QUESTION:

Hi, we have an 8 year old daughter who has been swimming competitively for a few years and is very keen on training more.  Our problem is that we no longer live in Australia and have moved to Bali.

We would like some advice on giving her the best training program for her age.   Currently she does one squad training and one private training on technique.   Our daughter wants to be better and is as committed as an 8 year old can be, but we are really unsure as to how much and what training is appropriate.  Can you suggest a program?

Regards, Christine

ANSWER:

Hi Christine,

Thanks for your question.  I would normally advocate two x one hour sessions each week for an 8 year old, with a focus on stroke and skill development at all times. Some 8 year olds would cope with three sesions as long as they are well spaced out each week, eg Mon, Wed, Fri.  I like the idea that your daughter is doing one session a week on technique as this is very important.

If you would like more advice on the number of training sessions and progressions as your daughter gets older you are welcome to look at www.SwimmingForParents.com as this book goes into a lot more detail that will help you.

Regards

Gary

The Swimming Expert