{"id":276909,"date":"2017-09-09T04:00:17","date_gmt":"2017-09-09T11:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=276909"},"modified":"2017-09-08T22:22:40","modified_gmt":"2017-09-09T05:22:40","slug":"swimming-world-presents-moms-at-meets-erica-worrell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimming-world-presents-moms-at-meets-erica-worrell\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming World Presents “Moms at Meets: Erica Worrell”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moms at Meets: Erica Worrell<\/h2>\n

Sponsored by TriSwim\u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\n

Erica Worrell<\/strong> just competed in her rst Masters swim meet, where she learned the value of having a secure, comfortable pair of goggles. Erica became aware of \u201cthe goggle situation\u201d by first wearing her pair too loose, then too tight. She was able to identify firsthand with her six children, who are all swimmers and have all had goggle struggles in their careers.<\/p>\n

Of her four daughters and two sons, the name, Kelsi Worrell<\/strong>, may sound familiar. You know\u2014the American record holder\/ first woman under 50 seconds in the 100 yard fly? In addition to her swimming prowess, the 2016 University of Louisville graduate is also known for reaching the hearts of fans, competitors and coaches with her heartfelt gratitude and humility.<\/p>\n

Those qualities can be attributed to her parents, Erica and Bob Worrell<\/strong>, who are always encouraging and leaving the competing to their kids. Here, Erica gives Swimming World a glimpse into the mind of an Olympic mom:<\/p>\n

How has swimming shaped Kelsi\u2019s character?<\/h3>\n

Kelsi has always been Type A and very athletic, with a \u201clet\u2019s- get-\u2019er-done\u201d attitude. Swimming has taught her really good time management skills. And she became much more intentional when she started college swimming. For example, she used to eat when she was hungry; now she eats to fuel her body. Before practice, she thinks, \u201cWhat am I going to focus on today?\u201d She\u2019s not just swimming lap after lap. She\u2019s also taught me compassion for other competitors.<\/p>\n

What advice do you have for new swim parents?<\/h3>\n

Let the coach coach. Leave swimming at the pool. Encourage them and love them. Volunteer\u2014either on deck or behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

When my 7-year-old complains about her goggles, I now know to help her and find some goggles that don\u2019t hurt. I don\u2019t want her to hate the sport. There are certain things I can fix. If I can try to make her enjoy the sport more by fixing a little thing, I want to do it.<\/p>\n

Encourage your swimmers to make friends with their competitors. If they\u2019re in it for the long haul (e.g., through college), it\u2019s nice to see familiar faces when they\u2019re away from home.<\/p>\n

How do you handle competitive swim siblings?<\/h3>\n

Taylor<\/strong> (her younger sister) didn\u2019t even talk to Kelsi at one point! It was right around the New Jersey State Championships. Taylor won the 500, but Kelsi won something else…and Taylor felt like it was her event. My next son, Kyle<\/strong>, is similar to Kelsi, and our youngest, Jared<\/strong>, is similar to Taylor! Both are good swimmers. There is just so much pressure…<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve really tried to make sure they know swimming is not their identity. As a Christian family, we remind them that their identity is in Christ. My value for them is not dependent on how they do. If they decide not to swim, that\u2019s ne by me.\uf076<\/p>\n

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