LEONGATHA SWIMMING CLUB
INFORMATION
SWIMMING ABILITY
Swimming ability of new members must be assessed by a swimming coach. Swimmers interested in
joining are welcome to come along to training and they will need to make themselves known to the coach
taking the session. This session is free of charge for prospective members, who would then be required to
contact our registrar via email registrar@gathasharks.com to complete the registration process.
Some changes may be made to your child’s training times depending on their ability. It is important to
be on pool deck with equipment ready to start on time. All sessions begin with land based warm up for
which swimmers must be dry and suitably attired. Children under 10 are not allowed to enter the SPLASH
pool unattended. Parents should be present with their children before training start time and after
training finish time to provide this supervision. All new members are encouraged to subscribe to our
newsletter on our website www.gathasharks.com and also check the website for changes to training
times and updates on carnivals/special events.
WHAT IS REQUIRED AT TRAINING?
Swimmers should come attired for land based warm up. All swimmers need a green cap; Drink bottle;
Goggles; Fins; and Pull buoy. Some club fins and pull buoys are available for use from the club for junior
swimmers who do not own them.
Parents may be asked to help the coaches with set up / pack up from time to time so please don’t be shy
to help.
UNIFORM / EQUIPMENT
Club bathers, caps, jackets and bags are available for purchase from the club. All swimmers participating
in carnivals must wear a green cap when competing. Club bathers are great value - being chlorine
resistant they don’t disintegrate after one swim in a pool! To purchase club bathers or make an enquiry
please contact merchandise@gathasharks.com
The club recommends senior swimmers purchase their own swim fins as they are less likely to outgrow
them. Recommended Products are:
 Fins - Short Blue Type - swim training fins not the really long scuba fins (Such as Zoggs brand
available locally) http://www.zoggs.com.au/content/product/2
* CARNIVALS
Whilst our club trains right through the year, one of the main aims for the swimming club members is to
train to participate in the summer carnival season. Carnivals are conducted with other clubs starting in
late January and finishing late March. We also have an intra-club carnival in prior to Christmas as a lead
up to the season. This is a great opportunity for new members to become familiar with how the Carnivals
operate. Carnivals are for everyone, no matter what level (or age!).
All swimmers earn points for the Club by participating. Members are required to participate in at least
three carnivals during the season. So join in the competition, cheer your team members on and have
some fun! Our club believes that competing together for our club is an important aspect of this club’s
membership. Those members who do not attend 3 carnivals will have their membership reviewed for the
following year and may have it forfeited.
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The South Gippsland Championships are held at the Leongatha pool (SG SPLASH) after the carnival
season has finished. Swimmers qualify for this meet by swimming fast times, attending regular Sunday
carnivals, and must have competed in at least four carnivals with the club to be eligible to represent our
club at the championships. Coaches will advise swimmers if selected to swim at the championships.
A presentation night is held in April/May each year where club champions and all participants are
awarded for their effort and participation. Club Champions are calculated on swimmers’ performances
throughout the season. Points are allocated for all swimmers for all races entered at all carnivals
attended and these points are totalled at the end of the season. The more races you enter, the more
points you earn! To be eligible to be age group champion, you must have attended at least four carnivals.
CARNIVAL DATES:
Will be advised via the website and newsletters when set each season. Carnival venues and maps
are also available on our website.
LEONGATHA SWIMMING CLUB CODE OF CONDUCT
Our Club is a large, family orientated club which relies heavily on volunteers to function. Our coaches, in
particular, are a very important part of our Club and deserve the co-operation of the swimmers they are
training. It would be appreciated if all parents could discuss the following Code of Conduct with their
children so that they are clear of what is expected of them.
 Be polite to coaches and other helpers at all times;
 Swim through a full lap as stopping during a lap is unfair to others;
 Swim on the left hand side of the lane;
 Keep off the lane ropes.
No one will:
 Enter the water unless they are directed to by a coach or lifeguard;
 Run in the pool area.
Swimmers will not:
 Dive in the shallow end. (Diving is only permissible under the supervision and guidance of a coach
at the deep end of the pool);
 Do bombs or other dangerous methods of entering the pool;
 Hang on the lane ropes.
