Eight Phrases For Swim Parents to Avoid By Coach Ryan Woodruff First, let me say that we have an amazing group of parents on our club. They make sacrifices to help their children succeed, care about our club, and are supportive of our coaches. A few parents have asked me specifically what they can say to their swimmer to help. Indeed, the conversations that happen between a parent and child can have a dramatic impact in shaping a swimmer's attitudes toward swimming. Even the best parents with 100 % good...

Advice for New Swim Parents (and Some Good Reminders for Veterans) So you're new to the team and new to year-round swimming? Congratulations, you have made an excellent choice. We have many new swimmers on our team this year. Joining a year-round team like ours can be a shock to a swimmer if her only experience is summer league swimming. Likewise, parents can also feel a bit overwhelmed as they learn the sport at a whole new level. Here are my 7 pieces of advice for parents of a new...

The Law of Kid Inertia by Ryan Woodruff About 45 minutes after my kids get off the school bus on most weekdays, it is my honor to announce "Alright kids, time to go to swim practice!" If you know my three kids, you might think that this statement brings joy and excitement to my household. You would be wrong. 100% wrong. All three swim on our team, and all three are proficient swimmers who genuinely love the sport and love being around their teammates and coaches. But my practice time...

Working Together “The best place to coach a swim team is in an orphanage.” The statement above has been a long-running joke among cynical swim coaches for decades as they bemoan swim parents who “just don’t get it,” are “too involved,” or “not involved enough.” Though the joke usually elicits a chuckle, this mentality gets it all wrong. Parents are a critical part of a swimmer’s and a team’s success. Parents, you are the most important people in your swimmer’s life. You have nurtured your swimmer from birth to where...