My son is 13 and this is his first year swimming in a club. For many different reasons he was late getting into the sport and slow to warm up to it but right now he is loving it and wants to do everything he can to get better. The problem is he is not getting better fast enough (for him). I keep telling him to be patient and put in the work, but it's completely devastating to him to go to meet after meet and have marginal improvements. I want to stress that he is the one who wants this - to improve his times, to get faster, to not be dead last in every event. He is very much aware of where he is right now. He does not want to be an Olympic swimmer, obviously, just a better one than he is right now. We talk about improving in relation to his own times, not comparing himself to others, enjoying the fun of it, but he is 13 and I guess it's not great for your self esteem when your times are so much worse than your teammates. He keeps asking me, when is it going to kick in for him. Right now he swims 4 times a week about 2 hours each practice. He does some dryland (not much). I guess what I am asking is - what can we do to help?
Swim 5 or 6 times a week or maybe 7 to 9.
Put him in the best most convenient swim program.
There's a lot of ways for a motivated young swimmer to get faster.
Improve technique,
get stronger,
train harder and faster,
better coaching
I wrote swim faster faster with tons of tips.
Watch youtube videos of elite swimmers and copy their technique.
please share more details
height weight
events and times by age
But also please let swimming be HIS thing, consider backing off, let him and his coach figure things out.
Don't get too wrapped up in it. We've all seen swim parents who are too eager and pushy and it never ends well.
Just be a dumb loving swim parent,
make sure your child has the equipment he needs and drop him off and pick him up on time for practices and meets.
Don't watch him practice and let swimming be his thing.
Ask a few questions like
Are you having fun?
How was that swim? then listen
Let your kid be a kid and let him have fun.
Swim 5 or 6 times a week or maybe 7 to 9.
Put him in the best most convenient swim program.
There's a lot of ways for a motivated young swimmer to get faster.
Improve technique,
get stronger,
train harder and faster,
better coaching
I wrote swim faster faster with tons of tips.
Watch youtube videos of elite swimmers and copy their technique.
please share more details
height weight
events and times by age
But also please let swimming be HIS thing, consider backing off, let him and his coach figure things out.
Don't get too wrapped up in it. We've all seen swim parents who are too eager and pushy and it never ends well.
Just be a dumb loving swim parent,
make sure your child has the equipment he needs and drop him off and pick him up on time for practices and meets.
Don't watch him practice and let swimming be his thing.
Ask a few questions like
Are you having fun?
How was that swim? then listen
Let your kid be a kid and let him have fun.
