Alarm goes off at 5 am. You get up. You eat. You go to the pool. You swim.

You got to school all day then…

You eat. You go to the pool. You swim.

You get home at 6 pm – tired, hungry and…you have homework to do!!!!

To quote Charlie Brown…..AAUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHHH!!!

How do you it? How to work hard and get good grades and work hard and swim fast????

Here are some practical hints:

• You are in control of your study and training program. Regardless of what your school friends say or do, success in the end is your decision. Do the training and study that you need to do to get the results you want. If your friends think studying is not “cool”, get some new friends!
• Talk with your school advisers and ask them for help with designing a study plan. You are a high school and college student only once. The teachers and counselors have been through what you are going through many times and are invaluable in this regard.
• Talk with the teachers and counselors about your desire and commitment to continue swimming training during high school and college. They may be prepared to help you achieve your goals and be more flexible with class and study routines to help you.
• What might happen and what could happen is not as important as what is happening right now. Don’t worry about the exams at the end of the year. Focus on doing the little things right, every day, every class, and each assignment.
• 90% of stress comes from not doing things when you should have done them. The best time to start a study program is today.
• An extra hour study each day is an extra day study each week- You can control time! It’s never too late to be the person you wanted to be.
• Do a course of “How to Study Effectively” or read a book on the same topic. It’s the same principle as getting your swim technique right before starting hard training.
• Try to get out of bed early and study when you are fresh and rested. You can train when you are tired and still get improvements, but studying tired is a recipe for failure.
• Do extra work by yourself or with a group of friends in holidays and on breaks.
• Study in your “spares” – times during the day when you have no immediate and pressing commitments.
• Take care of the immediate and the ultimate will take care of itself – put first things first. Do your most difficult school study at the start of your study period when you are least fatigued.
• No matter what happens there is another way to look at it. Nothing is as bad as it first seems. Getting a C is not a bad thing IF it inspires you to work harder and strive for an A next time. Learn from your mistakes.
• What if something goes wrong? Have a plan, Have a second plan and have a backup plan to the second plan. Don’t plan to fail by failing to plan.
• Never, ever, Give up – there is always a way. Develop an “I can” strategy rather than saying “I can’t”.
• Success is never guaranteed, but you can choose to increase the likelihood of success by adopting a study program and swimming training schedule that will allow you the best opportunity to succeed.
• The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little extra. Try 30 minutes less T.V. per day and do 30 minutes extra on math equations. Try 30 minutes less video games per day and learn five extra new words to help with reading and comprehension. Those little extras add up to extra-ordinary results.

The smartest people don’t necessarily get the best high school grades or TEE. scores, just as the most talented swimmers don’t always win. It is more likely that the best grades (and gold medals) go to the students (and swimmers) who have prepared the best, who have committed themselves to a daily routine where excellence is the minimum acceptable standard and who manage their time and themselves most effectively.

Do the little extra it takes to succeed and you will have the choice at the end of the day. Take the short cut or rely on luck and your employer, the university admissions officer and your opposition control your choices.

• Success has little to do with luck.
• The harder you work, the luckier you will get.
• There are a lot of similarities between swimming well and passing exams.

Preparation is important. Planning is crucial. Confidence is vital. Time management – essential. For all swimmers however, none of these concepts are new. They are things you grow up with: things you utilise every day. In many ways your swimming career has prepared you for the opportunity to do well in high school, college and university.

All the attributes you need to be a great student you have already developed as a swimmer. You have a competitive edge. Make the most of it.

Wayne Goldsmith

In response to repeated community complaints, a Sydney Council announced it planned to introduce the following policy:

City of Botany, Code of Conduct, Sports Field Users.

“At it’s meeting of 26th May 1999, Council endorsed the following policy direction as outlined in the Mayoral Minutes No 5/99 and resolved:

That: “Council as a matter of policy, determine that any sporting activity being run by an Association or Club, on any ground within the City of Botany Bay, have lodged with Council, as a condition of use of Council’s playing fields, a Code of Conduct, which is to be subject to Council’s approval”.

Objective: Via Sporting Associations and Club Codes of Conduct, ensure the safety and enjoyment of all officials, participants and spectators that use Council’s sporting grounds for organised sport.

