Swimming on your Period?

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 06:09:48 GMT

I disagree to this. They are middle school girls I am one myself. I have had my period. I do NOT use tampons. I haven’t even looked at one. They are not for young girls. We have stuff to do in school so we want to be comfortable and not worry about if we used the tampon right or not. If you try to make them use them your gonna have some angry parents. Young girls should not have to worry about using tampons yet. They should not have to use them if they don’t feel comfortable with the idea of them. It can cause pain and discomfort we have more stuff to worry about than that

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 05:41:12 GMT

Well, when I started up again in the 40's still some periods. Not always fun. Now that I'm 59 years old, no periods,yeah.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:35:58 GMT

I found this age group the trickiest to coach. I was at one club where a group of five girls were giving me a hard time at every workout. Their parents were never at the pool and didn't know what was going on. Also, I was never comfortable with the period problem. One evening, I'd arranged for an international female swimmer to come to the club. She was the local hero - everyone knew her, and looked up to her. While I took the session with just the boys, she took the girls upstairs to a room over the pool. She explained everything to them, and covered all subjects. She was very complementary about me too, which helped enormously. From that day on I never had a problem with these girls. They changed their attitude completely. I also changed my approach. I made the workouts much more fun than I had done before. It's worth remembering that swimmers of all ages do not have to come to the pool. They have a choice. Make the sessions enjoyable and interesting, to the point that they don't want to go home and you will have a great team, and a great time too.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:50:29 GMT

Just pointing out that the middle school girls mentioned in the 2008 OP are now out of high school and about midway through college. Dan I was thinking the same thing... :bliss:

RE: Swimming on your Period?

ForceDJ — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 09:15:31 GMT

Just pointing out that the middle school girls mentioned in the 2008 OP are now out of high school and about midway through college. Dan

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Bobinator — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 08:43:35 GMT

I'm a long time Track, XC, and gymnastics coach at the middle school level. These girls are milking you because you are a male. I will say that you are probably NOT the person who needs to talk to the girls about this situation. Perhaps you could enlist an activity-friendly female PE Teacher,female- nurse, or maybe just meet with the parents of the girls and explain the need to train and the fact that physical activity will lighten their cramps, help them feel normal during their periods, and help them understand how the wonders of puberty will help them build muscle mass and become a stronger, faster swimmer. Having a period is not a sickness, it's truthfully a gift and it shouldn't be treated as a curse. It is totally possible to swim without a tampon if the girl's aren't using them. Once they're in the water the flow will stop; the key is to get in immediately upon deck arrival. Good luck. I still teach PE and Health in the public schools. I believe our society is turning kids into wimps these days. We need to empower our young and teach them to take great care of their body through proper nutrition and exercise. Even though pushing yourself can be a hard thing to do, the mental/physical strength gained by breaking an uncomfortable barrier can help gain self-efficacy and teach kids that they are not a victim of their body; they have total control to be healthy, strong , and unflappable!

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 07:29:37 GMT

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. Menstruation is a part of life for women and teens. From the time they get their period until menopause, most women especially teens dread that time of the month. It isn't comfortable, unless and until the use proper menstrual products. Tampons are safe to use while swimming but they fail to provide long lasting protection as compared to menstrual cups. You can view this link to help your girls to enjoy swimming during their periods.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 07:04:00 GMT

Alright so this is extremely tricky. First off if you only have 20 girls on the team and 6-7 are sitting out every day then someone is lying to you because periods should only last around a week. Second off I started using tampons in middle school and while I was scared it was fine HOWEVER I can attest that tampons are frighteningly unreliable in the pool. Tampond will absorb pool water and the blood that comes after will be pushed past. I can't even tell you the amount of times I've gotten out of the pool only to see blood running down my leg (and I've got a regular to light flow) the only reliable thing I can think of would be menstrual cups (which are way harder to put in and even scarier for a middle school girl) I would recommend sending an email to the parents gently suggesting to bring the subject up with them (send this to all the girls parents not just the ones who are a problem) and hopefully the mothers will take care of it. Please keep in mind that this probably has not happened to them many times before and they are probably embarrassed and scared about what is happening to their body not to mention some girls get extremely menstrual symptoms (I would ask for a doctors note confirming that the symptoms are quality of life reducing and not just some cramps). Another good thing to do would be get a female swimmer friend to come in and talk with all of the girls as a group privately. That might help the most. Good luck

