The Swimming Expert

For many parents having a “swimmer” in the family is not something they planned.  Most swimmers begin in a learn-to-swim program and progress through to advanced lessons. From there they are asked to complete a couple of sessions in a junior squad and before you know it they are entrenched and absorbed by the sport of swimming.  By this stage, parents begin to realise the commitment required by a swimmer to complete the necessary training and competitions offered in the sport.

As a swimmer I had the opportunity to observe my own parents first hand and how they managed me as a swimmer, and how they worked with, and communicated with my coaches.  I was also fortunate enough to be coached by three of the most talented and experienced swimming coaches in the world - Julie Dyring, Bill Sweetenham and Leigh Nugent.

As a coach for more than a dozen years I worked closely with swimmers of all ages and have been directly involved in the introduction of parents to the sport of swimming.

For a swimming parent, understanding the role of the coach, the role the parent is required to undertake, and the responsibilities of a swimmer is critical to ensuring a positive and successful experience for the whole family. Yes, the whole family is affected by having a swimmer in the family and learning how to balance your time and other family member’s needs around the swimming schedule can be a challenge.

Over the years I have observed many parents who are introduced to swimming for the first time when their child is promoted to a junior squad.

For most swimmers who train for competitions, the measurement of their improvement is through performance and parents are encouraged to understand the many different aspects to training and competitions in an effort to provide parents with a more complete understanding of the sport and what a swimmer is experiencing.

One of the aspects I love about swimming is that when swimmers compete, no one else can affect their performance.  They have their own lane and no one can tackle them, bowl them out, hit the ball past them or affect their performance in any way.  It is just the swimmer and the black line.

Children who choose to train and swim competitively learn so many life skills as they become more exposed to the sport.

In general their grades improve at school, their time management skills improve and they learn how to win and how to lose with grace.  They are introduced to goal setting and taking responsibility for themselves.  They are also exposed to the concept that if you work hard on a skill and commit to doing something correctly over and over again, it will improve.

‘Swimming for Parents’ is a vital resource for all swimming parents.  The book, available also as an eBook with instant delivery, is a lifelong project that draws on many of my experiences as a swimmer, coach, swimming administrator and now as a parent of young children who enjoy swimming.

This book has been written to educate parents of junior and teenage swimmers and has sold more than 3000 copies all over the world.

The second edition is now available at www.SwimmingForParents.com.

QUESTION:

Hi, I am 15 years old and I quit swimming 2 years ago.

I have still done swimming in between but now with a club and at a competitive level.

Now I want to get back into swimming but I have very low endurance, how would you suggest that I improve?

Sarah

ANSWER:

Hi Sarah,

I would begin Sarah doing 3 x 1 hour sessions a week and then 2 weeks later do 3 x 1 1/2 hour sessions for 2 weeks.  Once you are comfortable doing this, you should increase to 4 x 1 1/2 hour sessions and work towards doing 5 x 1 1/2 to 2 hour sessions in the following month.

By gradually increasing the length of each training session and the number of sessions you do each week, your endurance levels will improve over time.

If you went straight into 5 x 2 hour sessions a week, you risk injury and may do too much, too early and not be able to sustain it.

If you are then serious about competive swimming, at 15 years of age, you will need to then increase the number of sessions you do each week to 7-8 and be guided by your coach on any additional swimming and dryland work.

When you are only doing 3 to 5 sessions per week, other activities like walking or bike riding will also assist you to improve your aerobic fitness.

Regards

Gary

The Swimming Expert

QUESTION:

Hello I’ve been swimming since I was 6 years old and I love it so much. I am 15 now and my times are not the best, I’d say okay, but I try my best to improve and I’m sure I will if I train a lot more. It’s also because I had to stop swimming for this past year and a half due to hard work I had at school and also because of a skin problem I had.

I am starting swimming again in september and I am willing to give it all I have to get back on track. So do I have a chance to get qualified for the 2016 olympics if I train more, or is it too late?

I live abroad, in Morocco, if that helps in any way. I am not part of the Moroccan swim team. My team swims 2 hours, 5 times a week. How can I do more? How can I get qualified if it isn’t too late? Thank you Hafsa

ANSWER:

Hi Hafsa, I have always encouraged swimmers to go after their dreams.

