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.
Parents
Former Member
It would seem for me you can't judge how much you may bleed from one month to the other, but tampons are obviously the best solution to go for. So swimming in the water at the pool is FINE...UNTIL>....
...until you get OUT the pool - yikes! Because 'that area' is already wet, it increases the likelyhood of leaking at the bottom part of the tampon and picks up blood and it can then exit and run down wet legs!! I have not experienced that in public as such (! - made damn sure it would NOT, EVER), but know that if I don't get to the bathroom/shower changing rooms quickly after a swim and have period, I feel very very conscious of it. Perhaps the solution for the kids is to let the girls go to the bathroom without issue after a workout - let them deal with it, then come back to the pool side.
So to exercises OUT the pool after a workout - that would be hell on earth for me if I could not get to the loo, and I'm 35!!
Also I know that coughing, doing jerky movements ALSO has the potential for me to cause leaks - now add a skimpy wet swimming costume and you're in trouble. It's hard for women - well we get used to it, we make a few excuses, but we adapt - we have to...!
I mean, let me ask - what WOULD you think if YOU saw a girl who was leaking doing sit-ups? It would be a massive humiliation...wouldn't it?
Hope this helps.So... let me fully understand. It's only a problem after they get out? So, at tomorrows meet, the one girl who is on her period (we had 6 the day before, but today it was one, obviously they think they wont get to swim if they miss the day before) so if I had a girl there with a towel to cover her up after words, do you think it would work? They have sweats they can wear at meets, and during practice we do sit ups before we even get in.
Regardless, I'm trying to tread very carefully with this issue. I called the parent of this girl who missed today, and I took her out of one of the races. Her dad was very understanding and I think I convinced him to encourage her to swim.
And, here's the thing, when I talked to the parents, they said that their daughter just didn't want to be humiliated. I didn't ask this, but what's there to be humiliated about? She's on a girl's swim team. All the girls have this problem. Are the parents going to laugh? Boys? Can't it be avoided with a towel? I mean, I didn't want to command the parent and I kept a soft polite tone, but c'mon.
As far as the six kids sitting out during practice. I think I will have another talk, I will write a letter to the parents, and I've started keeping track of the girls who miss practice. I had one girl out Wednesday before Thanksgiving, she's still out. She's obviously lying, and lucky me, she wondered off during practice, instead of doing the dry land workout, then came in with her coat on, ready to leave. When I asked her where she was, she proudly said, "chillin'." So I sent her home while everybody was watching. I think it sent a message, we mean business. I only wish I had thought of saying, "Well, you can chill at home. So go home." Don't you hate when those catchy lines come to you after the time to use them has passed?
It would seem for me you can't judge how much you may bleed from one month to the other, but tampons are obviously the best solution to go for. So swimming in the water at the pool is FINE...UNTIL>....
...until you get OUT the pool - yikes! Because 'that area' is already wet, it increases the likelyhood of leaking at the bottom part of the tampon and picks up blood and it can then exit and run down wet legs!! I have not experienced that in public as such (! - made damn sure it would NOT, EVER), but know that if I don't get to the bathroom/shower changing rooms quickly after a swim and have period, I feel very very conscious of it. Perhaps the solution for the kids is to let the girls go to the bathroom without issue after a workout - let them deal with it, then come back to the pool side.
So to exercises OUT the pool after a workout - that would be hell on earth for me if I could not get to the loo, and I'm 35!!
Also I know that coughing, doing jerky movements ALSO has the potential for me to cause leaks - now add a skimpy wet swimming costume and you're in trouble. It's hard for women - well we get used to it, we make a few excuses, but we adapt - we have to...!
I mean, let me ask - what WOULD you think if YOU saw a girl who was leaking doing sit-ups? It would be a massive humiliation...wouldn't it?
Hope this helps.So... let me fully understand. It's only a problem after they get out? So, at tomorrows meet, the one girl who is on her period (we had 6 the day before, but today it was one, obviously they think they wont get to swim if they miss the day before) so if I had a girl there with a towel to cover her up after words, do you think it would work? They have sweats they can wear at meets, and during practice we do sit ups before we even get in.
Regardless, I'm trying to tread very carefully with this issue. I called the parent of this girl who missed today, and I took her out of one of the races. Her dad was very understanding and I think I convinced him to encourage her to swim.
And, here's the thing, when I talked to the parents, they said that their daughter just didn't want to be humiliated. I didn't ask this, but what's there to be humiliated about? She's on a girl's swim team. All the girls have this problem. Are the parents going to laugh? Boys? Can't it be avoided with a towel? I mean, I didn't want to command the parent and I kept a soft polite tone, but c'mon.
As far as the six kids sitting out during practice. I think I will have another talk, I will write a letter to the parents, and I've started keeping track of the girls who miss practice. I had one girl out Wednesday before Thanksgiving, she's still out. She's obviously lying, and lucky me, she wondered off during practice, instead of doing the dry land workout, then came in with her coat on, ready to leave. When I asked her where she was, she proudly said, "chillin'." So I sent her home while everybody was watching. I think it sent a message, we mean business. I only wish I had thought of saying, "Well, you can chill at home. So go home." Don't you hate when those catchy lines come to you after the time to use them has passed?