RE: Swimming on your Period?

gobears — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:05:06 GMT

Let's see. We had an hour of free time today in practice. I sorta planned that to be on Friday, but the whole 4 swimmers thing... I've taught them things like dolphin dives, they tell me they really like the start, turn, finish 50s. I got them a mascot that they seemed to really like. I gave them time to create their own cheers, and time to practice them - they did a really nice job with taht in the meet too (but I forgot a thank you/goodbye cheer). I try my best to compliment the things I see good. I plan to buy a poster board tomorrow, for which I've already bought stickers - each time they get a personal best they earn a sticker to go on the board. I've gotten a lot of compliments from parents, too. I'm only particularly critical of these 4, and to be perfectly honest, I only WANT to keep 2 of the four. The two I don't want to keep are lazy and have horrible attitudes. And I still feel that one of them could stand to learn a lot if she stayed - she's started to try, but she's very irresponsible - she's the type that fails classes because she doesn't like them, she's already told me she's going to do that for one of them. It's really sad, but if I keep riding her, she'll either quit, or she'll become more responsible and hopefully mature a little bit. In a way I'm teaching more than just swimming. However, the other one is flat out lying to me. I can't exactly check. So how can I call her out on it? Sounds like you're trying hard to make it positive and fun. I think the negativity in your posts was sheer frustration. And I can see why you are frustrated! I'd be annoyed as well. For your own sanity, though, do what you can but let it go after that. You can only do so much to encourage someone (and you may very well be making a difference in this girl's life without knowing it). This girl sounds like she doesn't have a whole lot of support or encouragement at home. I think the team/parent meeting is a good idea. Perhaps going into your goals for the team and its prior history will be instructive for both the parents and the swimmers. I think rules and sanctions go over more successfully when swimmers understand your intentions are for their best. Man, I hope you get this worked out soon. Hang in there and let us know what happens...

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:40:48 GMT

One more thought and then I'll try to shut up. It occurs to me, ML, that you might need to sit back and evaluate your coaching. Your two posts concern me in that they sound awfully judgmental for a middle school swim coach (both about the girls and their parents). You might ask yourself if there is a reason these girls don't want to swim. Are you making sure you are including the (very important--IMO) element of fun in practices? At this age level (and non-USAS) that's a pretty big deal. Maybe you're good about all that, but it's worth looking at for a moment. Too much intensity at this level is sort of silly. And, maybe if there were some kind of incentive to be in practice more, more girls would find ways to get in the water despite their bodies. Maybe you have some kind of fun reward for swimming so many practices a month? You'll catch way more bees* with honey than with vinegar, or so they say...Let's see. We had an hour of free time today in practice. I sorta planned that to be on Friday, but the whole 4 swimmers thing... I've taught them things like dolphin dives, they tell me they really like the start, turn, finish 50s. I got them a mascot that they seemed to really like. I gave them time to create their own cheers, and time to practice them - they did a really nice job with taht in the meet too (but I forgot a thank you/goodbye cheer). I try my best to compliment the things I see good. I plan to buy a poster board tomorrow, for which I've already bought stickers - each time they get a personal best they earn a sticker to go on the board. I've gotten a lot of compliments from parents, too. I'm only particularly critical of these 4, and to be perfectly honest, I only WANT to keep 2 of the four. The two I don't want to keep are lazy and have horrible attitudes. And I still feel that one of them could stand to learn a lot if she stayed - she's started to try, but she's very irresponsible - she's the type that fails classes because she doesn't like them, she's already told me she's going to do that for one of them. It's really sad, but if I keep riding her, she'll either quit, or she'll become more responsible and hopefully mature a little bit. In a way I'm teaching more than just swimming. However, the other one is flat out lying to me. I can't exactly check. So how can I call her out on it?

