GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS OF SWIMMERS
(Outline of a Parent's Clinic given by Coach Wales on 6-22-82)
I. WHY SWIM?
A. Conditioning the body
1. Cardio vascular expansion
2. Wind-lung expansion
3. Build strength and tone muscles
4. Look and feel good
B. Disciplining the mind
1. Self-discipline
a. Practice Schedule (need to choose how to use time)
b. During Practice (need to follow through on instructions from coach, e.g. 3-stroke breathing)
c. Meet preparation (choices to be made before and during meet (e.g. adequate rest, right food...)
2. Work Ethic (relationship between work and success
3. How to handle stress (over prepare)
C. Strengthen the spirit (ego, self, soul)
1. Sense of self-worth and accomplishment
a. Ego builder
b. Realistic goal setting (immediate and long range)
c. Handling guilt
d. Power of positive thinking
2. Winning and Losing
a. Mutual betterment (swimmers working to help each other improve)
b. Swimmer versus swimmer (can be very destructive)
II. WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?
A. Physically
1. Food
a. Lots of complex carbohydrates (carbohydrates in the form of starches provide the energy needed for the prolonged physical exertion of swimmers, such as potatoes, bread, pasta, etc.)
b. Limit sucrose (the sugar found in the sugar bowl and in candy)
c. Fruits and Vegetables provide needed vitamins and minerals
d. B-complex vitamins are necessary for the breakdown of complex-carbohydrates
2. Rest
a. sleep before a meet (2nd and 3rd nights before a meet are just as important!)
b. Limit exercise time (so swimmers are rested for practice and meets)
c. Control behavior at meets
3. Practice time is like school
a. Get them to practice regularly
1. like a savings account which pays interest at the end of a quarter... return on time invested in swim practice is often delayed
2. Miss one - add two (miss one day of practice, it takes two to catch it up; miss one week - it will
take two to make it up
b. Insist on it!
c. Schedule around it.
B. Mentally
1. Remind them why in a positive way
a. Be constructive (NEVER link your swimmer's achievement or success to achievements or goal
of other swimmers) (DCDAC Club Guide, page thirteen)
(WHAT PARENTS CAN DO...cont.)
2. Reward correct decisions and performances
a. Kind word
b. Special dessert or gift
c. Outings
3. Help them control their anxiety
a. You stay calm!
b. Believe in them
c. Remind them of their successes and improvement
d. Think positive
4. Reinforce the coaches
C. Spiritually
1. Remind them often how much better they are
2. Avoid criticism - it destroys confidence
3. Encourage friendships with other swimmers; discourage destructive rivalries
4. Do not make negative comments about other swimmers, coaches, or officials in front of swimmers...
It creates guilt
5. Keep them proud of you, themselves, and their accomplishments
D. Help them learn to become better than we are
1. Learn to read them
a. Know when they are "jacked up" or "calmed down"
2. Help them to learn to read themselves
a. Explain them to themselves
3. Help them to set their own realistic goals
A chart such as the one below will help your child focus on his/her goals and the achievement of steps toward "THE" goal. A beginner might have a "B" time at the top; a more advanced swimmer might have a "AAA" time as their goal. Start completing the bottom first (where they are now), and fill in time steps as they progress.
SWIMMER'S GOALS CHART
| 25 free | 50 free | 100 fr | 25back | 50back | 25 brst | 50 brst | 25 fly | 50 fly | 100IM |
| 18.09 | 40.09 | 1:28.89 | 31.59 | 48.09 | 23.09 | 51.59 | 20.09 | 49.09 | 1:42.09 |
| 18.30 | 42.00 | ||||||||
| 19.00 | 44.00 | ||||||||
| 20.00 | 46.00 | ||||||||
| 21.00 | 48.00 | ||||||||
| 22.00 | 50.00 | ||||||||
| 23.00 | 53.00 | ||||||||
| 24.00 | 56.00 | ||||||||
| 25.00 | 58.00 | ||||||||
| 27.00 | 1:00.00 | 2:00.00 | 37.50 | 1:15.00 | 36.00 | 1:19.50 | 31.50 | 1:13.50 | 2:27.00 |
(Make charts for both YARDS and METERS, and have child update regularly) (DCDAC Club Guide, pate fourteen)