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 coach hs girls (and was one at one time), and granted it is WAY easier for a female coach to broach the subject, but a written absence policy seems to take care of this for me. I straight out have on my policy that your period is not an excused absence. The only time, honestly, that I have encountered this is with family/cultural beliefs (in 9 years) and that of course is a done deal, so no arguments there. What we do when any injury (or period) comes up is dry land- they sweat and basically work so hard on the pool deck that nobdy questions the validity of the condition. I have them run steps or run around or walk fast, whatever, as long as the heart rate goes up. I have VERY limited facilities, so jump rope, steps, and core stuff is all I can have them do. Peers have a lot of influence also, and maybe a mom or two could be recruited to help you with these issues when you know the group better - or you could get a female part time volunteer, something like that.
That said, as one above poster stated, a note from a parent would be MOST helpful and is not out of line at all, I think, especially since they probably need that much to get out of a gym class (and they are very young- it is not like you are asking a college swimmer for the same thing!).
Good luck- and good for you for even asking the question!
I coach hs girls (and was one at one time), and granted it is WAY easier for a female coach to broach the subject, but a written absence policy seems to take care of this for me. I straight out have on my policy that your period is not an excused absence. The only time, honestly, that I have encountered this is with family/cultural beliefs (in 9 years) and that of course is a done deal, so no arguments there. What we do when any injury (or period) comes up is dry land- they sweat and basically work so hard on the pool deck that nobdy questions the validity of the condition. I have them run steps or run around or walk fast, whatever, as long as the heart rate goes up. I have VERY limited facilities, so jump rope, steps, and core stuff is all I can have them do. Peers have a lot of influence also, and maybe a mom or two could be recruited to help you with these issues when you know the group better - or you could get a female part time volunteer, something like that.
That said, as one above poster stated, a note from a parent would be MOST helpful and is not out of line at all, I think, especially since they probably need that much to get out of a gym class (and they are very young- it is not like you are asking a college swimmer for the same thing!).
Good luck- and good for you for even asking the question!
