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 Gary,  I appreciate your time and dedication

First of all, I want you to get to know more about my 12 years daughter whose life dream is to become an Olympic champion and a world champion Her life is dedicated to swimming and actually she is a champion here in our country ( Egypt) I always encourage her and give her all the support she needs.

My question is, her coach advised me to start giving her protein supplement as a way of helping her having stronger muscles

I know that it’s better for kids to have a complete healthy meal rather than having supplements but my concern is that she has no time to eat a proper meal, she stays late at school till 6PM then she comes home for her training sessions. I can only control her supper late at night after her training but the rest of the day she eats at school.

she trains 6 days weekly, 2 hours each in water and 4 times weekly, 2 hours each in the track ( running and jumping obstacles,…)

P.S. she didn’t reach her puberty age yet ! Please advise !

Thanks,

Best Regards, RY

ANSWER:

Hi RY,

I do not believe in protein supplements for children and encourage children to eat a healthy meal and healthy snacks in between.

Protein is well known for its role in muscle development and recovery.  This role in development is especially important for the adolescent athlete who is still growing and maturing.

Protein is found in meats, meat alternatives and dairy products.  Good sources of protein include beef, lamb, goat, pork, duck, turkey, fish, tofu, egg, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans, lentils), soy products, milk, yoghurt, cheese and ice cream.

It is important that you look for ways to eat some of these foods at school when she is not in your care, as well as foods with the necessary carbohydrates and other vitamins.

For a 12 year old girl she is doing a lot of training 6 x 2hrs in the water and 4 x 2 hours on the track.

Please keep a close eye on her energy levels as 10 x 2 hour sessions a week is a lot.

I would strongly recommend that you download the following two eBooks to read, which will help you as parents and your daughter.

Swimming for Parents – www.SwimmingForParents.com

Nutrition for Swimmers – www.NutritionForSwimmers.com

All the best,

Regards

Gary

The Swimming Expert

Swimming performance for teenagers is determined by a combination of many factors.

These include:

Talent – Every child has to have an element of talent and each child will have varying degrees of talent.  Talent is useless unless the athlete is willing to put in some hard work on their skills, technique and to improve and maintain a high level of fitness.

Training – The training that children undertake has a profound affect on performance.  A regular attendance at training / practice will ensure the swimmer is fit to perform and is in a good physical condition.

Athleticism – Athleticism is important in swimming as the swimmer has to deliver power.  Often children who are athletic are good at many sports and have to make choices on which sports to pursue.

Flexibility – Flexibility is important as the athlete has to have a good range of motion so that they can streamline effectively and maximise the length of their stroke.  Maintaining and increasing flexibility should be part of every swimmers program.

Commitment – Swimmers need to be committed to what they are trying to achieve.  By the age of 13 or 14, the parents will also need to be committed to supporting their child’s involvement in swimming.

Development – Swimmers who experience early strength and/or height development will often progress more quickly at a younger age, while those who develop later will experience more rapid improvements when their body develops.  If your child is a late developer, keep encouraging them to stay involved in the sport as they will more than likely achieve many breakthroughs between the ages of 16 years and 20 years.

Determination – All good swimmers have determination, something inside them that drives them forward.  Determination is important because it provides swimmers with an inner resilience when things don’t go to plan.

Consistency – Swimmers need to be consistent in their attendance at training, the effort they put in on a daily basis and the development of racing strategies.

Perseverance – Swimmers need to persevere, especially when they are subjected to disappointment.  Perseverance is a life skill that will assist your child both in and out of the water.

Element of Optimism – A swimmer has to think that they can do something that others may think is impossible.  They need to be optimistic.

Enjoyment is the number one factor and it is often overlooked by parents, coaches and swimmers themselves.  Children ‘have to enjoy swimming’ to stay in the sport.  If a child is not enjoying swimming, they are likely to be inconsistent at training which leads to a poor level of performance.  Many parents become focused on what other swimmers are doing, the frequency and distance of training sessions or what time they swam in a race.  These parents often lose sight of why their child is participating in the sport.

Enjoyment is one of the critical reasons why teenagers remain involved in sport.  This is especially true in swimming.

To improve swimmer performance, swimmers must maintain a focus on achieving their goals.  By focusing on the process, they will often achieve the results they desire.  To be processed focused; the swimmer must remove any focus on results.

The above is an extract from the book www.SwimmingForParents.com

I am so excited to announce the first ever online sale of the ‘Swimming for Parents’ paperback edition at a very special price.

For a short time only, the paperback 2nd edition of Swimming for Parents is for sale at only AU$19.99 or USD$19.99 no matter where you live in the world.

