Performance Swimming 9 year old

[DanielaSg]

My daughter loves swimming. She always swam. Last year we moved to a club to do competitive swimming. Since then she has skipped levels so fast. Won few gold medals at a few galas and has good times. Been told that from January she will be moved to Performance 1 with 2 hours of swimming every day plus morning seasons (5am). Well, I said no to the morning sessions as she is much to young. She will probably can’t do more than 3 session a week. Does anyone have a child doing so much swimming at this age? How much is to much?

ds gave up at that point as it meant he could do no other activities and he was still so young that he wanted to do other things and you either commit to the swimming full on or you do not. He has gone on to do very well in another sport that did not need this level of training. The reality is very few swimmers make the GB squad even doing training every day. However if she loves it and is good it might be worth giving it a go.

How many sessions has the club said she would need to attend?

She does also contemporary dance and Gymnastics and is in the squad team, so not sure what to do. She would do any sports, jut don’t want to “burn her out”

At 9 I wouldn't, our clubs don't start that sort of routine until Secondary age.

There are other options than competitive swimming, if you would rather she stayed more recreational at this time (diving, rookies, surf life savers, water hockey, water polo, synchro or watersports like canoeing and kayaking) or other clubs that don't start such high level training so early.

Honestly if she is doing other sports then she will be exhausted and have very long days when you add in school work as well. Ds kept swimming for fun, is now a lifeguard but took up other water based sports as well as cadets. He was so much happier. The pressure to be at every training for swimming just got too much.

If she wants to keep up with the other sports I’d request she doesn’t move up for a bit longer. Once you get to a high level it’s hard to keep up with other stuff too.

That amount of swimming at age 9 is totally unnecessary. I would be questioning the ethos of the club.