Reply to Pros/cons of quitting in HS

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[quote=Anonymous]DD doesn’t need to make the decision now, right? I’d let this season play out and then be open minded about what comes next.

Swimming has been such a great experience for my kids in many way and we have encouraged them not to give it up completely, but also leave the decision up to them. There are decent options for continuing to swim in HS beyond club. We know many kids who swim on the HS team or summer team but no longer do club. Some drop back in club and just do a couple practices a week.

Serious club swimming in HS is a huge commitment that will impact her HS experience in good and bad ways. In terms of pros and cons,  For my son, it keeps him fit, responsible, provides a good group of friends, teaches him how to organize his time and work hard. But it’s also grueling. He skips social events because he has early practice the next day, misses football games, isn’t able to commit to other desirable activities or play other sports he enjoys, and lives a life that is mostly swim, school, homework, lying exhausted on the couch. Things we would do as a family - ski trips, time visiting relatives, hosting get togethers with friends - happen less because of the swim schedule. Things like study abroad opportunities are complete non-starters. There are periods where he’s extremely worn out and grumpy.

Every year since 8th grade my son has talked about quitting. So far he’s ultimately decided to stick with is (he’s a sophomore), I think mostly because he enjoys the swim community and the friends he has there,  doesn't quite know how he’d fill his time if he quit, and really enjoys showing off his swim physique :). I would totally support him if he chose to quit, though would encourage him to continue with the HS team and consider continuing a couple days of club practice in a lower group (in 8th grade he wouldn’t consider that as an option but is open to swimming at a lower level now). He says he doesn’t want to swim in college, and I think that’s probably a good choice as there’s so much else to explore in college.[/quote]

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