Common for a 14 yo girl?

[Anonymous]

1st meet times, pfft. Seed times vs actual times I'm guessing were (as usual) a disappointment across the board.

And with girls, it's often a nonlinear situation anyway at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome to swimming as a 14 year old girl. I too was a AAA swimmer who had big time drops at 13. Then 14 and 15 suuucked. I could not drop time in my best events despite working so hard. I focused on other events because I was so frustrated. Finally at 16 I got through the plateau and went on to swim 4 years of D1 with my very last race being a best time.

I wouldn’t worry much about not dropping time at the first fall meet. And if it ends up being the first sign of a plateau, just be supportive and follow your child’s lead. I was so cranky about it (and cranky in general at that age) and my parents nagging me asking why I was not dropping time would NOT have been helpful. The fact that they stayed out of it other than driving me to the pool probably helped me not quit.

Thank you for this. I have not said anything, nor plan to. I tend to focus on whether she is having fun and liking swim (and all of her swim friends) than actual times. She is the driving force in her swimming. Now if I can get my husband to do the same...

Friends are part of what kept me swimming during that time, along with a coach who believed in me. Your husband needs to be very careful. Remind him that nothing he says will make her swim faster, but a feeling of pressure from him could make her quit.

[Anonymous]

I am not a swimmer. Every year since 9 there have been drops and improvements. This year there were adds. That has never happened.

Have you ever paid attention to swimming in the 5 years your child has been a swimmer?

What were you expecting? Infinite time drops and ownership of all the world records?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am not a swimmer. Every year since 9 there have been drops and improvements. This year there were adds. That has never happened.

Have you ever paid attention to swimming in the 5 years your child has been a swimmer?

What were you expecting? Infinite time drops and ownership of all the world records?





Why the need to criticize? Does it make you feel big to put someone down?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am not a swimmer. Every year since 9 there have been drops and improvements. This year there were adds. That has never happened.

Have you ever paid attention to swimming in the 5 years your child has been a swimmer?

What were you expecting? Infinite time drops and ownership of all the world records?





Why the need to criticize? Does it make you feel big to put someone down?

+1 -- what a weird response

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am not a swimmer. Every year since 9 there have been drops and improvements. This year there were adds. That has never happened.

Have you ever paid attention to swimming in the 5 years your child has been a swimmer?

What were you expecting? Infinite time drops and ownership of all the world records?

Why the need to criticize? Does it make you feel big to put someone down?

+1 -- what a weird response

DP the post was snarky, but has a grain of truth to it. Parents and swimmers can have unrealistic expectations.

[Anonymous]

does not have a full training block under her belt and is not tapered. older swimmers never swim best times in September and October. December, February/March, and July/August is when swim times matter!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am not a swimmer. Every year since 9 there have been drops and improvements. This year there were adds. That has never happened.

Have you ever paid attention to swimming in the 5 years your child has been a swimmer?

What were you expecting? Infinite time drops and ownership of all the world records?

Why the need to criticize? Does it make you feel big to put someone down?

+1 -- what a weird response

DP the post was snarky, but has a grain of truth to it. Parents and swimmers can have unrealistic expectations.

Snarky, yes. But seriously, is the expectation that time drops will be infinite? If you’ve paid any attention in the last 5 years, it’s basic and common knowledge to know that kids get back in the pool in September after a layoff and are relatively rusty and out of shape. Their performance in early season meets typically reflects this.

[Anonymous]

This sounds very normal. I wouldn't expect much of a drop from now on.

[Anonymous]

OP, it gets very tough around this time for girls. I think you've received some good advice here. Just focus on keeping it fun and something she wants to keep doing.