Abstarct: The aim of the present study was to identify the factors influencing adolescents’ participation in swimming. Specifically, the study sought to identify the facilitating and inhibiting factors affecting Iraqi adolescents’ participation in swimming. This research was conducted using a qualitative approach and thematic analysis method. The participants included swimming coaches and parents of adolescent swimmers in the city of Baghdad. A total of 12 participants (6 coaches and 6 parents) were selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through face to face semi structured interviews, each lasting approximately 25–30 minutes. All interviews were audio recorded, fully transcribed, and subsequently analyzed. Data analysis was carried out through a three stage coding process, including the extraction of basic themes, organizing themes, and global themes. To enhance the scientific rigor of the findings, the criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability were taken into consideration. The findings indicated that the facilitating factors for adolescents’ participation in swimming could be categorized into 69 basic themes, 13 organizing themes, and 4 global themes, including positive personal experience, interpersonal and social support, institutional and educational environments, and a positive social and cultural image of swimming. In addition, the inhibiting factors were identified in 67 basic themes, 15 organizing themes, and 5 global themes, including adolescents’ individual and psychological limitations, family and social challenges, structural and institutional barriers, educational and professional challenges in the coaching process, and environmental and contextual instability.Overall, the results showed that adolescents’ participation in swimming is influenced by a set of individual, social, institutional, and cultural factors. Therefore, the development of swimming among adolescents requires strengthening social support, improving sports infrastructure, and enhancing the quality of educational and coaching programs.