Why do lane coaches teach freestyle first?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Seems hard to DQ for backstroke, no? Which is where OP is coming from

No / you can’t be vertical towards breast & a lot of the young kids flip over at the end before touching

Eh, if it's only 25m then no flipping required and if kid just stays on his back until he passes under the flags and feels the wall, then it's fairly "easy" to avoid DQ.

The PP was saying a lot of kids can't actually stay on their back until they get to the wall, even in a 25. All of this stems from delusional parents thinking their kid who can't really even swim yet has **potential** in one stroke. Focusing solely on that stroke early on **might** get them into a A meet, but it would also thwart their overall development. If you want your kids to be swimmers or anything else for that matter, focus on the big picture, long-term development, not the next A-meet.

Eh, I just timed time trials last weekend and about half of our 8&U flipped onto their stomachs and DQd in backstroke. Nearly all of those kids are fully capable of staying on their backs and can do the stroke, they just didn't when under pressure and unsure of what to do with folks cheering. They're still little. Many just forgot or were afraid of hitting their heads. I'm sure that number will drop dramatically as the summer goes along and kids get more practice. The coach had them swim the stroke because they can. Learning how to stay legal from beginning to end of a race is the next step after learning the stroke itself.

And this is why race conditions are so important. What a kid does in practice is not always what they do in a race. Some kids fall apart in a race and other rise to the occasion.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote: Swimmers that can't do freestyle don't really exist on swim teams.

Oddly enough, our daughter is completed uncoordinated and slow at freestyle, but an A meet swimmer at breaststroke (and much faster at breast than at free). Hard to believe but it does happen.

How old? I've seen this happen with youngsters and beginners but by the time they get some swim experience the freestyle comes around just from exposure in warm-ups, etc.

8&U. She's far from a beginner, but breaststroke is much more natural for her than free. That will change with time, of course.

LOL. You have no idea the mechanics of breaststroke. It is *the most* DQ'd stroke because every kid thinks they can do it. It is VERY technical.

- stroke and turn judge

This is her second year swimming breast at A Meets and she didn't DQ once last year. She's really good at breast. But equally awful at free.

Then you could have put her in swim lessons from Sept to May if you wanted her to learn.

She does swim lessons every winter and spring. That's why she's good (and legal) at breast. Any other questions?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote: Swimmers that can't do freestyle don't really exist on swim teams.

Oddly enough, our daughter is completed uncoordinated and slow at freestyle, but an A meet swimmer at breaststroke (and much faster at breast than at free). Hard to believe but it does happen.

How old? I've seen this happen with youngsters and beginners but by the time they get some swim experience the freestyle comes around just from exposure in warm-ups, etc.

8&U. She's far from a beginner, but breaststroke is much more natural for her than free. That will change with time, of course.

LOL. You have no idea the mechanics of breaststroke. It is *the most* DQ'd stroke because every kid thinks they can do it. It is VERY technical.

- stroke and turn judge

This. DS(7) is a “natural breaststroker” and will be swimming in the A meet (….only because half our swimmers are on vacation). There is not a single doubt in my mind that child will DQ. Even though it looks great to me, all is takes is one scissor kick. Or one over the water recovery (wtf does that even mean??). Breaststroke is so much harder to do legally than most people realize- which is probably why they start with free. Now if your 8U really can do breast legally… you’re going to all the A meets.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Swimmers that can't do freestyle don't really exist on swim teams.

Oddly enough, our daughter is completed uncoordinated and slow at freestyle, but an A meet swimmer at breaststroke (and much faster at breast than at free). Hard to believe but it does happen.

How old? I've seen this happen with youngsters and beginners but by the time they get some swim experience the freestyle comes around just from exposure in warm-ups, etc.

8&U. She's far from a beginner, but breaststroke is much more natural for her than free. That will change with time, of course.

LOL. You have no idea the mechanics of breaststroke. It is *the most* DQ'd stroke because every kid thinks they can do it. It is VERY technical.

- stroke and turn judge

This is her second year swimming breast at A Meets and she didn't DQ once last year. She's really good at breast. But equally awful at free.

Then you could have put her in swim lessons from Sept to May if you wanted her to learn.

She does swim lessons every winter and spring. That's why she's good (and legal) at breast. Any other questions?

This is starting to sound more and more like a case where the focus of early lessons and training has been on "making the A meet" as opposed to overall, well-rounded development. Kid is still a novice though so there's time to change course. Get her in some good lessons this winter and she'll be much better before you know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Swimmers that can't do freestyle don't really exist on swim teams.

Oddly enough, our daughter is completed uncoordinated and slow at freestyle, but an A meet swimmer at breaststroke (and much faster at breast than at free). Hard to believe but it does happen.

How old? I've seen this happen with youngsters and beginners but by the time they get some swim experience the freestyle comes around just from exposure in warm-ups, etc.

8&U. She's far from a beginner, but breaststroke is much more natural for her than free. That will change with time, of course.

LOL. You have no idea the mechanics of breaststroke. It is *the most* DQ'd stroke because every kid thinks they can do it. It is VERY technical.

- stroke and turn judge

This is her second year swimming breast at A Meets and she didn't DQ once last year. She's really good at breast. But equally awful at free.

Then you could have put her in swim lessons from Sept to May if you wanted her to learn.

She does swim lessons every winter and spring. That's why she's good (and legal) at breast. Any other questions?

This is starting to sound more and more like a case where the focus of early lessons and training has been on "making the A meet" as opposed to overall, well-rounded development. Kid is still a novice though so there's time to change course. Get her in some good lessons this winter and she'll be much better before you know it.

