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.
Also, the conventional wisdom about a "period" lasting a week is bunk. Most teens bleed significantly for a day or two or maybe three, and then the flow tapers off quite substantially. Even if I could believe a kid needed to skip practice one or two days because of heavy menstrual flow, or cramps, a week is ridiculous. If the kid is really bleeding significantly for a week she needs to see a doctor.
Periods do last a week long and can be extremely heavy, cause stomach cramps and can therefore be difficult to manage - also make one feel weak. I just had to deal with it when I was young. I also know a few friends who were even worse than myself. The contraceptive pill eventually changed all of this for me - it literally cut down the flow to 2-3 days instead of 5-6. It has since been very easy to manage and really not an issue anymore.
If a group of girls are all off at the same time, then they are just skipping for the sake of it surely, - no two women will react the same or cope the same way with their period. And not all of them will be off for a full week! - so it would seem these girls are making excuses.
I do have immense sympathy for those that do suffer heavy prolonged periods, but I also have no sympathy whatsoever for those that use it as an excuse to skip sports activities/work/etc! Time to sort it out like you are doing.
As ex-college coach of women athletes I want you to know that this shouldn't be an issue. Maybe because the women I coached were highly motivated individuals and they wouldn't have never used nor would have I accepted the excuse that one of them couldn't swim because is was that special time of the month.
I would suggest approaching this issue more from a general team concept than one of a women's issue. My question to the athletes would be: are they committed to getting better as a swimmer and do they understand the training program you are putting together for them? Does taking a couple days off help them in their ultimate goals... most likely not! I'm sure there are plenty of coaches that will support you in the fact there is no reason why women (young teenage girls) can't swim while in their menstrual cycle. It would surprise me if the top level teams allowed for this excuse.... to get out of workout. Good luck and get those girls in the water!
Be really careful with this one. You are dealing with kids and thus, parents. You could really run into some problems with parents if you don't handle it carefully.
As a woman, I think it silly for any girl to be afraid to wear tampons and thus, not be able to swim. You must remember, however, that the choice of any girl in this group not to do so is a decision that has been made by the girl and HER MOTHER. Moms know the problem with swimming and periods. If these mothers have decided not to encourage their daughters to wear tampons, then I would be careful with interfering with that decision.
Perhaps you could enlist the help of the school nurse in raising the issue with these girls and their parents. If there is a parent of one of the girls on the team that is a nurse or doc, this would be a good resource as well.
Perhaps you could have swim videos of proper stroke technique for any kid to watch - male or female - when they have to miss practice due to injury, illness, or period. Perhaps another coach or parent could supervise the "video room." For dryland stuff, I would suggest doing exercises using surgical tubing, Swiss ball, and a light medicine ball.
How odd ... Don't these girls have mothers? This should not be an issue, and it definitely shouldn't be your issue. It's hard enough to coach this age. I wouldn't let them sit out. Perhaps the head coach could send home a letter to parents explaining the teams attendance and participation policies. The parents probably aren't even aware they're sitting out.
I coach hs girls (and was one at one time), and granted it is WAY easier for a female coach to broach the subject, but a written absence policy seems to take care of this for me. I straight out have on my policy that your period is not an excused absence. The only time, honestly, that I have encountered this is with family/cultural beliefs (in 9 years) and that of course is a done deal, so no arguments there. What we do when any injury (or period) comes up is dry land- they sweat and basically work so hard on the pool deck that nobdy questions the validity of the condition. I have them run steps or run around or walk fast, whatever, as long as the heart rate goes up. I have VERY limited facilities, so jump rope, steps, and core stuff is all I can have them do. Peers have a lot of influence also, and maybe a mom or two could be recruited to help you with these issues when you know the group better - or you could get a female part time volunteer, something like that.
That said, as one above poster stated, a note from a parent would be MOST helpful and is not out of line at all, I think, especially since they probably need that much to get out of a gym class (and they are very young- it is not like you are asking a college swimmer for the same thing!).
Good luck- and good for you for even asking the question!
Almost sounds like you have a group of girls who just want an excuse to sit out. How perfect that they can use the period excuse so you can't argue! You need to make sure their parents know they are sitting out and why. That may take care of many of them.
I disagree most vehemently with the preceding remarks.
These girls are not of adult size. In order to insert a tampon, you, female, have to stretch the hymen. It's a painful, awkward, and uncomfortable business. They may not want to, or be able to, for a couple of years yet.
These girls, not yet adults, can also get adult-size pains. They are trying to go to school, take tests, and figure out all the rest of it. They may not have regular periods.
A coach could try talking to the school nurse, if a social issue is believed to be the problem. Otherwise, keep things in perspective.
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.
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.)
Don't get doctors involved in this. I already have crazy parents bringing their daughters in to the ER for me to tell them if they are still virgins (apparently they can tell this with 100% accuracy in Mexico).
"Susie can't practice today because she has really bad menstrual cramps."
signed Dr Dickson
Susie needs to go to the "B" team where attendance is optional and everybody gets a trophy for a good effort. (If she were swimming hard enough she wouldn't have periods).:bolt:
This whole issue is ridiculous--my daughter swam her last state meet on her period and my wife actually times her period to occur just prior to her big cycling races (supposedly some V02 advantage or some such nonsense).
Let the underachievers that like missing practice do it on another team.
