Reply to Why obsess over getting into gifted program?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]Actually, I highly doubt that their drive and persistence would be considered unhealthy by most. Their success shows that they had the talent for their hard work to achieve that ultimate success. [b]Michael Phelps was identified by his coaches at an early age as extraordinarily talented. Not everyone has that level of talent[/b]. It would be unhealthy for the parent of a athlete of average talent to try to get their child into an elite training program, because even if they got him into the program, he would not be able to keep up. Happens all the time, of course, just as it happens with the AAP program, but doesn't make it right.

There are plenty of ways for athletes to learn and grow on the local teams, just as there are plenty of ways to learn and grow in the regular educational system. It's all about meeting the needs of the individual child.

The unhealthy part is only present when the parent is trying to put the child into a situation that is inappropriate for that child.[/quote]

More DCUM folklore.  Michael, just an hour due North, was put in the pool by mom (a then Baltimore middle school principal) because of academic difficulties and ADHD.  Swimming was a therapeutic design to sap excessive energy and smooth the early ups and downs of elementary school education and beyond.  The hours in the pool was not through any special identification of any talent but therapy for ADHD.  If you put in hours in the pool early on (and you can walk and chew gum) you will get identified since few 5, 6, 7 and 8 year-olds have put in 3 to 10 hours/ week year round in a pool.  If you can walk and chew gum you get the same results with pool prep that one gets with AAP or SAT prep!  This is not rocket science.
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Yes, that is exactly how he initially got started, but his coach saw his talent right away. He swam faster than the other kids. :) [/quote]

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