This back-and-forth has gotten far from my original point, which that there are at least some kids who naturally learn breast more easily than free. Our daughter (and us) couldn't care less about A Meets vs. B Meets. Our team is small enough that most 8&U kids swim A Meets by the time they are 8 regardless. She takes lessons with a good program and doesn't focus on a particular stroke. She just gets the rhytym of breast far more easily than free. I don't see it as a problem . . . as I wrote above, that will change with time. She isn't going to be faster at breast than free for her entire life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Swimmers that can't do freestyle don't really exist on swim teams.

Oddly enough, our daughter is completed uncoordinated and slow at freestyle, but an A meet swimmer at breaststroke (and much faster at breast than at free). Hard to believe but it does happen.

How old? I've seen this happen with youngsters and beginners but by the time they get some swim experience the freestyle comes around just from exposure in warm-ups, etc.

8&U. She's far from a beginner, but breaststroke is much more natural for her than free. That will change with time, of course.

LOL. You have no idea the mechanics of breaststroke. It is *the most* DQ'd stroke because every kid thinks they can do it. It is VERY technical.

- stroke and turn judge

This is her second year swimming breast at A Meets and she didn't DQ once last year. She's really good at breast. But equally awful at free.

Then you could have put her in swim lessons from Sept to May if you wanted her to learn.

She does swim lessons every winter and spring. That's why she's good (and legal) at breast. Any other questions?

This is starting to sound more and more like a case where the focus of early lessons and training has been on "making the A meet" as opposed to overall, well-rounded development. Kid is still a novice though so there's time to change course. Get her in some good lessons this winter and she'll be much better before you know it.

This back-and-forth has gotten far from my original point, which that there are at least some kids who naturally learn breast more easily than free. Our daughter (and us) couldn't care less about A Meets vs. B Meets. Our team is small enough that most 8&U kids swim A Meets by the time they are 8 regardless. She takes lessons with a good program and doesn't focus on a particular stroke. She just gets the rhytym of breast far more easily than free. I don't see it as a problem . . . as I wrote above, that will change with time. She isn't going to be faster at breast than free for her entire life.

So why are you so hung up on it now? She's obviously still learning. Give her a break and let her be a kid without critiquing her so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Swimmers that can't do freestyle don't really exist on swim teams.

Oddly enough, our daughter is completed uncoordinated and slow at freestyle, but an A meet swimmer at breaststroke (and much faster at breast than at free). Hard to believe but it does happen.

How old? I've seen this happen with youngsters and beginners but by the time they get some swim experience the freestyle comes around just from exposure in warm-ups, etc.

8&U. She's far from a beginner, but breaststroke is much more natural for her than free. That will change with time, of course.

LOL. You have no idea the mechanics of breaststroke. It is *the most* DQ'd stroke because every kid thinks they can do it. It is VERY technical.

- stroke and turn judge

This is her second year swimming breast at A Meets and she didn't DQ once last year. She's really good at breast. But equally awful at free.

Then you could have put her in swim lessons from Sept to May if you wanted her to learn.

She does swim lessons every winter and spring. That's why she's good (and legal) at breast. Any other questions?

This is starting to sound more and more like a case where the focus of early lessons and training has been on "making the A meet" as opposed to overall, well-rounded development. Kid is still a novice though so there's time to change course. Get her in some good lessons this winter and she'll be much better before you know it.

This back-and-forth has gotten far from my original point, which that there are at least some kids who naturally learn breast more easily than free. Our daughter (and us) couldn't care less about A Meets vs. B Meets. Our team is small enough that most 8&U kids swim A Meets by the time they are 8 regardless. She takes lessons with a good program and doesn't focus on a particular stroke. She just gets the rhytym of breast far more easily than free. I don't see it as a problem . . . as I wrote above, that will change with time. She isn't going to be faster at breast than free for her entire life.

Well, if you are the OP, the original point was about backstroke. Also, curious how you know your child's breaststroke is legal if this is their first year on a swim team. Swim teachers are about swimming - not legal strokes since the majority of kids in lessons don't swim for a team and hence don't need to be legal - unless your child is in a stroke and development program - which is much different than swim lessons. In fact, how swim lessons generally teach breaststroke isn't the legal way to do it for competition (hence why all the little (and some big) kids DQ - they have to unlearn what they have been taught in lessons.

But soldier on and have a great summer. Summer swim team is the best.

- the S&T judge, 15y swim parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Swimmers that can't do freestyle don't really exist on swim teams.

Oddly enough, our daughter is completed uncoordinated and slow at freestyle, but an A meet swimmer at breaststroke (and much faster at breast than at free). Hard to believe but it does happen.

How old? I've seen this happen with youngsters and beginners but by the time they get some swim experience the freestyle comes around just from exposure in warm-ups, etc.

8&U. She's far from a beginner, but breaststroke is much more natural for her than free. That will change with time, of course.

LOL. You have no idea the mechanics of breaststroke. It is *the most* DQ'd stroke because every kid thinks they can do it. It is VERY technical.

- stroke and turn judge

This is her second year swimming breast at A Meets and she didn't DQ once last year. She's really good at breast. But equally awful at free.

Then you could have put her in swim lessons from Sept to May if you wanted her to learn.

She does swim lessons every winter and spring. That's why she's good (and legal) at breast. Any other questions?

I have a division I college breaststroker. It’s not uncommon for Breastrokers to be bad at Free. I see it all the time. They get better at it, but it’s not natural. Often you see the breast/flyers develop.