The key to you getting back into swimming is to start again and as soon as possible.  If you began swimming in the next week, I would suggest going for 3 x 1/2 hours swims for one week, followed by 3 x 1hr swims the following week.  Each week build up the amount of swimming you are doing until you are doing at least 5 x 1 hr swims a week.  If you can do this through August and early September, you will be semi-prepared to begin back doing the 5 x 2hr sessions with your swim team.

Once you are back into full training for 6 months you will need to lift the number of sessions you do up to 7 or 8 sessions a week and ensure you have quality programs that include all the different components that you need to improve your speed, endurance and racing ability.

As far as qualifying for the Olympics, it will depend on how committed you are to training for the next 4 years, your talent levels and who you will be competing against.  You will have a much better idea in 2 years time when you have built a solid base of training and racing and will have a foundation to go after your goal then.

Regards

Gary

The Swimming Expert

QUESTION:

Hi, my daughter is 7 in November 2012. We think she may have the ability to be a competitive swimmer when she is a little older if she is still enjoying swimming the way she is now (she is very keen to). How do we go about this? Where is a good place to start? Any pointers gratefully received.

She is physically strong and is tall for her age.  She has been in swimming lessons for a number of years and has progressed very quickly. She has received many compliments from experienced teachers about her ability.

In the last 6 months her stroke and speed in freestyle and backstroke has taken off.  Her father and I enjoy sports including swimming but for recreational purposes.

She loves swimming and says that she would like to go to more classes and continue to improve.  We live south east Melbourne.

Thank you. L

ANSWER:

Hi L,

You are very fortunate that you have a daughter who loves swimming so much at such a young age.

The best way to start (and sorry for the self-promotion) would be to read a copy of www.SwimmingForParents.com.  This book will provide you with so much information on how to assist your daughter over the coming years and is a book that you can read over and over again as your daughter moves through different ages.

The key for your daughter at this age is to work on her technique and skills as a priority.  The technique she develops in the next 4 years will stay with her the rest of her life.  If she can develop sound racing skills, including correct starts and turns in each stroke and for the individual medley she will be off to a great start.

When she turns 7 it may be worth her progressing into a little mini squad that swims twice a week for one hour and provides an introduction to competitions.  Without seeing her swim though her teacher / junior squad coach would be in the best position determine the correct timing for this next step.

Regards

Gary

The Swimming Expert

QUESTION

Hello my name is J and I have an enquiry about swimming for young children. I live in the country and I have two children ages 4 & 6 and both have been doing swimming lessons for the last two years.  Both children are very strong swimmers but the swim programme they are in never seems to place them in the appropriate lessons for their skill.  My 6 year old is in a class two levels below her ability but because there aren’t any places in lessons she is meant to be in, she stays in the same class.  With my 4 year old there are 6 children in the class and he probably spends half the class sitting at the edge of the pool whilst other kids with less ability get more attention from instructors.

I have looked into private lessons for them both but they are not offered where I live.  What would be my next step in ensuring they get adequate swim lessons to further develop their potential?  Is it suitable to put at least the 6 year old into a club where she will receive adequate training, and how old do children need to be before they can join a squad?

I look forward to your response. Regards J

ANSWER

Hi J, Thank you for your email. You have asked a number of complex questions so I will deal with them one at a time.

If your 6 year old is still in a class two levels below her ability you need to ask the supervisor at the swim school to assess her and if she should be up one or two levels, ask when a day and time may be available to help her progression.  Ask also if they have a waiting list for current customers for the class level she needs to go into.

With your 4 year old, 6 children in a class is not uncommon.  There is a large demand for swimming lessons in every area throughout Australia at the moment and many swim schools have maximum numbers of 5 or 6 pupils in a class.  It may be worth mentioning to the supervisor your observations that they spend alot of time on the side as there are ways swim teachers can teach multiple children at the same time for some of the class.

Depending on what your local club offers, your 6 year old may be still young yet to take part in club squads and I would recommend a focus on moving her up a group or two in the swim school first to ensure she learns all the skills required to be a squad swimmer later on.

You may have already done a few of the things I have listed above and I would encourage you to follow them up again if this is the case.