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| Competitive swimming programs provide
many benefits to young athletes including
self‑discipline, good sportsmanship, and time management
skills. Competition allows the swimmer to experience
success and to learn how to treat success and failure as
two sides of the same coin, while becoming healthy and
physically fit. As a parent, your major responsibility
is to provide a stable, loving and supportive
environment. This positive environment will encourage
your child to continue. Show your interest by ensuring
your child's attendance at practices, by coming to
swimming meets and volunteering for your club at swim
meets, or by participating in fundraising, etc.
Parents contribute to the success experienced by the
child and the team. Parents serve as role models and
their children emulate their attitudes. Be aware of this
and strive to be positive role models. Most
importantly, show good sportsmanship at all times
toward coaches, officials, opponents and teammates.
Remember that you are teaching your child at all times.
Be Enthusiastic and Supportive!
 Remember
that your child is the swimmer. Children need to
establish their own goals, and make their own progress
towards them. Be careful not to impose your own
standards and goals. Do not over burden your child with
winning or achieving best times. Let them know that
first they are the child you love, and second, a
swimmer. Tell them you will love them whether they swim
well or not, and ask only that they give their best
effort. Learning about oneself while enjoying the sport
is the most important part of the swimming experience.
The swimming environment encourages learning and fun,
which will help your child develop a positive
self‑image.
Positive Parenting Tips
- Your child needs your emotional, physical, and
financial support. Be liberal in providing this
support.
- Support but do not push your child.
- Understand development – long-term development as
an athlete, and growth and development as it impacts
performance.
- Be realistic in terms of expectations; factor in
age and skill level; be aware of your child’s
perception of your expectations.
- Emphasize performance and effort, not just
outcome. The athlete only has control over his/her
performance. Define and measure success as giving
maximal effort and as personal improvement.
- Keep winning in perspective.
- Do not bribe.
- Give plenty of encouraging and rewarding
statements. Criticize sparingly.
- View swimming as an arena in which to teach your
child about commitment, hard work, and coping with
adversity.
- Work to form an effective Coach-Athlete-Parent
Triangle.
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Are You A Pressure Parent? |
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The following survey has
been taken from the Amateur Swimming
Association of Great Britain. If you
answer yes to one or more of these
questions, you may be in danger of
pressuring your child. It is important to
remember that the parents' role is critical
and should be supportive at all times to
ensure a positive experience for your child.
- Is winning more important to you than
it is to your child?
- When your child has a poor swim, is
your disappointment, such as through body
language or vocal tones, obvious?
- Do you feel that you are the one to
have to "psyche" your child up before
competition?
- Do you feel that winning is the only
way your child can enjoy the sport?
- Do you conduct "post mortems"
immediately after competition or
practice?
- Do you feel that you have to force
your child to go to practice?
- Do you find yourself wanting to
interfere with coaching and instructions
during practice or competition thinking
that you could do better?
- Do you find yourself disliking your
child's opponents?
- Are your child's goals more important
to you than they are to your child?
- Do you provide material rewards for
performance?
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