Anonymous wrote:Tell her to train fast. Don’t just swim the practices. Swim the practices fast.

I think this is great advice. It is easy to just cruise, even at club, if everyone around you is also cruising!

Anonymous wrote:Tell her to train fast. Don’t just swim the practices. Swim the practices fast.

This is what I'm telling my 10yo daughter. I think she is very relaxed at practice and it shows in her results.

She’s at an age that a year in growth can make a big difference. But if she’s serious about swimming in HS for instance, she should find a more competitive winter program. Sounds like you are at a pool that has a number of year-round swimmers, you can’t compete if you don’t do the same.

A few thoughts, some of which PPs have already mentioned:

-11 is a growth year for many kids, so she's not alone in feeling frustrated from that perspective
-swimming is *highly* technical; if she's not getting strong technical instruction, she's not going to be fast
-see if you can find a coach to work with her one-on-one during summer (our pool has many such opportunities, usually with college swimmers home for the summer)
-if she seriously wants to improve, look into a different year-round option

Tell her to train fast. Don’t just swim the practices. Swim the practices fast.

Agree with private lessons. An easy place to start is FINS. They have a roster of private coaches. Swim clinics and camps geared for competitive swimmers are also helpful. Check out the offerings by places like Fitter & Faster, Nike Swim Camps, Navy Swimming Camp, etc. You can find a comprehensive list here: https://swimswam.com/training/swim-camps/

I agree with PP who said that managing expectations is probably your best bet. Strength is only one part of swimming faster. Some people just have a better feel for the water than others. This is why someone who is newer to swimming can be faster than someone who has been swimming for several years. Some people are just naturally better at performing the stroke mechanics more efficiently and effectively. It’s really subtle things like the angle of the hands and feet when they are pulling and kicking, the angle of the elbows and knees at key points during the stroke, how high their hips are in the water, etc. Being really aware of what your body is doing and being able to implement instructions are also part of it. People who are naturally athletic and flexible will have a big advantage. Don’t get me wrong, good coaching can help. But I think it can be an important lesson to learn in life that some people are just naturally better at some things than others and that we can improve, but may not ever get to a certain level, even if we work really hard at it. And the we can still enjoy things, even if we are not the best at them.

I think the best thing to do is emphasize that 11 is a growth year. She might not make A meets but that’s okay and somewhat expected. She’ll have a better chance at age 12 when she’s at the top of the age group.

Longer term, especially as kid ds get to older age groups, winter swim is probably the thing that will give her a leg up. Sure, coaching and getting stronger can’t hurt, but in this case it sounds like managing expectations and de-emphasizing A meets is probably the way to go in terms of having a fun and rewarding summer.

Some pools have really strong 11 and 12 year olds this year.

Private lessons

This may sound crazy but my daughter’s 10 year old winter team does dry land strength training - as I think most programs in the area around that age. I would consider starting there to see if she can get stronger.

My daughter (just 11) has been swimming summer swim since age 5 and year round swim since 8. Nothing too competitive during the winter, just ymca. No meets. She swims 2-3 times per week, depending on what other activities she is doing. Problem? She is so slow and it’s really squashing her love for the sport. She’s legal in all 4 strokes but girls new to swimming are faster. She is very committed to summer swim, goes to all the practices, etc. and is desperate to make A meets this summer which is unlikely as she is ranked 8th or 9th in most strokes after yesterday’s time trails. I would love to help her. She’s long and lean but not very strong. Our summer team coaches are great but tend to put the focus on their training on the fast kids. Any ideas for individualized coaches or swim training where her strokes can be evaluated for efficiency? Would also love any other ideas you may have. She’s very self motivated and totally devoted to summer swim so has the time to put in to further developing herself. Thanks!