S/O 4:30am practice for ES

[Anonymous]

I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

Any parent who allows this for a nine year old is an idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

Any parent who allows this for a nine year old is an idiot.

Yes, for too many reasons to mention. Insanity.

[Anonymous]

There are elite clubs that practice at 5:30 pm every night. If I were at a club that mandated 4:30 am practice, I would rather drive my child further and allow the child to get adequate sleep. Nobody will do anything super well (long term) without sleep. (Writing from experience, as a high school/college burn-the-candle-both-ends type and now suffering at 50 from many chronic illnesses.)

Now, if parents and child can ensure child is asleep by 7 pm every night, then maybe that’s okay. My child is 9 and still needs (and gets) 10-12 hours of sleep per tonight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

You aren’t forced to do this, you know.

[Anonymous]

My kid is with a big elite club and 5 am practice doesn’t start until MS. Name the club or I’m calling troll because I’ve never heard of 4:30 am practice for 9 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

You know the answer, and it is no. Find a club that does not have such a ridiculous practice schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

My kids are elite high school swimmers and we still don’t do it. It is most definitely not healthy for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is with a big elite club and 5 am practice doesn’t start until MS. Name the club or I’m calling troll because I’ve never heard of 4:30 am practice for 9 year olds.

RMSC Rockville has 445a in their junior groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

Any parent who allows this for a nine year old is an idiot.

Yes, for too many reasons to mention. Insanity.

Child abuse.

[Anonymous]

Any parent who forces their kids to do this is abusive.

-Former college swimmer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is with a big elite club and 5 am practice doesn’t start until MS. Name the club or I’m calling troll because I’ve never heard of 4:30 am practice for 9 year olds.

RMSC Rockville has 445a in their junior groups.

Yup and not just one. They offer several. Maybe there’s a reason so many kids burnout at that site…

[Anonymous]

It's not healthy at ANY AGE.

Every age group needs full, good quality sleep. Long-term sleep deprivation is a significant contributor to dementia and cardiovascular risks. Adolescents' body clocks shift to later sleep times naturally, so it's not like a teen getting up at 4 is better than a child waking up at 4.

I have one kid who has always been a late riser (he has borderline sleep apnea that is not treatable with a cpap), and one kid who has always been an early riser... but not 4:30am. More like 5:30.

I am not damaging either of them by having that sort of schedule. Honestly, I think it's tantamount to child abuse, even if the child doesn't realize it and wants to swim at that time in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is with a big elite club and 5 am practice doesn’t start until MS. Name the club or I’m calling troll because I’ve never heard of 4:30 am practice for 9 year olds.

RMSC Rockville has 445a in their junior groups.

Yep, it's total insanity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was very surprised to learn that there are 4:30am training practice for ES kids. 9 years old waking up super early for practice. My kid’s group offers that, but we have never been. The other higher level groups for the same age require at least one early morning practice. At my son’s level, it’s optional, but we are still encouraged to do it.

ES starts at 9:25am and is it even healthy (or reasonable) to ask 9-10 years old to wake up at 4am for swim practice? We just can’t do it, and I guess my kid will never be an “elite” swimmer.

You aren’t forced to do this, you know.

With RMSC, if you want to stay at junior 1 or junior select, one morning of 4:40, 4:45 is mandatory. The time for junior 2 sucks as well. This is really difficult and pretty much forcing 9-13 year old kids swim so early.