Training for Age Group Swimmers
FAQ about Age Group Training | Training for Older Swimmers | Training Articles


Many parents have lots of questions about swim practice, especially when their children are new to the sport. It is sometimes difficult to know what to expect of your child. Your child may talk about swim practice, but you may not even understand the new "swimming vocabulary" your child is using!

Many children improve rapidly during the developmental stages due to growth and improved technique. It is difficult to resist the tendency to push young athletes at this stage! However, the emphasis should be placed on technique and not intense training. The training schedule for developmental swimmers should be flexible enough to provide them with enough time to participate in other activities. Since swimmers' careers can extend well into adulthood, swimming at the youngest levels needs to be fun, pressure free, and filled with learning experiences. This will ensure that swimming remains fun through­out their lives.

You should certainly ask questions at swim team parents' meetings or schedule an appointment with your child's coach to clarify things. However there are many common questions that might be answered below. Read through the FAQs and see if you have found yourself asking these same questions!

FAQ

Q: Some days he likes to just play with his friends. Should I force him to go to practice?

A: You should not force your child; you want his participation to be his decision. Reinforce the choices and decisions he has made to start swimming. For example, your son chose to go to practice on Tuesday and Thursdays, on other days he has the freedom to do other activities. As a parent, explain your expectation that he fulfill the commitment he made by joining the team. You don't want to force your child into a sport that he does not enjoy, yet you want your child to be involved in a 'lifetime sport', to learn about making and keeping a commitment and to interact with peers So, what are you to do?

Instead of allowing your child to make a daily decision about going to practice, allow him to decide whether or not he wants to swim for the season. Once the decision is made to swim, he is making a commitment to the team and needs to follow through on it by attending practice on a regular basis. A haphazard schedule is detrimental to the swimmer’s overall development.

Interestingly, when asked to reflect on the role of their parents in their swimming, athletes from the World Championship team talked about being pushed to swim by their parents on a weekly basis but knowing they could quit if they stopped having fun with swimming.

Q: What will happen to my child’s meet results if he only makes half of the offered workouts because he is participating in other sports?

A: Children involved in other activities can benefit in the areas of coordination and balance, as well as improved social and intellectual development. Specialized training in one activity does not necessarily need to take place at this stage of development. Will your son’s teammate who makes all practices have better results? Probably, because his teammate is working solely on developing swimming skills. It is up to you to explain to your child that making the choice to participate in other activities can have its consequences. Tell your son that he should not compare his results to that of his teammate, but to focus on the fact that he is benefiting from and enjoying both sports.

Q: It looks like my child has too much fun, shouldn’t she be working harder?

A: Be happy that your child is having fun! According to a recent study conducted by USA Swimming children who experience fun while participating stay in sports longer (Tuffey, Gould, & Medbery, 1998). At this stage of the game, the most important aspect of development is the mastery of skills, which means learning to swim the strokes with proper technique. Fundamentals must be established prior to true “training” taking place. And, if she is having fun in the process of learning, she is more likely to continue to swim.

Q: Shouldn’t my child be swimming more laps instead of doing all those drills?

A: Your child needs to develop a solid foundation in stroke mechanics. Drills and drill sets serve the specific purpose of teaching skills and fundamentals. Drills develop motor coordination, motor skills, and balance. In fact, your child’s coach may prescribe a particular drill, just for your child, in order to improve a part of her stroke. In addition, she may actually be experiencing a “training” benefit from drills. Drills require concentration and aerobic energy to do them correctly.

Q: My daughter’s coach makes her sit on the side of the pool. What’s that teaching her?

A: The coach has set up expectations of proper behavior both in and out of the water. Hopefully, your child is aware of the consequences of testing these boundaries. Obviously the coach is reinforcing what is expected of the children at practice. We encourage you to reinforce the coach's practice expectations by discussing your child’s behavior and the consequences of that behavior. Hopefully, this “time out” begins to reinforce self-discipline, accountability and respect for others.

Q: My son came home and said he had his best result on a test set of 100s on 1:45, what does that mean?

A: Some coaches use test sets to measure improvement. This particular challenge set consists of swimming a certain number of 100s on every 1 minute and 45 seconds, which is the send off. Praise your child for this accomplishment. In addition to achieving the physical goal, your child is also learning to swim on an interval, read the pace clock, and accomplish practice goals. Congratulate him on his efforts and let him know you are proud of him.

Q: My son complains that some of the kids in the lane skip laps. He doesn’t think that’s fair. What should I tell him?

A: Praise him first for completing the workout the coach offers. Remind him that he is there to improve his own swimming and he can’t control what his teammates do. Tell him however, that his best course of action is to continue to do things right and others may actually be influenced by his good example. By committing to do his best at all times, over the long haul he will reap the benefits of his hard work.

Q: My child seems to be bouncing off the wall during “taper.” What is that?

