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.
No one is suggesting "forcing" anyone to do anything. My suggestion is to inform the parents and require a note. I think this might be a case of *** girls just being *** girls and wanting to be social. No one is saying they have to follow the Phelps training method here. But by requiring some accountability you force them to either choose to swim to be on the team or choose to do something else. I highly doubt there are that many who have real problems--the numbers are too far off.
Let the ones that really care about swimming learn on their own that socializing comes with a price, e.g., they won't swim as fast as Susie Q who never misses a practice. Perhaps if they learn it now, college will not be such a rude awakening with all its social opportunities. :drink:
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...
Or are you living in the past? Women/girls are actually fairly hardy creatures. I wonder if you'd say the same thing if it were a group of boys saying that they wanted to sit out of practice routinely. Or would there be a double-standard? No one is telling these kids they have to be on the swim team. Presumably they want to be part of the team. If so, they should do what the team is doing unless there is a note from Mom that states they can't.
I think girls secretly enjoy this "special time" as a neo-sociological-psuedo-sanctioned excuse to let their inner beauty shine through for the men in their lives!
And I thought I was perfectly happy and social on Geek 9:27 and at the Sprint Classic ... :D :bolt:
Gee, George, that's a great idea. Let's let a bunch of teenage hormonal drama queens decide how to run the show ...
And I thought I was perfectly happy and social on Geek 9:27 ... :D :bolt:
That was a very enjoyable day. I get to enjoy that place for three days next weekend.
Let's just put it this way for all males out there: - a period is similar to a nose bleed.
Without going into details I will just say (vehemently): Not for everyone.
Have we stopped to consider one thing. Almost...I will say almost everyone is saying the girls are doing this with the intent of getting out of practice.
Granted, I will agree that maybe the case but how do we know the coach isn't overstating the number of missed practices and the number of girls missing practice?
It seems that almost everyone just takes a coaches side of the story. How do we know the coach isn't stretching the truth about the details to make him/her look right and put more blame on the kids than they actually deserve because he/she doesn't know the proper way to handle the situation.
Along the note lines, how about a written note from the doc? Then, those very few girls who are really affected, will have a valid excuse. Those that are faking or whose parents don't know what's going on will have to man up. Those that have tampon issues may then be forced to have a frank discussion/ lesson with mom and/ or older sis.
And create a swimming attendance policy (all the high school swim teams around here have swim team attendance policies.)