Other Rules:
 Parents wishing to discuss matters with the coach/s regarding their child’s progress or matters
relating to coaching must do so AFTER training times, not while the coach is providing
instruction;
 Matters / concerns not directly relating to coaching should be referred to a Committee
member;
 Children aged 10 or under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian;
 Kick boards, fins/flippers and pool buoys to be used for training only, and fins are to be put on in
the water or at the edge of the pool.
 Swimmers with open wounds may not swim;
 If a swimmer is bleeding, he/she must leave the water immediately.
Breaches of this Code of Conduct involving lack of co-operation, safety infringements or anti-social
behaviour will result in removal from the pool. A letter explaining the infringement will be sent to the
child’s parents. This letter must be signed by the parent and the child. Three such cases will result in the
swimmer being asked to leave the club.
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LEONGATHA SWIMMING CLUB POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Leongatha Swimming Club policies and procedures are available in the swimming club equipment
trolley at SG SPLASH, at registration night or on request. These currently include a child
protection policy, registration procedure, enrolment policy, three carnival policy and the award
calculation procedure.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURE
This will be in accordance with the YMCA’s procedures at South Gippsland SPLASH.
Please familiarise yourselves with the requirements at the centre.
GUIDE TO INTER-CLUB CARNIVALS
Leongatha Swimming Club competes in carnivals run by the South Gippsland Swimming Association as
shown in the program on the previous page.
Time:
Events start at 9 a.m., with marshalling starting about 10 minutes beforehand. Swimmers
are to arrive at 8.15 am for warm ups followed by a team chat. Butterfly is the first event,
starting with the Under 10 Boys. The day usually finishes at approximately 2 p.m. All
swimmers are requested to please speak to one of the coaches before and after each of
their races
Format:
Butterfly (Under 10 upwards)
Backstroke (Under 8 upwards)
Breaststroke (Under 8 upwards)
Freestyle (Under 8 upwards)
Medley (Under 10 upwards)
Each stroke starts with the younger age groups and works up, with U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, U25 and 25 &
over. Under 8 and Under 10 age groups swim 25 metres and the other age groups swim 50 metres. At
Korumburra all age groups swim 50 metres as it is a 50 metre pool. The 25 and Over age group caters for
swimmers from 25 over, including swimmers in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s! Parents who want to swim in
carnivals are encouraged to do so and those who do have a lot of fun. Swimming Club isn’t just for kids!
Participation: Swimmers can enter in each of the five events for their age group. (Under 8’s can swim in
the Under 10 Butterfly and Medley if they want to). Every swimmer gains a point for Leongatha for
finishing. Place getters gain extra points, and ribbons are presented for 1st – 4th. All swimmers are timed,
and can work on improving their individual performance.
Cost:
Entry is set each season but $2-$3 per swimmer and $2 (approx.) per spectator
Raffle:
The host team runs a raffle, so be prepared to be ‘nabbed’ as you pay your entry fee at the
gate!
Entry Card: An entry card is issued for each swimmer, which has to be filled in with the event numbers
and the swimmer’s details including name, membership number, club, date of birth, age
group (as at 01/01/each year), and date of carnival. Leongatha’s cards are green (see example
below). The card is taken with the swimmer to the start of each race. After the information
has been collated at the scoring table the cards will be picked up by an allocated adult from
the club. Swimmers may pick up their card for any following races from the person with the
orange flag displayed. At the end of the carnival the card must be placed in the shoe box at
the orange flag or handed to the Score Secretary so the times can be recorded.
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Membership Number and Event Number: Is available from the registration officer or from the person
with the yellow flag at each carnival.
Age Group: Is age at 1st January each year.
Parent Involvement: Parents are asked to help with time keeping and the recording table our Team
Manager will be seeking your assistance. Any parents who wish to compete are encouraged to do so.
Bad Weather: The only time a carnival is cancelled/postponed is when there is an electrical storm. Cool
(even freezing!!!) temperatures and rain don’t mean the carnival will be called off. Go prepared with
extra coats, old blankets, sleeping bags, etc.
Equipment: Bathers, towel (or 2), goggles x2, green swimming cap, sun screen, UV-T-shirt, sunhat, pen,
folding chairs. Wear uniform if you have it. Also handy: swimmer’s chamois (removes excess water and
saves on towels), old blankets, sleeping bags, dome beach shelter, tarp.
Food: The host team usually runs a BBQ, with sausages and hamburgers for sale and sometimes
sandwiches and fruit. Tea and coffee are also available. The swimmers all develop huge appetites, so
taking along a picnic basket with lots of healthy snacks and drinks is a good idea. There is no actual lunch
break, but there is plenty of time to eat between events.