A: Tapering is a gradual reduction in training workloads in preparation for major competition. Some Age Groupers do not need to taper at all: a little rest and they are ready to go. As training increases, swimmers need more rest and the process of tapering is introduced. Swimmers taper only a couple of times a year, for their major competitions. Taper is not something that occurs for every meet! “Taper time” is an exciting time for a young swimmer and there are two reason for this:



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Training for Older Swimmers

As your child becomes a teenager, lots of things change, including his swim training and focus. Just when you had age group swimming all figured out, the coach has started calling your child's group the "senior team!" What does this mean for your child as a swimmer and for you as a parent? Training focus and expectations may shift and new issues may surface. Read the FAQs below to help guide you and schedule an appointment with the coach if you have additional concerns.

Q: My daughter just moved up to the senior group. Her coach wants her to start coming to morning workouts twice a week. Is this really necessary?

A: Your child has established proper stroke technique and swimming fundamentals by progressing through the levels of the team. It is appropriate at this stage of your daughter’s career development to increase the training loads. This includes adding the two mornings per week. Although morning practices come extra early, this level of commitment is necessary for your daughter to reach the next level of her swimming career.

Training for competitive swimming is demanding on young athletes. As swimmers develop in the sport, they need to understand the upcoming time demands. One specific principle of training that applies is the progressive overload principle. A person must be stressed slightly more each day over time to continue to improve. In order to do that, the coach must plan additional time. The addition of morning workouts often becomes necessary for the coach to develop young athletes to their maximum potential.

Q: What type of commitment is needed for this level of swimming?

A: While a swimmer's performance is influenced by numerous factors, there are three that exert the greatest influence: physical, technical and mental. As athletes progress, a greater commitment, of both time and energy, is needed to enable an athlete to address all of these factors.

Additionally, the athlete is asked to take more responsibility for and ownership of his practice and competition performance. One way of doing this is by accepting responsibility for leading a lifestyle conducive to swimming well, i.e., proper nutrition, adequate sleep, time management, managing extra-curricular activities.

Q: I think my child is sacrificing too much to train. Is this okay?

A: What you may consider a sacrifice, i.e. missing a school dance, football game, or simply going out with friends, your child many not consider a sacrifice at all! Instead, your child has chosen to commit to swimming. By doing so, he realizes that a certain level of training is necessary for him to achieve greater goals and does not look at these activities as missed opportunities. Keep in mind that your child realizes missing a workout is like missing sleep, it cannot be made up. If, however, your child is expressing sentiments that he is missing these chances, then it is time to re-evaluate the balance in his activities.

Q: What does the coach mean when he says that my daughter controls eighty percent of her training?

A: At this stage it is important for the athlete to take full responsibility for her swimming. Your coach is just reinforcing this concept. Having a good attitude, developing proper time management, and demonstrating a strong work ethic are important both in and out of the water. What your child’s coach is referring to is what we call “hidden training factors.” She is in control of what she eats, how much sleep she gets, her practice attendance, and even her effort on practice sets. This may really add up to even more than 80%.

Q: When my child was an age grouper she would swim all the events offered for her age group, now the coach just has her focusing on distance freestyle, why is that?

A: Prior to now, your child needed to acquire a wide range of skills and the aerobic development necessary to allow for this specialization. At this point in her career, her physical development allows her to train for specific events. Children at this stage have reached the physical maturity necessary to specialize in particular events for which they are best suited.

Q: I don’t understand why the coach has the older swimmers working with the little kids. What’s the purpose in that?

A: There are several reasons. One, the coach realizes the benefit of involving the younger kids’ heroes or role models from the senior group involved. In addition, developing a teaching process reinforces the senior swimmer’s basic skills. And, at times, the senior kids have greater success than the coach at teaching basic skills to these younger swimmers.

Q: I noticed that the coach is meeting with the senior team at the beginning of each season. Is the coach asking for input?

A: Typically the coach likes to share his seasonal plan with the group prior to the start of the season, as well as reviewing the previous season’s strengths and weaknesses. This plan highlights the major meets, tapering and the overall training plan. By presenting the swimmers with information, the coach is making the athlete part of the process. This meeting may also be a prelude to individual goal setting sessions and an opportunity to begin to build team unity.

Q: My child was a successful age group swimmer. How can I help her reach the next level? (i.e. Sectionals, Juniors, Nationals, National Team)

A: When your daughter is making the transition, she needs to realize that she is participating at a higher level. Improvements are in tenths and hundredths, rather than seconds, due to biological and physiological factors.

Throughout her career, you have been very supportive. This support is still needed but it may have to be a little different than in the past. It is a good time to discuss with your daughter what she needs from you. Do not be afraid to ask her “How can I support you in your swimming?” While you are an important part of her support network, realize your daughter, at this level, should be taking on more ownership of her swimming career.

Q: I realize my child is training hard, but she seems to have no energy. Could something be wrong?

A: Training for competitive swimming is very demanding. Young swimmers are often fatigued throughout the course of a season. Researchers have been investigating the potential cause(s) of this fatigue for many years. It appears that there may be several factors that impact the athlete either alone or in combination. Two of these include iron status problems and caloric restriction or imbalance.