Procedures:

• Each Club / Association is to make persons associated with their sport aware of Council’s Policy when using it’s grounds and is to provide Council with a copy of their Code of Conduct that reflects the objective and procedures of Council’s policy.
• Persons attending sporting fixtures (whatever their capacity; official, player, parent or spectator) are not to engage in verbal or physical abuse of officials, players, parents or spectators.
• Persons that undertake such actions and are reported to Council will firstly be reported to the Club and Association and these organisations will be asked to provide information on what action they have taken or propose to take. A warning will be issued to the offending club with which the person is associated. No penalty will ensue but the club is to ensure the person is aware of this warning.
• In regard to a second offence the person will be suspended from Council’s grounds for one (1) week and the team the person is associated with will also receive a one (1) week suspension (forfeit the match relating to the incident).
• Third and subsequent offences will be treated in the same fashion as second offences, however three (3) week suspensions will apply.

• If Council is of the view that offences are of a very serious nature, then Council reserves the right to either extend the suspension or ban the person for a period that it deems appropriate.

(Appreciation to the City of Botany Bay Council’s – Mr Kevin Lowe for his kind permission to reprint this daring initiative).

How does a positive, healthy and enjoyable activity as competitive sport require the introduction of such a policy?

What makes parents transform from positive, supportive role models into Daddy demons and Mummy monsters????

Why are sporting parents often a source of frustration for coaches and athletes when they could be (and should be) a key factor in the sporting success of their children?

I asked three of Australia’s greatest Coaches, Geoff Marsh, Joyce Brown and Lindsay Gaze their thoughts on this controversial topic.

Their understanding of Australian sport is somewhat unique. Geoff, Joyce and Lindsay have contributed significantly to Australian sport as athletes and coaches at the highest national and international level. Now as parents of successful athletes they are helping to develop another generation of champions. They have experienced the Australian sports system from all perspectives and are well qualified to comment on the sport and parenting issue.

Geoff Marsh, International Cricketer, Australian Cricket Coach to the Australian World Cup Winning Cricket Team in 1999, Father.

What did your parents do that contributed to your success as a cricketer?

My parents were enormously supportive – they recognised at an early age that there was some potential for me to achieve. They allowed me to naturally enjoy my sport and they were supportive without applying the usual parental pressure. Some of my fondest memories came from the fun that was had as a kid growing up on our farm.

What are the characteristics of a successful sporting parent?

To give as much support to the child as possible and to be there to motivate when it is needed during the difficult times. To encourage them to always do their best and to enjoy their peers’ success as well as their own.

What are some of the common mistakes that sporting parents make?

Sporting parents often make common mistakes. They often attempt to live their failed sporting lives through their own kids. This type of parent is also the one who will constantly and openly criticise umpires in front of their child and their peers.

What is the difference between a supportive parent and a pushy parent?

A supportive parent allows a child to think for themselves. They also encourage and motivate the child when it is required. A pushy parent often criticises and never allows the child to develop or process their own thoughts.

As a sporting parent yourself, how are handling the sporting careers of your own children?

Both my wife and myself have made the very best attempts at raising our children. Obviously my commitment to cricket as a player and later a coach made it difficult to combine the dual role as a sporting parent, given the frequent times I that was away from home. For the limited time available a large degree of credit must go to my wife Michelle who has done a fantastic job in my absence.

I guess we have already had first hand experience with our son Shaun who has a burning desire ever since he was a child to play (cricket) for Australia. Obviously we are both very supportive and proud of how he is fulfilling his dreams. We have always emphasised that education is equally important and that there must be a balance between sport and education.

How did you balance your sport and education as an athlete?

In my case I guess I was intensely focused from a very young age that I was going to represent Australia and that everything else, certainly for a while, sailed into insignificance. It was during the formative years (12-14 year of age) that my natural sporting ability was being recognised by others that gave me the encouragement to focus on sport. I t wasn’t until much later that I realised the critical importance of education.

What’s the best advice your parents gave your about your sporting career?

It is difficult to remember any specific advice that I would consider the best – it was more generalised.

My parents emphasised sportsmanship at all times and installed in me at a young age to not only enjoy my own success but alos to enjoy the success of others.

