Why Swimming Gets Harder Around Age 13 (Why Swimmers Plateau and Why It's Normal)

Parent Guide Series - March 2026

One of the most common concerns parents raise in competitive swimming appears around the same stage of development. Many families begin asking the same question: why has my swimmer suddenly stopped improving?

A swimmer who once improved every few months seems to stall, training begins to feel tougher and results no longer move forward as quickly as before. Friends begin to drift away from the sport while school pressures increase and motivation fluctuates.

Parents naturally start to ask a worrying question.

Is something wrong?

In most cases the answer is simple: nothing is wrong.

Across clubs, counties and national programmes the same pattern appears again and again, with the years between roughly 12 and 14 often representing a turning point where swimming begins to feel more demanding both physically and mentally.

Understanding this stage helps swimmers and parents approach it with confidence rather than concern.

A Phase Where Many Things Change At Once

Swimming development does not move in a straight line, and progress tends to arrive in waves. The early teenage years often bring several changes at the same time.

Bodies grow quickly while training expectations increase, competition becomes stronger and life outside the pool becomes more complex.

When these shifts happen together swimming can temporarily feel harder, which is not a sign of failure but usually a sign that a swimmer is moving into the next stage of development.

Typical Swimming Development Timeline

(These stages often overlap. Every swimmer develops at their own pace.)

Age	Typical Experience	Typical Squad Stages
8–11yrs	Rapid learning. Stroke skills develop quickly and swimmers often see regular PBs. Racing is new and exciting.	Skills Academy, Competitive Development
10–12yrs	Strong skill development. Swimmers begin learning pacing, race skills and training routines.	Competitive, County Development, Age Group
12–14yrs	Growth spurts and increased training expectations can make swimming feel harder for a period. Progress may temporarily slow.	County Development, Age Group, Youth Performance
13–17yrs	Strength, endurance and race understanding begin to come together and many swimmers see their biggest breakthroughs during these years.	Youth, Regional, National Performance

"Swimming development is rarely a straight line, and periods where progress slows are a normal part of long-term athletic development. A helpful way to think about it is this: swimmers do not improve every month but they often improve every year."

Growing Bodies Need Time to Re-Coordinate

Puberty changes the body in ways swimmers often notice clearly in the water.

Growth spurts alter limb length, body proportions and strength, meaning a stroke that previously felt smooth can suddenly feel unfamiliar while timing and rhythm take time to settle again.

Coaches regularly see swimmers who look slightly less coordinated during periods of growth, where turns feel different, catch timing shifts and stroke counts change.

For example, a swimmer who grows several centimetres over a short period can suddenly feel as if their arms and legs are not moving the way they used to, and a stroke that previously felt automatic may take time to reconnect with the body’s new proportions.

This can be frustrating for swimmers who were improving quickly before, yet it is a normal stage of athletic development and usually settles as the body adapts.

Training Begins to Change

Another shift happens inside the training environment.

Earlier squads focus heavily on learning skills, developing all strokes and building enjoyment of the sport. As swimmers progress they begin to learn the foundations of structured training, which introduces more consistent pacing, aerobic work and race understanding.

This includes learning how to:

• build a stronger aerobic base

• develop pacing discipline

• establish consistent training habits

• maintain technical consistency under load

For swimmers used to simply racing and improving this transition can feel like a big step.

Within the Bluefins pathway this stage often coincides with swimmers moving into more structured training environments such as County or Age Group squads, where the focus gradually shifts from learning skills towards building consistent training habits and race understanding.

The aim is not to make swimming harder but to build the foundation that allows swimmers to progress safely over many years.

Competition Becomes Deeper and Stronger

At younger ages many swimmers improve quickly and early success can arrive naturally.

Around 13 and 14 the competitive landscape changes, with swimmers now racing against athletes who may train more frequently or attend training more consistently, who may have matured earlier physically or who have already developed stronger training habits.

Results that once came easily may now require patience.

This stage often teaches swimmers some of the most important lessons in sport, as progress becomes less about immediate results and more about learning, effort and persistence.

Life Outside the Pool Changes Too

The same period often brings changes outside the sport.

