Building up endurance - 9 year old kid

Hi, Started this thread in 2013 to get ideas on how to improve 9yo's endurance and what to feed her etc. I've got the best answers from you guys. Then post after post, it was about training sets per week and times as I was interested to know if she's on the right path and what other clubs/coaches do. I'm trying to share as well as try to understand what others do in different age groups and what are the results. Sorry to bother those are not interested.

It does. Glad you found some help. Just FYI - the term "Master" here means nothing besides "over 18." The term doesn't mean that members have reached the pinnacle of the sport (though, arguably, there are a few USMS athletes who fit that description). There are some here who do have a lot of experience both as swimmers and as coaches. Some of us probably have hypersensitive "pushy-parent" detectors because we've seen (or maybe experienced) those parents along our swimming journeys. I'm glad you are looking out for the best interests of your child. In my experience as a swimmer, a coach and a parent of swimmers, I would say that your kids need to see you as their cheerleader (encouraging them, loving them and supporting them). Let them own their sport. Let them own their successes and their failures. Let them make their own mistakes and learn from them. Swimming can be such a fantastic avenue for learning to win, lose, work your tail off, set long term goals, push yourself past your comfort zone and so much more. But if swimmers have a parent constantly taking charge they won't own those things and won't really learn from them, IMO.

Thanks so much. I get what you mean and very much appreciate your feedback. :) You're welcome. Now we just need to get you to join us in the water ;-)

Thanks for explaining. Getting advise from masters was what I needed. Cause in the end, you guys in general see the big picture better then anyone else I think. Though I thought many here were USAS swimmers before, maybe I was wrong. I got advises on this topic before not to interfere, not to coach, which I follow strictly. It's not my intention to brag about my kid or competing times here... When you're a swimmer parent, you feel kinda comfortable when a master tells you the swimmer looks to be on the right path. Like, if majority tells me 6x4000m per week for 11yo is too much , then that would ring alarm bells on my side maybe to seek for another club or coach.. Hope this explains my point of view.

Thanks so much. I get what you mean and very much appreciate your feedback. :)

Some of my favorite quotes related to this: - 6 most important words a swim parent should use "I love to watch you swim". Take away, reduce pressure and expectations early on and validate that the athlete is loved and your there for them regardless of how they or the kids around them are doing - "no one ever remembers the fastest 12 year old". Take away, as many have already said here just focus on falling in love with the sport at this age, everything else will fall into place if the coach/team has a long term development strategy - Teri McKeever said of Missy Franklin when she first saw her swim at a very young age something to the effect of "if she can ever get all of that moving in the right direction look out". Take away is coaches can preach and train technique based workouts all day long but some kids just take longer to dial everything in Last thing, every single study in the last 10 years on injuries of young athletes has pointed to early specialization as most likely the leading cause. Play other sports, take breaks, don't rush development of kids 12 and under!