I won't go into any details because I don't know who might be reading this, but after my son's first day of USS he does not want to go back. He hadn't been in the water in 6 weeks (summer rec)and worked so hard (swam over 500 yards!) and did some of the best kicking (compared to the other kids with fins!).
I won't make him go back, but we now need to find a way to get him feeling good about what he HAS accomplished in swimming.
Anybody else, swimmers themselves for a long time, teach their own children to swim? We originally didn't want to, but we are now convinced that that is the best thing for our son. Help please :)
Parents
Former Member
As one who has coached swimmers as young as 5, I agree with much of the advice that has already been given. In my experience, 5-year-olds vary widely in their temperment, attention span, and competitive desire.
I agree with Stephanie that what is most important at this point is what he wants to do. 5 years old is a pretty young age for any kind of competitive sports. A few kids are really gung ho about it at that age (particularly if they have older brothers or sisters who are competitive swimmers and they want to be part of the excitement). And, if that's the case, I wouldn't discourage a kid from doing it. But I definitely wouldn't push him into more of a commitment than he wants to make at this point.
I also agree with Dorothy that you should shop around to see if there are other teams in your area that are better attuned to your son's needs.
Bob
As one who has coached swimmers as young as 5, I agree with much of the advice that has already been given. In my experience, 5-year-olds vary widely in their temperment, attention span, and competitive desire.
I agree with Stephanie that what is most important at this point is what he wants to do. 5 years old is a pretty young age for any kind of competitive sports. A few kids are really gung ho about it at that age (particularly if they have older brothers or sisters who are competitive swimmers and they want to be part of the excitement). And, if that's the case, I wouldn't discourage a kid from doing it. But I definitely wouldn't push him into more of a commitment than he wants to make at this point.
I also agree with Dorothy that you should shop around to see if there are other teams in your area that are better attuned to your son's needs.
Bob
