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
This is a great thread and I'd like to put in my two cents. Technical proficiency of a stroke is a critical block in a foundation for swimming success. So, it is indeed important that a swimmer learn proper technique but it's a very rare occurance when a parent can successfully take on that coaching role (not impossible but very very rare). When a parent is so dissatisfied with the coach / program that they want a change. there's a couple questions they should ask themselves.
1) Are they willing to move to a place where they have observed a coach / program and believe it will provide their child the service that will meet their needs?
2) Are they willing to move when or if the coach moves?
3) Would it be better to orchestrate a periodic, coaching and / or swimming clinic to help move the entire program in a positive direction?
4) As their child gets older will other coaches be replacing the previous coach ( a better coach)?
5) Are they willing to apply for an assistant coaching position and potentially become the head coach without undermining the current hierarchy. There's nothing worse than someone wanting to help and ends up creating nothing but trouble causing the old coach headaches and maybe heartaches. Great coaches have been ousted by nothing more than one parent who's great at causing trouble. I know of too many terrible and true stories involving parents of even Olympians who have made coaches either quit or move because of their behavior and back-stabbing :shakeshead:
Anyway, I thought the above ideas were some things to think about. A lot of great suggestions and I hope this parent gets positive results that turn their child into a swimmer the other kids love and not dislike. Good luck, Coach T.
This is a great thread and I'd like to put in my two cents. Technical proficiency of a stroke is a critical block in a foundation for swimming success. So, it is indeed important that a swimmer learn proper technique but it's a very rare occurance when a parent can successfully take on that coaching role (not impossible but very very rare). When a parent is so dissatisfied with the coach / program that they want a change. there's a couple questions they should ask themselves.
1) Are they willing to move to a place where they have observed a coach / program and believe it will provide their child the service that will meet their needs?
2) Are they willing to move when or if the coach moves?
3) Would it be better to orchestrate a periodic, coaching and / or swimming clinic to help move the entire program in a positive direction?
4) As their child gets older will other coaches be replacing the previous coach ( a better coach)?
5) Are they willing to apply for an assistant coaching position and potentially become the head coach without undermining the current hierarchy. There's nothing worse than someone wanting to help and ends up creating nothing but trouble causing the old coach headaches and maybe heartaches. Great coaches have been ousted by nothing more than one parent who's great at causing trouble. I know of too many terrible and true stories involving parents of even Olympians who have made coaches either quit or move because of their behavior and back-stabbing :shakeshead:
Anyway, I thought the above ideas were some things to think about. A lot of great suggestions and I hope this parent gets positive results that turn their child into a swimmer the other kids love and not dislike. Good luck, Coach T.
