George asked whether age group swimmers are being bullied/pressured into swimming by parents, coaches and friends. Are they? Are parents living out their "unfulfilled dreams" through their young ones, as Geek suggested in another thread? Share your funniest/saddest story about overbearing swim parents or coaches.
When my sister competed for our local Y (this was years back since we're both in our fifties), my mom would go to meets, but more for support than for the screaming/demanding "you have to win" stuff. In fact, she was quite a mellow spectator. She'd have her knitting and work on it until my sister's events, when she'd cheer for my sister, then go back to her knitting until the next event. If my sister won something, great, but if not, no matter, my mom remained proud of her "little girl" (she called us her "little girls" almost until the day she passed away at 83). Other parents would rush up to her asking "what's your daughter's time?" "I don't know," my mom would truthfully say... it never really mattered to her. Just that my sister was out there giving it her best shot was all that mattered. My mom encountered a lot of "stage parents" up there in the gallery, and I think they so turned her off that she never wanted to be like them.
I think because of that, the parents among my sibs have similar outlooks.
When my sister competed for our local Y (this was years back since we're both in our fifties), my mom would go to meets, but more for support than for the screaming/demanding "you have to win" stuff. In fact, she was quite a mellow spectator. She'd have her knitting and work on it until my sister's events, when she'd cheer for my sister, then go back to her knitting until the next event. If my sister won something, great, but if not, no matter, my mom remained proud of her "little girl" (she called us her "little girls" almost until the day she passed away at 83). Other parents would rush up to her asking "what's your daughter's time?" "I don't know," my mom would truthfully say... it never really mattered to her. Just that my sister was out there giving it her best shot was all that mattered. My mom encountered a lot of "stage parents" up there in the gallery, and I think they so turned her off that she never wanted to be like them.
I think because of that, the parents among my sibs have similar outlooks.