What advice can you give to parents of young sportspeople?

Giving specific advice is not often effective because as we all know all kids are different and individual needs must be treated accordingly. Personally I am all for allowing kids to enjoy their sport and allow their natural ability to develop to a point until they are of an age that they can benefit from the advice given to them. Too often I see the results of kids that have been pushed too hard too early and as a result their full potential is often never achieved.

If Geoff Marsh was 12 years of age and starting out all over again, would you do anything different?

As they say “hindsight” is a wonderful thing. In terms of my career and the raising of our children I would not change a thing. In terms of my schooling the balance that I spoke of earlier in my case was weighted more towards sport than education. I guess in a perfect world it would have been nice to balanced things a bit better, although that might have detracted from my cricket achievements.

Through the “life education” that I have received and the fantastic opportunities as well as people that I have met along the way, I feel my life experiences have given me the greatest education that one could ever hope for.

Joyce Brown, Australian Netballer, Three Times Australian Netball Coach to Win World Championships, Mother of Carlton AFL Footballer Fraser Brown, Teacher.

What did your own parents do that contributed to your success as an athlete”?

My family had an athletic culture. Dad was an athlete. But the thing they gave me most was “time”. By time, I mean time to enjoy and develop my sporting career. Not pushing, just supporting. They very much had a “have a go” attitude. As a female athlete they encouraged me to express myself physically.

What are some of the mistakes parents of young netballers can make?

Some parents try to live out unfulfilled sporting careers through their children. Some believe that their child is the only child with talent. Others think of their kids as a “meal ticket” – a financial bonus to be exploited.

As a coach it worries me that some parents expect too much too early and might be tempted to give their child extra work (in addition to that set by the coach). Parents sometimes think they know more than the coach and interfere with the coaches careful planning of their child’s development. A young athlete needs only one coach!

What is the difference between a “supportive parent” and a pushy parent?

I think my definition of a supportive parent is a thinking parent. An absent parent is better than a pushy parent. At least the youngster can become self reliant rather than pushed, prodded and twisted.

What are the characteristics of a successful sporting parent?

A parent who can stand back and look at their young athlete clearly and objectively and give them space to develop. To have a belief in the child and the child’s well being. The sporting parent needs to provide the support structure and be a support for their child. To allow the coach to coach – by resisting the temptation to coach the child themselves. To feed the child well. Make sure they sleep well and ensure that they have fun and balance in their family life. That they encourage their kids to learn to work hard and to learn how to be an athlete. That includes lifestyle issues like not drinking and not smoking. I have met athletes with talent and the dreams to succeed but fewer who also had the character to work hard to achieve through self-discipline.

How do young athletes balance sport and their school?

I often tell young athletes that they are only an injury away from nothing. It is important that they develop a balance in their life and to become skilled or qualified in a field other than sport. That they know who they are as a person and not just as an athlete. It can be a difficult balancing act but well worth it. It takes self-discipline and it can be socially uncomfortable.

What is the best piece of advice your parents ever gave you about your sporting career?

Go for it and enjoy it.

What advice can you give to the parents of young netballers?

Find a knowledgeable and caring coach. Allow your children the space and the opportunity to work with that coach. Be positive. Help the kids find a hero in the sport. Don’t push – just support. Remember that your child may not be “God’s gift” to the game. Make sure that the kids develop a good network of friends. Keep up to the mark with their school work.

When you are looking for talented young players, what characteristics do you look for?

I don’t look so much at physique or physical characteristics. I look for their skills at handling a ball and for what I call their coachability – their ability to take coaching instructions and learn well. I look for their passion and desire to play with a ball. For their spirit and their sense of fun and enjoyment at playing. The heart and mind together with skills catch my attention the most.

LINDSAY GAZE, Basketball Coach of the Melbourne Tigers, Olympic Coach, Dad – Father of Andrew Gaze, Grandad.

What would you say are the characteristics of a successful sporting parent? (I.e. sporting parent meaning a parent of someone playing sport)?

One who is supportive without being assertive. Someone who is available to respond when advice is sought, but is not the provider of constant advice. One who allows their son or daughter to “discover” and determine their own goals.

