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
Parents
Former Member
Hi
I'm writing from Australia where swimming is our most popular sport for girls aged 8 to 16 years. I'm hoping RAC will still read this. I came across the thread by accident but I read it with fascination. I think RAC has been treated very rudely by the members on this thread, and some have 'projected' onto him the 'crazy swimming parent' image they have, very unfairly. The guy just loves his daughter and wants her to be the best she can be at swimming. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I can tell you I am just like RAC - I have a 9 year old daughter - and I have similar worries as he. And I am not alone. At our swimming club, there are a lot of parents who spend 1.5 hours every day of the week sitting by the pool watching our chilren swim simply because WE LOVE OUR CHILDREN and we want enjoy watching what they do. We don't tell the coach what to do, we don't shout at our children, we don't say anything other than 'you swam well today'.
I think the 'crazy parenting' bullying says more about your experiences with swimming, very sad actually, than RAC.
Some feedback for RAC on what he actually asked for.
In Australia, my daughter swims for one of the leading clubs in Sydney (Australia's largest city). Her current times are:
50m free 33.7
50m back 38.2
50m fly 38.6
50m *** 48.8
She is top 10 in NSW (our largest state) for her age in free and back and top 15 fly and top 15 ***.
What makes her good?
Physically, she is pretty big for her age. Coaching, fantastic coach focuses on technique not yardage. Mentally, she is competitive, listens and learns quickly. Social environment, she enjoys being part of the team and her friends. Personal motivation, she sets herself targets and has pride in her achievements.
But she is not the best. There is a 10 year old in Sydney who swam 1.08 for 100 m fly at a meet yesterday. It was beautiful to watch her swimming, she was graceful and powerful. Probably swim at the olympics one day. What makes her so good? Physically, she is a giant for her age. But technique is the key at that age. She has been exceptionally well coached.
As for the 'elephant in the room' for the wise sages of U.S. Masters swimming kicking this poor guy to death, burnout for young swimmers due to pushy parents. Bull ***. In Australia we've tracked this pretty well. While many good young kids quit of course, the top kids can be easily tracked (its all on the internet nowadays) and most of the really good kids say 4-8 years ago, are still swimming and still top of their age groups.
Two points to close.
1) Libby Trickett (Australia's world record holder freestyler) once did a talk to our swimmers and she explained how she didn't make Nationals till she was 17 (and almost quit at 14) but soon after nationals she was swimming at the olympics. So that supports the U.S. Masters sages' point about developing late rather than the child prodigy thing.
I actually believe that being good at 9 only matters if it keeps your child interested in swimming. Swimming is a great sport for teaching life skills and for your fitness and self-esteem. I just want my daughter to keep swimming.
2) I accept the points about pushy parents. I know my daughter is swimming every day at age 9 for me and she punishes her body at meets so she doesn't disappoint me. And that makes me feel bad. But I also see the benefits it has for her in making her feel good about herself, her sense of achievement, her health and well-being, and her friendships. Pushy parents aren't all bad. Sometimes our only crime is that we love our children too much.
RAC is not a bad parent. He just wants his daughter to succeed at life. I think her times are good and she is already a good swimmer. My adice? Get a new coach. Keep going to every training session and enjoy loving your daughter. It is a special time and it goes so fast. But let her find her own motivation as well, otherwise she''ll grow to resent you and quit.
Best regards.
Hi
I'm writing from Australia where swimming is our most popular sport for girls aged 8 to 16 years. I'm hoping RAC will still read this. I came across the thread by accident but I read it with fascination. I think RAC has been treated very rudely by the members on this thread, and some have 'projected' onto him the 'crazy swimming parent' image they have, very unfairly. The guy just loves his daughter and wants her to be the best she can be at swimming. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I can tell you I am just like RAC - I have a 9 year old daughter - and I have similar worries as he. And I am not alone. At our swimming club, there are a lot of parents who spend 1.5 hours every day of the week sitting by the pool watching our chilren swim simply because WE LOVE OUR CHILDREN and we want enjoy watching what they do. We don't tell the coach what to do, we don't shout at our children, we don't say anything other than 'you swam well today'.
I think the 'crazy parenting' bullying says more about your experiences with swimming, very sad actually, than RAC.
Some feedback for RAC on what he actually asked for.
In Australia, my daughter swims for one of the leading clubs in Sydney (Australia's largest city). Her current times are:
50m free 33.7
50m back 38.2
50m fly 38.6
50m *** 48.8
She is top 10 in NSW (our largest state) for her age in free and back and top 15 fly and top 15 ***.
What makes her good?
Physically, she is pretty big for her age. Coaching, fantastic coach focuses on technique not yardage. Mentally, she is competitive, listens and learns quickly. Social environment, she enjoys being part of the team and her friends. Personal motivation, she sets herself targets and has pride in her achievements.
But she is not the best. There is a 10 year old in Sydney who swam 1.08 for 100 m fly at a meet yesterday. It was beautiful to watch her swimming, she was graceful and powerful. Probably swim at the olympics one day. What makes her so good? Physically, she is a giant for her age. But technique is the key at that age. She has been exceptionally well coached.
As for the 'elephant in the room' for the wise sages of U.S. Masters swimming kicking this poor guy to death, burnout for young swimmers due to pushy parents. Bull ***. In Australia we've tracked this pretty well. While many good young kids quit of course, the top kids can be easily tracked (its all on the internet nowadays) and most of the really good kids say 4-8 years ago, are still swimming and still top of their age groups.
Two points to close.
1) Libby Trickett (Australia's world record holder freestyler) once did a talk to our swimmers and she explained how she didn't make Nationals till she was 17 (and almost quit at 14) but soon after nationals she was swimming at the olympics. So that supports the U.S. Masters sages' point about developing late rather than the child prodigy thing.
I actually believe that being good at 9 only matters if it keeps your child interested in swimming. Swimming is a great sport for teaching life skills and for your fitness and self-esteem. I just want my daughter to keep swimming.
2) I accept the points about pushy parents. I know my daughter is swimming every day at age 9 for me and she punishes her body at meets so she doesn't disappoint me. And that makes me feel bad. But I also see the benefits it has for her in making her feel good about herself, her sense of achievement, her health and well-being, and her friendships. Pushy parents aren't all bad. Sometimes our only crime is that we love our children too much.
RAC is not a bad parent. He just wants his daughter to succeed at life. I think her times are good and she is already a good swimmer. My adice? Get a new coach. Keep going to every training session and enjoy loving your daughter. It is a special time and it goes so fast. But let her find her own motivation as well, otherwise she''ll grow to resent you and quit.
Best regards.
