Opening ceremonies for the 2024 Olympics will take place today — and for weeks the world will watch fantastic athletes compete hard for gold medals. For Kris Vera-Phillips, it's a time to pause and consider her young son's experience in the swimming pool.
Kris Vera-Phillips is a Ph.D. candidate at ASU's Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Just keep kicking. That was my mantra for my 7 year old kid at his first swim meet at Chandler High. It was also my rallying cry as he moved closer to the finish line, aka the other side of the pool 25 yards and 46.39 seconds later, he climbed out of his lane and a coach awarded my kid his first ribbon ever.
He stood up a little straighter and his face beamed contestants and their families from swim schools across the valley showed up for the swim meet.
In the beginning, we needed to learn the language of the swim meet like the difference between an event and a heat. The event described the type of race, 25 yard freestyle or backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly, and that's for my kids' age group. Also, the heat is the group of swimmers who line up and race at the same time.
It's overwhelming for anyone who is new to the sport. And before his heat, my kid crossed his arms behind his back trying to figure it all out. Patient and kind coaches helped him. He lined up behind his lane, crouching by the water waiting for his race.
I know what it's like to wait like that. I started competitive figure skating when I was 5 years old on the ice. When I waited for my music to start, it was the first time in my life I felt alone.
Then the music started. My heart bloomed as I moved, I felt the adrenaline rush and confidence from sliding, spinning and jumping. Not many people could do what I could do. Not my family in the stands or my friends at school.
Thanks to high profile athletes. We also know there's a dark side to competition. A few years ago, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps opened up about his mental health struggles before he got help. He looked at himself as an athlete and not as a human being.
Katie Ledecky will represent team USA in Paris for the summer games. She says she takes swimming seriously, but she also remembers that she started swimming for the fun of it when she was 6 years old. My family will watch her on TV, along with other American Olympians having fun racing and maybe breaking a couple of world records.
Some parents may see swimming or any sport as a path to college scholarships, Nike endorsements and other opportunities that could give their family a break from the sacrifices they've made. Those expectations could crush anybody, especially young athletes. Those expectations can turn a love of sport into an unhealthy obsession that forces a kid to choose between competition and their mental health.
So when we watch Ledecky competing in the 400 m freestyle, I want to point out to my kid what hard work and practice can do and what it looks like to do your best. I want him to see the joy in swimmers’ faces after they finish a race.
I also want him to understand that not everyone can finish first and that's OK. Keep trying. Don't give up, do your best. These are lessons in endurance and resilience that my kid can use for the rest of his life. His coaches have one simple goal for him. Get in the pool and swim your best. they hope kids will learn what they love about racing.
After his heat, my kid showed off his ribbon to one of the coaches and she gave him an Otter Pop to celebrate. 3:58 His mouth turned bright blue as he waited for the next event. Competition tasted sweet.
