Parental coaching at the pool

[Anonymous]

I'm middle-aged and swim at a local public pool during the day. Our peace and quiet has been disturbed by parents who come in to give their young kids "extra coaching". This consists mainly of timing the kids on the parents' phones and screaming "technical" points like "pull, pull". The kids comply, but also roll their eyes and talk back.

Is this the norm or the exception? I predict the kids quit before they're 14. I am glad that my parents didn't do this.

[Anonymous]

The pool is for everyone, even obnoxious people.

Poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pool is for everyone, even obnoxious people.

Poor kids.

+1 You said it.

[Anonymous]

Join an old person pool if you don't like it.

[Anonymous]

What bothers me is when I have paid for a lesson and an older person hops into the same lane and swims right through the lesson.

Anonymous wrote:I'm middle-aged and swim at a local public pool during the day. Our peace and quiet has been disturbed by parents who come in to give their young kids "extra coaching". This consists mainly of timing the kids on the parents' phones and screaming "technical" points like "pull, pull". The kids comply, but also roll their eyes and talk back.

Is this the norm or the exception? I predict the kids quit before they're 14. I am glad that my parents didn't do this.

[Anonymous]

My 13 yo swims at public pool himself, his 100 FR long course is close to 1min and he uses the fastest lane as stated in the rules. Anytime he swims laps, some slow old f...t who shouldn’t be in that lane would try to “take over” or “race” him pushing my fast thin boy to the land rope. Sometimes lifeguards would whistle to intervene - when older former athletes feel challenged, they are dangerous in public pools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me is when I have paid for a lesson and an older person hops into the same lane and swims right through the lesson.

Anonymous wrote:I'm middle-aged and swim at a local public pool during the day. Our peace and quiet has been disturbed by parents who come in to give their young kids "extra coaching". This consists mainly of timing the kids on the parents' phones and screaming "technical" points like "pull, pull". The kids comply, but also roll their eyes and talk back.

Is this the norm or the exception? I predict the kids quit before they're 14. I am glad that my parents didn't do this.

What bothers ME is when I am swimming laps and am asked to move because someone has "paid for private lessons" and would like the lane. At our pool, the lessons are freelance and the pool doesn't get any money from them. That kid has no more "right" to the lane than anyone else does.

[Anonymous]

You haven't met crazy until you've met swim parents. I've been involved in youth sports from running, leagues to officiating, to parenting. They are uniquely nuts. They cheer loudly, knowing their kid can't hear them, but it lets others know that it's all they have to be excited about.

In their defense, these are the former hyper-diligent A students who spent their youth looking at a book or a line in the bottom of a pool, only to find it didn't yield what they expected. Hoping it works out better for their kid. It won't.

Do NOT confront one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me is when I have paid for a lesson and an older person hops into the same lane and swims right through the lesson.

Anonymous wrote:I'm middle-aged and swim at a local public pool during the day. Our peace and quiet has been disturbed by parents who come in to give their young kids "extra coaching". This consists mainly of timing the kids on the parents' phones and screaming "technical" points like "pull, pull". The kids comply, but also roll their eyes and talk back.

Is this the norm or the exception? I predict the kids quit before they're 14. I am glad that my parents didn't do this.

What bothers ME is when I am swimming laps and am asked to move because someone has "paid for private lessons" and would like the lane. At our pool, the lessons are freelance and the pool doesn't get any money from them. That kid has no more "right" to the lane than anyone else does.

our pool rules specifically say that the lap lane is NOT to be used for private lessons- but it is ignored all the time. I think alot of parents aren't aware of this- but you had better believe I am going to hop right into that lap lane if I want to swim laps.

[Anonymous]

The rule at our pool is that whoever has the lane first is allowed to use it. However, this rule is ignored by a lot of older swimmers. Apparently, they feel like as if they should be allowed to swim over young swimmers who had the lane first. It is not even safe. There are six lanes at our pool. Why can't swimmers wait until a lane is free!?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What bothers me is when I have paid for a lesson and an older person hops into the same lane and swims right through the lesson.

Anonymous wrote:I'm middle-aged and swim at a local public pool during the day. Our peace and quiet has been disturbed by parents who come in to give their young kids "extra coaching". This consists mainly of timing the kids on the parents' phones and screaming "technical" points like "pull, pull". The kids comply, but also roll their eyes and talk back.

Is this the norm or the exception? I predict the kids quit before they're 14. I am glad that my parents didn't do this.

What bothers ME is when I am swimming laps and am asked to move because someone has "paid for private lessons" and would like the lane. At our pool, the lessons are freelance and the pool doesn't get any money from them. That kid has no more "right" to the lane than anyone else does.

our pool rules specifically say that the lap lane is NOT to be used for private lessons- but it is ignored all the time. I think alot of parents aren't aware of this- but you had better believe I am going to hop right into that lap lane if I want to swim laps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You haven't met crazy until you've met swim parents. I've been involved in youth sports from running, leagues to officiating, to parenting. They are uniquely nuts. They cheer loudly, knowing their kid can't hear them, but it lets others know that it's all they have to be excited about.

In their defense, these are the former hyper-diligent A students who spent their youth looking at a book or a line in the bottom of a pool, only to find it didn't yield what they expected. Hoping it works out better for their kid. It won't.

Do NOT confront one.

Aw, that is rough. I haven’t found swim parents to be any crazier than lacrosse, football or soccer parents. I am sorry that parent is giving swim a bad name. Swim is pretty competitive in this area but I have also found the kids to be pretty nice, the type of kids I want my kids around.

What I have seen is very little guidance given to new swim parents on etiquette. My hunch is they have never read the handbook and don’t know what to do. But to be honest I don’t think most parents involved in any sport read the handbook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You haven't met crazy until you've met swim parents. I've been involved in youth sports from running, leagues to officiating, to parenting. They are uniquely nuts. They cheer loudly, knowing their kid can't hear them, but it lets others know that it's all they have to be excited about.

In their defense, these are the former hyper-diligent A students who spent their youth looking at a book or a line in the bottom of a pool, only to find it didn't yield what they expected. Hoping it works out better for their kid. It won't.

Do NOT confront one.

You sound a little unhinged yourself.

[Anonymous]

The number one freestyle teen in va is coached by her dad often in the Rec center pools in nva. He is tough on her. He knows what he’s doing. I’m sure to 99% of strangers who witnessed them over the years they thought it was awful and that the kid would quit. Meanwhile...

[Anonymous]

Operative word: PUBLIC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The number one freestyle teen in va is coached by her dad often in the Rec center pools in nva. He is tough on her. He knows what he’s doing. I’m sure to 99% of strangers who witnessed them over the years they thought it was awful and that the kid would quit. Meanwhile...

Not just her, at least three other top 10 current age group swimmers from PVS are trained by parents (in addition to their club program). Nobody knows children better than their parents IMXO