Bensmom Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Today, ds 10 went to his first swim team practice. The regular team members practice an hour, but the new swimmers meet just 30 minutes. In that 30 minutes he swam 14 laps (Sorry, this is so new I don't know what distance that really is). He was near tears when he finished because he said his head hurt very bad. The coach said it was likely dehydration. I had him eat a snack (crackers, cheese, and apple slices) before we went, but I noticed when we got home that he didn't even open his water bottle. After some tylenol, lots of water, and an hour of bed, he was fine. Unfortunately, he also does not want to go back. He was so excited to do this, but now he is afraid he will be sick every time. I convinced him to try it again tomorrow and decide at the end of the week, but what should I do to make sure this doesn't happen again? What is a proper snack and amount of fluid and how long before the practice should he have his snack? Is there anything else this newbie swim mom should know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 That sounds very odd to me actually. Does he get headaches normally? 30 minutes of swimming is really not a long time and my dc have never had a reaction like that before. Hopefully someone has good advice for you. I would make sure he has adequate water during the day before he goes and send a water bottle and instruct him to stop and drink some a few times during practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Our 10 year olds swim about 1.5 hours. Our teens 2.5. The youngers usually swim tons of laps, but they should get rests in between. Swimming can be really tiring, especially to an unconditioned body. You may be surprised at how soon 14 laps is easy peasy. Sorry your ds had a tough practice. Hope the next one is more fun. Make sure ds drinks during rest times. Also, maybe a banana before practice will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bensmom Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 He often "swims" for 30 minutes at a time without any adverse effects, but he usually doesn't push himself very hard and has many minutes of less taxing play. (Hope that makes sense.) During swim lessons earlier in the summer, they focused on technic and swam the width of the pool and not the length. I wondered if it was just too much activity for his poorly hydrated body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Unless he is getting the headache daily, I'd give it two full weeks before deciding if he likes or dislikes it. The amount of swimming can seem overwhelming at first. Make sure he is drinking plenty of water before and after practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 He often "swims" for 30 minutes at a time without any adverse effects, but he usually doesn't push himself very hard and has many minutes of less taxing play. (Hope that makes sense.) During swim lessons earlier in the summer, they focused on technic and swam the width of the pool and not the length. I wondered if it was just too much activity for his poorly hydrated body. Maybe. Is it really hot in your area right now? I would focus on really hydrating well before and after practice. It may have just been a lot more swimming than he is used to doing also. It doesn't sound like they are preparing kids well for transition from lessons to team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassiemc Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 My son swims 2.5 hours a day. They take lots of breaks and when it's really hot/humid they go outside to cool down during their breaks. It may have been a combo of not enough fluids and overheating. Make sure he has a snack before practice and plenty of fluid before, during and after. As he works up to more laps, he'll need a restorative snack after practice. I hope he keeps it up! My son loves it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Sounds like my kids when they are dehydrated. Just adding my voice to those saying to hydrate. Not just at practice but all day before practice. Start in the morning and drink all day. I second the banana before practice. A high carb lunch might help too. Protein afterwards is a good idea. This was our first swim season and we learned a lot the hard way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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