Last weekend, I was at a USS swim meet and heard parents and coaches complaining about the "distraction" of many swimmers now. They blame this distraction (in addition to the rise of the boy/girl crazy period) on the advent of cell phones and IM-ing, etc. Apparently, at meets, and I've seen it, the kids spent scads of time on their cells phones, phoning friends, phoning kids across the pool, texting constantly (even to kids 5 feet away). Then they go home and IM for hours, checking and gossiping over the instant meet results and who beat who. Now, all the swimmers seem to know each other because, even if they're not on the same team or live in different states, they now can communicate easily via IM-ing and texting. I heard one coach say he's not sure how to get his swim kids to focus in this new techo-age. Obviously, some kids are focused like lasers, but I see an abundance of chatting and cell phone use too. Would kids do better without cell phones at meets? And is technology distracting them? Some seem to be swimming blazingly fast, but are others not swimming up to their potential because of this?
My typing skills certainly improved drastically when we started using 'Write' and 'Talk' in college (imagine an incredibly primitive precoursor to instant messaging). I don't think I'm up to texting on a phone though... it's frustrating enough just adding in new names to the phone list.
Oh, and Kirk??? You're not that much older than me... I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to yourself as a 'grizzled veteran'! :laugh2:
Man some people here are really cranky about texting (etc.). Yes it can be a distraction for kids, especially at first. But most do calm down after a while.
I find it extremely convenient to text my kids with short messages. One of the great things about text messages is that like email - they don't require someone to answer a phone. Works great in a noisy indoor swimming pool to ask your kid if he needs more Gatorade. Or my wife can text me to remember something at Lowe's and I can retrieve the item it as if it were a shopping list.
Specifically at swim meets - texting or cell phones are great to reach your child since we parents aren't allowed on deck. Since the child probably has the phone attached to them - there is a high probability of reaching them.
I've used texting to send messages to someone in a business meeting to ask them a question, silently, without interrupting the presentation. It can be very useful.
Being in my mid 20's now... I happend to go thru swimming at a time (early 90's) where there were LOTS of gameboys (yes the BIG one...) since there was little to no connectivity at that time yet most kids (even myself.. until i got bored of it) would turn on the gameboy sit on my towel and play on it till my next race.. As said before always some form of distraction.. at least id rather have there be some form of communication rather then the self isolation of my early swimming years... though sledding in shovels in our swimsuits was fun at the winter meets...:lmao:
personally i lock all my stuff in a locker (combo lock.. as i tend to loose keys around a pool), so all i have to carry is the suit im wearing.. and possibly my camera which in turn i have found is a constructive distraction to the kids as after the race sometimes they would be OH... Now i see what the coach was saying about my stroke.. (usually the older kids..) but they all like to gather and see the pictures of the race that just happened. that said there distracted but at least its with swimming...
GO TEAM!
