International swimmer Kushagra Rawat’s father speaks about the need to involve parents in formative years of training
Formative years play a crucial role in shaping the future of an athlete. Besides coaches, parents equally have an important part in the development of their children.
Parents travel with their children in every tournament and training session, taking care of their needs. They are the emotional support a child needs as he deals with success and failure on the turf.
Coaches should look to develop trust with parents and keep them well informed about the progress of their child, feels Hukam Singh Rawat, father of international swimmer Kushagra Rawat. “Regular meetings with parents should be conducted for a holistic development of the athletes in the formative years of training,” says Rawat.
Kushagra is a regular member of the Indian swimming team and has represented India in world championships and Commonwealth Games. The 25-year-old recently set the 1500m freestyle national record at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand, with a timing of 15:37.79.
His father has backed him to the hilt and made efforts to see his son achieve success at the highest level.
“Sharing a regular report card of the player — something like a Parents Teachers Meeting (PTM) in schools — is important because parents would know about the overall development and progress graph in the formative years of training and prepare the child to deal with the situation in hand.”
Some over enthusiastic parents also interfere too much into coaching, but regular interactions can help build trust and avoid confrontation. “The coach should be able to give a satisfactory response about the good and bad performance of the players during such interactive sessions.”
Kushagra’s father has often travelled with his son during domestic and international competitions. He believes coaches also need to update their knowledge and shouldn’t shy away from educating themselves. “Instead of sending players for international exposure, the government should invite foreign experts to interact with grassroots coaches. It will be more beneficial as more coaches will be able to impart modern coaching to beginners,” says Rawat.
Having seen how the grassroot system works, Rawat says there is no scouting system in the country. “Traveling to competitions with my son was a sort of education for me. I enjoyed every moment and learnt so much. A lot needs to be done to scout talent in our country.”
He wanted his children to be busy after school and encouraged them to be physically fit and enjoy good health. “My son wanted to play football. He also used to accompany his elder sister for swimming.”
“Swimming was the second option for him. But gradually he excelled in swimming and had to quit football to stay focused in one event.”
Once an athlete makes the transition to senior level, parents can take it easy. By then the athlete has a better understanding of his game and what he requires to improve. “At the elite level, a player is well versed with a lot of issues both on and off the field. It is all about boosting the confidence of the athlete and as parents we do keep a close watch so that he stays focused.”