Remember, children are
involved in sport for their enjoyment and achievement not yours.
Be realistic about your
child’s abilities. Do not over
expect. Much harm can be done when
children constantly fall short of parent’s expectations.
Teach your child that honest
effort is as important as victory, so that the results of each race are
accepted without undue disappointment.
A Pb can be as big an achievement as a gold medal.
Teach your child good
sportsmanship, never ridicule or shout at your child for making a mistake or
losing a race. Be positive and don’t show disappointment.
Remember that children can
learn from example. Applaud good
performance by other swimmers for the club and other clubs
Recognise the value and
importance of volunteer coaches and poolside staff. Do not undermine them.
They give their time and resource to provide recreational activity for
your child.
Be encouraging to your child
but not coach him or her. A little
knowledge is dangerous. The coaches are
there to do the coaching and selecting.
If you think there is a problem speak to the coach first.
The coaching staffs are
trying to make your child into the best swimmers they can be. Please remember this.
Be positive about the club
and how it works. It is rarely the
swimmer that moan, the club operates for them not the parents. If you see problems in the club, approach a
Committee member and get involved with sorting out the problems. Don’t just sit
around moaning about them.
Rumours and gossip can only
hinder the progress of the club. Please
do not get involved in this type of behaviour.
If you have questions for the coach then please ask
him/her at the end of training
Never try to catch the coach as he/she is going onto
the poolside or whilst he/she is coaching