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:31:39 GMT

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.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:02:50 GMT

I know some USA teams would never tolerate this situation. As I said before, the girls that are going to want to excel will find a way to minimize the impact their period has on their swimming. Those are the types of girls that will swim in a top level practice in a USA group. I have a problem, though, with the idea that age-group swimming is only for the elite. There are young ladies that desire to compete in swimming that may just want to be low-key about it and not swim when they are having their periods or want to miss a practice to go to a dance. This should be o.k. for a teenager to do. I'm particularly concerned about one 7th grade girl. She's miles above everyone else, one of my best swimmers, and she seems to be friends with the lazy ones who don't seem to care. I've got 2 in particular that seem to be influencing her in a negative way. Today, a group of 4 of them tried to skip practice to watch their schools basketball game, which happened during practice. Three weren't very good swimmers. All of them were seventh graders, and one was that one good swimmer. I gave them all strikes, and then an hour into practice (we had free time for an hour, which I planned to do on Friday, but nobody showed up today so we did it today instead) and I gave them all the chance to get that strike removed if they swam for the second half of practice. One was particularly indecisive... and I don't know why. One had to go home... which has been a constant problem with her... I've had to call her mom to see if I can get her to stay longer than an hour (practice is 2 hours). One has been on her period for the past 11 days... I don't think she wants to be on the team, and one forgot her suit - she's the good swimmer. Normally, when they forget their suit I give them a strike and tell them they can work it off by doing a dry land work out. It sorta warns them, but doesn't let them miss a practice. She said she wanted to find a suit, but then couldn't' find it, so I told her she could do the dry land work out, and she didn't want to, claiming that her shoes were slippery. The girls at this school have a reputation for being spoiled. They used to skip practice for basketball games all the time. They used to work out for maybe 45 minutes tops. The other coach had no control of the team. They're really not used to being held responsible for showing up and trying hard. I've had to have two speeches where I simply said, "I don't care if you can't do it. I care if you don't try."

RE: Swimming on your Period?

elise526 — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:18:52 GMT

Well, you are working with a fairly tough age-group. I coached kids that age and taught 7th grade civics and 8th grade world history at my child's school. I can relate to what you are dealing with. What I used to tell kids that age was that I would treat them like adults until they proved to me why I should not. This seemed to be very effective. It respected their independence yet when they decided to act immature, the consequences were serious. For example, if the girls skipped practice to go to a basketball game, the punishment should be that they are not allowed to swim in the next meet. Don't threaten; show you mean business. Since some of these girls feel comfortable enough to tell you about their classes, talk to them about why they are letting themselves down by not trying their best. Find a way to show them that you believe in them. Kids work hard for coaches that believe in them. Many of the troubled ones and apathetic ones actually crave this from somebody. You are in a position to make a very positive difference in somebody's life. Be positive, but firm.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:48:15 GMT

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?

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:58:36 GMT

RE: Swimming on your Period?

gobears — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:52:42 GMT

gobears - I'm going to have to take issue with you here. You seem to have in your mind that I think girls are delicate little flowers. It appears that you did not read my posts on my suggestion towards those that chose to sit out. Why in the world would you think a former female triathlete would view girls as being delicate flowers? My view is no different than what dorothy expressed. I've coached a female to go on and swim 4 years for a Division I school in the SEC. She will tell you that I certainly do not allow for petty excuses and probably was one of the hardest coaches she ever had. I, however, have watched a young lady close to my family with an eating disorder sitting on death's doorstep several times. I have had a sister of a close friend die at 16 from complications connected to anorexia. I take very seriously girls being overly pushed and controlled. Again, I think dorothy's response is right on the point here. I think we're saying mostly the same thing. It's just that you and George seem to think ML should not require anything of these girls to weed out the ones with true problems from the ones that are using this as an excuse. I never accused you of thinking women were delicate flowers (though I do wonder about George, given his comments). What I did say was: "I don't think George or Elise are allowing for the idea that some of your girls are just being lazy." And that's what I meant. I do think, given ML's representation of the numbers, that some of the girls are being manipulative. You and George seem to be saying (and correct me if I'm wrong) that a note from Mom and some accountability is extreme. I don't happen to think so. I agree that Dorothy's post was right on. I said so. All that said, I think you are mixing up topics here to some extent. What does the prevalence of eating disorders have to do with any of this? Of course a coach shouldn't be making comments about weight (ML--take note) but that's not the issue here. No one is saying these girls have to swim because they are fat pigs if they don't! They should swim because they signed up to swim! I don't think you are really advocating that the coach should let the girls run the show and do whatever the heck they feel like doing just so they don't feel at all "controlled." Life is full of rules and standards. Girls have to get used to that just like anyone else.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

