Is Swimming Eating Its Young?

Glenn, You are correct that the sport should be fun and kids should be exposed to different physical activities while growing up......... HOWEVER...... this does not lead to better training and aerobic advancement over time at a national level. Pick a sport for pleasure or general physical fitness.... but don't expect talent to overcome lack of training over time when other kids are truly hammering out yardage at a young age. Certainly, quality of training and coaching are paramount, but the fact is, no 14 year old is going to make the top 10 national rankings in their age group in Swimming World magazine if he/she isn't pounding out some early yardage. I have heard several college coaches complain in recent years that kids coming out of highschool don't have the "base" in training yardage they once did in the late 1970s and mid 1980s. The coaches have to spend several years to try and catch them up to where they should be..... if this is even possible by the age of 18 and 19. I hate to say it, but if you don't do a decent amount of yardage (particularly long course) when you are young (9-14) you will have MCUH more difficulty rising to the top of the sport. Then again, if you are just in it for the fun and the general physical fitness...... so be it. John Smith The head coach of our swim team agrees with this statement. He says that, for his senior and national teams, he views his goal/coaching role as building their "cardio machines" to prepare them for college. 9 sound a little young. But I think by 12 they're really starting to crank it up. How else can you swim events like the 200 fly and 400 IM?

Glenn, You are correct that the sport should be fun and kids should be exposed to different physical activities while growing up......... HOWEVER...... this does not lead to better training and aerobic advancement over time at a national level. Pick a sport for pleasure or general physical fitness.... but don't expect talent to overcome lack of training over time when other kids are truly hammering out yardage at a young age. Certainly, quality of training and coaching are paramount, but the fact is, no 14 year old is going to make the top 10 national rankings in their age group in Swimming World magazine if he/she isn't pounding out some early yardage. I have heard several college coaches complain in recent years that kids coming out of highschool don't have the "base" in training yardage they once did in the late 1970s and mid 1980s. The coaches have to spend several years to try and catch them up to where they should be..... if this is even possible by the age of 18 and 19. I hate to say it, but if you don't do a decent amount of yardage (particularly long course) when you are young (9-14) you will have MCUH more difficulty rising to the top of the sport. Then again, if you are just in it for the fun and the general physical fitness...... so be it. John Smith The head coach of our swim team agrees with this statement. He says that, for his senior and national teams, he views his goal/coaching role as building their "cardio machines" to prepare them for college. 9 sound a little young. But I think by 12 they're really starting to crank it up. How else can you swim events like the 200 fly and 400 IM?