Helping Kids Set Swimming Goals

Helping your child set swimming goals not only empowers her to improve her swimming technique but also sets the stage for using a goal-setting process in other areas of life. Having goals for her aquatic endeavors gives your child direction to her daily routine and helps establish her long-term aspirations, according to the American Swimming Coaches Association.

  1. The Young Athlete's Mind

    • Understanding the way your young athlete thinks is crucial in the area of goal setting. Kids are concrete thinkers, who respond to tangible results. Setting long-term goals typically doesn̵7;t hold a lot a weight for them. This is because their cognitive abilities haven̵7;t developed that skill, explains USA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the U.S. As well, around the ages of 6 or 7, children begin to compare their abilities with their peers. With these concepts in mind, the goal-setting process for kids needs to remain focused on short-term accomplishments to provide them with the appropriate motivation to succeed.

    Types of Goals

    • There are different types of goals that you can help your aspiring swimmer set. USA Swimming categorizes them as such: Dream goals, such as winning gold in the Olympics; outcome goals that include making the finals, winning a swim meet or placing in a race; and process goals, which relate to performance. The process goals are easier for your child to control, because she can see immediate results such as achieving a more streamlined form or getting to the pool twice a week for extra practice time.

    The Swim Coach

    • If your child belongs to a swim team, she has a great resource in her coach. Working with your child's coach to set goals is paramount to achieving lasting results. Your child̵7;s coach acts as her primary resource in setting challenging and realistic goals, developing technical strategies, establishing timetables and evaluating progress. As a parent, being part of this goal-setting process helps support her achievements.

    Dealing with Nervousness

    • Competing in a swim meet can be a challenging experience for your up-and-coming Olympian. Setting goals around the butterflies she feels on race day can help your child overcome and deal with the nervousness and anxiety. Develop a pre-race routine such as belly breathing, positive talk, visualization and relaxation. Get her to the pool with time to spare so she can relax and have some quiet time to discuss her strategy with the swim coach.

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