Swimming observations from national age group championships

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For every swim parent who pores over psych sheets, there are an equal number of parents who drop off and don’t attend the meets, parents who alway manage to miss their kids’ events, parents who mean well but take a video of the wrong kid (this has been me more than once), and parents who watch their kids and that’s it. Now that my kids are older and not the youngest age group anymore, I try to volunteer at one session per meet. It makes the time pass quickly and I’m kind of making up for the times when I couldn’t volunteer as much due to having a toddler around, etc.

Going to a meet this past weekend made me realize how nice it can be to volunteer. The first day, we didn’t and wound up sitting in cramped, uncomfortable bleachers for 2.5 hours. My back and legs both hurt afterward. I didn’t want to volunteer since my kid was supposed to finish with 1.5 hours left in the session. The second day my kid had an event at the beginning and end so I volunteered as a timer. It was so much nicer. The only downside was I couldn’t videotape them but I have enough videos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For every swim parent who pores over psych sheets, there are an equal number of parents who drop off and don’t attend the meets, parents who alway manage to miss their kids’ events, parents who mean well but take a video of the wrong kid (this has been me more than once), and parents who watch their kids and that’s it. Now that my kids are older and not the youngest age group anymore, I try to volunteer at one session per meet. It makes the time pass quickly and I’m kind of making up for the times when I couldn’t volunteer as much due to having a toddler around, etc.

Going to a meet this past weekend made me realize how nice it can be to volunteer. The first day, we didn’t and wound up sitting in cramped, uncomfortable bleachers for 2.5 hours. My back and legs both hurt afterward. I didn’t want to volunteer since my kid was supposed to finish with 1.5 hours left in the session. The second day my kid had an event at the beginning and end so I volunteered as a timer. It was so much nicer. The only downside was I couldn’t videotape them but I have enough videos.

Yes! volunteering is MUCH better than sitting in cramped crowded hot stands. You can also become an official- then you get breaks, people bring you water, etc- even better than being a timer. I don't think it is a bad thing for kids to have to wait until the end of the session b/c their parent is volunteering- it teaches them that volunteers are needed to run meets and the world does not revolve around them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a former competitive swimmer, let me tell you OP that you are definitely That Mom, and the swimmers definitely catch on to it, and make fun of you and are weirded out by you. You’re not doing your kids any favors, believe me. Your reputation as That Mom will carry over onto them if you’re not careful.

It’s one thing when you come over to see your parents and someone else’s mom says, “Great job, Sarah!” Or “Hey, what’s your next event today?” It’s another thing when That Mom makes a pouty face and says, “Awwww, that’s OK Sarah, you’ll get your time down next time” or “Do you know why Coach chose Madison for the relay instead of you?” We knew you and clocked your type from a very young age. Trust and believe. You are fooling exactly no one.

This is so true. In college my roommate's father was That Dad. She was so embarrassed by him. When we got to campus freshman year, some of the guys a year ahead of us who were from her home state recognized her dad and gave her a hard time about it. Apparently her dad really made his presence known at the swim meets while she was in high school. He wasn't an official or anything, just a very overinvolved parent bordering on creepy the way he would track how other kids were swimming.

I can still think of who "those parents" were from my own area. Their kids hated swimming by the end of HS. They were still very good but not where everyone thought they would be based on their early success. Their parents had killed their love of the sport by putting pressure on them to do the most intense practice groups/teams, always talk about swimming, etc. from a young age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was once waiting for my child who swims year-round team and a group of moms had a printed-out list of all the kids, their time, and comparing/criticizing them. It was so sad.

I'm just excited when my kid doesn't come in last. They like swimming and that's all that matters to me.

This seems like an odd story. I can’t think of anyone who would have a print out of results.

Sometimes I print out the heat sheets, especially if there are a million heats and the pool doesn't have a working scoreboard. Otherwise, it's way too easy to lose track. All the kids (including my own) look exactly the same in their team suits and team swim caps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was once waiting for my child who swims year-round team and a group of moms had a printed-out list of all the kids, their time, and comparing/criticizing them. It was so sad.