Pre-competition meal
Ideally this should be approximately 2-3 hours before your first event. Make sure the meal is low in fat, as
food low in fat will empty quickly from the stomach.
Between events
The indoor pool environment is humid and dehydrating and outdoors can be very hot. Adequate fluids
are essential. We recommend that swimmers refrain from eating food that is sugar loaded fizzy drinks
etc. It is cheaper and more nutritious to take food items such as: Fruit e.g. bananas, pineapple, and
oranges (try frozen segments – yum!), sandwiches, plain pasta, drinks – water or cordial, rice or corn
cakes, raw vegetables and tinned fruit. Lollies are ok immediately before or after a longer race but should
not be eaten as a snack all day.
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Water – Water – Water - Water – Water – Water - Water – Water – Water
As a swimmer trains or competes, fluid is lost through the skin as sweat, and through the lungs. If this
fluid is not replaced at regular intervals during exercise, it may lead to dehydration and result in fatigue,
impaired concentration and poor performance. The best way to prevent dehydration is to take in fluids
before, during and after training or competitions.
Benefits of Carnival Participation:

Being part of a team;

Swimmers learning to listen to instructions and to organise themselves;

Improving their own times;

Making friends from other clubs;

Feeling of achievement after competing in an event;

Good practice for School Swimming Sports;

FUN!!!
Club Championships: Swimmers must compete in four carnivals to be eligible. Points are awarded for
each swim and totaled at the end of the season. Awards are presented at an informal social function
after the end of the summer season. This is a great way for everyone to get together to acknowledge
everyone’s efforts and achievements.
 Maps of towns including locations of pools where swimming carnivals are held [Korumburra, Phillip
Island, Mirboo North, Wonthaggi and Toora] can be found on the website under Facilities.
TIMEKEEPER INFORMATION
The time will be taken from the sound of the gun and when the swimmer TOUCHES the wall. Where
there is a difference between the two time-keepers in a lane, the slowest time, i.e. the highest number,
will be taken. The Chief Timekeeper will stand at the side and time the 1st place getter who will be given
the middle of the three times taken. This time will then be checked against the 2nd place getter. Care
must be taken in writing down times correctly. Timekeepers will double check times written down.
BASIC RULES
1.
GENERAL RULES
(a) Feet are not to touch bottom of pool at any time including turn.
(b) Only caps of club colour are to be worn.
(c) Swimmers must not be rude to officials. Complaints must be made via a Club Official to
the Referee.
2.
FREESTYLE
(a) Swim any stroke except in a medley where freestyle means front crawl.
(b) Touch with any part of your body at the turn and finish.
3.
BACKSTROKE
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Start in the water.
Swim on the back at all times.
Swimmers can turn by turning onto their front and doing a tumble turn then come up on
their back. They cannot do a stroke of freestyle or kick while on their front and must not
push off on their front.
Swimmers must not exceed 15 metres under water at the start or turn.
4.
BREASTSTROKE
(a) Swimmers are permitted to do one arm stroke back to the legs and return the arms to a
pull position under water with one kick at the start and during any turn of a race.
(b) The body should be on the breast at all times.
(c) The arms must not continue beyond the shoulders except for the start or turn.
(d) The frog kick must be used at all times. Both legs should be on the same plane. No other
kick is permitted.
(e) Swimmers must touch with both hands at the same time at the turn and finish.
(f) Swimmers heads must break the water with their head each stroke except for one stroke
on start and turn.
5.
BUTTERFLY
(a) The body must be on the breast with shoulders level.
(b) Both arms must be brought forward together over the water.
(c) The dolphin kick must be used.
(d) Swimmers must touch with both hands at the turn and finish.
(e) Swimmers must not exceed 15 metres under water at the start or turn.
6.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
(a) The turn from backstroke to breaststroke must not be a forward tumble turn.
(b) Double hand touch for breaststroke and butterfly.
(c) Individual stroke rules apply as normal except as above.
(d) The order must be butterfly, back, breast and front crawl.
7.
STARTS
(a) On the whistle the feet must be on the block.
(b) On “Take your marks” the swimmer can get ready to start but must remain perfectly
still until gun/beeper is heard.
(c) On the restart of a race any swimmer who breaks will be disqualified, the race however
may continue.