Iron is essential for good health. A primary role of iron is to aid in transporting oxygen to the muscle cells. Adolescents have increasing body iron requirements (1.5x adults) due to their rapid growth. Diets that are low in iron may predispose young athletes, especially females, to iron deficiency problems. Symptoms of iron deficiency include chronic fatigue, increased susceptibility to infection and potential problems with concentration and perception (McArdle, Katch, Katch 1991). A simple solution is to consume an iron rich diet that includes poultry, lean red meats, green vegetables and iron fortified breakfast cereals.

The second cause often relates to caloric consumption by athletes. Competitive swimmers can burn several thousand calories per day in training. Often, the athlete will not replace those calories through adequate nutritional habits. Like a checkbook, the swimmer over time lives in a caloric deficit. This can result in an inability to maintain training intensity, decreased performance, fatigue, and an increased risk for illness and/or injury.

It is very important for athletes, coaches and parents to understand the difference between “good fatigue” and “bad fatigue”. Fatigue is a typical response to training, however the swimmer should recover during the rest periods. The stress-recovery pattern should be apparent in youngsters who are adapting appropriately to swim training.

Q: I am concerned that my swimmer may be developing an eating disorder. What are the symptoms and concerns associated with eating disorders?

A: Disordered Eating encompasses the spectrum of abnormal eating behaviors with poor nutrition on one end and anorexia / bulimia at the other end. Scientific research has found 12-62% of female athletes have disordered eating.

The signs and symptoms include not eating in public, excessive weighing-in, restriction of certain foods or skipping meals, talk of being fat, obsessive talk of food, calories, fat and weight, and excessive exercising. The risks and concerns are many. Mental and physical fatigue is an immediate concern. The condition may become chronic, leading to menstrual dysfunction in females and to both short-term and long-term health problems. Speak to your child’s doctor if you have concerns. For more information see the fact sheet on Disordered Eating.

Q: My son is complaining that his shoulder is hurting after practice?

A: Swimming is relatively safe for children when performed within reasonable guidelines. Children often seek to push their limits, which can result in injury. The movements in swimming are repetitive and can result in injuries of the soft tissues in the shoulder, knee and hip. Proper strengthening, stretching routines and stroke technique can reduce the risk of injury to these joints, especially to the shoulder.

If pain occurs it is important to: (a) open the line of communication with the coach, (b) ice the area regularly to reduce swelling and trauma, and (c) interact with the family physician and ask for a referral to a sports medicine physician. The coach should know what the problem is and when the training aggravates the painful joint. Immediate action to aid the healing process and to decrease inflammation that results in pain is to ice the area. The recommendation is twenty minutes of icing following each practice. Performing the icing procedure following the workout will help to reduce swelling and pain. Finally, the swimmer should be taken to his/her family physician. The medical doctor can then evaluate the problem and prescribe an appropriate treatment for the injured joint.

Q: My daughter was recently prescribed some medicine. How do I find out if the medication is okay for her to take?

A: A medication that is prescribed by your daughter's physician will fall under one the three categories: prohibited, restricted or allowable in regards to drug testing within USA Swimming. A list of allowable medications is on the USA Swimming website as well as in the meet information booklets for our major competitions. If you or your physician need a particular question answered on a medication, you should contact the USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) Drug Hotline (800-233-0393) during the hours of 8:30am to 5:00pm (Mountain Time) to get the correct answer. A physician must prescribe all restricted medications and a declaration form must be on file with USA Swimming Headquarters for the swimmer to participate in competition. Prohibited substances must never be used when a swimmer intends to compete.

Q: I want my child to make his National cut so badly, but he has been off by .02 for a year, what can he do to break through?

A: It is important for you to acknowledge that this is your child’s goal. Your expectations may actually be putting undue pressure on his performances. There are two types of goals that swimmers can set. Outcome Goals focus on the end result of performance such as “win" or "make finals.” Process Goals relate to the process of performance. Examples are “breathe every 3rd stroke" or "streamline.” Swimmers have much more control over Process Goals. Outcome Goals are uncontrollable since they also involve the performance of other competitors. Swimmers and coaches, should concentrate on Process Goals since they involve aspects a swimmer can control. Focusing on a time is outcome driven. Although you want what’s best for your son, encourage him to talk to his coach to clearly identify Process Goals to work on to achieve improvement.

Q: My child was just selected to a USA Swimming National Select Camp. What does this mean?

A: With this invitation comes the opportunity to train in Colorado Springs, at the Olympic Training Center. This wonderful experience may include training with other top athletes from across the country, attending motivational and educational meetings and a special visit from an Olympian.

Q: We had a swimmer on our team a few years ago travel to Australia for a swimming meet with the National Junior Team. How does one earn a spot?

A: The National Junior Team is selected based on achievement of time standards at certain qualifying meets such as Nationals and Speedo Championship Series Meets. These standards are published every fall. Swimmers are eligible starting in the spring to make these long course standards. Women swimmers must be 15 years of age, or under, at the time of performance, and men must be 17, or under, at the time of performance. If there is an event in which an athlete has not made the standard, the fastest performer in that event who makes the age standard and swam that time at a designated competition is selected. This team is then invited to attend an orientation camp in the fall and then an international competition in the spring. This team has been a great developmental event for future National Team members.

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