BPI Teenagers and Swim Team

[JoyMichaels]

My daughter is 14 years old with a totally functional BPI of her right arm, she has recently been conditioning for swim team and unfortunately for the first time, practice 20 laps of butterfly from that point (the last week), her arm (shoulder girdle)hurt and "hitched" when she was swimming any stroke. She does have scapular winging. She is taking a break before swim team this week, and we are seeing a specialist. She has always loved swimming (freestyle/backstroke) and now has joined a team, but has only practiced for month and half.

I am hoping that this problem is temporary. I will be seeing the doctor Wednesday and will get back to you, too.

Anyone with this experience?

[CW1992]

Hi, My daughter Brittney is 12 and has been on the swim team for years - and will be on it again this season (April to the end of June). She does not compete in butterfly anymore - it is physically too hard to get both arms out of the water simultaneously - which is required. Her shoulder hurt after doing laps at practice and trying to compete in that stroke - she doesn't even practice that one anymore, she just does the kicks when the other kids do their laps of butterfly - the coaches know and understand that butterfly is not her 'thing'. She has been competitive in backstroke, freestyle, and breastroke though, and loves being on the team. A few years back she kept getting DQ'd for butterfly - and she came to us and told us that she just could not do that stroke and didn't want to - but she still wanted to compete in the ones that she was better able to do. My daughter's shoulder seems unstable at times and there are times that she feels like she throws it out of place, but she can put it back in place herself. Also I have told my daughter that if she is asked to swim more laps than she can handle - cheat! LOL Miscount your laps, - whatever, but not to hurt herself. I hope that your appointment with the specialist goes good, and that your daughter will still be able to be on the team - I think it is so good for them. If you have any questions, please ask.
Christy