Hello! I hope this is the right area for this. My son just learned to swim this past summer and he is now on a competitive swim team. We are so proud of how far he's come. He just had his 3rd meet and his 25 back is at 27.56, his 25 free is at 30.03 and his 50 free is at 1:14.63. He is 8 years old.
My questions are what can I do to help him improve? I know that is rather vague, but I am still learning myself. He loves swimming and is giving up doing all other sports to swim competitively so I know it is his passion. Should I have him wear regular trunks for practice to help give him resistance in the water? Any tip for diving? He kind of just plops a bit almost like a split. Also when doing freestyle he has trouble figuring out how to do his breathing properly.
I appreciate any help you guys can provide. I just want to help my kiddo to the best of my ability. Thanks so much!
I think at 8, the most important thing for him is that he enjoys going, learns to listen to his coaches, and tries his best in practice. He should not practice in a rec suit. Let the coaches figure out what he needs.
I think for parents, support and telling him you are proud of him is more important than any attempt at coaching or teaching. Also, curb enthusiasm. It is easy to overdo our support as parents to the point where it starts to feel like pressure. The sport needs to be fun, especially when so young. It will feel like hard work soon enough if he sticks with it. I'd be careful calling it his 'passion,' even if it really is. My son was a fiend for gymnastics until he was 8. Then suddenly, he did not want to go back. He wanted to play baseball. Things change fast in a little kid's brain.
I just want to help my kid do to the best of my ability.
I know what you meant here, but that was a little slip of the tongue. He's 8, times are irrelevant. He's a kid. Kids should just have fun!!! Jimbosback is correct, just tell him you are proud of him period. He probably has a passion for ice cream too.
Do not have him wear regular trunks. He should wear a jammer or brief whatever most people on his team are wearing and what he wants to wear. You should leave the coaching up to the coaches. You can discuss any concerns with the coach.
Hello! I hope this is the right area for this. My son just learned to swim this past summer and he is now on a competitive swim team. We are so proud of how far he's come. He just had his 3rd meet and his 25 back is at 27.56, his 25 free is at 30.03 and his 50 free is at 1:14.63. He is 8 years old.
My questions are what can I do to help him improve? I know that is rather vague, but I am still learning myself. He loves swimming and is giving up doing all other sports to swim competitively so I know it is his passion. Should I have him wear regular trunks for practice to help give him resistance in the water? Any tip for diving? He kind of just plops a bit almost like a split. Also when doing freestyle he has trouble figuring out how to do his breathing properly.
I appreciate any help you guys can provide. I just want to help my kiddo to the best of my ability. Thanks so much!
Jetta,
The most important thing at 8 years old is having fun and developing good habits. Building a strong swimming foundation is key. A strong foundation leads to some good swimming years as kids get older and they start growing into their bodies.
For now just have him wear a good old fashion brief for practice as he gets older(teenage years) adding a drag suit will help develope a strong catch.
Hope this helps.
As far as swimming
Saw this article today on FB and thought it was appropriate for this conversation, or at least where the conversation lead to. It advocates letting kids jsut have fun in sports and learn all kinds of things.
stevenashyb.wordpress.com/.../
stevenashyb.wordpress.com/.../
An excellent article!!! All the leagues and uniforms and "coaches" for kids makes me so very sad. Kids should be able to just "go out and play" which is what my mother told me everyday to do growing up in the '50s.
Kids don't need adults to coach them. Kids need to explore movement and games and sports. As a kid I used to go across the street to the school playground and play ball for hours on end with whomever showed up. Sometimes we would play softball with two teams of 6 or seven players, and sometimes we would adapt the game and play it with just two people (we did that between two sides of the school buiilding with one wall being the catcher and the other wall the outfield). We figured it out! We had arguments sometimes, but we figured it out. We didn't need "no stinkin' adults". And it was fun. There was no pressure, just basball for hours and hours. My father would stand in the doorway of our house and whistle for me. When I heard him whistle, I'd come home.
The problem today is however, since everyones else's kid is in a league, your kid has to be in a league or he/she will never get to play.
I taught elementary physical education for many years and I find what is happening today is just very sad.
