Defining Success for 10/Unders

Fun is vague and subjective. It is defined by the swimmers themselves. For one swimmer, it may be playing with friends.

Every once in a while, we, as a team, revisit our mission, our vision, and our goals. This year I decided to try to articulate some reasons behind them. On our team, we have 3 pillars of excellence. They not only help us to define our team and our goals, but they help us to define success. They are particularly useful when thinking about 10/under swimming where excitement for the sport is vital, development is crucial and retention is critical.

What makes a successful swimming experience for a 10/under swimmer?

Three things:

Fun

Kids do just want to have fun. When people have fun, neurons activate in a part of the brain called the ventral tegmental area. Long lanky axons of the neurons reach into other parts of the brain.