(d) Deliberate false starts in the opinion of the starter and referee will result in an instant
disqualification.
SOUTH GIPPSLAND SWIMMING
ASSOCIATION
MARSHALLING 8.45 a.m.
COMMENCEMENT 9.00a.m.
BOYS
GIRLS
1.
3.
5.
7.
9.
11.
13.
15.
U10 years 1 lap Butterfly
U12 “
2“
“
U14
“ “ “ “
U16
“ “ “ “
U25
“ “ “ “
25&O “ “ “ “
U8
“ 1 “ Backstroke
U10
“ “ “ “
2.
4.
6.
8.
10.
12.
14.
16.
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U10 years 1 lap Butterfly
U12
“ 2“
“
U14
“ “ “ “
U16
“ “ “ “
U25
“ “ “ “
25&O “ “ “ “
U8
“ 1 “ Backstroke
U10
“ “ “ “
17.
19
21.
23
25.
27.
29.
31.
33
35.
37
39.
41.
43.
45.
47.
49.
51.
53.
55.
57.
59.
61.
63.
65.
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
U8
U10
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
U8
U10
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
U10
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
“
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2
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1
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2
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1
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2
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4
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“ “
“ “
“Breaststroke
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“Freestyle
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“I/Medley
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
“ “
18.
20.
22.
24.
26.
28.
30.
32.
34.
36.
38.
40.
42.
44.
46.
48.
50.
52.
54.
56.
58.
60.
62.
64.
66.
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
U8
U10
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
U8
U10
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
U10
U12
U14
U16
U25
25&O
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2
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1
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2
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1
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2
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4
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“ “
“ “
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“Breaststroke
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“ “
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“Freestyle
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“I/Medley
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Age for all carnivals will be as at the 1 Jan each year.
13 Steps to Being a Winning Parent
Making the Best Out of Youth Sports
Written by Dr. Alan Goldberg
If you want your child to come out of his youth sports experience a winner (feeling good about
himself/herself and having a healthy attitude towards sports), then he needs your help!
You are a vital and important part of the coach-athlete-parent team. If you do your job correctly and play
your position well, then your child will learn the sport faster, perform better, really have fun and have his
self-esteem enhanced as a result. His sport experience will serve as a positive model for him to follow as
he approaches other challenges and obstacles throughout life. If you "drop the ball" or run the wrong way
with it, your child will stop learning, experience performance difficulties and blocks, and begin to really
hate the sport. And that's the good news! Further, your relationship with him will probably suffer
significantly. As a result, he will come out of this experience burdened with feelings of failure, inadequacy
and low self-esteem, feelings that will generalize to other areas in his life. Your child and his coach need
you on the team. They can't win without you! The following are a list of useful facts, guidelines and
strategies for you to use to make you more skilled in the youth sport game. Remember, no wins unless
everyone wins. We need you on the team!
STEP ONE
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When defined the right way, competition in youth sports is both good and healthy and teaches children a
variety of important life skills. The word "compete" comes from the Latin words "com" and "petere"
which mean together and seeking respectively. The true definition of competition is a seeking together
where your opponent is your partner, not the enemy! The better he performs the more chance you have
of having a peak performance. Sports are about learning to deal with challenges and obstacles. Without a
worthy opponent, without any challenges sports are not so much fun. The more the challenge the better
the opportunity you have to go beyond your limits. World records are consistently broken and set at the
Olympics because the best athletes in the world are "seeking together", challenging each other to
enhanced performance. Your child should never be taught to view his opponent as the "bad guy", the
enemy or someone to be hated and "destroyed". Do not model this attitude! Instead, talk to/make
friends with parents of your child's opponent. Root for great performances, good plays, not just for the
winner!
STEP TWO: ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO COMPETE AGAINST HIMSELF
The ultimate goal of the sport experience is to challenge oneself and continually improve. Unfortunately,
judging improvement by winning and losing is both an unfair and inaccurate measure. Winning in sports is
about doing the best you can do, separate from the outcome or the play of your opponent. Children
should be encouraged to compete against their own potential (i.e. Peter and Patty Potential). That is, the
boys should focus on beating "Peter", competing against themselves, while the girls challenge "Patty".
When your child has this focus and plays to better himself/herself instead of beating someone else, he
will be more relaxed, have more fun and therefore perform better.
