FAQ
FAQ's for Harlee Elite
How many training sessions should my child do each week?
There is no magic number of training sessions for every swimmer. Even at elite level, some swimmers swim 7 sessions a week, some of 9 and others 11...there is no magic number.
My child is 10 and a great freestyler. What do they have to do to make it to the top?
The first thing to accept is that there is no such thing as a champion 10 year old freestyler. Swimmers who experience success pre teenage years do so due to accelerated growth. Another common situation is that as kids grow, change and develop their ability to swim the competitive strokes change. In the long term, the factors which determine success as a senior swimmer are the 4 P’s:
When should my child specialise in a stroke?
When swimmers grow and develop physically and mentally, they will be naturally drawn to particular strokes. It is common for swimmers' best strokes to change from year to year. There is no need to encourage kids into one stroke or another. It is better then to develop all four of the competitive strokes. Therefore don’t push a stroke onto the child let them figure it out.
Do swimmers need a special diet?
No. Not unless they have a medical problem or diet related condition that's been diagnosed by a nutrition professional. As a general rule, top swimmers follow a 4 more, 4 less, 4 me diet: More complex carbohydrates like rice, learn quality protein like chicken, water and fresh juices and fresh fruit and nuts. Less take away food, saturated fats and oils, process and pre packaged foods and sodas. Lots of parents want to know about supplements like vitamins, minerals and special substrates like creatine, glucose etc. If you would like more information on this then please don’t hesitate to contact us as we have numerous articles relating to this.
How do I find the best coach for my child?
At Harlee Elite of course! The best swimming coaches demonstrate the Four C’s we abide by this:
School, swimming, social life...what’s the right balance for my child?
Your child is not a swimmer...they are a child. Who just happens to swim. Kids are drawn to the things that; the enjoy, they have friends and they are learning because their hearts and minds are engaged. If your kids are having fun with their friends and love what they are doing chances are the balance is right. If your kid starts to make excuses about not wanting to train then they are telling you the balance is not right and it needs changing. Listen to your child.
What should I expect in terms of results at meets?
• Your child enjoying swimming with their friends
Does my child need to be doing strength training in the gym?
No. Not unless they have an injury or weakness that has been identified by a professional sports therapist. We start introducing them to the gym when they are 14 (girls) and 16 (boys) therefore wait until guidance from the coach.
What can I do to be the best swimming parent?
Give the child unconditional love, total support, compassion and belief in themselves. Develop the person they are and then work on the athlete. Trust the process and most importantly trust the coach.