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.
Ask your daughter which program is more fun, and take her lead.
Or shop around. A lot of places have more than one competitive team. Maybe there is one that has better coaches and more suited to what you and your daughter wants. There are also people who give one on one, or one and two private lessons, and if they are good, they can really help a young swimmer with technique.
Getting DQ'd will not be the end of the world either. I remember my son struggling with learning the breastroke pull out. He just could not figure it out. At a little dual meet, he did it backwards, kicked first, then pull down, and the meet ref very patiently explained what he did wrong. He was bummed because he had won the event, but then he told me he finally understood how to do it right.
Ask your daughter which program is more fun, and take her lead.
Or shop around. A lot of places have more than one competitive team. Maybe there is one that has better coaches and more suited to what you and your daughter wants. There are also people who give one on one, or one and two private lessons, and if they are good, they can really help a young swimmer with technique.
Getting DQ'd will not be the end of the world either. I remember my son struggling with learning the breastroke pull out. He just could not figure it out. At a little dual meet, he did it backwards, kicked first, then pull down, and the meet ref very patiently explained what he did wrong. He was bummed because he had won the event, but then he told me he finally understood how to do it right.
