Storm Forecast for February 20th, 2025

Siblings in Swimming

Since 2014, we’ve had no less than 111 sets of siblings on Storm (not counting twins, including the FOUR sets of twins we currently have on the roster).  In those 111 sets, there have been some general themes: in 90% of cases, the younger sibling was the better athlete.  There have been studies done about this phenomenon, because it’s seen across many sports.  The TL;DR version of this: every day that the little sibling is working to keep up with their big brother or sister, they’re getting “varsity reps.”  Most parents will agree that the older sibling is a bit more tentative, thoughtful, and careful whereas the younger sibling in many cases will possess a fearlessness, as they’ve seen their older sibling go through everything they’re about to go through.  That fearlessness allows them to pass through instances that might have slowed the progress of the older sibling.  Take this example from the Sharpe brothers (I’ve seen it 3 times and cried each time—as an older sibling, I GET it).

Why am I making this my sermon for the week?  Us older siblings, while smarter and more handsome and with better shoe collections than our younger siblings—we find ourselves at a certain point looking at the rear view mirror.  And that growing shape in the mirror is our little brother or sister.  The younger sibling might start reaching milestones at a younger age.  Or, they might end up being faster than them head-to-head (I vividly remember when I realized my brother was a faster breaststroker than I was, and that memory happened 24 years ago).  In those moments, the older sibling will absolutely compare and let self-doubt creep in.  It’s caused some to lose their motivation.  Others choose to quit the sport entirely.  So, here’s the point of all of this: if you’ve got two children competing in the same sport---do NOT let the comparisons happen.  Don’t let them come out of your mouth, and cut them off when you hear others making them.  Make sure each child has their own validation, their own journey.  It might mean sitting at twice as many sessions at meets so they swim separate, or grading on a different scale for each.  But it’s the only way they’ll both get the most out of the sport.   Here are a few other good tips on how to handle it.  If you’re seeing some sibling red flags, don’t hesitate to reach out.  Having coached this many siblings now, I’ve seen it all!

Last Day of Practice

Tonight was the last night of practice for the vast majority of our swimmers!  With Regionals starting tomorrow, almost everyone will wrap up their season Sunday.    

If your swimmer is competing at a Championship meet after Regionals, they’ll go through that meet and be done.

If you’re a Masters Swimmers, your last day will be Friday, February 28^th.

Spring/Summer Session Plans

Spring details are up!  We’ve not finalized dryland dates, but all in-water action is set.  We’ll have the summer schedule up next week for those of you planning out multiple activities.

Practice Changes

Upcoming Events & Meets