I'm just excited when my kid doesn't come in last. They like swimming and that's all that matters to me.

This seems like an odd story. I can’t think of anyone who would have a print out of results.

Sometimes I print out the heat sheets, especially if there are a million heats and the pool doesn't have a working scoreboard. Otherwise, it's way too easy to lose track. All the kids (including my own) look exactly the same in their team suits and team swim caps.

I once went to a meet for 8U that wasn’t on meet mobile and didn’t send heat sheets out the night before or have them for sale. Then the scoreboard blinked out, including the clock. After the initial fluster of trying to figure out how to tell what was going on, everyone just gave up and listened to the announcer and watched the kids. Most relaxing meet ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was once waiting for my child who swims year-round team and a group of moms had a printed-out list of all the kids, their time, and comparing/criticizing them. It was so sad.

I'm just excited when my kid doesn't come in last. They like swimming and that's all that matters to me.

This seems like an odd story. I can’t think of anyone who would have a print out of results.

Sometimes I print out the heat sheets, especially if there are a million heats and the pool doesn't have a working scoreboard. Otherwise, it's way too easy to lose track. All the kids (including my own) look exactly the same in their team suits and team swim caps.

I once went to a meet for 8U that wasn’t on meet mobile and didn’t send heat sheets out the night before or have them for sale. Then the scoreboard blinked out, including the clock. After the initial fluster of trying to figure out how to tell what was going on, everyone just gave up and listened to the announcer and watched the kids. Most relaxing meet ever.

That sounds awesome, not gonna lie!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This meet is so interesting!

1. The 11-12 boys age group, in general, is a hot mess. The boys who hit puberty early are comically bigger and stronger than the ones who don't, especially the tiny 11 year olds who were just 10 a month ago and are in elementary school. I think if you have a boy who is on the later side to puberty, just don't worry because they will get crushed, but it starts to even out later.

2. So many champion 10u from a few years ago are nowhere to be found now in the finals. They are still at the meet, so obviously very good, but they are, for the most part, just somewhere in the pack (some making finals and some not). Others who were still very good as 10u but not top 8, are now top 8 in all their best events. Interesting. (We've been going to this meet for many years so have become familiar with so many kids from teams around the country.)

3. The 13-14 girls age group is generally weak from many teams because the fastest girls at this age are already qualified for and attending NCSA junior nationals instead of age groups.

4. This meet is generally a celebration of the kids with spring/summer birthdays. My own kid benefits from this and has made finals in everything because he is 12 about to turn 13. His friend who turned 13 in February is an amazing swimmer (still qualified as a 13 year old when he was 12) and is here but getting crushed and basically finishing at the bottom. These two are less than 2 months apart in age.

5. Many, many very good teams do not attend this meet at all, so the "national champions" at this meet are amazing talented swimmers but not first in the nation by a long shot.

Anyway, those are some observations from a swim parent from across the years (I have 3 swimmers and here with my middle and youngest). Not a question just something to share!

OP, thanks for these observations. My 11 year old is tanking this season. His peers are getting faster and faster and he simply is not. He's mentally struggling HARD. He still has his 10 year old physique while the many of the kids in his group are seeing muscle and growth gains. We're encouraging him to hang in there. We'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This meet is so interesting!

1. The 11-12 boys age group, in general, is a hot mess. The boys who hit puberty early are comically bigger and stronger than the ones who don't, especially the tiny 11 year olds who were just 10 a month ago and are in elementary school. I think if you have a boy who is on the later side to puberty, just don't worry because they will get crushed, but it starts to even out later.

2. So many champion 10u from a few years ago are nowhere to be found now in the finals. They are still at the meet, so obviously very good, but they are, for the most part, just somewhere in the pack (some making finals and some not). Others who were still very good as 10u but not top 8, are now top 8 in all their best events. Interesting. (We've been going to this meet for many years so have become familiar with so many kids from teams around the country.)

3. The 13-14 girls age group is generally weak from many teams because the fastest girls at this age are already qualified for and attending NCSA junior nationals instead of age groups.

