Talk to me about competitive swimming

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My son has been swimming for a couple years, but the last year was really the first year with a competitive team and meets. His previous experience had been summer league and a year round team that was small.

 

His coach is recommending he move to the senior level (13-18 yo) and to 5 days a week. This would require two more practices than this year. And they would be 0430 practice.

 

DS is excited about the idea. He's loved swimming this year. And to be honest, it is an area where I've seen huge personal growth in his willingness to take responsibility. I never have to wake him up for a morning practice or meet, because he's already up and getting breakfast.

 

His goals for college include ROTC or a service academy, where coming from an competitive sports background is a big help (especially for homeschoolers, where so much is non-standard already).

 

I'd love to hear the good, bad and ugly that I haven't thought of as we are considering this. (We did a 0430 practice yesterday as a test run and it went pretty well. I was really tired by 2 pm, but we got a lot of school done in the morning because we were already awake.)

[In The Great White North]

It's awesome prep for a service academy: hard work, lots of hours, dedication, etc

 

Pros:

Get into great physical shape (sit ups, push ups and the run won't be a problem)

Direct correlation between effort and results

Improves poise, self confident as the swimmers becomes stronger and faster. Promotes self-motivation and persistence.

Compete against yourself and the clock ( yes, there are other swimmers but times are more important)

Everyone swims everything ( ie. no benchwarmers)

Clean kids.

Life sport (I still like to swim.)

Not an injury prone sport.

 

 

Cons:

More expensive than town sports.

Takes a lot more time than other sports (12-15hours per week plus meets). Ds won't have free time and there will be practice over all holidays. Early practices. (I got my drivers license over this.)

Weekend long meets (Fri afternoon through Sun evening)

 

I'm a little biased - I swam for West Point.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

So what do you think about the impact of swimming on time for tough academics? I'm a little concerned that the demands of the additional practices will edge out his study efforts. Especially with homeschooling not having the in your face feedback of tests and quizes and comparison with peers.

 

(I'm also a little worried that I won't be doing enough teaching after getting him to and from practice. And he's years away from driving.)

[plansrme]

Wow, 4:30 is really early even for a swim practice! We do 5:30's here, and I think that's tough. My swimmer is only 12, but she has been at it hot and heavy for 3 years now, at a small but intense swim club. She swims 10 times a week. Yes, ten, and if there were more practices, she would swim more With girls, is more important for them to start earlier, but boys can get away with a later start. We have a male team member, for example, who just made an Olympic trials cut during his freshman year of college but never made a state cut until he was 14.

 

We love swimming for this child. Like your son, she gets herself up, she keeps her equipment together, she maintains her own suits and towels, packs her own water and snacks, and communicates with the coaches about meets. Literally, all I do is drive and write checks. It is a tremendously important part of her life, and she has taken ownership of it. I hope and pray that she will be able to continue swimming through college. Here are the pros and cons of swimming that I see:

 

Pros:

It is a relatively safe individual sport. The girls can get shoulder issues, breaststrokers can have bad knees, but it isn't oh, say, gymnastics (I have a gymnast also--trust me when I say there's no comparison in the injury levels).

 

Dedicated swimmers are, by and large, good kids. I attribute a lot of that to the early morning practices. And the "popular" girls on the team are those who work hard without complaining which, of course, I love. While a typical 12 year old in many ways, which means she can be a pill, my daughter is very popular among her teammates, both older and younger, because though she's not the most talented swimmer on the team (the #1 ranked 12 old in the country is her friend and teammate), she works her hiney off and has some excellent times to show for it.

 

Success, more than in many sports, is more attributable to work ethic than to talent- or body-type. Yes, talent is important, and it kills me that my daughter may not be tall enough to do everything she wants to do in the sport, but the successful swimmers on her team have a wide range of natural athletic ability and body types. More than anything else, the quantity of swimming the kids do is what determines whether they succeed.

 

 

Cons:

The early morning practices wear on you after a while. It is a major commitment from the parents, at least until the kids can drive themselves. My daughter goes to bed at 8:30 many nights. I can't go to bed that early, so 4:55 comes awfully early for me or my husband.

 

It can be boring. I love swim meets because I am friends with the other parents, but meets will consume your entire weekend. Teams vary, though, in the number of meets they do.

