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.
This is not East Germany of the past.
They must have a note from their parents??? I think not.
I believe most are carrying this thing a little too far.
Leave the little girls alone and let them decide what they should do...
I agree. This is not a mandatory activity. This is supposed to be something these girls are doing for fun. It is not a military academy.
I don't doubt girls this age are hardy as I was one myself. What I am more concerned about is over-controlling coaches and parents. When it comes to matters of young female teen bodies, one is dealing with a dangerous area. Until we no longer have problems with female athlete triad and eating disorders, nobody will convince me otherwise.
The problems I mention all stem from a young girl's need to control her body. Menstruation and how a young girl handles it mentally is a body issue and best left to the girl. If she wants to excel and push herself through it, than let her, if she doesn't, then let it be.
Sorry, ladies, there's no getting away from the fact that 90% of disordered eating cases are seen in females. I've seen too many times the emotional toll the extreme cases exact on the families. So, like George, I say let the girls be happy and figure it out for themselves.
This is not East Germany of the past.
They must have a note from their parents??? I think not.
I believe most are carrying this thing a little too far.
Leave the little girls alone and let them decide what they should do...
I agree. This is not a mandatory activity. This is supposed to be something these girls are doing for fun. It is not a military academy.
I don't doubt girls this age are hardy as I was one myself. What I am more concerned about is over-controlling coaches and parents. When it comes to matters of young female teen bodies, one is dealing with a dangerous area. Until we no longer have problems with female athlete triad and eating disorders, nobody will convince me otherwise.
The problems I mention all stem from a young girl's need to control her body. Menstruation and how a young girl handles it mentally is a body issue and best left to the girl. If she wants to excel and push herself through it, than let her, if she doesn't, then let it be.
Sorry, ladies, there's no getting away from the fact that 90% of disordered eating cases are seen in females. I've seen too many times the emotional toll the extreme cases exact on the families. So, like George, I say let the girls be happy and figure it out for themselves.