dorothyrde — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:01:57 GMT

I am very torn on this. I have had tampons fail and know the embarrassment that comes with it.I also know that swimming actually makes it easier to deal with the cramping and makes me generally feel better afterwards. But after my little mishap I am always paranoid while I swim and upon exiting the pool, and I seriously can't relax anymore. So on the worst days it just is not worth the trouble. I also have a 10 year old that I am praying won't have to deal with this until she is in her mid teens, but you bet that I will talk to her that it is not something to be used "lightly" as an excuse. Good luck on your 10 year old. I thought my daughter would be much older because she was teeny tiny. Nope, 2 months after her 12th birthday and then her body changed in another 2 months(shocking her poor dad). I think it is more dependant on genetics than size of body.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

dorothyrde — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:00:06 GMT

Sounds like a school team. I did much of the training for my daughter this fall to get her ready for HS, and also was the representing coach for the two girls from her school for sectionals(no HS team). One thing I did with her was to try and think of dry-land work-outs that were hard but beneficial for her swimming. Don't make the dry-land a punishment, but use it to do things that will aid their swimming and that you normally do not have time for during regular swim practice. Running is beneficial for swimming, most girls this age have poor core strength and poor upper body strength. Hamstrings are usually weak, flexibility can be poor in some of them. Work on these things, but make them worthwhile and beneficial. This is not a by for them, just a different type of work-out. They should be sore from it. My daughter recognized that exercise does make her feel better, but is also intimidated to go to practice with boys in the water with her(she has to practice with the club team). At sectionals, both she and the other girl were having their periods, but it was not as much of an issue. It was all girls, and since they were comfortable with me, they talked to me about their fears, and I helped them with that. They also supported each other(doing the subtle checks for leaks and such). They both swam well, and were happy when they left....and both said it really sucked that this happened on their big meet. These girls are 15 and 16, with younger girls it is much harder, they are making an uneasy transition, and for many girls, it is hard.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

gobears — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:20:02 GMT

You've got a tough situation there which is similar to the one that ruined the team my daughter is on a few years ago: About four 12-14 year old females, only one of which was any good, getting dropped off and then playing on the golf-course, walking by the pool and generally being disruptive when in the pool. I understand each of those kids is worth 80-100 dollars a head, but many of the serious swimmers left for other teams because of the disruption caused by these four swimmers who eventually quit anyway. The main problem you have is kids run the earth. If I got in trouble at practice, my parents would be mad at me; now it must be something the coach did. Parents don't back teachers or coaches at all. I say if you can afford it, get rid of them and their sorry parents who buy in to their kid's load of crap. This isn't about periods; it's about lazy kids and miserable parenting.:blah: Was this a USAS team? Makes a BIG difference.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

gobears — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:19:03 GMT

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Kurt Dickson — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:07:42 GMT

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:40:53 GMT

I guess I am equally "mean" to both genders- my hs boys team (a separate season from the girls) also need their absences to be excused, which is appropriate for a varsity sport. I understand that the kids in question (on this thread) are middle schoolers, so make of this what you will. I do not want details on their maladies, but knowing a parent is aware of the situation is good for any age under college age (I work with ages 6 to 60 right now, and am a parent of kids fast approaching middle school age, so have some basis for this belief). I do not think giving boys OR girls alternate workouts is punishment, per se, and my teams do not view it that way either - there are plenty of things they can do that will benefit their swimming which do not involve getting wet at certain times of the month, and daily workouts together are a great team builder so I would hate to just send a group home each day.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

