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THE SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE NEW SWIMMING PARENT
Congratulations!
You just joined a swim team. The following are some
observations from a former new swimming parent. With luck, some of
these
musings might make some sense.
Necessary Stuff: Suit and Goggles
The basic items needed are a racing suit and a pair of
competition goggles.
Going to your local sporting goods store or paying the equivalent
per inch of
fabric as Tokyo real estate for a first suit is not the way to
start.
Your team usually will sell you a team suit at cast, or you can
check out invitational meets
where vendors are set up with reasonable prices. Also, don't be
afraid to ask a returning parent -
they are a source of good tips.
It’s best to have two suits. One to wear at practice
and one to wear at meets.
The practice suit will get worn out and become slow, but the meet
suit will stay
snug and fast. When the meet suit wears out, it can be used
as the practice suit.
You must have goggles for practice and meets! Two or three
pairs are important
because they tend to break at the wrong time.
Goggles protect the eyes from chlorine and help your child see
underwater.
There are many types and styles. It tends to be a matter of
personal choice.
The longest lasting goggles are those with rubber like gaskets. A
good pair has soft
gaskets that conform around the eye sockets. "Swedish" style
goggles (a hard
plastic goggle that sits inside the eye socket) are not
recommended for beginners.
For first time swimmers who have difficulty with rubber gaskets, a
pair
with foam gaskets might work. Anti-Fog goggles have a coating that
reduce
fogging. The coating degrades with time, but your child will have
lost his goggles
way before then. For those goggles without the coating try dipping
them in water
or applying a little saliva before putting them on.
Other Stuff
Get a swim cap for long hair, a swim bag and chlorine
shampoo. A latex cap is
the cheapest though the most difficult to put on for the new
swimmer. A lycra cap
is softer and easier to use. A silicon cap is easy to pull on and
gives more
protection than a lycra cap, but is much more expensive than
either the latex
or lycra. Swim bags have lots or mesh compartments to
separate the wet from the
dry items. Chlorine shampoo helps to remove the chlorine
from your swimmer
when their hair starts to look like Tina Turner’s and they
begin to smell like a
swamp creature. Using it on suits also helps.
The First Meet
Start with a swim bag the size of your child, stuff it with
everything you normally
would take to practice and then double this. Also include warm
clothing
for your child. Pack light snacks and drinks for your swimmer.
Your coach will probably
have more to say about eating on the day of a meet. Don’t
forget a change of
clothing for yourself, indoor pools can be extremely
warm.
Arrive 15 minutes before warm-up to allow time to change and find a
home base.
Give yourself plenty of time and take a map.
If you have non-swimming brothers and sisters going, pack some
creative fun
things for them. Remember a pool can be a dangerous place, so keep
an eye on
them at all times. Don’t forget snacks. Otherwise, after
numerous trips to the
snack bar for candy, you wilt have to detox your child after the
meet.
Still There?
Can’t stop without a message. Good sportsmanship starts with
you; cheer your
child and your team. Remember that improvement and personal
accomplishments are more important than winning.
Parents’ Role
Competitive swimming programs provide many benefits to young
athletes. They develop
self-discipline, good sportsmanship and time management
skills.
Competition allows the swimmer to experience success and to learn
how to deal
with defeat, while becoming healthy and physically fit.
As a parent, your major responsibility is to provide a stable,
loving and supportive
environment. This positive environment will encourage your child to
continue.
Show your interest by ensuring your child’s attendance at
practices, and by
coming to meets.
Parents are not participants on their child’s team, but
contribute to the success
experienced by the child and his/her team. Parents serve as role
models and
their attitudes are often emulated by their children. Be aware of
this and strive to
be positive models. Most importantly, show good sportsmanship at
all times
toward coaches, officials, opponents and teammates.
Be Enthusiastic and Supportive
Remember that your child is the swimmer. Children need to establish
their own
goals, and make their own progress towards them. Be careful not to
impose your
own standards and goals.
Do not over-burden your child with winning or achieving best times.
The most
important part of your child’s swimming experience is that
he/she learns
about himself/herself while enjoying the sport. This healthy
environment encourages
learning and fun which will develop a positive self-image within
your child.
Let the Coach Coach
The best way to help a child achieve his/her goals and reduce the
natural fear of failure
is through positive reinforcement. No one likes to make a
mistake.
If your child does make one, remember that he/she is still
learning. Encourage his/her
efforts and point out the things he did well. As long as he gave
his best effort,
you should make him/her feel like a winner.
Ten Commandments for Parents with Athletic Children
1.
Make sure your child knows that, win
or lose, scared or heroic, you love
him/her, appreciate his/her efforts, and are not disappointed in
him/her.
This will allow him to do his best without fear of failure. Be the
person in
his or her life he can look to for constant positive
reinforcement.
2.
Try your best to be completely
honest about your child's athletic ability, his
competitive attitude, his/her sportsmanship and his/her actual
skill level.
3.
Be helpful but don’t coach you
child 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 you child to enjoy the thrill
of competition, to be "out there trying," to
be working to improve his/her skills and attitude. Help your child
to
develop the feel f or 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 fumbled, too, you lost as well as won. You were
frightened,
you backed off at times, and you were not always heroic.
Don’t pressure
him/her because of your lost pride.
6.
Don’t compete with the coach.
If the coach becomes an authority figure, it
will run from enchantment to disenchantment, etc. with your
athletes.
7.
Don’t compare the skill,
courage, or attitudes of your child with other
members of the team, at least not within his/her
hearing.
8.
Get to know the coach so that you
can he assured that his/her philosophy,
attitudes, ethics and knowledge are such that you are happy to have
your
child under his/her 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. Some
of us will
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 or discomfort. The
job of a
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 youngster
say, "My
parents really helped."
THE OFFICIALS
Officials are present at all competitions to implement the
technical rule of
swimming and to ensure that the competition is fair and equitable.
Officials attend
clinics, pass a written test and work meets before being
certified. All parents are
encouraged to get involved with some form of officiating.
Timers — operate timing devices (watches or automatic timing
systems) and
record the official time for the swimmer in his lane.
Turn Judges — observe from each end of the pool and ensure
that the turns and
finishes comply with the rules applicable to each stroke.
Stroke Judges - observe from both sides of the pool, walking
abreast of the
swimmers, to ensure that the rules relating to each stroke are
being followed.
The positions of Stroke Judge and Turn Judge may be combined into
one
position called the Stroke and Turn Judge.
Relay Takeoff Judges - stand beside the starting blocks to observe
the relay
exchange, ensuring that the feet of the departing swimmer have not
lost contact
with the block before the incoming swimmer touches the end of the
pool.
Clerk of the Course — arranges the swimmers in their proper
heats and lanes.
Starter — assumes control of the swimmers from the Referee,
directs them to
"take your mark’ and sees that no swimmer is in motion prior
to giving the start
signal.
Referee — has overall authority and control of the
competition, ensuring that all
the rules are followed; assigns and instructs all officials, and
decides all
questions relating to the conduct of the meet.
If your child is disqualified (DQ’d) in an event, be
supportive rather than critical.
For beginning swimmers, a disqualification should be treated as a
learning experience,
not as punishment. A DQ alerts the swimmer and the coach to
what
portions of the swimmer’s stroke need to be corrected. They
should be
considered in the same light as an incorrect answer in
schoolwork. They point out
areas which need further practice.
The DQ is necessary to keep the competition fair and equitable for
all other
competitors. A supportive attitude on the part of the official,
the coach, and the
parent can also keep it a positive experience for the DQ’d
swimmer.
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