Founded 1992
Fairland Aquatics Swim Team
30+ Years of Excellence
New to year round swimming? The following may prove helpful in your decision making.
Every year countless families take the plunge and become 'year round' swimmers for the first time. This can be a very confusing time for the new swim family, simply because there is so much to take in. Many parents have numerous questions and may feel overwhelmed. Take heart. All new parents have gone through this before you. It's important to be patient, and to realize that no one expects new parents to know it all right away, nor should the parents expect to learn everything after a week, or even a month. If parents and swimmers were aware of all the positive benefits that come from year round swimming they would have signed up years ago! They would probably also view their rookie season as merely a right of passage to better things to come down the road!
To help the orientation process make sure you read any printed material the team may give you. They have put a lot of thought into their handouts, handbooks, and newsletters, and have budgeted team funds to pay for such materials. The team web page is another source of team information.
Probably the most important thing to realize in swimming is that everything takes time. The proverbial 'quick fix' has yet to be found. Some kids progress fairly rapidly, while others take longer. Be patient with your swimmer and let them progress at their own pace. Asking for more than they can handle is unfair.
Before choosing a program, all parents have done some homework to determine the clubs' philosophies, how it functions, and how the coaches' operate. Once a final decision has been made on a particular team, it's very important that the parents fully support and buy into the program and everything it stands for. Kids will very easily pick up on any negative vibe their parents have towards the team. This will invariably make it hard for the swimmer to completely buy into what the program stands for, and will result in a swimmer having split loyalties between their parents, the team, and often their coach.
So choose wisely, then get 100% on board with the program.
We are always looking for more officials and encourage every parent to look into becoming a certified Official. Being on deck is way more fun than being stuck in the balcony.
For more info, contact Randy Bowman, our Officials chair.
bowmanr@yahoo.com