STEP THREE: DO NOT DEFINE SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN TERMS OF WINNING AND LOSING
A corollary to TWO, one of the main purposes of the youth sports experience is skill acquisition and
mastery. When a child performs to his potential and loses it is criminal to focus on the outcome and
become critical. If a child plays his very best and loses, you need to help him feel like a winner! Similarly,
when a child or team performs far below their potential but wins, this is not cause to feel like a winner.
Help your child make this important separation between success and failure and winning and losing.
Remember, if you define success and failure in terms of winning and losing, you're playing a losing game
with your child!
STEP FOUR: BE SUPPORTIVE, DO NOT COACH
Your role on the parent-coach-athlete team is as a Support player with a capital S! You need to be your
child's best fan. Unconditionally! Leave the coaching and instruction to the coach. Provide
encouragement, support, empathy, transportation, money, help with fund-raisers, etc., but... do not
coach! Most parents that get into trouble with their children do so because they forget to remember the
important position that they play. Coaching interferes with your role as supporter and fan. The last thing
your child needs and wants to hear from you after a disappointing performance or loss is what they did
technically or strategically wrong. Keep your role as a parent on the team separate from that as coach,
and, if by necessity you actually get stuck in the almost no-win position of having to coach your child, try
to maintain this separation of roles (i.e. on the deck, field or court say, "Now I'm talking to you as a
coach", at home say, "Now I'm talking to you as a parent"). Don't parent when you coach and don't coach
at home when you're supposed to be parenting.
STEP FIVE: HELP MAKE THE SPORT FUN FOR YOUR CHILD
It's a time proven principle of peak performance that the more fun an athlete is having, the more they will
learn and the better they will perform. Fun must be present for peak performance to happen at every
level of sports from youth to world-class competitor! When a child stops having fun and begins to dread
practice or competition, it's time for you as a parent to become concerned! When the sport or game
becomes too serious, athletes have a tendency to burn out and become susceptible to repetitive
performance problems. An easy rule of thumb: If your child is not enjoying what they are doing, nor loving
the heck out of it, investigate! What is going on that's preventing them from having fun? Is it the
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coaching? The pressure? Is it you?! Keep in mind that being in a highly competitive program does not
mean that there is no room for fun. The child that continues to play long after the fun is gone will soon
become a drop out statistic.
STEP SIX: WHOSE GOAL IS IT?
This leads us to a very important question! Why is your child participating in the sport? Are they doing it
because they want to, for them, or because of you? When they have problems in their sport do you talk
about them as "our" problems, "our jump isn't high enough", "we're having trouble with our flip turn,"
etc. Are they playing because they don't want to disappoint you, because they know how important the
sport is to you? Are they playing for rewards and "bonuses" that you give out? Are their goals and
aspirations yours or theirs? How invested are you in their success and failure? If they are competing to
please you or for your vicarious glory they are in it for the wrong reasons! Further, if they stay involved
for you, ultimately everyone will lose. It is quite normal and healthy to want your child to excel and be as
successful as possible. But, you cannot make this happen by pressuring them with your expectations or by
using guilt or bribery to keep them involved. If they have their own reasons and own goals for
participating, they will be far more motivated to excel and therefore far more successful.
STEP SEVEN: YOUR CHILD IS NOT HIS PERFORMANCE-LOVE HIM UNCONDITIONALLY
Do not equate your child's self-worth and lovability with his performance. The most tragic and damaging
mistake I see parents continually make is punishing a child for a bad performance by withdrawing
emotionally from him. A child loses a race, strikes out or misses and easy shot on goal and the parent
responds with disgust, anger and withdrawal of love and approval. CAUTION: Only use this strategy if you
want to damage your child emotionally and ruin your relationship with him. In the 1988 Olympics, when
Greg Louganis needed and got a perfect 10 on his last dive to overtake the Chinese diver for the gold
medal, his last thought before he went was, "If I don't make it, my mother will still love me.”
