9 Year Old Marvel What? But How?

I think I can check all of those and add an advantageous birthday. I think Malcolm Gladwell mentions this in one of his books. Something about a study of youth hockey teams shows that the majority of elite players were born early in the year since January 1 is used as the cutoff date. So the kids born early in the year have up to a year more experience than those born late in the year.

I think Malcolm Gladwell mentions this in one of his books. Something about a study of youth hockey teams shows that the majority of elite players were born early in the year since January 1 is used as the cutoff date. So the kids born early in the year have up to a year more experience than those born late in the year. It matters in swimming. Here is an interesting article on the subject: swimswam.com/.../

There's a parenting book called Love & Logic that suggests parents should act as consultants to their kids, guiding them to solve their own problems, rather than constantly rescuing them (ie being helicopter parents.) That's funny, I looked up the book, the Love and Logic institute is just a mile down the road from us, had seen their building but never knew what they did. Going back to your original post on this thead on what makes fast youngins you wrote: There's plenty of 9 year olds who can do those times who's to say makes her able to could be good coaching? might be Physical strength? might be great technique might be great body shape might be her mental attitude and beliefs I think I can check all of those and add an advantageous birthday. It will be interesting as soccer changes from sign up and play to try out and a lot more serious after this spring season as she moves from 9 to 10yr old. She enoys soccer for the same reason she loves swimming, hanging with her buddies, but her team will get split up and put on two or three different teams next fall after tryouts.

… I came with my worries, after reading all of this I intend to go home, hug her, tell her how proud I am of her and wish her the best when soccer comes around. An excellent plan!

This has all been a long drawn out way of getting to our fears that she was going to be left behind by not staying with the year round team and going back to soccer and hence the search and find of this thread this morning. To everyone here, I came with my worries, after reading all of this I intend to go home, hug her, tell her how proud I am of her and wish her the best when soccer comes around. She still intends to do summer club ("Dad, I would die for them!") and we will see what she wants to do next fall, next fall. USA Swimming should add this thread to their parents page. Glad to read this thread helped give you some perspective on your / her situation. 9 is young and there's plenty of time. I think you have a great plan to "hug her, tell her how proud you are of her" and I suggest that you'll be there to support her dreams and help her do what she wants (within the family budget of time, logistics, and $) Let her be a little girl, but try to weed out momentary whims from her true desires and intentions. There's a parenting book called Love & Logic that suggests parents should act as consultants to their kids, guiding them to solve their own problems, rather than constantly rescuing them (ie being helicopter parents.)

Really interesting thread. Getting a good basis in technique seems to be a key in the earlier years, and it seems that should be the focus for the young ones. I got into swimming rather late (11-12 age group) and the few meets my dad attended were followed by 'helpful' comments like - 'if you would just you could shave 2 seconds off your time!' Now, don't mistake me - he's a great loving dad. He just didn't realize the effect these comments had on my young impressionable self. The subtext I internalized was 'you didn't do a good enough job'. It was well into adulthood before I realized he was proud of me and just trying to help me reach my potential. Kids just really want to please their parents after all! All I can say is that I'm super happy I don't have kids yet. I'm sure I would completely screw them up. Anyway, seems that RAC hasn't checked in for a while and I'm really curious to get an update. His daughter must be 14 or so by now - how is she doing? Is she still swimming? Are RAC's parenting efforts continuing to achieve his daughter's success? Inquiring minds want to know!

Afterall, Phelps started late and look at him Not really. He started swimming at seven and by the age of 10 had NAG records. Phelps was dominant pretty much from the beginning.

First, I would take a step back and go to the USA Swimming website and click on the "Parent" tab. Then I would read all the articles I could about the parent's role with the Swimmer, Coach, and Club. http://www.usaswimming.org Kids develop at different ages. The sport is rife with anecdotes about "marvel" 8-year-olds who dropped out at a young age, while kids who matured later excelled in the big meets on the world's stage. Swimming is a magnificent sport for athletes of ALL ages and abilities. Having an excellent experience is not reserved for just the fastest swimmer. Nancy Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Nancy. Glad people are getting this! Swimming is far more than the fastest time. Ask this? Who is the child getting the times for and why? Getting them for themselves or because they are pushed both in positive and or negative ways? Jsut because a child is an early bloomer as they are called this has nothing to do with where they will be 5 years from now. More so the sport of swimming is personal to some extent. It is about goal setting not always time chasing. I, like Nancy HIGHLY suggest the articles on the USA Swimming site as suggested and the league that Michael Phelps swam for a s child aslo has some great literature. The important thing is that the kids have fun (number one reason they sate for swimming) so that they stick with it as they get older. Who cares how they are doing if when they are 24 they hate to swim because of how they were pushed when they were younger. You cannot by any means judge how a child will be by looking at where they are now. Afterall, Phelps started late and look at him. Others before him has swam like your son since the begning. Instead of focusing on the times, focus on the character building that comes with swimming as there is far more to gain from that than there is comparing one child to another or inadvertantly pushing you child away from swimming as they get older. Yes, you want to know how they swim so fast and there is not easy answer. Some kids just find the physiology of the water sooner than others and some kids have reached their peak in their great times as they fight the water but truly lack the best technique. My suggestion would be to look on the USA swim site as well as the ASCA site for coaches in your area and if you have that kind of distain for the coach and they are registered then you may should bring it to someones attention. Regarless your emphasis is on your childs time. It all takes time, sometimes even years. You say you dont have the time to coach your child but it very well seems you do. How about taking a step back, gathering thoughts, and not caring about the other 9 year old wonders. Who cares how they do it. How did Phelps do it and why can't locte do it? To each their own as every sport. I also hate it because when you child hits puberty you could be in for another rude awakening. If you want to see a happy loser you should try going to some Master meets. Pretty happy losers I would say, epsecially when we have drink afterwards. Just take time to read some articles like suggested and look around. Someitmes we just need new look on things and some room to breath. Dont overwhelm yourself with things we do not know like how some do great while others "lag". Some things only god knows.

On the other end of the spectrum Rowdy Gaines started swimming at 17 and within 5 years held 11 World Records. Some swimmers are more "naturals" than others.

I am myself dad to a 9 year old girl. Never done swimming as a youngster, I just love this sport and this was my first option when my girl was old enough to start sport in an organized manner. Extremely interesting thread. I'm not going to comment on the OP and his second appearance in the thread. But I think the thread is great for the parents of young swimmers. My girl started swimming at our local club at 7 and since then she always told me she loves swimming. I confess that in these two years I was very "implicated" in her development, mainly watching accomplished swimmers on Youtube and trying to emulate their technique, when I thought coaches were not giving good enough technical advice. I was also pushing her, checking she didn't forget the advice I was giving her before training. I guess I was all wrong. This thread was an eye opener. I never realized how early 9 years old is for someone trying to become a swimmer. I never realized that "fun" was so important at this age. I think I asked her ten times today "are you sure that you love what you do?", "are you sure you're not doing it just for me?". She answered "yes" and she was quite puzzled at the kind of questions I was asking her. So I guess all is good for us, nothing wrong happened. Thank you to all who contributed to this thread. Virgil.