From your experience, what are some of the common mistakes sporting parents make?

Reliving their own successes or failure through their children. Wanting (or demanding) they fulfil the parents ambitions rather than their own. Intervening on the coaches instructions and providing their own coaching advice. I believe in the old saying “The Fruit Never Falls Far from the Tree”. Often the difficulties we experience dealing with athletes is a reflection of some behaviour of the parents. I also believe that the influence of parents can impact on the athlete’s life, not just sport. Good parent, good family, good student, good athlete: over 20 years of experience I see a trend there.

What’s the difference between being a supportive parent and a pushy parent?

A supportive parent will be available to console or to praise in moderation when it is appropriate. A pushy parent is more likely to be dissatisfied with a good effort and aim to expect more. A pushy parent is more likely to intrude on a particular selection process and seek ways of drawing attention to their child, overtly or covertly. It is important that athlete, coach and parent discuss issues and communicate openly and regularly.

How did you handle managing your own sporting commitments (and those of your children) with school and education?

I encouraged my own children (son and daughter) to explore as many sporting options as they could and to allow them to make their own decisions. My wife was a great “taxi driver” supporting the children in gaining access to their sports programs. We directed the children to coaching programs of good quality and did not intervene. I think young athletes should have a go at as many sports as possible, but whatever they the focus should be on fun.

What’s the best advice your parents ever gave to you about your sporting career? What’s the best advice you ever gave to Andrew about his sporting career?

My mother encouraged me to play sport. She was not keen on me playing football as she was afraid I would get injured (but I never accepted that advice and continued to play). I did get injured many times but it was my own choice to concentrate on basketball after reaching a fairly high level at football. Only Andrew could tell you what the best advice I gave him is.

Parents of a young basketballer (12-14 years of age) ask you for advice on how to best help their child get to the top. What advice will you give them?

My advice to young players or parents is to concentrate on working on good technique. If technique is sound then diligent and hard practice will lead to improvement. If technique is unsound then no matter how hard you work the chances of consistent improvement is reduced dramatically. The early developer might be taller, stronger etc because of a rapid rate of development but ultimately, skill is important. I like all young players to learn to play every position. Not to specialise too early in any one role or position. They have plenty of time to specialise as they mature.

It is suggested that involvement in sports develops characteristics such as confidence, self esteem, self-discipline, goal-orientated behaviour and general fitness. Do you feel this is true and to what extent do the characteristics developed in sporting competition carry over to other areas of life?

I have been involved long enough and studied enough to be convinced that athlete working towards the elite level can combine their sport with studies and alternate career paths. In fact we have noted that those who succeed with their sport are generally successful with their studies. When recruiting we seek out information about academic abilities and family background.

If you had your time over, (ie if Andrew was 8 years of age and starting out again) would you do it the same way?

I don’t believe there would be any significant changes to the decision making we made through our childrens’ formative years. We gave a lot of thought to whether we should place our children in private schools after graduating from primary school. On reflection I think it was a sound choice at the time to allow them to remain in the state school system. Looking at the same state school system now, I would find it a harder decision to make.

*******************

The unconditional love and support of a sporting parent is an important contributing factor in the development of young athletes in all sports.

Just as there is no complete manual on how to be a good parent, being a good sporting parent requires training, effort and education.

In the early years, parents are the major influence on the behaviour and development of their children. Once children start school, other people (students, friends, peer group, teachers and coaches) have an increasing influence over the child’s behaviour, beliefs and personal standards.

However for young children (up to ten years of age) their behaviour is very much a reflection of the behaviours taught, reinforced and accepted by their parents.

In terms of sport, many of the behaviours of successful sports people (commitment to a task, self discipline, determination, confidence, enjoyment of physical activity and a work ethic) can be developed and enhanced by a coach and teacher BUT are ideally established and encouraged by parents. In this way, parents are an important influence on the potential sporting successes of their children.

I would like to thank Geoff, Joyce and Lindsay for their time and the open, honest way they answered the questions. They are outstanding examples of all that is good in coaching, committed, dedicated, passionate, caring, and generous professionals.

