I just became the coach of my first swim team, and I, being a male, am having a hard time with the whole period thing. My girls are middle school level, and a little shy about the subject, as am I. Now, I know that you can swim on your period by using a tampon, but they cringed at the idea. However, on a 20 girl team, I've got as many as 6-7 girls sitting out daily because of it. I know that's far FAR too high. I'm about this close to going out and buying a box of tampons to shove in their face if they don't dress.
So my questions are:
How necessary is it that you wear a tampon? Is it an every day thing? are there times when it's worse than others?
And, how can I easily make the lives of the swimmers who don't swim (and keep in mind it has to be for a group of 6-7 people) a living hell. I need a dry land work out that can be done on the pool deck that takes little effort to watch (so I can coach the other girls) and something they can't really slack off - I keep giving them push ups and they barely go down.
I really can't think of anything outside of making the actual swim session fun, so if you guys have ideas on how to do that too it might work, too. It need to work on something important though.
I am amazed, and frankly skeptical, that these girls would tell you that they are sitting out because of their periods. Adult women don't seem to be so embarrassed to mention their periods but I cannot imagine a 13-year-old girl telling her male coach anything about it. When I was a 13-year-old swimmer my teammates and I never even talked about our periods (or lack thereof) among ourselves, much less with our male coach.
Also, the conventional wisdom about a "period" lasting a week is bunk. Most teens bleed significantly for a day or two or maybe three, and then the flow tapers off quite substantially. Even if I could believe a kid needed to skip practice one or two days because of heavy menstrual flow, or cramps, a week is ridiculous. If the kid is really bleeding significantly for a week she needs to see a doctor.
I am with those who can imagine no reason these girls need to skip practice because of menstruation. I concur with Fort's recommendation to make sure their parents know they are skipping, and know the stated reason. Then make your own attendance policy clear, and the same for boys and girls, and enforce it. These girls are going to be menstruating ten to thirteen times a year for the next 40 years, excluding pregnancies; might as well figure out now how to keep it from interfering with the rest of their lives.
I am amazed, and frankly skeptical, that these girls would tell you that they are sitting out because of their periods. Adult women don't seem to be so embarrassed to mention their periods but I cannot imagine a 13-year-old girl telling her male coach anything about it. When I was a 13-year-old swimmer my teammates and I never even talked about our periods (or lack thereof) among ourselves, much less with our male coach.
Also, the conventional wisdom about a "period" lasting a week is bunk. Most teens bleed significantly for a day or two or maybe three, and then the flow tapers off quite substantially. Even if I could believe a kid needed to skip practice one or two days because of heavy menstrual flow, or cramps, a week is ridiculous. If the kid is really bleeding significantly for a week she needs to see a doctor.
I am with those who can imagine no reason these girls need to skip practice because of menstruation. I concur with Fort's recommendation to make sure their parents know they are skipping, and know the stated reason. Then make your own attendance policy clear, and the same for boys and girls, and enforce it. These girls are going to be menstruating ten to thirteen times a year for the next 40 years, excluding pregnancies; might as well figure out now how to keep it from interfering with the rest of their lives.
