All Content Tagged

Elizabeth Wickham

Less Is More in Swim Parenting
June 2, 2023
Our kids don’t have to be on the biggest team to enjoy swimming or with the most famous coach to have a great swimming career. I’m reading a funny book with great ideas called “Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child.” Although I haven’t finished it yet, the main point […]
What Type of Swim Parent Are You?
June 2, 2023
When you look around the pool deck, you’ll recognize a variety of parent types. We’re most likely a combination of a few or many. What type of swim parent are you? I believe swim parents are some of the greatest parents ever. Swim parents sacrifice, encourage, cheer, and go out of our way to lend […]
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I Think My Child Should Move Up…
June 2, 2023
Dear Swim Mom, I feel like my 12-year-old daughter is ready to be moved up. She’s mature for her age and faster than the other kids in her group. She’ll be turning 13 in a couple months. I mentioned it to her coach after practice and I didn’t get much of an answer. I think […]
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Four Reasons Why Cities Should Support Swim Teams
June 2, 2023
Swimming is one of the best exercises because it works our hearts and lungs, is low impact and builds strength because of water’s resistance. As swim parents, swimmers and coaches, we know the importance of a good club team. I’m not sure every city manager or parks and rec department fully understand swimming and how […]
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Three Tips for Getting off the Emotional Rollercoaster of Swim Parenting
June 2, 2023
Watching our kids compete can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve felt this myself more than once. One minute I’m on top of the world when they get a best time and win their event. Then, in the abyss when they don’t show up for their event and I wonder what happened. I was talking […]
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10 Minutes a Day for Happier Parents and Swimmers
June 2, 2023
Writing about why the positive events in your life happened may seem awkward at first, but please stick with it for one week. It will get easier. I discovered a simple exercise that can help us—and our kids—with our mental well-being and happiness. Our kids work hard every day to improve technique, speed and endurance. […]
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When Our Kids Have Big Dreams …
June 2, 2023
I have a question for swim coaches and parents. When our kids have huge dreams, should we tell them what is realistic and reasonable? Or, do we encourage them to dream? Every child I interviewed for our team’s newsletter dreamed of being an Olympian. Yes, it can happen. It did twice in our club’s 50-year […]
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Why Isn’t My Child Dropping Time?
June 2, 2023
I received an email from a dad who was second guessing his decision to move his daughter to a new team. They switched teams to benefit the entire family’s schedule. Here’s the email and my response: “Dear Elizabeth, I was wondering if you could help me with a conundrum my family is having. My daughter […]
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Nine Things Parents of Distance Swimmers Know
June 2, 2023
As the parent of distance swimmers, my days at meets are decidedly different from parents of sprinters. I’ll admit that I look at them with a touch of envy as they cheer for a 50 or 100. They may experience the same anxiety I do during races, but for them it’s over so quickly! They […]
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