Wayne Goldsmith

1. Love them unconditionally.
2. Support their coach.
3. Accept that they can not win every time they compete.
4. Allow them to be a kid and to have fun.
5. Help them to develop as a person with character and values.
6. Turn off as a sporting parent. Don’t make sport the one and only topic of conversation at the dinner table, in the car, etc.
7. Don’t introduce your child as “This is my son the swimmer or Rugby player” – their sport is just something they do – it does not define them.
8. Don’t do everything for them. Teach them responsibility and self management.
9. Reward frequently for success and effort but make them small, simple, practical, and personal things. Kids don’t need a CD or $20 just for playing sport.
10. Best of all reward them with what they really love…….your time!
11. Be calm, relaxed and dignified at competitions and games.
12. Accept that progress in any sport takes a long time: it takes at least 7 – 10 years after maturation in most sports for any athlete to achieve their full potential.
13. Believe it or not, kids can learn to pack and unpack their training bag, clean their own training and competition clothes, fill their own water bottle – teach them and encourage them to take control over their own sporting careers. A little manual work and helping out with household chores are important lessons in developing independence.
14. Don’t reward champion performances with junk food!
15. Skills and attitude are the important things. Don’t waste money buying kids the latest and greatest equipment and hope to buy a short cut to success.
16. Encourage the same commitment and passion for school and study as you do for sport.
17. Avoid relying on “sports foods” or “sports supplements” – focus on a sensible, balanced diet which includes a variety of wholesome, healthy foods.
18. Allow your kids to try many sports and activities.
19. Don’t specialize too early!!! There is no such thing as a champion ten year old winger or opening bowler or halfback.
20. Junk food is ok occasionally. Don’t worry about it.
21. Praise qualities like effort, trying hard, attempting new skills, the execution of a new skill in a game and similar values rather than winning.
22. Love them unconditionally (worth repeating).
23. Have your “guilt gland” removed. This will help you avoid phrases like “I’ve got better things to do with my time” and “Do you realize how much I have had to give up for you to play football”. Everyone loses when you play the guilt game.
24. Encourage activities which build broad, general movement skills like running, catching, throwing, balancing, agility, balance, co-ordination, speed and rhythm. These general skills can then have a positive impact on all sports.
25. Encourage the occasional “down time”. No school or sport – just time to be kids!
26. Encourage relationships and friendships away from training, competition and school work – it’s all about balance.
27. Help and support your child to achieve the goals they set, then take time to relax and celebrate and enjoy their achievement as a family.
28. Never use training or sport as a punishment i.e. more laps / more training.
29. Do a family fitness class, yoga or martial arts or another sport unrelated to their main sport. Everyone benefits.
30. Car pool! Get to know the other kids and families in your child’s team then in turn you can allow your child to be more independent by doing things with other (trusted) adults.
31. Attend training regularly to show you are interested in your child’s effort and the process rather than just the win / loss of the outcome.
32. Help raise money for the team, club and kids: even if your own child is not involved in the target of the fund-raising.
33. Tell your kids you are proud of them for being involved in a healthy activity.
34. Volunteer your time to be on the committee.
35. Volunteer your time to help out at training and competition but…….try not to work directly with your own child. This helps teach your kids the importance of “team” where working together and supporting each other are important attributes.
36. Even if you were an athlete or a player, and even if you are a trained coach, resist the temptation to coach your own child. It rarely if ever works.
37. Be aware that your child’s passion for a particular sport may change.
38. Also be aware however that skills learnt in one sport can often transfer to another sport.
39. Accept flat spots. Times when your child does not improve. During these times encourage participation for fun, focus on learning skills and help them develop perseverance and patience – two life skills that will help them throughout their lives.
40. Believe it or not, Australian kids are unlikely to die from drinking tap water.
41. Cheer for your child appropriately. Don’t embarrass yourself or them.
42. Make sure each week includes some designated family time, where you do family things and talk about family issues, not about sport.
43. Take a strong stand against smoking and drug use (both recreational and performance enhancing).
44. Set an example with sensible, responsible alcohol use when your kids are around.
45. Don’t look for short cuts like “miracle sports drinks” or “super supplements” success in sport comes from consistently practicing skills and developing an attitude where the love of sport and physical fitness are the real “magic”.
46. If one of your kids is a sporting champion and the other kids in the family are not so gifted, ensure you have just as much time, energy and enthusiasm for whatever they are doing.
47. Eliminate the use of the phrase “well what we did when I was playing”.
48. Encourage your kids to find strong role models but try not to let this decision to be based on sporting ability only. Look for role models who consistently demonstrate integrity, humility, honesty and the ability to take responsibility for their own actions.
49. Encourage them to learn the qualities of leadership and concepts like sharing, selflessness, team work and generosity – sport teaches life lessons.
50. Don’t compare the achievements of your kids to any other kids – good or bad. It only creates barriers and resentments between young people and the world can do without more of that!

