New Parent Info

If you are new to the sport of swimming or just new to athletic activities for your child, you probably have lots of questions.  We welcome any questions you may have and there is no such thing as a silly question.  It is always better to ask! 

We thank you for choosing the our club and believe swimming is the best physical activity for young athletes.  First and foremost, it is a lifesaving skill to have.  Secondly, everyone gets to participate.  Finally, we ask you to realize the possibility that your child may enjoy swimming so much that her or she continues to swim competitively through and beyond his or her college years. 

How do you fit in as a parent?  We believe in open communication between the swimmer, coach and parent.  It takes all three working in concert to provide an enjoyable and rewarding experience.  We would ask that you use the following line of communication if you have concerns:

Talk to your swimmer's coach first
Talk to head coach
Meeting set-up with parent, swimmer's coach and head coach
Meeting with parent, Board President and head coach 

We all want what is best for the child and below are some things you want to consider (10 Commandments for parents of athletes):

1-      Make sure your child knows that win or lose, scared or heroic, you love him, appreciate his efforts, and are not disappointed in him. This will allow him to do his best without a fear of failure. Be the person in his life he can look to for constant positive enforcement.

 

2-      Try your best to be completely honest about your child’s athletic ability, his competitive attitude, his sportsmanship, and his actual skill level.

 

3-      Be helpful but don’t coach him on the way to the pool or on the way to the pool or on the way back or at breakfast, and so on. It’s tough not to, but it’s a lot tougher for the child to be inundated with advice, pep talks and often critical instruction.

 

4-      Teach him to enjoy the thrill of competition, to be “out there trying”, to be working to improve his swimming skills and attitudes. Help him to develop the feel for competing, for trying hard, for having fun.

 

5- Try not to re-live your athletic life through your child in a way that creates pressure; you lost as well as won. You were frightened, you blacked off at times, you were not always heroic. Don’t pressure your child because of your pride.  Athletic children need their parents so you must not withdraw. Just remember there is a thinking, feeling, sensitive free spirit out there in that uniform who needs a lot of understanding, especially when his word turns bad. If he is comfortable with you win or lose; he’s on his way to maximum achievement and enjoyment.

 

6-      Don’t compete with the coach. If the coach becomes an authority figure, it will run from enchantment to disenchantment…with your athlete.

 

7-      Don’t compare the skill, courage, or attitudes of your child with other members of the team, at least within his hearing.

 

8-      Get to know the coach so that you can be assured that his philosophy, attitudes, ethics and knowledge are such that you are happy to have your child under his leadership.

 

9-       Always remember that children tend to exaggerate both when praised and when criticized. Temper your reaction and investigate before over-reacting.

 

10-  Make a point of understanding courage, and the fact that it is relative. Some of us can climb mountains, and are afraid to fight, but turn to jelly if a bee approaches. Everyone is frightened in certain areas. Explain that courage is not the absence of fear, but a means of doing something in spite of fear of discomfort.

The job of the parent of an athletic child is a tough one, and it takes a lot of effort to do it well. It is worth all the effort when you hear your child say, “My parents really helped and I was lucky in this respect




Team Information

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Parents

Resources and important information for parents of swimmers.

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Swimmers

Nutrition, mental preparation and the lighter side of swimming.

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