by Alex Kearney
One important skill a coach should develop is the ability to leverage the value supportive swim parents can bring, while preventing it from wandering into over involvement. One side of the line can be incredibly helpful, the other can be harmful. We asked three veteran coaches about how they successfully balance this fine line and to share some insight other coaches may use to develop in that area.
Thank you to Rory Fairbanks (Hutchinson), Chris Aarseth (Minneapolis Southwest) and Brian Luke (Stillwater) for taking the time to help guide this conversation.
Parents along with athletes have evolved in the sport over the years. A large change that has been seen is the use of social media and direct feedback in the sport. As much as apps like Meet Mobile and Swimmetry are helpful to have immediate feedback from meets. This can be an issue when using it to compare times between previous races and other athletes. ¨Using them to fall into a comparison trap is very debilitating to individual growth¨ says Minneapolis Southwest coach Chris Aarseth. ¨Swimming is hard enough but to chase a time or another individual can be so damaging. The love and spirit of the sport and competition should come first. ¨
Swim parents have always been there for their athletes and that is what helps them the most. ¨The biggest thing parents can do is be supportive¨ Hutchinson coach Rory Fairbanks comments. ¨They need to support their kids as things will not always go as well as the swimmers would like¨. Swimming (as most of us know) is not always smooth sailing, there are ups and downs within an athlete’s career and even within an individual season. Having reassurance from parents after a bad meet or race helps grow the enjoyment of the sport.
Along with support for the athletes, support for the coaches is crucial to helping a team. ¨The parent should support the program and coach. They should support the coach. No bad mouthing at home or at meets¨ said Stillwater coach Brian Luke. Coaches spend hours putting together workouts and lineups that are intended to help the athletes and the team the most. It is the job of parents to be supportive of the coach’s intentions and trust that it is the best for the athlete’s success.
Even though parents want to try and improve their athletes, some habits can hinder the athlete’s success and enjoyment of the sport. One of these habits is added pressure coming from parents after meets. ¨I think the car ride home after a meet or practice is super important. Allow your swimmer to talk to you about their thoughts and feelings. Don’t gear the conversation towards a missed time or a place in an event¨ says Aarseth. ¨Athletes naturally are going to put pressure on themselves, they need to know that they have their parents’ full support regardless of how they perform in the pool¨ says Fairbanks. Swimmers try their best at meets, and focusing on the negatives can cause them to become more frustrated with their performance. ¨I’ve seen so many kids leave the sport because they felt like they were defined by a time on the clock or a place at a meet by their parents. Kids don’t want to disappoint their parents at all so just allow them to develop at their pace with the understanding that it may be faster or slower than their peers¨ describes Aarseth.
As much as bad habits can have negative effects on your swimmer it can also affect the coaches as well. Coaches work hard to try and make your swimmer the be the best all-around swimmer they can be. Naturally swimmers will most likely favor one stroke over the others. This can be an issue when parents limit their swimmers to one or two strokes at a young age. This limits them to become more versatile, which can be more important to a program than a specialized swimmer. For parents who have the option to choose events at meets, try and include a variety of events for their swimmer to try. “It helps so much for their growth. Understand working on their weaknesses will improve their strengths” says Aarseth.
All parents can help the team during a season. This helps with the team morale as it helps both the swimmers and the coaches. “Parents can be supportive by encouraging their child to give 100% effort and to be coachable” this helps by making your simmer a better person as well as helping the team. Being an athlete is more than just talent, teaching a great mindset can be the most important thing. Along with creating a better athlete it takes many hands to run a successful program, it’s not just the coaches. Parents can volunteer and help with anything. Timing, running the computer, website work, apparel orders, social media are some of the things that are extremely helpful when volunteering for a program.
Overall, most parents are great when it comes to behavior in the sport. It just helps to keep some things in mind when interacting with your athlete and coaches. This can help change the attitude of a program and ensure that your swimmer continues their love for the sport both in and out of the pool.