Wayne Goldsmith and Helen Morris

Firstly let me thank you for being a swimming parent.

Without you, we have no sport. There is no swimming without you. Clubs and coaches could not exist without your support.

I appreciate everything you do. The early mornings, the late afternoons, the rush to get dinner ready at night for hungry, tired kids, the long weekends of time keeping and team support. For everything you do, I thank you.

I wanted to write and show my appreciation by giving you something in return; to thank you for all you give the sport.

I am going to give you some ideas and advice to help you be the best swimming parent you can be and to help you help your kids enjoy their swimming to the extent of the talent and to the limits of their dreams.

Your Child

Your child is not a swimmer. They are a person who swims. And as a person, who they are impacts on every aspect of their swimming. Real progress in swimming comes not from size, strength, speed and hard training – it comes from the development of the whole person: the character, their values, their personality AND of course their speed, strength, endurance etc etc. The training alone is not enough – the development of the person is far more important and far more enduring.

Speed, strength, endurance, power, flexibility and technique are all important.

But not as important as integrity. Or honesty. Or sincerity. Or humility. Or courage. Or a strong work ethic. Or the ability to accept responsibility for their own actions. Or the ability to work cohesively with others to achieve a common goal. Or self discipline. Or the ability to maintain a sense of humor under pressure and stress.

These things not only impact positively on your child’s swimming but on every aspect of their life. And not just now, but for the rest of their life and in everything they do.

I love swimming. And I would love your child to be a world record holder and Olympic champion. But I would prefer that your kids become better people through the experience of being involved in this great sport. If they happen to also swim fast…..that is a bonus.

Your Child’s Coach

Coaching is a tough business. Early mornings, long weekends, late evenings writing programs and developing coaching strategies.

Coaches are passionate souls who live for the opportunity to work with like minded swimmers and families intent on achieving success and enjoying involvement in a great sport.

Coaches want to change lives, swimming is just the avenue. Great coaches possess the communication skills, empathy and compassion to change people, they just chose to use swimming as the vehicle to do it.

You, your child and your coach form a team. A team with a single goal, to provide the opportunity for your child to enjoy all the sport of swimming has to offer.

And as with any team, achieving this goal is dependent on all members of the team working cohesively, honestly and with unconditional trust.

Chose your coach carefully. Meet with them. Talk with them. Regularly communicate with them (away from the pool and outside of training times). And once you have made the decision to entrust the development of your child to a particular coach, give that coach 100% total commitment, dedication and support. If you can’t…find another coach. Partial support will not withstand the ups and downs of competitive swimming. 100% committed support – the same support you give your child and the same 100% committed support you want from the coach must also given by you to the coach.

Your Role as a Swimming Parent: How You Can Help

Let the coach do their job but there are some things you can do to help your child that only you can do.

Let me tell you a story about a swimming family I know.

I was asked to stay with the family and enjoy a few days with them. The kids both swam and asked me if I would be interested in getting up early with them the next morning for practice. Of course I said “yes”.

I set my alarm for 5 am, got up and dressed.

It was then the strangest thing happened.

Another alarm went off…in the mother’s room.

Mum got up, got dressed, rushed into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee for herself and two mugs of hot chocolate for the children. She then rushed around the house gathering up swim gear, towels, swim suits, goggles and filled water bottles. She then put all of these things in the kids’ swim bags and put the bags near the front door.

She then tapped gently on the kids’ bedroom doors and said, “Darling, it is time to go to swimming”.

The kids responded, “I’m not going. I hate swimming. It’s too cold” and some other stuff.

