How Young Swimmers Really Develop — And Why Progress Sometimes Appears Stalled

Parent Guide Series

A Parent Guide for early Swimmers Aged 9–13

This guide reflects long-term athlete development principles also outlined by Swim England in their guidance for swimmers and parents.

Swimming is trained in a uniquely demanding environment

Competitive training squads do not operate like swimming lessons — there are no tick boxes or fixed completion stages.

Skills are revisited, adjusted, and rebuilt as swimmers grow, mature, and change physically. Swimming takes place in an environment where breathing is restricted, balance is unstable and propulsion, timing and body position must be controlled simultaneously.

This is one of the key ways swimming differs from many land-based sports. In activities such as running, football, or athletics, athletes can breathe freely, rely on ground contact for stability and isolate skills more easily. In swimming, the body must remain balanced and coordinated without external support while managing breathing and propulsion at the same time.

As a result, small changes in technique, growth, or coordination can have a much larger impact on performance. A swimmer’s readiness to lead a lane, change lanes, or move squads cannot be judged by time served, age, or a checklist of outcomes.

Progress is phased, not continuous

Improvements in swimming do not build evenly week by week. Most swimmers experience periods of visible progress followed by quieter phases where change is less obvious.

These phases reflect how the body and brain refine and reorganise movement. During quieter phases, swimmers are often stabilising skills and improving coordination. Progress does not always translate immediately to faster times, even though development is continuing.

Growth changes how swimming feels and looks

Physical growth is one of the biggest influences on swimming performance.

As height, limb length, and body proportions change, balance, timing, coordination and stroke rhythm can be temporarily disrupted. Stroke rhythm may feel unfamiliar and the “feel for the water” can fluctuate. Swimmers can train well during these phases while feeling slower or less controlled.

During rapid growth, the brain’s internal “map” of the body can briefly fall out of sync with new limb lengths and proportions. Movements that once felt automatic may require more concentration, and skills can look less tidy for a period of time. This is not a swimmer getting worse — it is a short phase of re-learning and re-calibration as the brain and nervous system adjust to a changing body.

In the water, this can show up as timing feeling off, skills needing more focus, or coordination looking less settled. With consistent training and technical reinforcement, coordination catches up and skills often return stronger than before.

This is not regression. It is a normal and temporary part of physical development, and many swimmers experience several of these phases through adolescence.

Why age alone is a poor guide

Swimmers of the same chronological age can be at very different stages of physical and neurological development. Early physical maturity can create short-term advantages in strength and speed, while later developers often progress more gradually.

Later-developing swimmers can retain strong long-term potential, particularly when technical quality and efficiency are prioritised early. In a sport where speed depends on stability and coordination, performance gains often follow periods of technical consolidation rather than constant progression.

More training does not always mean better progress

When progress appears to stall, it’s natural to think that more sessions, extra coaching, or one-to-one work might unlock improvement.

However, increasing volume during periods of growth or technical instability can reinforce inefficient movement patterns and delay progress. Improvement is more often unlocked by readiness, the right training focus and consolidation of skills than by simply doing more.

Distinguishing development from disengagement

Occasionally, progress slows for a different reason: reduced engagement with training.

This does not mean a swimmer is lazy or failing. More often, it reflects a temporary dip in motivation, reduced confidence through frustration or comparison, or swimming no longer feeling like their own choice.

In these situations, doing more training rarely helps. What matters is whether the swimmer still enjoys training, feels ownership over their participation, and wants to be there for themselves — not simply to meet expectations.

• Development phase typically shows effort still present, even if progress takes time.

• Disengagement tends to look different: inconsistent focus, low energy, or reluctance to engage with sets or instructions.

When this happens, the most helpful response is not pressure, but an honest, supportive conversation about enjoyment, motivation and what the swimmer wants from swimming at this stage.

A sideways step within the pathway is not a failure. For families considering how swimming fits for their child at different stages, the Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club squad pathway outlines a range of options, including fitness-focused and competitive routes, with sideways movement used where appropriate to support enjoyment, confidence, and sustained involvement in the sport.

What results show — and what they don’t

Times, rankings, and results show where a swimmer is at a particular moment in time. They reflect who raced, when they raced, and which events were entered, but they do not predict long-term outcomes or future potential.

Because of this, development-focused programmes place greater value on retention, enjoyment and skill development than on early results. Staying engaged through quieter phases matters far more than chasing short-term markers.

Swimming development is a long-term process shaped by biology, skill acquisition and time. The aim is not early performance, but to build robust technique, allow physical development to settle, protect enjoyment and support sustained involvement in the sport. This approach aligns with long-term athlete development principles consistently reinforced by Swim England.

How to support your swimmer today

Focus on the process, not the outcome

Ask questions that centre on what was worked on, not what changed.

Helpful questions

• “What was the main thing you were focusing on in training today?” (Clear, simple, purpose-led)

• “What did your coach ask you to pay attention to this week?” (Links directly to instruction without repetition)

• “What were you trying to do better as the session went on?” (Encourages within-session progress, not results)

• “What part of the swim needed the most concentration today?” (Builds awareness and ownership)

• “What felt better by the end of training?” (Keeps reflection technical, not emotional)

Progress your swimmer may begin to notice in training

Understanding instructions, using the pace clock independently, strong streamlining, effective dolphin kicks, maintaining stroke count per length, consistent skills off the wall, and holding good technique when tired are all signs of development — even when times don’t change.

Helpful questions

• “What did you manage better by the end of the session than at the start?” (Frames progress within a single training session)

• “What was the main thing you were asked to focus on today?” (Helps your swimmer talk about instructions and purpose)

• “How did you use the pace clock during the session?” (Encourages awareness of pacing and independence)

• “Which part of the swim felt most controlled today?” (Focuses on stability rather than speed)

• “What stayed consistent when you started to feel tired?” (Links to holding technique, stroke count, and skills under fatigue)

Treat patience as a skill

Holding steady through growth or consolidation phases is part of training and plays a key role in protecting confidence and enjoyment.

The statements below are intended for parents to use with swimmers, but not all at once and not after every session. They are simple reminders that can help when a swimmer feels frustrated or unsure. Used occasionally and calmly, they explain why holding steady still matters — without adding pressure or expectation.

Helpful statements

• “Keeping things together right now is part of getting better.” (Reframes stability as progress)

• “Right now it’s about swimming well — the speed comes later.” (Keeps speed important, but not urgent)

• “The skills you’re learning now will help you later.” (Simple long-term perspective)

• “Training steadily right now still counts as progress.” (Removes ‘win’ language while reinforcing value)

• “Learning to train when things change is part of being a swimmer.” (Builds identity and resilience)

A gentle note for parents

One sentence, at the right moment, is enough. If your swimmer wants to talk, listen. If they don’t, let it go. Support works best when it’s calm, timely, and led by the swimmer — not forced.

The take-home message

Understanding that development is non-linear is one of the most valuable tools you have.

On race days, the most effective support often comes after the swim. Steering clear of immediate car-park debriefs and shifting conversations away from the time on the clock helps protect motivation — particularly during quieter phases of growth and development.

Focusing instead on effort, skills, and how the swim was approached reinforces confidence, keeps perspective, and supports long-term engagement in the sport.

Parents seeking further national guidance can also explore Swim England's guidance for swimmers and parents.

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