Hi: I'm new to this forum, but it looks like a great place to get information.
I have an 8 year old girl who was in a VERY relaxed semi-competitive program for a couple of years with volunteer lifeguard coaches. This season she joined a competitive club - we thought this would be a good place for her to get her technique improved while she was still young.
Unfortunately, this club's junior coach has never swum competitively, has only coached one year, and has yet to finish her level 1 certification. None of those 3 is a killer, but together they scare me! Also, the coach seems very reluctant to discuss anything with parents, so we're feeling a little uneasy.
I'm not a pushy crazy parent, and I don't want to interfere with the coach. I do want to help my daughter's technique, however, especially her breastroke. She's clearly got some potential there, and I want to ensure things progress. She's swimming 3 times a week, 90mins each tme.
Any suggestions? Should I get a book (any recommended) and try to work with her myself a little (I'm an ex - very ex - competitive breastroker). Should I video her and seek out a coach who can comment? Should I just butt out, hope and pray? I can't pull her and go elsewhere (and I'm not sure I would, as she likes it there, and that's very important).
She also has a very rigid straightleg freestyle kick that causes her legs to tire very easily - combined with her high head position this complicates things for her freestyle. I want to work on that too, so any suggestions?
Any comments appreciated.
Parents
Former Member
As for fun, she was having just as much (maybe more) at the lower level. (the extra money saved would go an awful long way towards her college fund). I am concerned as to whether she'll still find it fun if she gets DQ'd, but I think she's relatively safe from that.
Re do I know more about coaching? As regards any normal coach, obviously I would say No. As regards this coach... I don't know - I know I know more about the strokes. I had no intention of getting involved in the coaching - I figured now that she had a real coach I could get out and leave it to the experts. But that's the problem - she clearly isn't. She isn't correcting major problems, including those that will get kids dq'd.
Re safety - again, because of everything else, I am worried, but I'm no expert - hence the question. I know I don't like seeing them doing all that heavy stretching before they've even warmed up, but I'm reluctant to interfere. I'm hoping that's ok for younger kids, but it's not something I feel comfortable with.
I wouldn't hire a coach for the very reason you've enumerated. I don't want a conflict. (although there isn't any technique instruction going on to interfere with...) I think instead I just want to stop her technique from getting REALLY bad habits, and I don't really trust myself. So, ideally I'd just like some answer that kind of gently guides her towards some stroke improvement. I don't want her going backwards!
So, do people really believe that it doesn't matter what bad habits she picks up between the ages of 8 and 10? That all of that will simply "right itself" later on? I have some trouble accepting that.
As for fun, she was having just as much (maybe more) at the lower level. (the extra money saved would go an awful long way towards her college fund). I am concerned as to whether she'll still find it fun if she gets DQ'd, but I think she's relatively safe from that.
Re do I know more about coaching? As regards any normal coach, obviously I would say No. As regards this coach... I don't know - I know I know more about the strokes. I had no intention of getting involved in the coaching - I figured now that she had a real coach I could get out and leave it to the experts. But that's the problem - she clearly isn't. She isn't correcting major problems, including those that will get kids dq'd.
Re safety - again, because of everything else, I am worried, but I'm no expert - hence the question. I know I don't like seeing them doing all that heavy stretching before they've even warmed up, but I'm reluctant to interfere. I'm hoping that's ok for younger kids, but it's not something I feel comfortable with.
I wouldn't hire a coach for the very reason you've enumerated. I don't want a conflict. (although there isn't any technique instruction going on to interfere with...) I think instead I just want to stop her technique from getting REALLY bad habits, and I don't really trust myself. So, ideally I'd just like some answer that kind of gently guides her towards some stroke improvement. I don't want her going backwards!
So, do people really believe that it doesn't matter what bad habits she picks up between the ages of 8 and 10? That all of that will simply "right itself" later on? I have some trouble accepting that.
