A NOTE FOR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS

My coaching depends on parents and grandparents staying in the cheering lane — not the coaching lane. Kids absolutely need guidance and reminders for good behavior, and I'll happily provide those right alongside the fun stuff. But a child can't take direction from two people at once in the water. I've got them.

Cheering out loud is never an interruption. It's actually one of the most important things you can do. Remind them that hard things get easier — because they do.

For swimmers with ADHD: I have ADHD too, and I genuinely get it. I know how to keep things moving and make learning happen fast. That said, every swimmer in my pool is held to the same standard — ADHD isn't a free pass for disrupting others or checking out when things get hard. I depend on parents to practice verbal cues at home that carry over into our time in the pool. The more consistent we are together, the faster they grow.