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LAKE LYTAL LIGHTNING'S PARENT'S PAGE!!

Parents, you are the most influential person in your son's/daughter's life!! In order to make your experience with Lake Lytal Lightning a healthy competitive experience for your child we recommend some of the following links and article in order for all of us (coach, swimmer, and parent) to all have the same mission.

AUGUST 2008 HANDBOOK

10 Commandments for Swim Team Parents

Pressure Parents Quiz

Be a Role Model for Your Child

Children learn behavior from many different people, including coaches, teachers and peers, but the people they learn the most from are their parents! You’ll have many opportunities as your child participates in sports to model good behavior and attitude. For example if you tell your child that he must respect others, your message will be lost unless you also model respect for others. And don’t forget, nonverbal messages, like a look of disgust or disappointment, often speak louder than words. Here are some other tips to keep in mind as you sit at swim meets:

Model good sportsmanship. Being a ‘good sport” is much easier said than done. You can model good sportsmanship by encouraging and supporting all swimmers, controlling your emotions when upset or frustrated, and abiding by coaches’ and officials’ decisions even if you disagree.
Model team spirit and loyalty. Cheer for your team and have only positive things to say about the team and coach.
Let go of your own ego. Put your child’s development and desires ahead of your own. Examine your motives for your child’s participation.
Have fun. If you are having fun and enjoying the swimming experience, it is more likely that your child will do the same. If you complain and don’t enjoy yourself, your child will pattern that behavior also.
Help the team as a volunteer. Your role as a volunteer is crucial to our sport. You can be actively involved in your child’s activity, meet new people, have fun, and be instrumental in strengthening swimming in the U.S. Ask the coach or the volunteer coordinator for your team what you can do to help. No experience is necessary for most jobs. Don’t wait to be asked, be a volunteer!

Let the Coach Do the Coaching (12/1/2005)

When parents take on the roles and responsibility of the coach, it takes away from the fun in swimming. Critiquing races, offering suggestions on what went wrong or how to improve, and placing expectations on performance are examples of things parents do that tend to decrease the kids’ enjoyment. You must trust the coach to guide your child’s sports experience and you must be able to accept the coach’s authority. Not only will your instruction and criticism diminish your child’s enjoyment, it might also confuse the child, leaving him to wonder who he should listen to or who is giving the correct advice. The coach-athlete bond can be a very strong one. Some of the admiration and respect once directed solely to you now must be shared with the coach. Provide support and resist the urge to compete with the coach! Respect the coach and do not criticize the coach in front of your child. If you have serious concerns about the instruction or advice your child is receiving, make an appointment to speak to the coach privately to discuss your concerns.

Sticking With Swimming….What Can a Parent Do?

The Unfortunate Path that Many Swimmers Follow:

The swimmer’s career often starts with 8/under success and high parental enthusiasm. The child is encouraged by parents and others to excel and a big deal is made out of every accomplishment. As the child changes age groups and moves into the 9/10 group, even the most successful child may struggle because he or she has a harder time finding success against 10 year olds. What successes are achieved may not be as noticeable. Unfortunately, as many as one-third of the young swimmers and their families do not make it past this point.

By the time swimmers are10 or 11 years old they (or their parents) may realize that twice a week practices or summer only swimming is not enough to compete with others who are practicing more frequently. Physical ability and natural coordination can still help athlete to stay competitive and have success but it is getting harder to stay on top. More big changes and rude awakenings are lurking in the future.

The first Big Change: From 10/under to 11 & 12

Events become longer going from 25’s and 50's to 50's and 100's and even some 200's and distance freestyle events.
Competition changes from sprint competition to race/pace/competition.
In some programs, one half of the athletes and their families do not make this change. They never give the coaches or the program a chance to help the athlete adapt to the changing nature of swimming competition.

The second Big Change: From age 12 to 13&14/Senior swimming.

Events change again. Now it is all 100's & 200's along with 400/500 and 1000/1650.
The athlete must develop a work ethic and intensify the training aspect of swimming.
Physical changes affect both male and female athletes. Athletes get bigger and stronger, but many, especially the girls, may struggle to cope with their “new bodies.”
This can one of the most rewarding phases of an athlete’s career, yet many will give up.

The third Big Change: A focus on college swimming

Swimmers who remain in the sport start to look at the possibility of swimming in college.
Questions arise concerning the choice of colleges, the level of swimming, the possibilities of scholarships and the willingness to compete and train for another four years.

Let’s put these changes into “real” numbers:

Suppose a team has 12 Novice swimmers.