gobears — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:11:56 GMT

It sounds like some girls aren't lying, and are embarressed. It sounds like some girls are taking advantage of the situation. The difficult thing is, the embarrassed ones are going to get hurt by the ones taking advantage. BTW, tampons are not for everyone. My daughter tried and tried, and just does not like them....so she sits out a couple of days a month. When she was 12 until she was about 13.5 she had her periods every 20-21 days, which was really bad and she was not a heavy person, she started when she weighed 90 pounds and is about 110 now at 15. This is not a thing a mother forces on a daughter, this is about her body and it is her decision how to handle it. If it is a school team and there are no try-outs to be on the team, then your job is to get the most out of the ones who want to participate fully, and the most(which will not be as much) on the ones who are slackers. Then the ones who paticipate fully get to prime swim spots on relays, and events, because they earned it. This is a good response. It does sound like you have a few girls with some "issues" regarding their period. Yes, it's perfectly understandable that they would have embarrassment issues. Given the way a few of the men on this board have reacted to even talking about menstruation, and the way that girls that age can be pretty mean to each other, it is a potentially very embarrassing matter. I wish that were not the case--it shouldn't be. ML--I feel for you as it does sound like some of the girls are taking advantage. How could it be otherwise with the numbers you've given? However, your last two posts make you sound a little harsh. You're not going to have much success coaching girls if you think that berating them is an effective strategy. My suggestion was to make sure they know they can't run roughshod over you and miss practice on a whim. A note from home lets the parents know what's going on and leaves you free and clear when a girl doesn't swim very well at the end of the season. I don't think George or Elise are allowing for the idea that some of your girls are just being lazy. They are not delicate flowers that have to be tiptoed around. However, girls are different than boys. Menstruation is not a fun or easy transition for a *** girl. The girl you say is "incredibly fat" is already aware of that fact and probably not real happy she's that way. To take those facts into consideration is a MUST if you want to be successful coaching girls. It has nothing to do with talking down or pampering women because we can't take the tough stuff. It has to do with using the best psychology to get the best results. As I told my husband when we first got married and started lifting weights together, women don't tend to respond well to negative feedback. Telling me I'm a wuss and that your grandmother can lift more than I can will not tend to make me motivated. Instead I'll think you're a jerk and go find somewhere else to lift. However, if you tell me I'm doing great I'll give you even more effort. I think (and correct me if I'm wrong gals) that most women respond better to positive reinforcement. Let the girls know that you have expectations. Make their parents aware of those expectations and their daughters' practice habits. Require a note and then don't judge a parent for the decision they make. That's where you let the girls who practice more reap the benefits and those that don't see where that gets them. The monkey's off your back that way. Be careful, as a coach, not to judge the parents too harshly. It's especially easy to do when you aren't a parent.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

dorothyrde — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:26:41 GMT

It sounds like some girls aren't lying, and are embarrassed. It sounds like some girls are taking advantage of the situation. The difficult thing is, the embarrassed ones are going to get hurt by the ones taking advantage. BTW, tampons are not for everyone. My daughter tried and tried, and just does not like them....so she sits out a couple of days a month. When she was 12 until she was about 13.5 she had her periods every 20-21 days, which was really bad and she was not a heavy person, she started when she weighed 90 pounds and is about 110 now at 15. This is not a thing a mother forces on a daughter, this is about her body and it is her decision how to handle it. If it is a school team and there are no try-outs to be on the team, then your job is to get the most out of the ones who want to participate fully, and the most(which will not be as much) on the ones who are slackers. Then the ones who paticipate fully get to prime swim spots on relays, and events, because they earned it.

RE: Swimming on your Period?

Former Member — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:04:00 GMT

I agree. This is not a mandatory activity. And I've told them at least a dozen times they can quit. You've got to understand. Kids aren't logical. They're there for social reasons. If they were logical, they would just meet up after school and hang out. They would say, this guy is hard. I don't like him. I don't think I will be on this team. But the more you try to make them quit, the harder they work. And to be perfectly honest, I'd rather see that.