Buy now at www.SwimmingForParents.com.

If you have children who swim competitively then this book is a fantastic gift for your husband, wife, partner, children, coach or yourself!

As an extra special offer to all ‘The Swimming Expert’ subscribers, all copies purchased by midnight on Thursday 6 December 2012 can include a message from me and my personal signature.   All you have to do when you purchase the book online is include in the comment section ‘who you would like the book addressed to and a one line comment you would like included’.

Swimming for Parents has received rave reviews from parents, swimmers and coaches and is a great gift idea this Christmas for mum, dad, son, daughter or coach. There is something in it for everyone.

You are welcome to forward the kink to this post to members of your swimming club as I am sure there are many parents who would like to take up this great offer.

The Christmas Special Offer will finish at midnight on Thursday 6 December 2012. Postage charges are available at checkout.

Buy now at www.SwimmingForParents.com.

QUESTION:

Hi, should my highly competitive 10 year old take a break from swimming?

What are the benefits of taking say 4 weeks off in the winter season, contrasted with swimming all year with only a couple of short one week breaks? Would a shorter break of say two weeks be better than 4?

She doesn’t want to stop swimming – she loves it and wants to train as much as possible as she thinks that will help her swim faster.

She normally trains 4 times a week for swimming. She plays and trains for netball and basketball many times a week and runs once a week most weeks as well, so she is pretty fit.

Where can we find out more information about how much training she should be doing?

Thanks for your help.  Leanne

ANSWER:

Hi Leanne,  Each swimming coach may have a different thought of when swimmers should have a break and for how long.

My personal thoughts are that children aged 10 years should have a minimum 6 - 7 weeks off a year to allow their body to recover from the training and assist it to grow and develop without the requirements of daily training.  This can be taken in different ways however I would encourage at least one period each year of a minimun 3 weeks off and then possibly a couple of 1 to 2 week breaks during the year.  Other coaches have had great success by giving swimmers shorter periods of rest more often, so there is no set rule.  If a swimmer has a break for 4 weeks, I would recommend having a swim in week 3 and then a couple of swims in week 4 to gradually get back into it and make sure they dont lose too much feel of the water.

On top of this, there may be times when your child is sick during the year and it is important that they recover fully from any sickness so that their immune system can cope with the training that they are doing.  This may mean missing a few sessions and then gradually getting themselves back into training over a one week period.

If you haven’t already, I would suggest buying Swimming for Parents as this book will answer many questions you will currently have and will have in the future about your daughters swimming and her progression in the sport.

Regards

Gary

The Swimming Expert

QUESTION:

Hi Gary,  I have twins.  They are 9 years old.

I started swimming very late in life and I love the sport a lot, but I don’t want to be overbearing with my kids so I have them do all sports. Currently they are in basketboll 2-3 times a week and every weekend they swim for an hour about 1k.

I want them to love the swimming as much as I do.  One kid loves to compete and the other loves the water but two years ago when he was too young we went to a competition that was freezing and he did not liked the experience so he is not too keen on competing in swimming but he loves competing in basketball

My question is what do I do for them to like swimming and competition.  They are both very competitive boys but I am perplexed why the one that likes competing in other sports does not like competing in swimming.  If I made a mistake by sending him to a competition too young. Is there anything I can do to reverse the mistake?  And also in the summer I am planning for them to swim everyday 1k  (except Sat and Sun) and basketboll three times a week. They will have no other activity.   I wanted to send them to a summer camp in Florida but thougth their level is not great.. and  instead of raising their self confidence in swimming I may be hurting them.. any advise?  I will be greatful for any advise you can give me.

VF

ANSWER:

Hi VF,  Firstly, I admire that you would like your children to enjoy swimming for a lifetime, like you do.  It is a great sport and fitness / recreational activity for people of all ages.

In regards to your son who does not like competing in swimming, he may just want to try other sports and there is nothing wrong with this.  While a child’s first experience at a swim meet should be a positive one, it does not necessarily mean that they will not come back to competition swimming one day.  I would keep encouraging him to do some swimming and over time he may want to take part in a competition again.  The swimming will help his fitness and body development for other sports especially a game like basketball.

One other suggestion is that when you take them swimming over summer, once they have swum the 1k play some games and include in them some mini races.  This would be a great activity to guage how competitive he is in the pool, whilst having fun at the same time.

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

www.swimmingforparents.com 

“Swimming for Parents” is a great book for swimming coaches to promote to parents of swimmers who they coach. Swimming for Parents is a must have book for all parents and will assist the swim coach to educate swimming families. The book also provides information that will make you a better coach, by understanding parent concerns and the reason for them.