4. This meet is generally a celebration of the kids with spring/summer birthdays. My own kid benefits from this and has made finals in everything because he is 12 about to turn 13. His friend who turned 13 in February is an amazing swimmer (still qualified as a 13 year old when he was 12) and is here but getting crushed and basically finishing at the bottom. These two are less than 2 months apart in age.

5. Many, many very good teams do not attend this meet at all, so the "national champions" at this meet are amazing talented swimmers but not first in the nation by a long shot.

Anyway, those are some observations from a swim parent from across the years (I have 3 swimmers and here with my middle and youngest). Not a question just something to share!

OP, thanks for these observations. My 11 year old is tanking this season. His peers are getting faster and faster and he simply is not. He's mentally struggling HARD. He still has his 10 year old physique while the many of the kids in his group are seeing muscle and growth gains. We're encouraging him to hang in there. We'll see.

All swimmers and parents should assume this will happen at some point. There are some swimmers who drop time every meet, but most swimmers go through a plateau or a period of slow improvement when everyone else is swimming right past them. I have a now 11 year old who won multiple Jo events (we are on west coast) as a 10 year old, and he knows that fast 10 year olds are often not the fastest at 11, 12, 13 etc. A quick look at jo results from years past makes this clear. Other kids start taking swim more seriously, some kids were muscling their way with bad technique, kids grow at different rates. We told him that being at a plateau or even adding time DOES NOT mean he isn’t improving. Improving technique and trying new things takes time and doesn’t reap immediate benefits, just like changing a golf or tennis swing. He actually didn’t drop time for almost 6 months, and then suddenly all the things he had been working on came together.

The eventual plateau is also a good reason to make sure your kid has friends to swim with. Looking forward to seeing friends is essential for their happiness in the pool. At least that’s true for my kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This meet is so interesting!

1. The 11-12 boys age group, in general, is a hot mess. The boys who hit puberty early are comically bigger and stronger than the ones who don't, especially the tiny 11 year olds who were just 10 a month ago and are in elementary school. I think if you have a boy who is on the later side to puberty, just don't worry because they will get crushed, but it starts to even out later.

2. So many champion 10u from a few years ago are nowhere to be found now in the finals. They are still at the meet, so obviously very good, but they are, for the most part, just somewhere in the pack (some making finals and some not). Others who were still very good as 10u but not top 8, are now top 8 in all their best events. Interesting. (We've been going to this meet for many years so have become familiar with so many kids from teams around the country.)

3. The 13-14 girls age group is generally weak from many teams because the fastest girls at this age are already qualified for and attending NCSA junior nationals instead of age groups.

4. This meet is generally a celebration of the kids with spring/summer birthdays. My own kid benefits from this and has made finals in everything because he is 12 about to turn 13. His friend who turned 13 in February is an amazing swimmer (still qualified as a 13 year old when he was 12) and is here but getting crushed and basically finishing at the bottom. These two are less than 2 months apart in age.

5. Many, many very good teams do not attend this meet at all, so the "national champions" at this meet are amazing talented swimmers but not first in the nation by a long shot.

Anyway, those are some observations from a swim parent from across the years (I have 3 swimmers and here with my middle and youngest). Not a question just something to share!

OP, thanks for these observations. My 11 year old is tanking this season. His peers are getting faster and faster and he simply is not. He's mentally struggling HARD. He still has his 10 year old physique while the many of the kids in his group are seeing muscle and growth gains. We're encouraging him to hang in there. We'll see.

All swimmers and parents should assume this will happen at some point. There are some swimmers who drop time every meet, but most swimmers go through a plateau or a period of slow improvement when everyone else is swimming right past them. I have a now 11 year old who won multiple Jo events (we are on west coast) as a 10 year old, and he knows that fast 10 year olds are often not the fastest at 11, 12, 13 etc. A quick look at jo results from years past makes this clear. Other kids start taking swim more seriously, some kids were muscling their way with bad technique, kids grow at different rates. We told him that being at a plateau or even adding time DOES NOT mean he isn’t improving. Improving technique and trying new things takes time and doesn’t reap immediate benefits, just like changing a golf or tennis swing. He actually didn’t drop time for almost 6 months, and then suddenly all the things he had been working on came together.

