Ageing Up
From News for Swim Parents
Published by The American Swimming Coaches Association
5101 NW 21 Ave., Suite 200
Fort Lauderdale FL 33309
“My Eight Year Old Was The Fastest Swimmer In The Zone Until He
Turned Nine. Now He Is Continually Being Beaten Since He Is The
Youngest In His Age Group. How Can I, As A Parent, Keep Him Getting
Discouraged?”
Answered by: Bill Thompson, ASCA Level 5 Age Group Coach, De Anza
Cupertino Swim Team, California.
Every age group swimmer goes through the trials and tribulations of
“aging up”. It is difficult for a swimmer, who was the top of his age
group, to readjust to swimming against older and faster swimmers. Often
times, a child will have difficulties swimming in this new age bracket.
It is important to communicate with your child’s coach when a situation
like this occurs. When you feel that your child is becoming discouraged,
you should inform your child’s coach of your concern. Chances are the
coach has sensed the discouragement also. It is a common response to
“aging up”. Remember how you felt as a freshman in high school,
worshipping the upper-classmen from afar?
After you have informed the coach of the problem, you and your child
need to evaluate why he is participating in swimming. Your child
probably became a swimmer because it was an activity where he was better
than the average swimmer, he found it to be fun, and he could please
you, the parent. He did not become a swimmer to win.
When your child is making the transition to an older age group, look for
positive aspects, other than winning, such as improving his times,
techniques and developing new skills. Changing age groups can mean the
discovery of new talents, racing in different distances, new events and
tougher competition.
Most importantly, no one in swimming has ever won all of his races. Only
one swimmer can finish first in a race and sometimes we place too much
importance on winning. A youngster is a winner when he can face a
challenge, compete and try his best. Swimmers win when they set a goal
for themselves and make a commitment to work towards realizing that
goal.. A well-balanced individual needs to accept defeat and
disappointment as graciously as victory. How can one savor the “thrill
of victory” without the occasional “agony of defeat”?
Encourage your swimmer to have faith in himself and his coach and he
will adjust with time. I think it can be very good for him to believe he
can win again…someday. If winning is important to him in the months or
years to come, he will work for it.