 

Swim clubs vary tremendously in their focus and training philosophy. The bigger clubs make their money on large numbers of intermediate-level swimmers. It's just the business model. Probably 80% of their swimmers will stall out at the middle level, good enough for their high school teams but not good enough for any college team. There's nothing wrong with that, necessarily, but keep in mind that there are huge differences from one team to another. If your son is dropping time and moving through the ranks on a national level, he's probably fine. If he is just moving through the club's ranks but not progressing when ranked against other swimmers his age, he might do better somewhere else if he wants to swim for one of the service academies.

 

Wow, that ended up being way longer than I expected. Sorry about that, but I hope some tidbit was useful. I feel very passionately about swimming and cannot overstate how important it has been for this child.

 

Terri

[plansrme]

there will be practice over all holidays. Early practices.

 

I was writing my novel while you were posting, but this is an excellent point--a rite of passage on my daughter's team is the Christmas Eve practice!

 

Terri

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I don't know if he would want to swim FOR a service academy. I am more looking at the need to demonstrate physical ability, determination and a high discomfort threshold, which sport can easily demonstrate. In other words, I think the swimming is a good in its own right, not just to get him onto a varsity sport.

 

Does that make sense? I don't mean it to sound opportunistic. I don't care if he ever makes state or cuts for JOs or trials. I care that he becomes an adult who doesn't fear hard work and challenge.

 

At the moment, his dream isn't to be an olympic swimmer; he wants to become a pilot. The swimming is part of what could mold his character in such a way that he becomes someone who can meet the challenges of officer training, flight training and then being an aviator.

 

To be honest, I am somewhat concerned that some of the local swim teams focus so much on the athlete prep that they lose the rest of the person. It's something I'm trying to be up front about with his coach.

[plansrme]

I don't know if he would want to swim FOR a service academy. I am more looking at the need to demonstrate physical ability, determination and a high discomfort threshold, which sport can easily demonstrate. In other words, I think the swimming is a good in its own right, not just to get him onto a varsity sport.

 

Does that make sense? I don't mean it to sound opportunistic. I don't care if he ever makes state or cuts for JOs or trials. I care that he becomes an adult who doesn't fear hard work and challenge.

 

At the moment, his dream isn't to be an olympic swimmer; he wants to become a pilot. The swimming is part of what could mold his character in such a way that he becomes someone who can meet the challenges of officer training, flight training and then being an aviator.

 

To be honest, I am somewhat concerned that some of the local swim teams focus so much on the athlete prep that they lose the rest of the person. It's something I'm trying to be up front about with his coach.

 

A focus on "athlete prep" is entirely compatible with a focus on the whole person. In my daughter's case, swimming is what gives her focus, work ethic, self-esteem for the right reasons, an emotionally healthy group of friends, and regular feedback about the contribution of hard work to success. I want her to swim in college (or at least have the option) because for her, the structure and accountability of a college athletic team can be what determines whether she is academically and emotionally successful in college. That is certainly not true of all children, not even my other two, but for her, my crystal ball says she will thrive in college if she is part of a college swim team.

 

Please don't discount the importance of your son's setting physical goals and achieving them, even if those goals are things you don't care about in and of themselves, e.g., state cuts, the "A" final, AAAA times, etc. Most kids who do not strive for these times are not going to reap the other benefits of swimming and might as well stick with summer league. Swimming is not really fun all by itself! Making the goal times is the reward for the hours and hours of drudgery.

 

That's our take on it anyway, though I certainly recognize that this is something upon which reasonable minds may differ.

 

Terri

[In The Great White North]

So what do you think about the impact of swimming on time for tough academics? I'm a little concerned that the demands of the additional practices will edge out his study efforts. Especially with homeschooling not having the in your face feedback of tests and quizes and comparison with peers.

 

They did a study on college swim teams a few years ago. Swimmers' test scores were higher in season (doubles, weights, meets) than they were out of season. The theory was that the time crunch made them focus and prioritize more, and off season, when they felt like they had more time, they did more procrastinating.

 

OTOH, I don't even try to schedule classes the week of the New England Championships or Sectionals. I try to have a "rest" subject, like a TTC video after lunch, or even a nap, on days they have doubles and time their hardest subjects for their most alert time of day.

 

It would be easy to let schoolwork slide -you have to be as disciplined as the swimmer.

