WAG Swimming before a meet?

[my4buffaloes]

We are heading out of town Friday for a meet. Dd competes Sunday. Would you let her swim on Saturday?

 

[JBS]

Swim for a short time...or run around a million square foot water park?

 

[Gymchick]

NO!!!!!! I am a gymnast my self swimming always drowns my energy.at my gym it's against the rules to

 

[MaryA]

Our optionals are "not allowed" to swim before a meet, and it's discouraged for the compulsories. I've read various things about it here on CB, though I've never really had the "swim ban" explained to me in a way that makes sense. When you go to these big out-of-town meets, generally you're sight-seeing and such anyway. Is spending all day walking around doing touristy things any less exhausting than swimming? And the same coach who has "forbidden" swimming, is recommending ice skating as a thing we might want to do at our big out-of-town meet, which makes absolutely no sense to me at all. But DD knows the swim rule, so she would never swim before a meet, I'm sure (she's a rule-follower). And if she did, I suspect she'd have an awful meet because she'd have in her head "I swam before the meet when I wasn't supposed to so that's going to hurt my performance." So we won't swim till after, right or wrong.

 

[cbone]

Big no-no at our gym.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

What level is she? Is she a Level 3 or 4? If so, swim, have fun, it's supposed to be fun!

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

BTW- Mary A I am way more sore after ice skating than swimming- it's funny she forbids swimming but is OK with skating. That said, during the summer when my DD swam all day before practice she was exhausted and the water softened up her hands and it was the only time she ever got rips.

 

[JBS]

Swimming before a meet is like ankle weights...it's banned because 90% of the people over do it.

 

[gardenia01]

I would let her, provided its a short swim and she's not in the pool for a long time. I suppose it has to do with not letting their hands soften up, but I don't think a short swim is going to be any worse than a long shower or a bath. I let my dd swim the day before her last meet - just 15 to 20 minutes - and there were no adverse consequences. MaryA, have to laugh about the ice skating. I would think that is far worse than swimming!

 

[gymgal]

We don't have the rule at our gym but we do have it for our dd baseball games. we find that it really drains the boys but I think it also has to do with the fact they are in the sun all day playing 2-3 games in a day. I don't see the same reaction in dd for gymnastics meet, which literally are 30-90 sec routines, with a lot of waiting around. And dd has enough nervous energy to prevent the blahs that might go with being water logged. Swimming at the hotels gives her something active to keep her mind of the meet. I don't let her stay in a long time, just enough to fill some time and enjoy the water.

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[JBS]

I forgot to answer.

Yes...I allow my daughters to swim before a meet. Of course...I am a coach...so I control how much they are swimming...it's not a free for all.

 

[2G1B]

I'm shocked that a coach would be OK with ice skating before a meet; but not swimming. Maybe because my kids have only been ice skating a few times; but both times they have gotten injuries. One left with a huge knot on his knee, one really bruised her tail bone (making it hard to do most things in gymnastics) and one bruised her hip. There were also blisters on their feet and just overall being sore.

Our coaches have never said anything about swimming before competitions; but my kids are all just beginners, so maybe that is why. Also, my twins swam competitively for a year (quit this year because they prefer gymnastics and it was getting too hard to find time for both), so 30 minutes of playing around in a pool doesn't really tire them much at all.

Last year my DD had swim team practice and then dance practice after it. Her dance teachers said that those were her best practices. (I wouldn't have them go from a swim team practice to a competition though. Swim practice is way more tiring than just goofing in the pool for a little while.)

 

[wallinbl]

You must all be from cold states! Swimming happens practically daily 8 months out of the year here. Maybe we're used to it or something but no one would dream of telling the kids not to.

 

[gymgal]

You must all be from cold states! Swimming happens practically daily 8 months out of the year here. Maybe we're used to it or something but no one would dream of telling the kids not to.

Good point. It is likely to affect kids less if they do it all the time anyway. We live in the south but dd primarily only swims in the summer when the outdoor pool is open.

Also, I had forgotten about the water affecting the hands. But really, I don't remember dd having problems with this in the summer, with morning gym practices and afternoons at the pool 5 days a week.

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[maryRS]

Well here is where I admit I'm a bad mom and ignore the rule. When my oldest, who is now in college (soccer player) was young, they had this one awesome tournament at a German club and there was a pool. The whole idea was for them to swim between games. My son's coach wouldn't allow it - said they could swim after, but by that timeyou wanted to go home - the fun was to be had between games. We followed the rule and I always remember his face watching other kids get ready to go to pool. He was so sad. By the time the same team was about 14 they all ignored the coach and swam. It never negatively affected them, in fact it cooled them off - it is hot playing in the son. He was and still is a serious athlete - he plays in college. by the time my other kids came around to the same tournament they all swam.
As far as gymnastics, if anyone can ever explain why and it made sense, I would consider. But at this point no one has. So much fun in the hotel is spent in the pool. I just can't see having her miss out with no good reason.

We are heading out of town Friday for a meet. Dd competes Sunday. Would you let her swim on Saturday?

 

[gymnastbeth]

I usually swim the day before meets when there's a pool in the hotel, but our coaches always discourage it. I was told it would make my hands soft, and I would rip easier the day of the meet. I've never heard that you shouldn't swim because it makes you tired!

 

[my4buffaloes]

Ok, so dd is a level 7 and it is just the hotel pool, no huge waterpark. But I am taking both dd's and with 2 nights in a hotel swimming is normally the highlight for them! I know my younger dd really wants to swim, I would hate to make my gymnast sit and watch her play in the water. Maybe 30 minutes Saturday morning? We have a pretty low key day planned for Saturday because I don't want her to get exhausted before she competes. We have never been told not to, but it sounds like many have. Hmm, I am leaning towards letting her for a bit.

 

[gymgal]

Ok, so dd is a level 7 and it is just the hotel pool, no huge waterpark. But I am taking both dd's and with 2 nights in a hotel swimming is normally the highlight for them! I know my younger dd really wants to swim, I would hate to make my gymnast sit and watch her play in the water. Maybe 30 minutes Saturday morning? We have a pretty low key day planned for Saturday because I don't want her to get exhausted before she competes. We have never been told not to, but it sounds like many have. Hmm, I am leaning towards letting her for a bit.

If she competes Sunday morning, than Saturday morning, Friday night are perfect times. I wouldn't try Saturday night though, just in case it does soften her hands

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[shelovestoflip]

Our coaches tell the girls not to swim before a meet because it softens their hands and they could rip and also something about muscles? not sure what.

My daughter is quite a rule follower so she would never swim until after the meet.

That being said, they swim at summer camp with no 'adverse' effects so maybe just pre meet hype?!

 

[pt coach]

I will share that I am also a bad mom and let my daughter (level 5) swim. (and I am also a coach..). I only let her swim for a short time. The way I look at it is she is not going to win any of her meets...she is happy if she gets one medal...so for her gymnastics meets are about the whole experience. Where we stay, where we eat, what we do and whether I will buy her a leo or shirt at the meet is what she considers important....so I am happy to let her swim for 30 minutes or so!