Before I found my true calling working with adults on the water, I indeed spent several years coaching middle school students. I coached the Elephympians, a clever hybrid which came from the Gainesville mascot, Red Elephants, and the word Olympian. The middle school program here is big, and it's the feeder program for our developmental and high performance teams. (Let me take this opportunity to say that I have a TON of respect for the teachers who deal with these middle schoolers on a daily basis!!)
I like kids, really I do. I have a son who is the light of my life. He actually paddled with the Elephympians many moons ago. But, I digress. My team was a good size for this sport, usually between 15 and 20 kids. I had one assistant coach for whom I was always extremely thankful. He drove the john boat for me and was able to pull the kids (more importantly, the boats) when they flipped. Which happens a lot.
Kids are really different. This is a sport where balance is critical, and some of them have it right out of the gate, while some really struggle to learn it. The thing is, if you're patient with yourself, you absolutely can learn it. We start the kids out in the trainers, which are racing boats, but are very wide across the hull and much harder to flip. These boats all have rudders, so the kids can learn how to steer and use good technique but not really have to be as concerned about balance. This boat is the one we use to teach them how to recover if/when they flip. It's critical that you learn to recover yourself first (always wear a pfd!) and then flip the boat over. If too much water gets into the cockpit, they WILL sink.
Last time we had a real drought, we pulled out 6 boats we had lost in previous seasons. Better to educate the kids than to wait for a drought!
A couple of years ago, I had a first-timer named Daisy. She was shy, and a little timid about getting into the trainer. We talked her into it, and off she went. Then she flipped and started panicking as the boat started to take on water. We got her out and were able to save the boat, but no way did she want to get back in!! This is the moment where I learned our role as coaches of young people can be huge. We were able to get her out into a canoe with a couple of other kids, and she eventually became quite a good little paddler, even winning medals over the next couple of years. BUT, THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS THAT SHE DIDN'T DEVELOP A LIFELONG FEAR OF WATER!
Until that moment, I don't really think I got how huge our role as youth coaches can be. Everything you say and do (watch the cussing, my personal challenge,) and how you respond to their personal crises can have a profound effect on who they become! As I meet people who don't swim, many of them had a moment which in some way was similar to Daisy's. What a shame.
So, as I close for today, let me leave you with this: Be a coach!! It's rewarding, and it's really kind of nice to have kids call you coach as they move forward beyond you. Always remember the profound effect you can have on them, and realize that you don't have to coach them to BE Olympians, you only need to teach them to believe that they CAN be.
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