Hey everyone, wasn't sure were to put this questions so I decided to place it here. I also wanted to get some opinions from knowlageable swimmers like yourselves so I hope you don't mind me asking this.
Here's the story..
My daughter is 9 years old and has been competing for about 8 months but taking swimming lessons since the age of 3. She's extremely descent for her age (about 35 seconds 50 free, 43 seconds 50 fly, 45 seconds 50 back and 43 seconds 50 ***) just to give you an idea. I decided to pull her off the current team as I feel he was not improving enough as her coach did very little technique training and put her in private lessons with someone I think can really help her learn the little things to make her faster.
Anyways, here is the other thing.
During her swim meets I noticed another 9 year old girl who is swimming with times such as 32 seconds 50 free, 32 seconds 50 fly, 38 seconds 50 *** ect and could not believe it. Keep in mind this girl JUST turned 9!
My question is this,
How is it that a 9 year old child can swim times as fast as many of the top 11, 12 or 13 year olds? Is this a freak of nature? Is it just good coaching? Physical strength? or what.
I did not think it was possible for kids this age to swim so fast. Is there any hope for my daughter to "catch up" to kids like this?
I would like to know everyones opinion on youth marvels like this. I believe this kids has gotten as fast as she will get but that's my own personal opinion. She is sort of short and perhaps as she matures other kids will eventually get taller and stronger and catch up to her times?
If you were in my shoes what would YOU do with your daughter to help her attain these kinds of times?
Thanks
Interesting thread this and getting to the heart of a parents dilemma about talented athletic children. I have a son who is a good golfer and always loved the sport and from about 7-10 improved a lot… I got to the point when he reached about 12 when I had to decide what to do in terms of coaching? Did I pull him out of the local teams and county structure and pay a decent coach to get the best out of him? I agonised about this for some time and in the end decided not to and left him alone with little direct input except financial and moral support. He is naturally quite lazy and isn’t really driven enough to make the commitment. I made it clear to him that I would do anything he wanted BUT only if I saw the commitment from him!
His is now 16 and plays off 5, which for those who know, is good but not great. There is absolutely no question that he could be lower – probably scratch or better but this would have required a level of internal commitment from him, which just wasn’t there! Now the $m question is – had encouraged/pushed him a bit more, how much better would he have been? As mentioned above he is naturally quite lazy and so I believe he would be a lot better and actually quite happy – as his motto is why do something yourself when there is a perfectly good adult to do it for you?
My point is that IMO the only way that children should be totally committed to a sport is when the drive is coming from within them and not from their parent. This is a very fine line as support can look like coercion and can also end up being about the parent’s dreams an desires rather than the child? In my son’s case he knows that I will do whatever he wants if he is prepared to do the planning and work necessary to succeed – but bottom line is he just doesn’t care enough and that is absolutely fine... I would prefer a happy balanced child doing teenager stuff but not excelling at sport, if that’s what he wants. Basically excellence needs to come from hard graft and commitment – if it isn’t based o these principles it will end in tears….
I am also reminded of Tiger Woods when reading this thread – yes he is a phenomena and the most successful athlete in the world but did his dad do him a favour or not? For those who are students of athletics remember the middle distance runner Seb Coe? He had a very interesting relationship with his dad who was also his coach and IMO he got it right Seb was driven and his dad used all his skill and intellect to support and guide him to the top of the world! Seb is now leading the 2012 Olympic preparation in the UK.
Sorry I ended up not talking about your daughter but about the wider question – but forums are democratic by their nature. Good luck to you…
In the end you have to do what you think is best for you and your daughter. Remember there is plenty of time – I took up triathlon in my 20’s and made the national team with no help or support from parents – that experience put me is great stead for the rest of my life and all the good things that flow from achieving at the highest level.
Interesting thread this and getting to the heart of a parents dilemma about talented athletic children. I have a son who is a good golfer and always loved the sport and from about 7-10 improved a lot… I got to the point when he reached about 12 when I had to decide what to do in terms of coaching? Did I pull him out of the local teams and county structure and pay a decent coach to get the best out of him? I agonised about this for some time and in the end decided not to and left him alone with little direct input except financial and moral support. He is naturally quite lazy and isn’t really driven enough to make the commitment. I made it clear to him that I would do anything he wanted BUT only if I saw the commitment from him!
His is now 16 and plays off 5, which for those who know, is good but not great. There is absolutely no question that he could be lower – probably scratch or better but this would have required a level of internal commitment from him, which just wasn’t there! Now the $m question is – had encouraged/pushed him a bit more, how much better would he have been? As mentioned above he is naturally quite lazy and so I believe he would be a lot better and actually quite happy – as his motto is why do something yourself when there is a perfectly good adult to do it for you?
My point is that IMO the only way that children should be totally committed to a sport is when the drive is coming from within them and not from their parent. This is a very fine line as support can look like coercion and can also end up being about the parent’s dreams an desires rather than the child? In my son’s case he knows that I will do whatever he wants if he is prepared to do the planning and work necessary to succeed – but bottom line is he just doesn’t care enough and that is absolutely fine... I would prefer a happy balanced child doing teenager stuff but not excelling at sport, if that’s what he wants. Basically excellence needs to come from hard graft and commitment – if it isn’t based o these principles it will end in tears….
I am also reminded of Tiger Woods when reading this thread – yes he is a phenomena and the most successful athlete in the world but did his dad do him a favour or not? For those who are students of athletics remember the middle distance runner Seb Coe? He had a very interesting relationship with his dad who was also his coach and IMO he got it right Seb was driven and his dad used all his skill and intellect to support and guide him to the top of the world! Seb is now leading the 2012 Olympic preparation in the UK.
Sorry I ended up not talking about your daughter but about the wider question – but forums are democratic by their nature. Good luck to you…
In the end you have to do what you think is best for you and your daughter. Remember there is plenty of time – I took up triathlon in my 20’s and made the national team with no help or support from parents – that experience put me is great stead for the rest of my life and all the good things that flow from achieving at the highest level.
