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.
I was a gymnast growing up so that is where most of my crazy parent stories come from ...
A former teammate of mine broke her foot. Her father told the doctors that she did not need a cast. He REFUSED to let her get one so she could still work on bars.
Same dad, would yell at anyone that had the "audacity" to fall off of bars, beam, etc. We were hear teammates and we needed to look good so she looked good so the college coaches would recruit her.
When her grades were down in high school he gathered all of her medals, trophies, etc. and yelled her that if she didn't get better grades all of "these" were getting thrown out (it is unclear whether or not he actually threw them at her)
The gymnastics stories I have would make your teeth curl ...
A father of a girl I swam with actually became an offical so he could be on deck with his older daughter swam and judge his younger daughter in diving. Niether girl ever said a word to him during a meet. The swimmer made state cuts her freshman year easily by senior year she was significantly slower ...
I was a gymnast growing up so that is where most of my crazy parent stories come from ...
A former teammate of mine broke her foot. Her father told the doctors that she did not need a cast. He REFUSED to let her get one so she could still work on bars.
Same dad, would yell at anyone that had the "audacity" to fall off of bars, beam, etc. We were hear teammates and we needed to look good so she looked good so the college coaches would recruit her.
When her grades were down in high school he gathered all of her medals, trophies, etc. and yelled her that if she didn't get better grades all of "these" were getting thrown out (it is unclear whether or not he actually threw them at her)
The gymnastics stories I have would make your teeth curl ...
A father of a girl I swam with actually became an offical so he could be on deck with his older daughter swam and judge his younger daughter in diving. Niether girl ever said a word to him during a meet. The swimmer made state cuts her freshman year easily by senior year she was significantly slower ...
