When a swimmer is going through the age-group portion of their career (normally around ages 6 - 16) swimmers sometimes have a desire to concentrate on a particular stroke. They choose a stroke to concentrate on because it is easy, fun, or they are fast at it. Despite the reason why they want to concentrate on a stroke they need to become an IMer.
Becoming an IMer means that they develop all four strokes. Many times if they think more about their off events, it allows them to develop more muscle memory without thinking too much in their better strokes, and they actually get better because they've developed the motion even more. All four strokes develop different muscles, even though all four want to be same from the core out, the muscles that pull and contract are different throughout the motions.
The child will go through puberty and their body is going to change. This could cause swimmers best strokes to change, and without the development of all four through the early years, then they are behind in what might be their real best stroke.
Another reason why developing all four strokes is the mental side. As they get older it is hard to see improvement all the time. They learn how to deal with failure and deal with bad swims. Sometimes this results in a plateau, which is the hardest mental time of a swimming career. Many times it is the off events, that they can see their progress. As a parent, do not allow yourself to poo poo these accomplishments in their off events, these may the thing that keeps the kid in the sport, as successes aren't coming as quickly anymore. Plateau's are exactly that, a flat period where a swimmer stays the same or gets slower. Swimmers who work through a plateau reap the rewards later.
I remember at a coaches clinic years ago, they mentioned steering your swimmers to challenges and failures. What they meant by this was making sure that you had your swimmer swim an array of events through the swim meet schedule, and not have them only swim the events that they are good at. Through a Meet Schedule a swimmer should swim every stroke. once age 10 and above they should have mix of sprints, mid-distance, and even a little distance in there. Once 12, they definitely should have a full array of events. By, 14 a swimmer should have swum all the events. (If a swimmer started after the age of 12 there is give, as they might not be developed in swimming to be ready for the more challenging events.
One precautionary note. Distance events, even if they like them, should not be done at a lot of meets. These events are taxing on the swimmer, and even if they look like they may be a distance swimmer, they'll have to do these grueling events for many years to come. If they like them, let them keep liking them into college, and don't over do it on how many times you swim those events early on. Young kids should have exposure to the longer events, but in moderation in terms of how often they compete in them.
Another note: Don't get obsessed with the longer events. Understand that once 13, they don't get to do the 50's anymore, so allow them to enjoy those while they can. Same for 8 and under and the 25's.
Goal: 10 and Under to be 100 IMers, 11 - 12 to be 200 IMers, and 13 - 14 to be 400 IMers
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