Mum then reversed the car out of the garage, carried both swim bags out to the car. Meanwhile one of kids was still in bed and had rolled over and gone back to sleep. The other was sitting on their bed saying “I’m tired. I’m tired” over and over again.

Mum helped both kids out of bed, helped them put on their track suits and warm shoes and helped them out to the kitchen table. The kids weren’t even drinking their hot chocolate…they were sitting and moaning and groaning and complaining about swimming and being cold and how it was “too early”.

Mum then helped the kids into the car – one laid down in the back seat and went to sleep while the other put his head on the car window and fell asleep.

Mum and I talked about this and that on the way to the pool.

When we got there, Mum jumped out, helped the kids out of the car and carried their bags to the front entrance of the pool.

The kids trained ok and I enjoyed watching the practice while Mum went off doing something else.

After training, Mum came back, embraced the kids with “Hi my angels. How was practice?” The kids answered, “OK” and then sat quietly all the way home listening to Eminem on their CD players.

When they got home, the kids went in to shower, while Mum emptied their swim bags, made their breakfast and ironed their clothes for school. I was a bit surprised she didn’t also do their homework!!

Sound familiar? I suspect these scenes or something very similar were also played out in your own home this morning.

You don’t swim. Your kids do. Don’t do it all for them. If people get opportunities easily they do not appreciate them and never take full advantage of them. “Holding the hand” of your kids may seem like the loving, caring parent thing to do but it isn’t. It does not teach them self responsibility or self management or self discipline. All it does is teach them to expect life to be unrealistically easy.

The most important thing you can do to help your child achieve their swimming goals is to help them develop as a person with real independence and self management skills. You prepare them for life…let the coach prepare them to swim fast. The three of you; parent, coach and child working together is an unstoppable force!!!

Once again sincere thanks for your involvement in this great sport and on behalf of everyone in swimming, my appreciation for your contribution and ongoing support.

Yours faithfully,

Wayne Goldsmith

Triathletes and athletes generally are by their nature high achievers. They live in a world of time management, goal setting, overcoming adversity, facing personal challenges and self-management.

However, for a short time (between the ages of 16-18), the pressures of being a high achiever present a tough challenge for even for the most committed and well – organised triathlete.

There is no doubt that Year 11 and 12 is a challenging time for all students.

What is happening during Year 11 and 12?

• You are growing and developing physically
• You are thinking about getting a part time job and saving money
• You are thinking about finding a boyfriend or girlfriend
• You would probably like to learn to drive
• You are studying hard for the most important exams of your life

and…

• At the same time you are trying to complete one of the big jumps in your triathlon development: the jump from junior to open level competition.

All this happening at once!

You are basically being asked to mature into adulthood, be a student of excellence and progress your triathlon standards to senior levels within a period of two years.
It is tough! It’s so tough that many teenage triathletes do not successfully achieve their goals in any one area let alone in all of them. Some merely achieve mediocrity.

The frustration usually comes from having to compromise and sacrifice in one area to benefit another. Triathletes often take the option to drop a few training sessions to concentrate on Year 12 studies.

True, this makes more time available for study, but the high achiever also finds it frustrating that whilst grades are improving, they feel slow and sluggish and years of training and preparation seem to be wasted. Unfortunately many triathletes find it just too tough to come back after the decreased training loads and never make it back to pre year 12 performance levels.

Several schools offer the opportunity to spread Year 11 and 12 over three years. This an excellent option for some students as it allows enough time to sustain high levels of academic achievement and maintain training to a reasonable level. The down side is that the extra year of High School means many of your friends graduate and move on while you are still studying. It means making new school friends and adjusting to a new set of circumstances. Also, some triathletes taking the “extra year” option end up doing worse in their academic life as they adopt a more relaxed attitude to study believing there is no urgency.

However, You can do it. You can achieve academic and athletic success. Success is your choiceand as with all things, success comes from being positive, being disciplined and committed to the achievement of goals and remaining focussed and motivated during the tough times.

Many great Australian athletes have completed their education and still excelled in their sport. Australian Marathon great Rob De Castella won several major races whilst completing his study at University.

