CFB Kingston Sharks Swim Club

FOREWORD

We would like to welcome you to the exciting world of swimming. By joining a Swim Ontario affiliated club, your child has just become a member of one of our country’s best-organized youth sports.

This book will give you a good working knowledge of the sport, and answer some rudimentary questions. It is based on the American Swimming Coaches Association’s Parents’ Handbook. Swim Ontario would like to thank the ASCA for permission to use their material. Keep in mind that all the information in this booklet is just an introduction to competitive swimming. Please feel free to contact Swim Ontario for additional information regarding our sport.

The sport of swimming has many benefits, including the people you and your child will meet. The camaraderie among swimmers is unique, as many swimming buddies become life-long friends.

In addition to being around fine people, swimming provides one of the most beneficial forms of exercise for cardiovascular and overall fitness. This exercise can be enjoyed throughout one’s entire life. For example, we now have swimmers in their eighties setting provincial, national, and world records in the “masters” categories.

Possibly the greatest benefits of participating in an organized swim programme, are the life skills your child will develop. These skills include time management, self-discipline, and sportsmanship.

Your child will reap the benefits of swimming long after participation ends. Most swimmers go on to be very successful and productive adults, largely due to what they gained from swimming.

Age group swimming can be fun, exciting, and rewarding. Many children improve rapidly during the early developmental stages due to growth and improved technique. It is difficult to avoid the tendency to push young athletes at this stage.

The emphasis should be placed on technique rather than power. We recommend that the training schedule for developmental swimmers be flexible enough to provide time to participate in other activities. Swimming at the youngest levels needs to be fun and pressure free, because many swimmers train for over ten years.

After a child reaches puberty, scientists and coaches feel that serious training can begin. This can develop into a particularly frustrating time for swimmers. During the transition from age group to senior swimming, an athlete may experience a plateau or what appears to be a ‘set-back’. Chunks of time are no longer being dropped, and training requires more time and dedication. Many parents begin to question whether a child’s swimming career is over at this point. This, coupled with the normal demands of teenage life, causes many swimmers to leave the sport prematurely. It is critical that parents and coaches be very supportive during this period of adjustment, realizing that it will pass. Future performance improvements generally follow.

This book is designed to help you help your child succeed in swimming. Remember: not every swimmer becomes a world record holder, but all of them gain from their swimming experience. Supporting your child throughout a swimming career, can be one of the most rewarding endeavours of your life. You may soon find yourself cheering at competitions, timing during meets, or even going on to become a Canadian swimming certified official. Whatever your role, your child’s experience in swimming has much to do with your positive support. Please ask questions of your coaches, officials, and fellow parents who have been in the sport for a while. We all have the same goal: to provide your child with the best possible experience in swimming.