Team sports are all about competition, but sports also compete against one another. And one team sport that has been treading water in recent years is competitive swimming, with participation levels in 2013 ranking 17th among 24 team sports, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Now USA Swimming, which along with supporting the Olympic team, encourages participation at all levels, is trying to increase the number of youngsters who choose to perfect flip turns rather than jump shots, with a public-service advertising and promotional campaign.

One spot opens with an underwater shot of a swimming pool that is perfectly still, until, in slow motion, a young girl plunges in, hugging her knees. “Basketball,” begins a voice-over, also a young girl, as the swimmer breaks into a wide grin. “Football. Cannonball. Which sounds the most fun to you?”

Another spot opens with a boy about 9 wearing a racing swimsuit and dripping wet as he emerges from a pool. Funk music plays as the boy, also in slow motion, pushes his goggles up on his forehead, catches a towel thrown to him from off-screen and struts confidently alongside the pool. In the bleachers, male teammates clap wildly while girl teammates watch him with undisguised awe. The swimmer wipes his face with the towel, tosses it to the ground, points to a blonde girl smiling at him, high-fives a teammate, and does a jaunty dance-floor full turn.