“Mom, I don’t wanna go to practice today….”
“Mom, my suit is too big….”
“Mom, can my swim buddy spend the night?”
“Mom, I’m hungry…did you bring snacks?”
“Mom, I was disqualified….what does that mean?”
“Mom, my coach was mean to me today….he made me swim the butterfly!!”
“Mom, I lost my goggles….can you go to Splashwear and get me some more?”
“Mom! I swam my best time!!! “
“Mom! I won!!!”
As any swim mom knows….this is just the beginning of what you hear from your swimmer. If you are an “old” swim mom…meaning you’ve been around the sport for a while you have heard them all and so many more. As we all know, swimming is the BEST sport for our kids and we love to support them. Just think of the time, money, energy we invest in our kids through swimming. I own a swim shop, so I know how much you can spend in swim apparel and equipment…not to mention, training fees, meet fees and so much more.
As a former swim mom and hopefully, future swim Nani, I have a few things to pass along, that I learned along the way.
- Be patient – With your child, the other swimmers, the coach, the other moms, the officials and all others you’ll meet at the pool. Remember, your child is watching how you react to everything and everyone you come in contact with. Also, remember, your actions will affect how your child does in swimming. If you are calm, patient and supportive, your child will remain calm and not get as stressed. You are the barometer for how things will go. Believe me, I made mistakes along the way, but when I learned to let go of the small stuff, my daughter was much happier and actually swam much better!
- Don’t gossip – Okay…I know..this is a hard one! You’re sitting at the pool, waiting and waiting and waiting and you find someone to help pass the time. It’s so natural to start talking about the thing you have in common with this other swim parent. Fight that urge….don’t get caught up in team, coach, swim mom drama. Avoid it at all costs. It will only hurt you, your swimmer or someone else. No good can come of swim gossip!
- Be involved – All teams need volunteers. Remember that almost everyone working with a swim team is volunteering their time. If it weren’t for volunteer parents, there wouldn’t be a swim team. You don’t have to be the president of the booster club….there are jobs of all sizes….choose a small job at first and find what you enjoy….but volunteer in some capacity. Remember…..again…your child is watching. Show them you think thier sport is important by getting involved.
- Let the coach be the coach! – We have all seen those parents….you know the ones….they make you cringe when you watch them interact with thier swimmer. They may yell, or tell the child what they did wrong in thier swim, or roll thier eyes, or act disappointed in their child….whatever it is…you can see that the child is not enjoying the encounter. The parent’s job is to be the hugger….not the coach. Be supportive, loving and kind to your swimmer, no matter how well they did. Believe me, they know if they bombed that race. They don’t need their mom telling them! Let the coach take care of that…you just be there with a dry towel, a hug and word of encouragment!!! As a former swimmer myself, I thought I had wisdom to impart on my swimmer…but all I was doing when I “coached” her or “gave her pointers” was upset her. When her coach told me to let him be the coach……I reevaluated my position and took his advice. My daughter was thrilled and again, she performed so much better and was so much happier!! It also took that burden off of me. I could just sit back and watch her…knowing that she and her coach had a handle on it.
Well….there you have a few of my best pieces of advice. I’ll post more swim mom hints and tricks in another blog.
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