News
For
SWIM
PARENTS
Published by The American
Swimming Coaches Association
5101 NW 21 Ave., Suite 200
Fort Lauderdale FL 33309
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When a Child Starts on The
Swim Team as a Teenager
“My 13 Year Old Son Has Just Started Swimming Competitively. What Are His
Chances Of Succeeding Having Begun At Relatively Late Age For A Swimmer?”
Answered by: George Block, Aquatic Director of the Northside Independent School
District, San Antonio, Texas.
The word “chance” reflects the disparity between possibility and probability.
There is a long history of late beginning male swimmers doing very well, from
George Breen to Rowdy Gaines, but the “possibility” doesn’t matter. We’re
talking about your son.
First of all, he has to have certain basic physical abilities. Can he float with
his lungs inflated? Can he streamline and glide when he pushes off the wall?
Does he have normal strength and flexibility? Is he in good health?
You also have to find if he has some basic psychological abilities. Is he
attentive? Is he a good listener? Does he follow instructions well? Will he
persevere?
A little higher up the ladder, I would consider his athletic background, his
extracurricular activities and his academic performance.
After this evaluation, the parent needs to work very closely with the child’s
coach. The coach can tell you if your son has “talent”. Does he have the “feel”
of the water? Does he learn quickly?
Finally, you must look at the team and the environment. Are swimmers performing
well on the local level? The state level? Are they doing well at the Junior
Nationals? Senior Nationals?
None of those things can explain the short, uncoordinated kids who try out as
freshmen in high school and go on to become superstars in college. That is
explained by perseverance. Coaches see perseverance beat talent every day.
Perseverance in its most tangible form is “being there” and it is what changes
the odds from possible to probable.
In swimmers who take up the sport “late”, the effects of training are always
more “acute” (short term) than “chronic” (long term). Since your son won’t have
the chronic training history of some of his teammates, he will need to train
more effectively, have better attendance, and learn more from each competition
than they do.
This may seem like a full order, but actually it’s great opportunity. In the
long haul, the “process” is more important than “the product”. If your son
decides to commit himself to excellence in competitive swimming, he will have
taken a major step out of the crowd that seeks only mediocrity. He will be one
of the few “committed” in an age of “dilettantes”. He will have to plan,
organize and work for long term goals. He will have to arrange for the
cooperation of those around him; parents, siblings, coaches, teammates,
teachers, and friends. He will also have to measure his own success. Yes, your
son can be successful, and, yes it will be difficult…but that is what makes it
worth doing.