Greetings
OK I am calling on all of you current/former competitors and/or age group coaches and parents. I am the parent of a 13 yo age grouper who is crazy about swimming. In his current season he has gone from a B/A swimmer to a sectional qualifier. He has worked very hard since last September and will swim sectionals in mid March. Here is my question. Should I require that he backs off or stops swimming in the spring and summer just for resting purposes. He is like a young colt that will just keep on swimming if not reigned in. He loves to swim and compete. I worry about burning him out. I want him to still like to swim when he is my age. By the way I have no personal competitive swimming background so all of this is new to me.
Regards
Spudfin
Spudfin, you sound like a refreshingly great swimming parent. You have what some lack which is a long-term perspective. I think if you just assure your swimmer that your goal for him is to have fun and you hang in there with him if he plateaus here and there (which he will if he keeps swimming long enough) he will be fine. I wouldn't limit his swimming but I would make sure he remembers that he needs to be well-rounded. I swam through college and on the National level. I also coached age-groupers for 10 years. I've seen my share of scary swimming parents and burned out swimmers. You sound like one of the parents who'll take their competitive urges to the pool yourself and not live through your kid. Bravo to you!!!
Spudfin, you sound like a refreshingly great swimming parent. You have what some lack which is a long-term perspective. I think if you just assure your swimmer that your goal for him is to have fun and you hang in there with him if he plateaus here and there (which he will if he keeps swimming long enough) he will be fine. I wouldn't limit his swimming but I would make sure he remembers that he needs to be well-rounded. I swam through college and on the National level. I also coached age-groupers for 10 years. I've seen my share of scary swimming parents and burned out swimmers. You sound like one of the parents who'll take their competitive urges to the pool yourself and not live through your kid. Bravo to you!!!
