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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Poolside chat: Calling all parents of competitive swimmers!

999 replies

Marypoppins19 · 06/04/2018 08:13

I thought it might be helpful to share our highs/lows/questions/thoughts in one place. Who’s joining me!?

OP posts:
estherfrewen · 11/07/2021 17:41

Good luck to everyone swimming this weekend! DS said he misses the competition but just can't face the early starts until post A levels!

Eccle80 · 11/07/2021 17:52

Hope those racing this weekend had good swims

@Musication welcome to the swimming world! I wouldn’t say a dry robe was essential, a few at ours have them but mine have managed fine with onesies, plus hopefully they will be back in the changing rooms before it gets cold again!

estherfrewen · 11/07/2021 19:00

I just had to Google what a dry robe was and DS did 11 years in squad.. !

Eccle80 · 11/07/2021 19:12

@estherfrewen

I just had to Google what a dry robe was and DS did 11 years in squad.. !
They’ve only appeared since Covid with the not using changing rooms thing
EverythingDelegated · 11/07/2021 19:14

A few of ours have dry robes but a lot more use those big fleecy things that were all the rage at Christmas and a lot use onesies (we have club onesies (and masks!).

estherfrewen · 11/07/2021 19:25

When DS quit at Xmas they were still going in and out in shorts ... in Yorkshire... I think it was some weird squad thing as to who was the toughest. Shorts flip flops woolly hat. Daft as brushes all of them!

Musication · 11/07/2021 19:32

They all seem to have those Dryrobe things but I think they possibly are a covid thing as they can't use the changing rooms. I'll be honest I'm not keen to spend that kind of money if it's not wholly necessary!

Hopefully the changing rooms will be open before long and a warm onesie will suffice...

Oldpeoplesprinting · 16/07/2021 20:35

They’ve always been a thing for triathlon/open water - not sure poolside they’re that much use in non-covid times as you’d get changed ordinarily. And they’re bloody expensive!!

YeyItsTheSummer · 27/07/2021 18:07

Can I hijack the thread for a quick question :) ..

Anyone know why a swimmer might get slower times as the weeks progress? DS has got slower and slower in all strokes since resuming training a few months ago. All his buddies have got faster and are now teasing him (he was one of fastest in squad in resumption of training in April, now one of slowest). He's really down and can't understand why he's got so much slower (in terms of race times) when he's been training loads and working hard!! He's 9 if that helps.

Any advice much appreciated as he is very low about it all, not helped by training buddies taking the Micky (and making him upset to go to practice because of what they might say)

Thanks for any advice :)

(We have a £20 version of the dry robe off Amazon :) it's quite good for changing after swimming I gather from DS)

Helenjohanna · 27/07/2021 18:52

I was able to watch DS for the first time on Friday. I loved the set-up - I felt as though I was watching youngsters being prepared for Olympics (which I know I sort of was). It all felt professional, as opposed to the chaos and noise of swim school. I really enjoyed watching!

There were only three in DS's lowest group. He is still very slow and still concentrates on his technique, which I think looks good. The other two were pretty slow as well, though, so I think he's normal for his level. As I scanned across the lanes, I could see that the swimmers gradually got faster, so I had a great visual representation of the progress they make.

They did some lengths in different strokes, and then spent quite a bit of time in diving. The coach worked with them a lot on their pose on the diving board. DS pretty much flopped in, as did one of the other two. The third was beginning to get it right.

I think it's going to be slow progress, and I'm hoping that's quite normal. I won't be putting any pressure on DS. He will be training twice a week from this week, so maybe he will start improving a little more rapidly soon.

estherfrewen · 27/07/2021 19:19

Hi @YeyItsTheSummer - ah my heart bleeds for him. Swimming is not linear progression unfortunately. There will always be times when they aren’t improving time-wise and may even seem to go backwards. Sometimes it is because of growth, or changes technically and sometimes they do just plateau, but I can promise it will only be temporary. He may not improve for a while but then there will be a 20 second PB! At this age improvements can be very dramatic.

What I would say is that if the others are being a bit mean and he is feeling sad is perhaps have a little word with your club welfare officer as it isn’t right that it is putting him off training. Swimming is primarily an individual sport and that can make the competitive edge a bit too sharp - and that can often be fostered by coaches sadly. Perhaps the welfare officer needs a gentle word with the squad as to how they are all team mates and need to bit a bit kinder to each other - without naming names. This had to be done a few times in our squads and sometimes it just needs nipping in the bud while they are young.

Things will get better and he will PB but it is hard for him and for you to see him being sad but this will pass.