STEP EIGHT: REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-ESTEEM IN ALL OF YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH
YOUR CHILD-ATHLETE
Athletes of all ages and levels perform in direct relationship to how they feel about themselves. When
your child is in an athletic environment that boosts his self-esteem, he will learn faster, enjoy himself
more and perform better under competitive pressure. One thing we all want as children and never stop
wanting is to be loved and accepted, and to have our parents feel good about what we do. This is how
self-esteem gets established. When your interactions with your child make him feel good about himself,
he will, in turn, learn to treat himself this very same way. This does not mean that you have to
incongruently compliment your child for a great effort after they have just performed miserably. In this
situation being empathic and sensitive to his feelings is what's called for. Self-esteem makes the world go
round. Make your child feel good about himself/herself and you've given him a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Do not interact with your child in a way that assaults his self-esteem by degrading, embarrassing or
humiliating him. If you continually put your child down or minimize his accomplishments not only will he
learn to do this to himself throughout his life, but he will also repeat your mistake with his children!
STEP NINE: GIVE YOUR CHILD THE GIFT OF FAILURE
If you really want your child to be as happy and as successful as possible in everything that he does, teach
him how to fail! The most successful people in and out of sports do two things differently than everyone
else. First, they are more willing to take risks and therefore fail more frequently. Second, they use their
failures in a positive way as a source of motivation and feedback to improve. Our society is generally
negative and teaches us that failure is bad, a cause for humiliation and embarrassment, and something to
be avoided at all costs. Fear of failure or humiliation causes one to be tentative and non-active. In fact,
most performance blocks and poor performances are a direct result of the athlete being preoccupied with
failing or messing up. You can't learn to walk without falling enough times. Each time that you fall your
body gets valuable information on how to do it better. You can't be successful or have peak performances
if you are concerned with losing or failing. Teach your child how to view setbacks, mistakes and risk-taking
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positively and you'll have given him the key to a lifetime of success. Failure is the perfect stepping-stone
to success.
STEP TEN: CHALLENGE, DON'T THREATEN
Many parents directly or indirectly use guilt and threats as a way to "motivate" their child to perform
better. Performance studies clearly indicate that while threats may provide short-term results, the longterm costs in terms of psychological health and performance are devastating. Using fear as a motivator is
probably one of the worst dynamics you could set up with your child. Threats take the fun out of
performance and directly lead to your child performing terribly. Implicit in a threat, (do this or else!) is
your own anxiety that you do not believe the child is capable. Communicating this lack of belief, even
indirectly is further devastating to the child's performance. A challenge does not entail loss or negative
consequences should the athlete fail. Further, implicit in a challenge is the empowering belief, "I think
that you can do it.”
STEP ELEVEN: STRESS PROCESS, NOT OUTCOME
When athletes choke under pressure and perform far below their potential, a very common cause of this
is a focus on the outcome of the performance (i.e., win/lose, instead of the process). In any peak
performance, the athlete is totally oblivious to the outcome and instead is completely absorbed in the
here and now of the actual performance. An outcome focus will almost always distract and tighten up the
athlete insuring a bad performance. Furthermore focusing on the outcome, which is completely out of the
athlete's control, will raise his anxiety to a performance inhibiting level. So if you truly want your child to
win, help get his focus away from how important the contest is and have them focus on the task at hand.
Supportive parents de-emphasize winning and instead stress learning the skills and playing the game.
STEP TWELVE: AVOID COMPARISONS AND RESPECT DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES
Supportive parents do not use other athletes that their child competes against to compare and thus
evaluate their child's progress. Comparisons are useless, inaccurate and destructive. Each child matures
differently and the process of comparison ignores significant distorting effects of developmental
differences. For example, two 12-year-old boys may only have their age in common! One may physically
have the build and perform like a 16 year old while the other, a late developer, may have the physical size
and attribute of a 9 year old. Performance comparisons can prematurely turn off otherwise talented
athletes on their sport. The only value of comparisons is in teaching. If one child demonstrates proper
technique, that child can be used comparatively as a model only! For your child to do his very best he
needs to learn to stay within himself. Worrying about how another athlete is doing interferes with him
doing this.
STEP THIRTEEN: TEACH YOUR CHILD TO HAVE A PERSPECTIVE ON THE SPORTS EXPERIENCE
The sports media in this country would like you to believe that sports and winning/losing is larger than
life. The fact that it is just a game frequently gets lost in translation. This lack of perspective frequently
trickles down to the youth sport level and young athletes often come away from competition with a
distorted view of themselves and how they performed. Parents need to help their children develop
realistic expectations about themselves, their abilities and how they played, without robbing the child of
his dreams. Swimming a lifetime best time and coming in dead last is a cause for celebration, not
depression. Similarly, losing the conference championships does not mean that the sun will not rise
tomorrow.
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