The eventual plateau is also a good reason to make sure your kid has friends to swim with. Looking forward to seeing friends is essential for their happiness in the pool. At least that’s true for my kids!

Thank you for taking time to respond. It's tough to see your kid absolutely love a sport and then be gutted by it and then know how to navigate it all in a healthy and supportive manner as a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This meet is so interesting!

1. The 11-12 boys age group, in general, is a hot mess. The boys who hit puberty early are comically bigger and stronger than the ones who don't, especially the tiny 11 year olds who were just 10 a month ago and are in elementary school. I think if you have a boy who is on the later side to puberty, just don't worry because they will get crushed, but it starts to even out later.

2. So many champion 10u from a few years ago are nowhere to be found now in the finals. They are still at the meet, so obviously very good, but they are, for the most part, just somewhere in the pack (some making finals and some not). Others who were still very good as 10u but not top 8, are now top 8 in all their best events. Interesting. (We've been going to this meet for many years so have become familiar with so many kids from teams around the country.)

3. The 13-14 girls age group is generally weak from many teams because the fastest girls at this age are already qualified for and attending NCSA junior nationals instead of age groups.

4. This meet is generally a celebration of the kids with spring/summer birthdays. My own kid benefits from this and has made finals in everything because he is 12 about to turn 13. His friend who turned 13 in February is an amazing swimmer (still qualified as a 13 year old when he was 12) and is here but getting crushed and basically finishing at the bottom. These two are less than 2 months apart in age.

5. Many, many very good teams do not attend this meet at all, so the "national champions" at this meet are amazing talented swimmers but not first in the nation by a long shot.

Anyway, those are some observations from a swim parent from across the years (I have 3 swimmers and here with my middle and youngest). Not a question just something to share!

OP, thanks for these observations. My 11 year old is tanking this season. His peers are getting faster and faster and he simply is not. He's mentally struggling HARD. He still has his 10 year old physique while the many of the kids in his group are seeing muscle and growth gains. We're encouraging him to hang in there. We'll see.

All swimmers and parents should assume this will happen at some point. There are some swimmers who drop time every meet, but most swimmers go through a plateau or a period of slow improvement when everyone else is swimming right past them. I have a now 11 year old who won multiple Jo events (we are on west coast) as a 10 year old, and he knows that fast 10 year olds are often not the fastest at 11, 12, 13 etc. A quick look at jo results from years past makes this clear. Other kids start taking swim more seriously, some kids were muscling their way with bad technique, kids grow at different rates. We told him that being at a plateau or even adding time DOES NOT mean he isn’t improving. Improving technique and trying new things takes time and doesn’t reap immediate benefits, just like changing a golf or tennis swing. He actually didn’t drop time for almost 6 months, and then suddenly all the things he had been working on came together.

The eventual plateau is also a good reason to make sure your kid has friends to swim with. Looking forward to seeing friends is essential for their happiness in the pool. At least that’s true for my kids!

Thank you for taking time to respond. It's tough to see your kid absolutely love a sport and then be gutted by it and then know how to navigate it all in a healthy and supportive manner as a parent.

Yes it is tough. If it’s any consolation, as a parent of a boy swimmer, when puberty comes, it does make quite a difference. I have an older swimmer, who was more of a slow but steady guy who had a huge jump once he reached puberty. Obviously, kids are fixated on their times and it’s nearly impossible to draw focus away, but we really try to talk about components of the swim afterward and not the time itself - underwaters, turns, breakouts, glide, catch, etc. When my younger kid was in a plateau and feeling a little down, I sent a quick email to his coach and I think she helped a lot. She told him the same thing that we did - that when swimmers learn new things, their times might not improve, but that’s the way it works. But of course, he really believed her when she said it! It was also helpful to hear her perspective as a parent, because she has seen so many young swimmers and knows it’s a long game. Good luck to your son!