The social side of swimming
This post is more about the social side of swimming than technique or time. My daughter swam on the high school swim team as a freshman this school year, something she had been looking forward to for a few years. She didn’t have the best experience. She’s a solid swimmer with some county cuts but not as fast as some of the other girls really dedicated to the sport. The coach was really focused on the fastest girls, which is to be expected, that’s not what bothered her. But this group of fast girls is really cliquey and mean to other girls. My daughter hears them talk negatively about slower swimmers and doesn’t want to engage with them, and is certain as soon as she walks away they’re mocking her. My daughter was often by herself at meets and not many people cheered for her while she raced. It was so sad to watch. I’ve talked with her that she has to be a good teammate to everyone and make sure she also cheering for others, and not get so focused on one group. My question is does this get better? It’s going to be the same kids next school year. I know she needs to learn to stay away from that group of girls and socialize with others, but it’s a hard lesson when the coach is constantly praising these girls and is clueless to their behavior toward others. I’ve heard great things about the social benefits of swimming but she certainly hasn’t experienced it.