Reply to Competitive (Club) Swimming -- At what point is it fine for a child to leave a longtime sport?

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Reply to "Competitive (Club) Swimming -- At what point is it fine for a child to leave a longtime sport?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP how old is your child?
 I don't think all the PP understand that swimming is a huge time commitment, more so than many other sports-  2 hour practices 6 days a week and some weeks practice 5 days a week and then a meet on the weekends. If your child no longer has the passion for it and is getting discouraged, I would let the child quit  as long as they were doing another activity or sport.  
I swam from 5 to 6 days a week from ages 6-13 year-round on a swim team and wished I quit earlier. I was never the top age group swimmer on my competitive swim team even though I was a really good swimmer, and it got to be really discouraging after a while. 
I decided I would not put my kids in swimming because it really takes a family commitment. Now I am a crazy soccer mom, but practice for my 8 year old club/travel soccer player is only twice a week with games on the weekend. Unless it is a tournament, the games take 2 hours from getting to the fields, warm-up, to walking to the car. Much better than all day swim meets.[/quote]

I am really interested in hearing more about this, as my child is on a summer swim team and has done winter stroke clinic (non-team) for two years.  He is 9 -- and we are facing a dilemma -- continue with stroke clinic twice a week and do other sports, or go down the year round swim team path.  We don't know much about year round swim team, so wanted anyone's thoughts and prior experience on this.  Will it be so intense that other activities fall by the wayside?  He's a decent swimmer but we are also on a small summer team, so he gets lots of chances to swim.  No all star times or anything, but he really loves it.  TIA.[/quote]

I think it depends on the club.  My DD yr old swims at RMSC in the most "advanced" group for the 9-13 y/olds.  In that group there are kids who swim 5-6 times per week and parents that let you know you're not "keeping up" if you don't come to every practice and get private lessons on the side.  However, my child does the minimum (3) practices/week and plays another sport.  The coaches actually encourage kids to do multiple sports.  I do think it helps prevent burn-out to take the long view and don't get sucked into the thinking that you have to be the fastest 10, 12, or 14 year old to enjoy a fun and long swimming career.  LOTs of kids that swim as much as OPs DC is burn out before h.s.  I personally hope to defer that intense of a workout schedule until h.s.  An by then she may indeed decide to choose the other sport or a third . . .[/quote]

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