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.
In my mind, this should just not even be an issue. If girls are going to use their periods as an excuse to sit out, they are going to find something else to use as an excuse to sit out. Forcing 13 year olds is not going to accomplish anything. The bottom line is that by this age, they have to want to do it.
Let them learn the hard way that sitting out costs them the edge in competition. Girls that are sitting out or making excuses most likely will not last in the sport through high school and certainly not college.
The girls that truly want to be good swimmers will find a way to minimize the impact their period has on their lifestyle by using tampons. If this means they have to overcome their fear and discomfort, they will do it IF IT IS WORTH IT TO THEM.
If you are having to force 13 year olds to train when they don't want to, best to reexamine the reason why they are there.
In my mind, this should just not even be an issue. If girls are going to use their periods as an excuse to sit out, they are going to find something else to use as an excuse to sit out. Forcing 13 year olds is not going to accomplish anything. The bottom line is that by this age, they have to want to do it.
Let them learn the hard way that sitting out costs them the edge in competition. Girls that are sitting out or making excuses most likely will not last in the sport through high school and certainly not college.
The girls that truly want to be good swimmers will find a way to minimize the impact their period has on their lifestyle by using tampons. If this means they have to overcome their fear and discomfort, they will do it IF IT IS WORTH IT TO THEM.
If you are having to force 13 year olds to train when they don't want to, best to reexamine the reason why they are there.
