Father and Son Challenge

pgiesin

My 10-year old son, Jackson, has been competing in USAG Men's Gymnastics for the past 3 years. During this time he has made great progress, according to me at least, and I am extremely proud of him. His coach has indicated that Jackson has tremendous potential and could go far in the world of gymnastics. Picture Dad's heart swelling.....



Over the past year or so Jackson's interest in gymnastics has waned and been replaced by skateboarding. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against skateboarding. In fact, some of the stuff he, and others, can do with the board are pretty cool. However, Jackson has expressed the fact that he no longer wants to do gymnastics. Ask him why and you will get the following answer: It takes to much work and doesn't leave me with enough time to skateboard. Picture Dad's heart exploding.....



I, myself, have found myself in the world of duathlons and triathlons. I am currently training for a grueling 5mile/85mile/15mile run-bike-run in the next 11 weeks. All of this has not only gotten me back in shape, ask my wife, but has also giving an outlet to deal with other stresses within my life. Now I did say triathlons. This is not necessarily true. I would like to complete an Ironman. However, the thought of having to swim 2.4 miles in open water is rather intimidating. So I have taken the easier route and stuck with the running and biking.



So you may be asking yourself what Jackson's gymnastics and my triathlon have in common. In an attempt to guide my son's life, alright maybe direct his life since he is only 10, I have issued the following challenge, to us both:



Jackson, sticking with gymnastics, will be working to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.



I, overcoming my fear of swimming, will be working to qualify for Ironman Kona.

I am turning to Team EN to help me achieve this very ambitious goal. The first place I need to start is with a swim coach. Does anyone have a recommendation on a swim coach in the central New Jersey area?

The other thing I think I am going to need are some training partners. It would be cool if I could convince one or two of my friends to join me, but I know that won't happen. So instead I guess I need to make some new friends....

Pete

pgiesin

I know, and expect, this to be a multi-year effort. The goal is to reach Kona by 2016. My plan is to start with a sprint and HIM in 2011, and start building from there.

mancona

Peter, in my opinion the number one thing you need to make to Kona is the desire and drive to do the work to get there and it sounds like you are well on your way with the challenge with your son.

As far as your direct question, starting to work with a swim coach now is the way to go. I tried to teach myself to swim and did ok. Since then I have worked with 4 different coaches, starting at a local YMCA and working up to a very experienced coach. My lesson learned is I should have just started with the good coach first. 5 years ago I could barely swim and I'm by no means a good swimmer but I improved enough to acheive my goals last year and am continuing to improve.

I can't help you in the New Jersey area, but ask around not just on EN but anywhere you can and find a good coach (that understands triathlon swimmng) and start working with them.

Also, the multiple year plan is key. I took a year of focusing on running and losing weight and it made a huge difference in my triathlon performance.

tuckerm

Pete, I could recommend a coach but he lives by me up in north Jersey. Being in Piscataway, have you checked out the Rutgers pool? You might be able to get lessons there from one of their coaches. Good luck!

pgiesin

@Matt: My major issue is that I hold my breath too much. I know it is just a matter of practice to overcome this, but I definitely think a coach would be useful. Thanks for the advice on going with an experienced coach right from the beginning. I have been checking out the local YMCA, and will use that if I can't find anything else.

@Tucker: Good idea on checking out Rutgers. I have few friends who went to high-school in the area and were part of the swim teams. They are checking to see if any of the coaches offer private lessons. I may come back to you about the person in north Jersey if I can't find anything else.

Nemo Brauch

Peter- I used to live in Somerville, NJ and have many friends still there- I'll put out some feelers for you to see if anyone knows of a good swim coach. I agree- getting good instruction from the beginning is really important.

I don't have kids, so I'm not even going to try to offer you parenting advice. But I'm curious to hear how your son has responded to this challenge. What was his reaction?

mgraffeo

Hmmm, small world, Nemo.  I used to live in Springfield, NJ.  Unfortunately, my NJ years also coincided with my lazy, sedentary years, so I have no good swimming links.  Great karate studio in Chatham, though...

I'm also curious about your son's reaction.  Sounds like the kind of thing that could be really motivating.  Gymnastics is such a tough sport, since there's really no way to do it 'part-way', ie. take a season off and do something else, like you can if you're a runner or otherwise.  It's pretty all-consuming from an early age, to the point of exclusion of nearly everything else.  My wife was a college gymnast, and I was mentioning this neat challenge last night.  Her first response was "doesn't he mean 2020?  16 is really young for a male olympic gymnast."

Wishing you both luck in your pursuits!

Mike

tuckerm

@Mike which karate studio in Chatham? Springfield huh, did you hit up the Wine Library much? Love that place.

mgraffeo

@ Tucker, I spent 4 years at Ott's Okinawan Karate on Main St. in Chatham.  Phil Ott is a great guy, and turns out excellent karate students.  He's particularly good with kids.  Several of the guys who've been black belts for a long time there were friends of mine, and I'm proud to have been a sparring partner (or punching bag) during their black belt tests.

I did hit up the Wine Library.  Great place.  Fond memories...

Mike

pgiesin

@Mike and @Nemo: My son was actually very excited about it, at least for now. He has been insisting that I do a triathlon so pushing myself is definitely a way to keep his motivation up, as much as you can at 10-years old. He is currently struggling with something called a "kip", which I guess is crucial to some more advanced skills. The coach is really on him about it, and he is therefore getting discouraged. I will be happy if this challenge helps him focus enough to get through this year.

Yeah, it may be 2020. I have no idea what it is going to take to get there. At this point it is just one year at a time. I guess that just gives me 4 more years to achieve my goal as well :-)

Thanks for all the advice!

tuckerm

@Mike thanks. Thinking about sending my daughter to karate soon so good to know there is a good school just a few miles away. I drive by it every night actually on my way home. Wine Library is ridiculous. Love that place but only wish their beer selection was better. It is lacking in that.

Michele Cellai

My DH was a high level gymnast, many years ago. Had to decide whether to start medical school or try out for Olympics. Both are all consuming. He chose medical school and still regrets it. But Australia has a different medical school system than the US, so at the time it was the choice endorsed by his parents.
But he LOVES the sport and to this day we watch every competition he can find.
It is a tough sport but the upper body strength is amazing. I think he might need more testosterone to build the muscle for a kip.
I hope that your son will continue his training.
Good Luck.

Nemo Brauch

Ah, I remember the kip. It's really tough, but yeah, really important for bar routines. I think I finally got it in 7th or 8th grade. Momentum is your friend on that one!

pgiesin

Just an update. The team is looking pretty solid this season and we are headed into States next weekend. With a little bit of luck they should be able to achieve their first Regional invitation. I think a road trip to Richmond, VA will be a huge confidence booster and inspiration.

Pete

Nemo Brauch

WOW! That's awesome Peter! I agree- great motivation for you son!

mgraffeo

Wishing Jackson tons of luck!

Mike