Secondary school introduces new academic pressure while friendship groups shift and interests expand, meaning swimmers begin balancing sport with a wider life that includes school commitments and social change.

Swimming still needs to challenge young athletes but it must also remain enjoyable and sustainable.

This balance sits at the centre of Swim England’s Optimal Athlete Development Framework, which focuses on developing the person, athlete and performer together rather than chasing short-term results.

Motivation Can Fluctuate

Around the early teenage years motivation can become less predictable.

Swimmers who previously loved every session may occasionally feel tired, distracted or less enthusiastic, which is common and usually reflects the wider changes happening in school, friendships and personal development.

In some cases swimmers also begin to see the sport differently. A swimmer who once loved racing may discover that their motivation has shifted and that they enjoy swimming more for fitness, friendships or personal wellbeing. This is not unusual and it is not a failure. Some swimmers continue to pursue competition while others choose a pathway that places less emphasis on racing and more on participation.

What matters most is that swimmers remain active, confident in the water and connected to the sport in a way that feels positive for them.

In many cases motivation returns as swimmers adapt to their routines and rediscover their purpose in the sport. Supportive coaching, balanced expectations and continued enjoyment of training help swimmers move through this stage successfully.

When Progress Feels Slower

Parents often search questions such as:

Why has my swimmer stopped improving?

Why did my child suddenly get slower?

Why do swimmers quit around 14?

These concerns are understandable because swimming progress is measured clearly through race times.

But improvement in sport does not always appear immediately on the clock.

During periods of growth and training change swimmers may still be developing endurance, strength and race understanding even when race times remain steady.

A swimmer can be fitter, stronger and technically better yet still race slightly slower during a growth phase, as changes in coordination, strength balance and body proportions can temporarily affect performance even when training progress is positive.

Those foundations often lead to breakthroughs later.

A Message for Parents

If your swimmer is around 12 to 14 and things suddenly feel harder, you are not alone.

Across competitive swimming this is one of the most common stages where swimmers question themselves and parents begin to worry about progress.

Many swimmers who later reach County, Regional, National or university teams have experienced this same phase.

The swimmers who move through it successfully are rarely the ones who improved fastest at age ten. They are usually the ones who stayed patient, kept learning and continued to enjoy the sport.

Clubs that prioritise long-term development recognise this stage as part of the process. At Bluefins this is why coaching emphasises patience, skill progression and consistent training habits rather than short-term results.

Parents can also play an important role during this stage, as encouraging consistency, keeping communication open and recognising effort rather than focusing only on race times can make a meaningful difference to how swimmers experience the sport.

What Parents Can Do

During this stage the most helpful support is often the simplest.

Parents can make a positive difference by:

• encouraging patience and long-term thinking

• focusing on skill development rather than short-term results

• recognising effort and commitment in training

• supporting consistent attendance while avoiding unnecessary pressure

Small habits such as these help swimmers stay engaged with the sport while their bodies and training continue to develop.

The Long View of Swimming Development

Swimming is unusual compared with many youth sports.

Progress takes time and the pathway is long, with the strongest performances often arriving years after swimmers first join a club.

Around the early teenage years, however, development rarely follows a smooth line.

Swimmers may grow quickly, coordination can temporarily change and the body can feel unfamiliar in the water. Techniques that once felt natural may suddenly feel inconsistent even though the swimmer is training well.

During this stage the body is also reorganising physiologically. Aerobic capacity, strength and anaerobic systems are developing at different rates, which can temporarily affect performance in the water.

At the same time, training expectations often increase. Sessions become more structured, race skills become more important and swimmers begin to develop greater independence in their preparation.

The timing of this stage also varies between swimmers. Girls often experience these changes earlier, while boys may encounter the same adjustments slightly later.

When these factors combine swimmers can sometimes feel as though progress has stalled.

In reality this phase is usually part of the natural process of growing, adapting and building the foundations for the next stage of development.

If you ever have questions about your swimmer’s development, our coaching team is always happy to help.

Age Group to Youth swimming (10–17 yrs)

Photos often capture the highlights. The plateaus, injuries and exam pressures that shape the journey are rarely visible.

Written by Spencer Turner

Head of Swimming, Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club