Is Swimming Eating Its Young?

One coach (no longer there) gave my son's team a 75x100 set and left the deck for the duration of the set. 5700 pull was another. Absolutely ridiculous. Is this for real? I realize kids need to train hard to succeed, but this seem pointless. :shakeshead:

Which brings up another topic: should there be a minimum age requirement for Worlds or the Olympics? There is, for example, in figure skating. Competitors must have turned 15 the July before the Olympics or Worlds to be eligible. So basically they need to be pushing 16 by the time the actual competition rolls around. Kind of strange considering the public perception of figure skating is that it's dominated by really young athletes. My opinion is age limits like this are not a good idea. If someone is that good that young they deserve the chance to compete at the highest level. Especially something like the Olympics which only comes around every four years. If they're ready to rock and roll, let them become rock stars. You only live twice.

I don't have red hair. But I like it on my avatar. She looks quite comely. And her hair doesn't appear to have chlorine damage. :banana: I dont know any marathoners that wear capes when they run or swim ...:rofl: I am now mild mannered Clark Kent. But I am still going to zing you again. :lolup: First of all, it looks like that mermaid has mascara on. And she's smiling too much. She doesn't look witty and sarcastic. Too goody two shoes. Second, I see to recall from that film noir that she ditched her family and culture for a cute guy. Is this a good message to send to young girls? And she has no mother .... Why is it that in virtually every Disney movie the mother is dead or there is an evil stepmother?! (Snow White, Cinderella, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Bambi, Beauty and the Beast. Sleeping Beauty's mother was so ineffectual, she couldn't get the invitations to the Christening sent out right and Maleficent zinged in. I hope there's a mommy in Happy Feet. I haven't seen that yet. I guesss the dad got offed in Lion King...) This is a good enough reason to ditch that mermaid. I have three other thoughts on theoretically/actually stressed out kids: 1. Since Cruise isn't here, and he seems to be everyone's favorite, I'll substitute a quote for him: "Our earth is degenerate...Childeren no longer obey their parents...The end of the world is evidently approaching." (Ancient Mesopotamian scribe) 2. If childhood is so stressful, why does it last so long? I thought kids were starting to live with their parents until 30. 3. It does seem like some parents push kids who might not want to be Olympians, thus shrinking their childhood and preventing them from climbing trees. Is there any study on the effects of this?

What do you do with this situation? Two teenager girls, three years apart (13, 16). Swim for the same team and same coach. The older one has plateaued, the younger one keeps improving and is actually faster than her sister in some events. The older one is not very happy about swimming because of the lack of improvment, but doesn't want to quit and doesn't know what other sport she would do. How do you keep her motivated? What if she keeps getting more miserable? Do they swim the same events? Are they at the same school? Maybe the younger one is in middle school and the older one can shine in high school? I think girls sometimes plateau in their mid-teens. I did, then I subsequently improved. Maybe the 16 year old has a breakthrough coming soon. Is she lifting weights yet?

What do you do with this situation? Two teenager girls, three years apart (13, 16). Swim for the same team and same coach. The older one has plateaued, the younger one keeps improving and is actually faster than her sister in some events. The older one is not very happy about swimming because of the lack of improvment, but doesn't want to quit and doesn't know what other sport she would do. How do you keep her motivated? What if she keeps getting more miserable?

Do they swim the same events? Are they at the same school? Maybe the younger one is in middle school and the older one can shine in high school? I think girls sometimes plateau in their mid-teens. I did, then I subsequently improved. Maybe the 16 year old has a breakthrough coming soon. Is she lifting weights yet? Not at same school, so one does get to shine in HS. No weights yet. Maybe that'll help. I think all growth has stopped though... I hope she doesn't quit.

Should 11-12 year olds be doing 200 fly in prelim/finals meets? Shouldn't that event just be a timed final so they only have to swim it once? I watched a final of that event last night. One girl literally got out of the pool crying at the 150 point. 2 others looked like they might pass out. Only the winner looked happy in a heat of 8, and this was the "A" final. I'd say these kids are being eaten. Boo.

Should 11-12 year olds be doing 200 fly in prelim/finals meets? Shouldn't that event just be a timed final so they only have to swim it once? I watched a final of that event last night. One girl literally got out of the pool crying at the 150 point. 2 others looked like they might pass out. Only the winner looked happy in a heat of 8, and this was the "A" final. I'd say these kids are being eaten. Boo. i think the Tom Dolan Invitational hosts had it right when they changed all 11-12 200 stroke events to timed finals. there's no reason kids that age should be doing prelims *and* finals for 200 stroke events. i know on the age group team i coach, most of our 11-12 don't even do the 200 stroke events till springtime. even the kids who could survive the event now. with the groups i coach, i luckily don't see too many kids getting eaten, yet... and that makes me happy.