5 Ways Swim Parents Make Or Break A Team Culture
Swim parents, you have the swim world on your back! We cannot even tell you how grateful we are for all that you do. There is an enormous amount of labor that goes into getting a swimmer to success, both visible and invisible. We hope that you know your efforts don’t go unnoticed. Here are 5 ways swim parents make or break a team culture that we absolutely see and appreciate!
Let’s Get Started…
#1) Creating The Culture Of On Time & Early
Let’s be real here, swim parents are also a taxi service. Lol.
Because swimmers are reliant on swim parents to get them to and from practice, they don’t necessarily set if they are on time or early: the swim parents do. Therefore if a swim coach wants to set a culture of “on time or early,” they need the help of the people behind the wheel!
That is, of course, until the swimmers are old enough to drive. At that point, however, swimmers will have learned on time or late cues from watching how their parents show up every day!
#2) Having Your Swim Coach’s Back
The reality is that sometimes a swim coach is going to decide that a swim parent or swimmer doesn’t agree with, and that can be hard. But, a swimmer is watching how a swim parent respects that decision even when they don’t agree. I see this play out most often about how often and what swimmers should be racing.
Although it’s healthy to have a dialogue with a swim coach about how and why decisions are being made, it’s also equally important to model to a swimmer that the swim parent has the coach’s back! After all, respect is taught.
It’s because of how swim parents model for their swimmers that enables a swim coach to do their job well on deck. It all comes down to mutual respect and trust amongst all 3 parties!
#3) Carrying The Mental Load
Let’s be real here, a swimmer can’t just show up and get swimming. Swimsuits need to be purchased, snacks need to be packed, and schedules need to be kept. It’s a whole layer of extra work. That’s the mental load.
Swim parents take on and carry out the mental load so that swim coaches can do their job and swimmers can show up and swim. Even more so during high intensity events such as championship swim meets. It’s a layer of work that can easily go unnoticed but that’s vital. Trust that here at SLAF we see the mental load that swim parents carry for the swimming community.
Swimmers don’t start to take on those responsibilities until they’re older, so upkeep has to fall on the parents. We’ve created a swim meet checklist for you to download to help you out!
#4) Cheering On Your Swimmer Through The Highs and Lows
Although your swimmer will learn valuable lessons about big emotions while on deck with their coaches and teammates, the real work happens at homes. Swimming teaches us so much by putting us through the highs and lows that inevitably accompany life.
Swim parents model for their swimmers how to handle all that comes their way! And, you’re learning right alongside your swimmer. Whether a swimmer needs a pep talk, some tough love, or help re-thinking how to handle when they’re stuck, swim parents are the battery pack that powers swimmers through it all!
While you are cheering on your swimmer through their season, know that we at SLAF are cheering on you, swim parents!
#5) Having Fun With Other Swim Parents
Just like when swimmers get along and have fun with one another, when swim parents form friendships and become their own type of team, the whole team culture benefits! After all, when we all appreciate each other and connect, life gets better!
When your swimmer sees you having fun and making friends with other swim parents, don’t think that goes unnoticed! Your swimmer is much more likely to exhibit the qualities we want to see in a positive team culture if they see you taking the lead. Things like how we talk about one another, how we interact with one another, and how we
The best team cultures occur when the swim parents have fun with one another! Plus, it makes the cheering from the stands feel electric!
Overall, there’s no doubt that our sport wouldn’t be as special as it is without the labor and efforts of the swim parents who make it happen. From all of us here at SLAF, and on behalf of the rest of the swimming community, THANK YOU!
Until Next Time,
Abbie Fish and the Swim Like A. Fish Team