Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Summer swimming tips for kids

Summer swim leagues and neighborhood swim teams are gearing up for the not-so-lazy days of summer. Swimming is one of the hottest summer sports for children, and the competition is fierce. Patricia “Skippy” Mattson, PT, ATC with the Sports Medicine Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta helps young swimmers improve their strokes and prevail in this slippery sport. Mattson, who also helps the U.S. Olympic Swim Team, offers these tips to help young swimmers achieve their best performance in the pool.

1. What are the typical swimming strokes children compete in at a swim competition?

There are four strokes in competitive swimming: Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, Butterfly. There is also the Individual Medley which includes all four strokes. In addition, there are freestyle relays, and medley relays, where each child does a different stroke.

2. What is the most common injury for competitive swimmers?

Shoulder injuries are the most common injuries for competitive swimmers. Most are overuse injuries, such as tendonitis or ligament tears, since swimming is a repetitive motion.

3. What is the best way to prevent these types of injuries?

Stretching is a key factor in helping prevent injuries. First, stretch on land. Stretch arms, shoulders, back and legs. At a meet, warm up when you first arrive to get the feel of the water. Do an easy 200 to 500 yards. Keep stretching to stay limber throughout the meet. If there is a warm-up pool/lane, get in maybe 10 to 15 minutes before your event and do a couple of laps.

4. How many laps on average does a competitive swimmer swim a day while training?

In an average high school or college workout, swimmers do between 3,000 and 5,000 yards in a practice, depending on what level they are swimming at. That is 120 to 200 times across a 25-yard pool. Very competitive swimmers often practice twice a day, so they may do 6,000-8,000 yards a day. That is 240 to 320 times across a 25-yard pool.

5. How many hours per week do competitive swimmers spend practicing?

This varies according to the ability level. Competitive swimmers spend approximately 15 to 20 hours practicing per week. Younger, less serious competitors spend an average of 5 to 10 hours a week.

6. Do swimmers eat anything special for breakfast before a meet?

It is important to eat breakfast, such as a high-protein cereal and a banana Avoid caffeine. Drink water throughout the meet. It is easy to make the mistake of not hydrating when swimming because you can not always tell that you are sweating.

7. What can competitive swimmers do to shave seconds off their time?

It is not uncommon to train in multiple bathing suits and pantyhose to create "drag" in practice so you will feel faster in the water during a race. Also, many swimmers shave their legs, arms, backs…and sometimes even their heads.

8. What are some safety tips every competitive swimmer needs to know?

• Learning to dive off the starting block properly is essential. Dive very flat, so as not to hit the bottom of the pool. Some older pools have shallow water under the blocks, so it is important to know the dangers of diving the wrong way. Never dive except from the blocks.

• When in a relay, make sure you know the distance the swimmer before you is swimming. For example, know if he is doing 100 yards or 50 yards. Don't get up on the block too early and take the risk of diving in on your teammate.

• Always wear sunscreen.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the leading pediatric healthcare systems in the country, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that benefits from the generous philanthropic and volunteer support of our community and state. With 430 licensed beds in two hospitals and more than 400,000 annual patient visits, Children's is recognized for excellence in cardiac, cancer and transplant services, as well as in many other pediatric specialties. To learn more about Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, visit the Web site at www.choa.org or call 404-250-kids.