviews Sport and Leisure Cultures research group member Sean Heath about his ongoing research with youth competitive swimmers  An expert in youth competitive swimming and children’s sport scholarship, and an avid swimmer, Sean Heath recently turned his attention to pain, injury, and the well-being of youth who compete and train with competitive swimming clubs. Here he discusses the importance of the physical, emotional, and social aspects of training and competition in swimming as a key aspects of youths’ everyday experiences and their well-being. Noting the disjunctures and disruptions which injury and illness can cause in the lives of athletes, Sean discusses the variations in participation which allows youth to maintain connection to the water and their sport. He also discusses the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the sport of swimming in the UK and some of the encouraging lessons a break from organized competitive sport can provide.

Sean Heath has two recent publications on the effects of burnout and the COVID-19 pandemic, on youth competitive swimmers’ well-being. These are in the edited volume High Performance Youth Swimming published by Routledge; Anthropology of Children and Youth Interest Group, American Anthropological Association. He can be found on twitter at @SeanmrHeath, and his other research is accessible via his University of Brighton staff profile page: https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/sean-heath


Hosted by the Sport and Leisure Cultures Research Group at the University of Brighton, Transforming Sport digs into the complex and often surprising ways athletics intersect with our everyday lives. Each conversation moves beyond scores and statistics to explore sport as a powerful social force, examining its relationship with politics, health, economics, and identity. The discussions, led by researchers and expert guests, are grounded in academic insight but focused on real-world implications. You’ll hear thoughtful analysis on how communities are built through leisure, how inequalities are both challenged and perpetuated on the field, and what the future holds for physical culture. This isn’t about predicting winners; it’s about understanding the deeper currents that shape why we play and watch. The central question throughout this podcast is how sport itself must adapt and evolve to meet the pressing challenges of our time-from climate change and technological disruption to ongoing fights for inclusion and fairness. By listening, you gain a clearer picture of the transformations already underway and the ones still desperately needed. Tune in for a nuanced perspective that treats sport not just as entertainment, but as a vital lens for examining contemporary society.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 16

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