Swimmer wanting to quit

I'm a swimming teacher, would he be better moving back down to the squad below or alternatively the coaches will likely build them back slowly to work on regaining their stagmia don't speak to them about your concerns. Alot of the children who moved up shortly before lockdown struggled and moved back in their previous class, its been such a long time our of the pool and I imagine many will be in the same boat. I would see how he goes before completely quitting.

I'd make him go back with a set time limit whereby if after x weeks he still isn't enjoying it he gets to quit no questions asked.

Was going to say triathlon too, there might be another club with a junior section. Also second lifeguarding. I went from being a in swimmer into it about that age and loved it. Did really well at competitions, it's more about thinking than just ploughing up and down ( I'd got bored of that). Then got into being a lifeguard and coaching swimming part time.

I think it might be worth trying to persuade him to go back at least for a couple of months and then see how he feels. It is so hard as they have had so much time on and off since last March, and losing the social side of the changing rooms etc too which takes away some of the fun. My 12 year old is desperate to get back, my 9 year old has lost his enthusiasm, but I want him to try and get through until things can be closer to normal before making a decision

My sons club are amazing and so offer these different pathways. They have a swim fitness group who train just a few sessions and are usually those who went towards tri. And another squad that still has higher training but not at the compete performance level for those who want to cut back and have better fitness to drop back in if they decide to but would rather commit to 8/9 hours a week and not 13/15.

I wish there'd been a junior masters option when I gave up swimming. It was very all or nothing and my mum was more than happy not to try and persuade me to stay. I think it would have been good for me to keep it up a bit longer, even if 6 months later the decision was still the same, I think I made the decision in haste.

Returned to swim training in my 20s, can't wait for pools to open again.

They've already all missed so much but currently they'll all be returning from the same backfoot.

In 3/4/6 months he'll be further behind and may join again but then not enjoy it as he wants because of the catching up he then needs to do for those extra 6 months.

I'm totally on board with quitting if you don't enjoy it. But I'm also conscious of the timing at this moment and what the past year has done to our young people mentally.

He's in a very important age training wise. If there is any chance he may want to pursue swimming seriously and long term / carry on competing, this will be a crucial time for his development and he should carry on with his training, however hard it may be. I've not had to deal with this as a parent, but I've been that 13-14 year old. It's lot worse having regrets later on than putting the work in when you can. Of course only if he WANTS to. I'd try and have a very serious conversation with him from this point of view. Good luck

I'd seriously look at the lifeguarding - it is a real skill for life as well as a potential money earner. If he works as a lifeguard in his summer holidays it is the sort of thing a future employer will be impressed by as it shows responsibility at an early age (and a potential candidate for firemarshal/office first aider).

If he he quite likes running then perhaps look at parkrun if there is one near you in normal times - he might quite like the "kick" of working on pbs from a different perspective as I imagine that was one of the things that motivated him with swimming.

At the age he is, he'll be aware training is getting very serious and he should have a feeling whether he wants, or even has the potential to swim competitively as an adult. If it's just a hobby, the pressure is far less and he might want to try other things

Training as a lifeguard is a great idea. There are always jobs

It's nuts isn't it fishy - they really seem to enjoy the torture of a pounding up and down the pool 🤣🤷‍♀️

I had a school boyfriend who was a competitive swimmer, it is really tough and can also be quite boring compared to team sports or even running/cycling where at least the scenery changes! You also have to remember that the better your DS gets, the more training he will need to do, and he probably knows that. If he doesn't want to be doing even more in a year or two's time he's probably thinking he might as well quit now, it will only be even harder to quit when he's due to move up again. Like others have suggested my bf quit and went down the lifeguarding route, that was his uni summer job.

If he’s not excited and looking forward to going back, I’d let him stop. Definitely encourage other activities and keeping physically fit, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of hours in a pool and endless weekend meets.

I think once they start training in earnest the joy goes out of swimming pretty quickly. It's a boring, thankless form of exercise.

Rowing would be so much more fun. Or triathlon - even if the local club has closed down, he could still go cycling, running and swimming with you at weekends - you could train informally and do a triathlon together. Or he could do one with his friends. If he enters some local mini triathlons that will motivate him to train.

Had he chosen GCSE subjects yet? Mine has picked PE so that's helped the swim squad commitment for a couple more years. She'd been wavering, but now knows she'd have to switch to a different sport at competition level, and it's easier to just stick with swimming.

And getting back in gently?!

My ds is in for 2 hours every morning next week M-S and then starts usual training timetable from Sunday evening - that's another 3 hours.

The weirdo is extremely excited

I agree it's tough to know what's best.

Last February my ds was suddenly taking 0.2-5 off each race. He's hit the ground running.

Then lockdown happened. This also put back his para swimming application by a year and it's already a long process.

He returned August and found fitness returned quite quickly and stamina built well but also on a reduced timetable.

He decided he wanted to move to a more competitive squad in our town and we went for assessment.

He was offered a place in a higher squad than he thought he would and then 3 hours later lockdown 2 was announced! He got 3.5 weeks with them but saw improvements again. We went into Teir 4 on Boxing Day.

He's now due to go back next week to an even heavier timetable than before lockdown 3.

He knows it'll be hard. But he cannot wait. He loves swimming and would do more than the 13 hours a week swimming he will be doing if available.

And I think that's where it's hard to know. My ds absolutely is up for this and counting down the days.

Some are worried about it and worried about further lockdowns.

So,e just don't feel they have the love anymore they had everyday when they were going.

I think the only way for them to really know how they feel for the long term is to give it a go.

I'd say at least 2 months. If they find the love again and start to enjoy it more after getting back into it they'll be glad they persisted.
If they go back and each week feels like more and more if a chore they'll know it's the actual sport and they don't love it as much anymore but actually know it because they are doing it - rather than thinking they know iyswim?

I think my ds is expecting to get back in and PB within weeks (to be fair he did after lockdown 1 and 2) and is still aiming for Paris 2024 para Olympics!

I think swimming is something you have to really really want in order to be so committed to.

I always thought extra curricular stuff was supposed to be enjoyable, if they stopped enjoying it I wouldn't push them to do it. When mine had enough of the competitive side they moved to life saving/life guarding club. Might be different as we are on the coast but one financed himself through uni doing lifeguarding, at a leisure centre in term and at a water park in the summer. He said it was a great job while he was at uni.