Greetings all!!
Frequent lurker ... not so frequent poster. I've been swimming Masters for about a year now with my son's USA swim club. After only 45 years out of the water ... I have a LONG way to go, but I am generally feeling better than I have in a LONG time!!
Right now, my wife and I are increasingly concerned about our son who is 14.5 and a sophomore in high school (skipped a grade so he's a bit younger than normal). He's been a age group swimmer since he was 8. From the time he hit about 11, he was the only guy on his team to make it to PNS Champs (we're in Tacoma, WA). He's primarily a breaststroker. (When he was younger, his coach often joked that he ought to swim the *** during freestyle since he was faster doing *** than he was doing crawl!!) In the past couple of years, he has improved to the AG Sectional and Regional Levels. He's still a ways from Jr Nationals (5-10 seconds on his 100/200 *** times). He lettered last year in HS as a freshman and swam at the league and district levels. He was about 4 secs off a state qualifying time. (His immediate goal this year is to make the state time.)
His club swim team coach has ID'd him as having the potential to go much further ... at least into the NCAA level. She's talked to him about it, and he decided that that's what he would like to do. But ...
He also started playing water polo. Played some club last year and is currently on the HS varsity team. He enjoys the fun of the game and being with the guys on the HS team. But, it is taking a lot of time away from his club swim team. And, it's really sapping his energy. He's been pretty sick twice already this school year and seems to always be tired. (I know the easy answer is just to tell him to quit water polo and concentrate on swimming but that's easier said than done. Especially when he's having so much fun with his teammates.)
Our concern is really more than just the polo issue. It's the whole HS vs Club swimming focus. He wants to swim on the HS team again this year (season starts in late November) but it will take away from his club practices. Plus, it takes away a lot of his energy ... last year there were many days where he swam from 5:30-7:00am, then from 2:15-4:30pm with the HS, and then club from 4:30-6:30. Thats a LOT of time for a 14-year old to be in the pool!! (Luckily he's pretty smart so he's able to maintain a 3.5-3.6 GPA without a lot of studying.)
My question is ... how do y'all recommend dealing with this? How, or maybe even should, we balance between club and HS swimming? How did you do it when you were a kid? How are you doing it with your kids now? And, finally, how can we re-kindle and help him maintain his passion for swimming and encourage him to make it to the next level?
My wife and I have never really dealt with this problem before and we really need some advice.
Thanks in advance.
Ken
I know people hate it, but the past perfect tense of "swim" is "swum." You had swum, not swam.
I've wanted to point that out for a long time...so thank you for doing so!
You can say I swam in that pool last week. You can also say I have swum in that pool. But you should not say I have swam in that pool.
Well, first off, congratulations on having a child who succeeds on so many levels. It's a credit to both him and his parents.
As for advice: so many people have recommended you talk to his coaches. Good idea, but what about asking him? He's a bright kid; he will be capable of understanding that 5 hours per day and/or three teams is too much.
That he has been getting sick frequently is a wake up sign. He needs more sleep and rest, both for general health and so he can develop muscle and bone needed for the "next level" of athletics.
I am a soccer, cross country, and track and field coach, both high school and club. I see conflicted kids all the time…especially kids with "Potential". Every coach wants them to dedicate themselves to THEIR sport/team. Kids specialize at younger and younger ages now. Many burn out at younger ages, too - and then don't have other sports to fall back on because they've focused on only one.
So here's my suggestion - first and foremost, listen to what your son thinks is a good plan. Then follow that. But if he is looking for guidance from you, err on the side of "fun": play water polo and/or swim on his HS team. He will be getting good athletic base training (water polo + *** stroke - a natural combo!) and he can always go back to club swimming later. There are many college teams who will take "non elite" athletes with potential, too. Set him up for a lifetime of enjoying aquatics rather that picking the narrow path of pursuing nationals/Olympics/Worlds/scholarships.
Let kids be kids.
I would not advise parents of HS swimmers on our club to have their athletes train that much for many of the same reasons already mentioned. Although it varies not just state by state but in some cases school by school there are a significant number of HS coaches who "release" club athletes to train with their club for a majority of their weekly practices.
For example our sectional level and higher club swimmers go 4 mornings a week (two of those dry land) and 2-3 afternoons with the club...Wednesdays, Thursdays (meet days), Fridays & Saturdays (meet days) they train with their HS. Our better high school coaches recognize that the training they can offer is often limited...40-60 kids in an 8 lane pool with 50-75% non club swimmers can make it a challenge for top level kids to get the training they need, especially those that specialize in 200's and above.
As a H S coach of 22 years boys & girls, do not burn him out!!!! Too many see a great start in swimming & over do it to the point the teenager never wants to do it any more. IF HE wants to do both - yes, talk with both coaches about how to do this. To me, it sounds like WAY TOO MUCH practice. Kids can do this right up to the point they injure themselves to please coaches/parents!!!