In swimming, Dual Olympic Gold Medallist David Thiele is a specialist medical practitioner and completed his medical studies whilst training for the 1960 Olympic Games.

Commonwealth Games distance freestyle medallist Tim Ford is a lawyer.

Olympic Gold medallist Michelle Ford has a degree and distance swimmer Chloe Flutter (8:32 800 freestyle)  was awarded a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford University in England.

Commonwealth Games 200 freestyle Gold medallist Marty Roberts has a sports science degree and sprinter Chris Fydler has completed not one but two degrees whilst maintaining his status as one of the nation’s top sprinters.

Michael Klim excelled during his final year of high school with outstanding grades and has performed magnificently in major international competitions since.

The good news is that triathletes have a distinct advantage over most of their fellow students. The discipline, personal management, time management and goal-orientated skills developed during triathlon training are the same skills necessary to successfully complete academic studies.

The techniques you use everyday to get the most out of triathlon training are the same skills that will help you achieve the grades you want at school.

It is imperative that any efforts towards excellence in Year 11 and 12 are supported by coach, family and friends. The support of the coach and the understanding of family and friends is a key factor in the success of any plan to do well as a triathlete and as a student in the final years of High School.

Some practical hints:

• You are in control of your study and training program. Regardless of what your school friends say or do, success in the end is your decision. Do the training and study that you need to do to get the results you want. If your friends think studying is not “cool”, get some new friends!

• Talk with your school advisers and ask them for help with designing a study plan. You are a Year 11 and 12 student only once. The teachers and counsellors have been through what you are going through many times and are invaluable in this regard.

• Talk with the teachers and counsellors about your desire and commitment to continue training during Year 11 and 12. They may be prepared to help you achieve your goals and be more flexible with class and study routines to help you.

• What might happen and what could happen is not as important as what is happening right now. Don’t worry about the exams at the end of the year. Focus on doing the little things right, every day, every class, each assignment. (Win The Workout principle in the classroom!!!)
• 90% of stress comes from not doing things when you should have done them. The best time to start a study program is today.
• An extra hour study each day is an extra day study each week- You can control time! It’s never too late to be the person (student or triathlete) you wanted to be.
• Do a course of “How to Study Effectively” or read a book on the same topic. It’s the same principle as getting your swim technique right before starting hard training.
• Try to get out of bed early and study when you are fresh and rested. You can train when you are tired and still get improvements, but studying tired is a recipe for failure.
• Do extra work by yourself or with a group of friends in holidays and on breaks.
• Study in your “spares”
• Take care of the immediate and the ultimate will take care of itself.
• No matter what happens there is another way to look at it. Nothing is as bad as it first seems.
• What if something goes wrong? Have a plan, Have a second plan and have a backup plan to the second plan. Don’t plan to fail by failing to plan.
• Never, ever, give up – there is always a way. Develop an “I can” strategy rather than saying “I can’t”.
• Success is never guaranteed, but you can choose to increase the likelihood of success by adopting a study program and triathlon training schedule that will allow you the best opportunity to succeed.
• The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little extra. Try 30 minutes less T.V. per day and do 30 minutes extra on maths equations. Try 30 minutes less video games per day and learn five extra new words to help with reading and comprehension. Those little extras add up to extra-ordinary results.

The smartest people don’t necessarily get the best year 12 grades just as the most talented triathletes don’t always win. It is more likely that the best grades (and gold medals) go to the students (and triathletes) who have prepared the best, who have committed themselves to a daily routine where excellence is the minimum acceptable standard and who manage their time and themselves most effectively.

Do the little extra it takes to succeed and you will have the choice at the end of the day. Take the short cut or rely on luck and your employer, the university admissions officer and your opposition control your choices. Success has little to do with luck. The harder you work, the luckier you will get.

There are a lot of similarities between successfully competing in triathlon and passing Year 12 exams. Preparation is important. Planning is crucial. Confidence is vital. Time management is essential. For all triathletes however, none of these concepts are new. They are things you grow up with: things you utilise every day.

In many ways your triathlon career has prepared you for the opportunity to do well in Year 12. All the attributes you need to be a great student you have already developed as a triathlete. You have a competitive edge. Make the most of it.

Wayne Goldsmith