 |
|
Over the past couple of months, my groups have had tremendous success in the pool and at meets. However, some issues due to impolite behavior and inappropriate "lane manners" rise to the forefront every now and then. Each child in these groups is impressively committed to swimming and has a strong belief in their coach and this team, but this does not always mean that they will get along perfectly. While doing some research on how to handle these situations I found this: The Three Gates. I used it as a discussion topic at one of our meetings and it did help some of our athletes "think twice" before speaking. When there is a complaint of a swimmer being less than a perfect teammate I try to help the child solve the problem on their own. This doesn't always completely solve the problem but it gives the swimmer a chance to work things out at the level in which the issue began, child to child. I refuse to teach my swimmers, and my own child, that you can solve every problem by tattling and getting a grown up to do it for you. I think this course of action strengthens independent thinking within the child and helps develop problem solving skills that they can take with them into their adult lives. How do you handle interpersonal lane issues that come up? Swimmers, parents, coaches, please share your thoughts.
