How old should a child be when they start to compete?

My mom started me swimming as an infant, on a team at age 3, swimming my first meet at age 4 years, 3 months. (I recently came across the pictures and the times... my first event was 100 meter free, which I swam in 2:51. I was swimming with the girls 6 and under.) When I was five, I earned a high point trophy. I ended up with a few cigar boxes filled with ribbons and metals (that I trashed when I was 11 or 12). When I first started on the team, I remember not being able to count the number of laps that the team was told to swim for warmups (maybe 'cause the coach was giving us yards, not laps?), so I would just swim until I was told to stop. I remember crying silently to myself when I was swimming (tears of course invisible to all), because I hated feeling all alone in the pool, forced to do something that I didn't want to do all the time. I was not allowed to miss a workout. I even had to swim a meet once with a painful boil in my ear; it was horrible. As I got older, I didn't want to be pushed to swim harder or faster. I stopped swimming altogether when I was 13 or 14 (rebelled, refused to go to workouts, played hooky, got involved with boys, drank, took drugs... not all owing to a life of early swimming, I'm sure). I also always had constant cold-like symptoms from the chlorine as a kid, although that, and the burning bloodshot eyes, didn't bother me that much back then. The chlorine just about ate the hair off my head, and the poor (brittle, broken) state of my hair as a young teen really bothered me... I also have very bad teeth and wonder if that problem can be attributed, in part, to the constant chlorine exposure in my childhood. I did enjoy my friends on the team, but it was rather bitter-sweet. Now, at age 41, I have just started back to swimming. It feels good but I don't remember it being such a cardiovascular activity when I was a kid! The 25 yard pool feels much smaller now, although I've recently ventured to a 50 meter pool and still hate it. (I have a sort of mild acrophobic and/or agoraphobic reaction in the deep end of 50 meter pools... grew up swimming in a 25 yard pool.) The one positive thing I gained from the early swimming is that I have fairly good form (had good coaches who taught me before I had the opportunity to develop bad habits on my own). And I mastered the "old school" backstroke turn that I can still manage after not swimming all these years. (I am bummed to hear that it isn't used any more.) I think if my mom had not pushed swimming so seriously at such an early age, I would have kept swimming through high school at least... (My mom also made me play softball on a league when I was first old enough (3rd grade). It was not a good experience (got hit in the mouth with the ball when the coach was trying to teach me to catch high flies overhand, and I wanted to catch underhand), but I was made to finish the season (had to eat sliced bananas and drink milk through a straw while my lips healed). I also couldn't hit the ball (never hit the ball), although I had the strongest throwing arm on the team. I never played again after that year. If I had first played at a little bit older age, and upon my own decision to give it a try, I think it would have been fine, since my coordination would have been better and, thus, the skills easier to learn.) That is just my experience. I am sure there are others out there with better ones. I think little ones should be allowed to swim, if they want, and when their swimming and maturity level is compatible with the event/circumstances. I don't think any sport should be forced on a kid because a parent wants to make an athlete or star out of the kid. Kids will find what they are good at and can enjoy, given gentle introductions, opportunities (that they are free to accept or reject) and encouragement.

My mom started me swimming as an infant, on a team at age 3, swimming my first meet at age 4 years, 3 months. (I recently came across the pictures and the times... my first event was 100 meter free, which I swam in 2:51. I was swimming with the girls 6 and under.) When I was five, I earned a high point trophy. I ended up with a few cigar boxes filled with ribbons and metals (that I trashed when I was 11 or 12). When I first started on the team, I remember not being able to count the number of laps that the team was told to swim for warmups (maybe 'cause the coach was giving us yards, not laps?), so I would just swim until I was told to stop. I remember crying silently to myself when I was swimming (tears of course invisible to all), because I hated feeling all alone in the pool, forced to do something that I didn't want to do all the time. I was not allowed to miss a workout. I even had to swim a meet once with a painful boil in my ear; it was horrible. As I got older, I didn't want to be pushed to swim harder or faster. I stopped swimming altogether when I was 13 or 14 (rebelled, refused to go to workouts, played hooky, got involved with boys, drank, took drugs... not all owing to a life of early swimming, I'm sure). I also always had constant cold-like symptoms from the chlorine as a kid, although that, and the burning bloodshot eyes, didn't bother me that much back then. The chlorine just about ate the hair off my head, and the poor (brittle, broken) state of my hair as a young teen really bothered me... I also have very bad teeth and wonder if that problem can be attributed, in part, to the constant chlorine exposure in my childhood. I did enjoy my friends on the team, but it was rather bitter-sweet. Now, at age 41, I have just started back to swimming. It feels good but I don't remember it being such a cardiovascular activity when I was a kid! The 25 yard pool feels much smaller now, although I've recently ventured to a 50 meter pool and still hate it. (I have a sort of mild acrophobic and/or agoraphobic reaction in the deep end of 50 meter pools... grew up swimming in a 25 yard pool.) The one positive thing I gained from the early swimming is that I have fairly good form (had good coaches who taught me before I had the opportunity to develop bad habits on my own). And I mastered the "old school" backstroke turn that I can still manage after not swimming all these years. (I am bummed to hear that it isn't used any more.) I think if my mom had not pushed swimming so seriously at such an early age, I would have kept swimming through high school at least... (My mom also made me play softball on a league when I was first old enough (3rd grade). It was not a good experience (got hit in the mouth with the ball when the coach was trying to teach me to catch high flies overhand, and I wanted to catch underhand), but I was made to finish the season (had to eat sliced bananas and drink milk through a straw while my lips healed). I also couldn't hit the ball (never hit the ball), although I had the strongest throwing arm on the team. I never played again after that year. If I had first played at a little bit older age, and upon my own decision to give it a try, I think it would have been fine, since my coordination would have been better and, thus, the skills easier to learn.) That is just my experience. I am sure there are others out there with better ones. I think little ones should be allowed to swim, if they want, and when their swimming and maturity level is compatible with the event/circumstances. I don't think any sport should be forced on a kid because a parent wants to make an athlete or star out of the kid. Kids will find what they are good at and can enjoy, given gentle introductions, opportunities (that they are free to accept or reject) and encouragement.