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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On the whole the number of days you swim depends on several factors.  MOST kids should swim two days a week (or less) until age 10.  This is when you move up to three days a week and in some clubs four days.

Most reputable clubs will not allow a kid under the age of 13 to swim more than that.  Yes, some kids want to but they would be better served by cross training the other days.  The reason for this is overuse injuries. There is a strong correlation of early intense training and shoulder injuries with swimmers.

You will see certain clubs push kids into more training way to early. Clubs that benefit significantly on the days in the water you are signed up for - push too early. Besides injuries there is more chance of burnout.

Swimming should be considered a life long sport with intense training starting in high school.  
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This is NOT true.[/quote]

It actually is and I am not the original poster but I am orthopedist that moved to this area and you would be shocked at how young I see kids in this area compared to the West Coast. Some sports young athletes are pushed early because there is a peak for that sport.  Not the case for swimming, where kids have a long time to actually hit their peak and by taking it incrementally (and in line with their development) they are less likely to have injuries or to burn out.  But this area is full of type A people that push them hard early to see those jumps but you miss out on the long game.

I am not saying that this fits all kids.  I believe that a girl after puberty should train five days a week for two hours a day, even if she is ten.  But certainly that would be an exception.[/quote]

The best swimmers in their 20s and teens were the[b] best swimmers as tweens.[/b] No one cares that when they’re 35, their shoulders may be absolutely shot. [/quote]

D1 swimmer here and not true.  You are a good swimmer in your tweens - but most great swimmers in their tweens depend on what happens to them in puberty.  Basically a roll of the die.  But that great 15 year old?  That kid started intense training at 13 or 14 and took off and continues that trajectory through college.[/quote]

100% this! Especially for girls. So many are good before puberty and then their bodies change in a way that slows them down. This is frustrating and leads to swimmers quitting. It’s too much hard work with no payoff if times stop improving. The ones hitting their stride at 15 are in perfect position for college because they don’t have overuse injuries, aren’t yet burned out, and are seen as having more potential. But it’s hard for kids and parents to resist the temptation when other kids are moving up to more intense groups at 11-12. Puberty is and always will be a game changer. [/quote]

Yep, all of this is true.  No girl under the age of 12 should be practicing two hours a day 5-6 days a week.  It is way too much and way too soon.  When they hit 13, you can start upping the mileage so to speak.

Boys are tougher because there pivot point is more stretched out, but on the whole 13 is a good rule.[/quote]

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