[swimmermom3]

 

At the moment, his dream isn't to be an olympic swimmer; he wants to become a pilot. The swimming is part of what could mold his character in such a way that he becomes someone who can meet the challenges of officer training, flight training and then being an aviator.

 

To be honest, I am somewhat concerned that some of the local swim teams focus so much on the athlete prep that they lose the rest of the person. It's something I'm trying to be up front about with his coach.

 

Sebastian, if yours and your son's focus remains on the part in bold above, you will both be well-served and pleased with the time spent at the pool. Swimmers learn quickly if they wish to improve their times to work harder than they ever imagined. They learn to delay instant gratification. There is little time for video games, hours of Facebook, and putting off important task "until tomorrow." Depending on his level of commitment, he may often turn down outside activities in order to stay on top of practice and academics. You will need to find a balance. If I were to do it again, I would have encouraged my oldest to take a few more practices off for time with friends, but club expectations did not allow for that or at least I wasn't confident enough to pull it off. Swimmers do learn to be organized and responsible if their parents let them. My youngest packed his own swim bag and took care of his wet gear, and got himself to his races from the time he was seven. We officiated for several years and weren't always available to help. I have also seen a nationally ranked senior-level swimmer scream at her mother for forgetting to pack her suit for practice.

 

Yes, I would agree that the majority of the swimmers your son will encounter will live clean physically. What your son learns from his teammates socially will depend on the culture of the club and the head coach's attitude. On our team, the elite squads from about 12 on tend to have "attitude walking." I once cheered another high school's swimmer who beat our swimmerin a race. Our swimmer,who was also from our club, was nationally ranked in the event, and had toyed with his opponent the entire race. In his arrogance, our swimmer lost by a tenth of a second.

 

Have to run for a minute. Back for the rest of the novel in a minute, for what it is worth.

Edited May 22, 2012 by swimmermom3

[Sebastian (a lady)]

A focus on "athlete prep" is entirely compatible with a focus on the whole person. In my daughter's case, swimming is what gives her focus, work ethic, self-esteem for the right reasons, an emotionally healthy group of friends, and regular feedback about the contribution of hard work to success. I want her to swim in college (or at least have the option) because for her, the structure and accountability of a college athletic team can be what determines whether she is academically and emotionally successful in college. That is certainly not true of all children, not even my other two, but for her, my crystal ball says she will thrive in college if she is part of a college swim team.

 

Please don't discount the importance of your son's setting physical goals and achieving them, even if those goals are things you don't care about in and of themselves, e.g., state cuts, the "A" final, AAAA times, etc. Most kids who do not strive for these times are not going to reap the other benefits of swimming and might as well stick with summer league. Swimming is not really fun all by itself! Making the goal times is the reward for the hours and hours of drudgery.

 

That's our take on it anyway, though I certainly recognize that this is something upon which reasonable minds may differ.

 

Terri

 

No, I'm not discounting those things, in large part because I've seen how much more mature he's grown this year with competitive swimming vs. the year before, where I had to talk him into even doing time trials at our own pool. He's definitely had to learn to pack his bag, get up on the blocks, have his goggles set when the start happens, etc. I'm usually timing, so I'm lucky if I even see part of his races. I'm sure not there to tell him to head off to the blocks.

 

And he is definitely happier when he's burning the energy.

 

I agree with the comments about time mangagement. He was actually receptive to the idea of starting physics over the summer so he could get a head start on next year. That surprised me.

 

What I do worry about are kids who are so focused on their swimming that they forget to set a goal for after their swimming life.

[mjbucks1]

So what do you think about the impact of swimming on time for tough academics? I'm a little concerned that the demands of the additional practices will edge out his study efforts. Especially with homeschooling not having the in your face feedback of tests and quizes and comparison with peers.

 

 

 

Our son has been swimming since he was 7 (our 11 year old dd also swims). We switched to a competetive swim club at Ohio State when he turned 12. This year (9th grade) was challenging for him (part of it was my fault as he was way overscheduled....just look at my sig :D). But, ds has done well in his studies. He practices 5 days/week (sometimes 6). Our practices are in the evening, from 4:30 until 7:15. The kids usually do not get home until close to 8:00. They eat, maybe have 1/2 hour to relax, and then they go to bed. So there is not a lot of "down" time.