YeyItsTheSummer · 27/07/2021 19:28

Thanks Estherfrewen

I've mentioned he's a bit sad about dropping times, to his coach in an email, but I didn't mention about him being teased. I am paranoid the coach thinks I'm a crazy swim mum and he's not responded to my email which is confirming my paranoia! So I don't want to cause any more fuss by now contacting the welfare officer! Though maybe I should 🤷

Thanks you for the reassurance that maybe it's a blip/plateau. I think he'll suddenly improve after a holiday and little break from all the training (he looked exhausted from a busy school term as well as training) but he's not convinced :) a few tears tonight before practice :( so hard seeing him so down on himself and losing all his confidence and he still possibly has a long path ahead (if this doesn't put him off :(. ) Just want him to enjoy it again and find the smile he used to always bring to practice :)

estherfrewen · 27/07/2021 19:38

Coach should be responding to email concerns - that’s poor if not. How long ago did you email? Hopefully a summer break will help but if you hear nothing from coach and things don’t improve re the teasing I would definitely speak to welfare officer - even if just off the record. How long has he been in squad?

YeyItsTheSummer · 27/07/2021 20:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fourmagpies · 28/07/2021 19:12

That's a shame summer. As esther said, at that age they can be up and down with times, and technique should be the priority anyway. Speed will come. They mature at such different rates.

DS is still enjoying swimming. We don't do any early starts, he's not in a high performance squad fortunately so less pressure, he still does 5 sessions a week though. He missed the first meet in nearly 18 months as he had to self isolate due to positive cases at school.

YeyItsTheSummer · 28/07/2021 19:54

👍thanks fourmagpies and Esther

Sorry your ds had to miss the gala fourmagpies :(

cliffdiver · 05/08/2021 08:23

Hi, please can I join?

DD1 (9) recently had a trial at a swimming club.

She needs short fins, can anyone recommend some for narrow feet please? She's 1.5 - 2, Clarks E fit.

We have a local Decathlon, so will visit there next week.

Eccle80 · 05/08/2021 17:58

Hi cliffdiver, hope she enjoyed the trial. My two have always got on with the Maru fins like this www.allensswimwear.co.uk/maru-training-fins-neon-pink-black-a4507.html (there are other colours too!). My eldest has narrow feet and has been ok, but I know some use socks with fins to help them fit better.

cliffdiver · 05/08/2021 20:32

@Eccle80

Hi cliffdiver, hope she enjoyed the trial. My two have always got on with the Maru fins like this www.allensswimwear.co.uk/maru-training-fins-neon-pink-black-a4507.html (there are other colours too!). My eldest has narrow feet and has been ok, but I know some use socks with fins to help them fit better.
Thank you, those look great - I think they're the same ones she borrowed, so we'll order them.

She loved the trial - much more so than her regular swimming lessons.

TimeForLunch · 23/08/2021 16:05

Hi, I've been reading through this thread with interest as my ds has recently started competitive swimming. He has been training with a club since May, 3 times a week. To begin with he was doing really well and making clear progress but I (and he also, unfortunately) have noticed that the others seem to have overtaken him in speed/ability. To be honest, it may just be speed as I am no expert but he's feeling a bit despondent about it. I think he may have reached a plateau. Just wondered if anyone has any advice really. He's 10 and small for his age. The group he is in ranges in age from 9 to about 13. I think this may be relevant as a lot of growing seems to take place around this age. Although not yet for ds!

Eccle80 · 25/08/2021 15:24

Hi @TimeForLunch. I would say from my experience of watching them swim over the past few years, progress isn’t always in a straight line, there are periods they improve rapidly, and periods when they seem to get stuck. Also training speed doesn’t always equate to race speed in terms of who is fastest. I know it is hard but I’d try not to compare too much. He will be making progress even if it doesn’t feel like it. I would say in the earlier stages the main thing is to get the technique right and the speed will come in time

Eccle80 · 25/08/2021 15:35

How is everyone else doing? For the first time in 18 months we finally have a non level x competition coming up next month, the first ever for my younger one. I’m not looking forward to being back to my eldest in pursuit of county times again though, it was so stressful through the autumn 2 years ago as he kept just missing times then got a random one last minute. The narrow window and lack of competitions makes it feel more pressured too.

TimeForLunch · 25/08/2021 18:26

@Eccle80 thank you for the reassurance and advice. At the moment he is still happy to continue so hopefully he will get through this without giving up.
I hope your DCs enjoy the competition and it's not too stressful for you!

Fourmagpies · 26/08/2021 15:33

I would second what Eccle80 said, they improve at such different rates at that age. And with such a wide age range in the squad you'll see a big difference. Technique is more important at that age. My DS was always one of the smallest until he shot up during the first lockdown. He's now 14 and taller than me (I'm 5ft 5). It'll be interesting to see how he fares this year. He's moved up a squad - 7 sessions a week, all 2 hours long plus land training - though he usually goes to Scouts one night instead. His first gala is in September - he missed the Summer festival as he had to self isolate.

TimeForLunch · 27/08/2021 07:03

That's great to hear @Fourmagpies. A huge amount of training to fit in, I feel exhausted just thinking about it!

Apparently our club did more sessions and for longer before Covid for all the squads but they haven't been able to get back up to the same number of pool hours due to lack of availability at the leisure centres they use. I'm hoping this will change but it seems that booking slots as they had to do to follow Covid procedures works for them and they are keeping it that way. Is anyone else's club having this problem?