Three Reasons Why Kids Need Morning Practice

Our kids benefit by being introduced to early mornings as teens, which may become a habit throughout their swim careers and beyond.

What do Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, Tim Cook and Oprah Winfrey have in common with our swimmers? They were or are early risers — getting up before dawn — just like our kids wake up for morning practice.

Leaving the house in the dark at 5 a.m. to drive kids to the pool doesn’t make my list of favorite moments as a swim mom. Fortunately, I shared the duty with other parents and eventually, the kids got old enough to drive themselves.

With numerous studies stating that teens need more sleep and school start times should be shifted later to accommodate their body clocks, are we harming our kids with morning practices?

If you look at the benefits of morning practice, in my opinion, no.