Whether your child is an all-star swimmer or just a fledgling guppy, setting swimming goals together helps to improve both his performance and his confidence in the water. As you work together to define what your child wants to accomplish through his swimming, you can help identify goals that are easily met to help bolster his self-esteem in the pool. Even if your child falls short of his original goal, knowing that he has accountability for his performance in the pool helps him become a better swimmer overall.
Goal Types
Before you set goals together with your child, you must first understand the difference between the two main types of goals. The two types of goals in swimming are process-based goals and outcome-based goals. Process goals are those that center around the means to an end; for instance, practicing swimming on a daily basis. Process-based goals are typically easier to reach, but might not be as satisfying as outcome-based goals. Outcome-based goals are those that center around the end achievement of a goal; for instance, winning a big race. Outcome-based goals are typically harder to achieve but bring a great sense of satisfaction.
Realistic Goal Setting
With swimming goals, it's wise to choose both process-based and outcome-based goals to show your child the importance of working to achieve a final goal. Since kids are often motivated by success, it's important to choose realistic goals. For instance, shaving five seconds off of his freestyle time can seem overwhelming, but training daily for speed is a more achievable process-based goal. While telling your child he has to learn to dive from the diving board might seem overwhelming, making goals to work with a coach until he feels comfortable in the water is more manageable. Once simple goals are achieved, your child then has the confidence to tackle more difficult goals.
Goal Timeline
When you help your child set short-term and long-term goals, it's important to create a general timeline for those goals to be met. Otherwise, you might spend an entire season working on one small aspect and never reach your main outcome-based goal. Talk to your child's coach or teacher and decide on a proper and realistic timeline for the goals that you've discussed. You might find that your child's coach has a more conservative estimate, which helps you be more realistic in your expectations as well.
Celebrating Success
Kids need motivation to complete goals and sometimes becoming a better swimmer simply isn't motivating enough. Instead, look for tangible rewards that you can offer your child for meeting his swimming goals. Whether it's a new pair of goggles or a weekend trip to a favorite location, offering rewards shows your child you're proud of his success while helping to raise his confidence in the pool and on land.
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