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
In light of the history of this team, it sounds like a parent/team meeting may be in order. The issues go way beyond tampons and attitude.
I can only relate to this as a parent by using my son's hockey team as an example. Each coach lays out very specificially what is excused (nothing) and what is expected (100% at all times, no absences, no excuses--at age appropraite levels). Parents go into the season knowing this ahead of time. The boys are expected to call the coach if they are late or not able to be there, not the parents. Boys sign contracts about behavior, attitude, etc.
I could go on, but you get the gist.
At my son's level, it is very structured with high expectations. At the club level, rules are much more lenient, however the coach still lays out expectations and appropriate behavior WITH the parents and players at a meeting.
In light of the history of this team, it sounds like a parent/team meeting may be in order. The issues go way beyond tampons and attitude.
I can only relate to this as a parent by using my son's hockey team as an example. Each coach lays out very specificially what is excused (nothing) and what is expected (100% at all times, no absences, no excuses--at age appropraite levels). Parents go into the season knowing this ahead of time. The boys are expected to call the coach if they are late or not able to be there, not the parents. Boys sign contracts about behavior, attitude, etc.
I could go on, but you get the gist.
At my son's level, it is very structured with high expectations. At the club level, rules are much more lenient, however the coach still lays out expectations and appropriate behavior WITH the parents and players at a meeting.