However, ds is doing quite well with his schooling. He is aiming to major in computer science/engineering in college, so his science/math courses are demanding. Next year (10th grade), he will take AP Computer Science, AP Chemistry, finish Saxon Advanced Mathematics, TOG year 2, speech or debate, as well as Latin III. It is tough, but ds LOVES swimming and does not want to give it up. It is his choice to have such a crazy schedule.

And swimming does teach your child to work for their goals. DS is 14 and has yet to get a state cut, but is working hard to get one this summer (hopefully in a couple of weeks :D). Setting and achieving goals are life skills that he can use in all areas of life, not just swimming. Blessings as you make your decision!!

[swimmermom3]

Please don't discount the importance of your son's setting physical goals and achieving them, even if those goals are things you don't care about in and of themselves, e.g., state cuts, the "A" final, AAAA times, etc. Most kids who do not strive for these times are not going to reap the other benefits of swimming and might as well stick with summer league. Swimming is not really fun all by itself! Making the goal times is the reward for the hours and hours of drudgery.

 

That's our take on it anyway, though I certainly recognize that this is something upon which reasonable minds may differ.

 

Terri

 

:iagree:This is probably the best benefit we have received from swimming along with the work effort. My youngest takes what he has learned from swimming with regards to goal-setting and applies it to nearly every area of his life, especially finances.

 

 

OTOH, I don't even try to schedule classes the week of the New England Championships or Sectionals. I try to have a "rest" subject, like a TTC video after lunch, or even a nap, on days they have doubles and time their hardest subjects for their most alert time of day.

 

It would be easy to let schoolwork slide -you have to be as disciplined as the swimmer.

 

Homeschooling makes academics far easier for a senior-level swimmer than having to cope with doubles while dealing with a fixed school schedule. You will learn to do your own prep work and grading if you have to stay and warm the bleachers during practice. You will probably rethink some of your assignments to keep busy work at a minimum and to have writing assignments do double duty. In my experience, swimmers don't seem to tolerate having their time wasted.:tongue_smilie: We used the drive time to discuss literature or history.

 

I would not agree about swimming being an injury-free sport. So much depends on the build of the swimmer, the amount and intensity of practice, the age a swimmers starts swimming seriously, and the amount of dryland work done to both strengthen the swimmer and to prevent injury. Ask about the number of injuries at the senior level in your club. Ask what they do to prevent them. Do they espouse a "swim through the pain" practice? As a parent, be strong enough to allow an injured swimmer to rest.

ETA: I forgot the most important thing - coaches who emphasize always swimming with correct technique. Swimmers who over train get sloppy with their strokes and are more prone to injury.

 

If I sound a bit negative on swimming, I am not. I would do it again in a heart-beat. We have acquired longtime friendships that I will always be grateful for. However, if I were to do it again, I would not be so in awe of coaches and would follow my own common sense as a parent.

 

Your situation sounds like a very good one. Five days a week practice is doable even if 4:30am is rough. Morning practice here starts at 5:30am. Your son does not have the wear and tear on his body that a younger swimmer can have and he brings a level of enthusiasm to his practices that more veteran swimmers may not have. Have a great time.

Edited May 22, 2012 by swimmermom3

[RENEEinVA]

Okay, I only read the first couple of posts but I think I can add a tiny bit to the discussion. My dd has been swimming competitvely for 8 years now. Believe it or not, this is the first year she actually had to get up at 4:30 AM, as all the other years had night practices. When her coach brought up the whole morning practice thing, she also thought it sounded fun. We decided to give it a try. Here is my pros/cons list.

 

Pros -

• gets it over with early in the day
  
• pool is not as busy or noisy because fewer kids want morning swim
  
• workouts are harder (only really dedicated swimmers attend)
  
• no traffic to deal with
  

 

Cons -

• really hard to adjust to this schedule as a teenager
  
• can barely keep her eyes open between 2-4 PM
  
• sometimes can't get to bed early enough because of other activities/deadlines
  
• getting up at 4:30 AM in February when it's really, really cold outside is not fun
  
• sleeps in later on weekends which throws whole schedule off the following week
  

 

These are just a few of the things that immediately pop into my mind. I think the biggest disadvantage is beginning this kind of schedule at 16 when your body is already used to the nighttime practices. It's really difficult.

 

However, all that being said, I think swimming is a terrific sport for the body and mind. It requires hard work and discipline and all of that spills over into schoolwork.

 

The jury is still out as to whether or not she will be swimming in the AM next year.