Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Our 5-year-old 'YouTube' star was interviewed on 'The Morning Swim Show'
Since I can't get enough of this boy's talent, check out his breaststroke. Loving that start dive too, he just wants to get in that water before the horn stops blowing. Could he be the "Tiger Woods" of swimming?
He is a link to The Morning Swim Show that interviews his coach: [Link]
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8 comments:
Tony,
Kid's got great talent. Whether that translates to anything other than a curiosity at age 5, though, that's another question.
Can't tell you the numbers of kids I've seen that set amazing times in age group and were nowhere at the senior level of the sport.
Much of age group performance is related to the timing of the kid's growth spurt and relative emotional maturity. For every Michael Phelps, who identified as a remarkable talent at age 10 (I think), there are hundreds - thousands, maybe - of kids that did something amazing at 8 and were nowhere at 16.
In a fast 10-years or so we will have our answer. I think there is something there.
Quote from Ted
"Can't tell you the numbers of kids I've seen that set amazing times in age group and were nowhere at the senior level of the sport."
Don't you think that has more to do with improper training methods verses lack of talent??
Anonymous, I do think that improper training has some role but not as much as many think.
I'll give you an example: A 12 year old boy goes 55.0 for a 100m free. Kid's 5'8" and 160lbs. Good technique, good coaching, loves the sport... But Mom's 5'2" and Dad's 5'7". And Dad got to 5'7" when he was 12.
Four years on, our kid is 16 and he's still 5'8", 165 and he's going 53. Kid beside him, though, well he was 5'2" when he was 12 and weighed 110lbs. Now he's 6' and 175 and going 52.
Happens all the time.
Take Person C, 18-years old, 6'0" weighted 165 pounds, swam a 1:08 for a 100-free. Lousy training, burned out coach
30-years later, 6'2", guy balloons up to 192 pounds, gets good training goes a 58. in briefs.
Who knew
Dear Ted and Tony:
Not to be argumentative, but you both gave specific examples. I thought you were talking about how many age group swimmers in general simply disappear at the senior level of the sport
IMO there isn't any reason for a young swimmer not to be able to continue to improve, no matter when the maturation phase occurs...unless the training of these young swimmers does not address these changes.
Thus the reason Ted stated: "Can't tell you the numbers of kids I've seen that set amazing times in age group and were nowhere at the senior level of the sport."
I more agree with you than not
I'm not saying kids can't continue to improve and, you're right, if they don't it's often poor coaching.
What I am saying, though, is the rate of maturation - at the age group level - often determines who wins and who loses and, by extension, who has amazing swims at those levels.
Amazing swims at the age group level are often performed by kids that are more physically or mentally mature than the rest of their cohort. As they age and the rest of the kids catch up, both physically and mentally, that gap between their performance and their cohort's disappears.
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