Only 8 will remain in swimming past the first Big Change
Only 4 will remain in swimming past the second Big Change.
Only 2 will remain in swimming past the third Big Change.

The Role of the Parent in Navigating the Big Changes:

Sometimes, unfortunately, it is the parents who are responsible for their child leaving the sport. For example:

Parents who are former athletes, especially former swimmers, may have unreasonably high expectations.
Parents believe that they are in charge of the athlete’s happiness and that only “winning” can bring happiness.
Parents believe that early success equates with long term success. The 8/under star will, of course, become an Olympian.
Parents may not understand the need for technical and skill development before “swimming fast.”

Parents must examine their own motives. Form a philosophy that emphasizes the process, not the outcome. Be the guides on the “fun path” not the “victory path.” When parents use these words, their emphasis is misplaced:

We - Beat - Win - Fast - Lost - Try - Only – My

What Can Parents Do to Reverse the Trend?

Parents must develop, progress and grow the just as athletes do. Experience is the key and communication is the mode. Swimmers already have coaches, friends and teammates. They need a parent to fill the parental role. “Coaches coach children, parents raise children. “

Here are some of the benefits your child will garner if he or she sticks with swimming:

Life Lessons: Only one swimmer can win the race. Does this mean everyone else is a loser? Of course not! Swimmers need to constantly be reminded that a top-notch effort on their part will result in personal satisfaction and a contribution to their team. Most USA Swimming clubs design a program of competitive training and competition for our younger swimmers based on long term development. Therefore, we may not stress early competitive success with a great deal of fanfare. Remember that swimmers under the age of 12 are very inconsistent which can be frustrating to a parent or to the swimmers themselves. Fun and patience are the keys here.

Leadership: In many cases, our team leaders and successful Senior swimmers were not outstanding age group swimmers. Those who “stick with it” often develop into outstanding leaders, having learned patience, dedication and commitment. Steady progress and understanding the meaning of various accomplishments will make a motivated, well adjusted Senior swimmer.

USA Swimming clubs go to great lengths to provide opportunities for all swimmers equally, although sometimes it may seem that more emphasis and time is spent on Senior swimming. An 8/under will swim no more than 45 minutes two or three times a week, while a Senior swimmer may be in the water 18 hours per week! Both swimmers are having their needs met as part of a long term progression. Understanding the long term benefits and the long term progression will help parents navigate the waters of a swimmer’s career. If you associate “time” with “attention”, the longer a swimmer stays with swimming the more attention he or she will receive.

Why Should My Child Be a Swimmer?

Swimming is an outstanding activity for young people.
Swimming promotes fitness and teaches a child to strive for physical achievement. Many super-stars in other sports started out as swimmers and gained strength and coordination that helped them to excel.
Swimming is an exciting individual and team sport.
Swimming is a technical and specialized activity involving extensive skill development.
Swimming is a healthy "lifetime" activity. Participants may be 1 or 101 years old.
Swimming is relatively injury free in comparison to other youth sports.
Swimming teaches the life lessons of sport and sportsmanship which include learning to deal with winning and losing, as well as working with officials, teammates and coaches.
Swimming motivates participants to strive for self improvement and teaches goal orientation.
Swimming cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem.
Swimming can prevent drowning.

Did you know?

Drowning is a leading killer of American children.

In ethnic communities, drowning rates are nearly three times the national average.

More than 30% of kids are at risk for obesity-related illnesses.

Swimming is a cure.

Key Questions

While winning is nice, while setting a record, getting a best time, or making a qualifying time feels good, we hope that our young athletes learn more than “it is great to swim fast”. No where in human history or theology do we learn that the ability to swim fast holds a very high priority in the grand scheme of the universe. From a practical standpoint, over-emphasis on speed, times and achievements will eventually end in frustration. No matter how fast a young athlete swims, there will probably be another swimmer in the next town, state, or country, swimming faster, if not now, then next month. So as coaches and parents, ask yourselves:

¨ Did the child learn to swim with more skill this past season so he or she is both stronger and safer in the water?

¨ Did the child learn to exhibit initiative, wanting to come to the pool and do the practice without having to be constantly pushed or prodded by parents and coaches?

¨ Did the child learn something about unselfishness, sacrificing his or her personal wants for the good of others or the team?

¨ Did the child benefit from the competitive experience, learning how to handle winning and losing in our competitive society?

¨ Did the child learn more patience in overcoming obstacles, setbacks and problems?

¨ Did the child learn empathy?

In a few years, the medals and ribbons will be laid aside and best times will be a hazy memory. The friendships that will develop and the life skills learned will carry on for a lifetime.