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
My friend Kris Kubik coached Chas Morton in Nashville
From 10 and under on Chas was breaking all kinds of National Records
When Chas was 12 and swimming very fast Kris push him into 2 a day work outs with the older kids.
looking back i wish my parents would have pushed me harder sooner
but maybe if they did I might have rebelled back and quitThe difference here is that the coach pushed Chas to two-a-days at 12 and not his parents. That is a coach's job--to know when to push and when to back off. I have seen very few truly successful and happy elite level swimmers who were pushed there by their parents. Funny enough, the best swimming parents (and most low-key) are often ex-swimmers who understand this. The pushiest and most obnoxious parents are very often those who never swam and know little about the sport in the first place (and, of course, consider themselves experts after watching a week's worth of practices...)
My friend Kris Kubik coached Chas Morton in Nashville
From 10 and under on Chas was breaking all kinds of National Records
When Chas was 12 and swimming very fast Kris push him into 2 a day work outs with the older kids.
looking back i wish my parents would have pushed me harder sooner
but maybe if they did I might have rebelled back and quitThe difference here is that the coach pushed Chas to two-a-days at 12 and not his parents. That is a coach's job--to know when to push and when to back off. I have seen very few truly successful and happy elite level swimmers who were pushed there by their parents. Funny enough, the best swimming parents (and most low-key) are often ex-swimmers who understand this. The pushiest and most obnoxious parents are very often those who never swam and know little about the sport in the first place (and, of course, consider themselves experts after watching a week's worth of practices...)
