Swimming Galas: Easing Starting-Block Panic and Breathing Freezes

Maybe this sounds familiar. On a Wednesday afternoon your daughter swims beautifully, long and easy, and wins every length in her squad. On Saturday morning at the inter-school gala she has a sore tummy in the car, tears at the marshalling area, and a start so stiff you hardly recognise her.

The coach says her technique is fine. You know she can swim. So what happens between Wednesday and Saturday?

Why a gala feels so big to a child

Think about what a gala is like from a child's height. The pool is loud and echoing. There are stands full of parents, a loudspeaker calling names, team-mates watching and a long wait with nothing to do but think.

Then the child has to walk out, climb onto a block and stand alone in a costume in front of everyone. There is no team to hide in and no ball to chase. For a sensitive child, the brain can read all of this as a threat, even though the grown-up part of them knows it is only a race.

The brain's alarm system does not always tell the difference between real danger and social danger very well. Being watched and judged can be enough to set it off.

What panic does to a swimmer's body

Swimming asks for an unusual mix: explosive power from muscles that stay loose and long. Fear tends to take away the looseness first.

When the alarm goes off, the body prepares to run or to fight. In the water, that can look like this:

• Tight shoulders and neck, so the stroke shortens and the catch slips.
• Shallow breathing, which makes the first length feel like the last.
• A churning stomach, nausea or frequent trips to the bathroom.
• A jumpy start, either leaving too early or getting stuck for a beat after the signal.
• A blank mind, where the race plan simply vanishes.

The starter's signal deserves a special mention. A sudden loud sound produces a startle reflex in everybody. In a brain that is already on high alert, the startle can be bigger and take longer to pass, and that may be the moment of the freeze.

It can help children to hear that this is their body trying to protect them. Nothing is wrong with them, and they are not being silly.

A child who freezes on the blocks does not need to be braver. She needs a nervous system that feels safe enough to let her swim.

What parents can do on the day

Much of what settles a child's nervous system is ordinary and free. A few things that tend to help:

• Keep the morning slow and predictable. Pack the bag the night before.
• Talk about anything except times and places on the drive.
• Teach one simple breath: in through the nose, then a long, slow breath out, as if blowing bubbles.
• Give your child a small job behind the blocks, such as shaking out their arms three times.
• Afterwards, ask what was fun before you ask about the result.

Your own calm may matter more than any pep talk. Children tend to borrow their sense of safety from the adults around them, and they can read a tense parent from across a pool deck.

How neurofeedback may help

For some children, reassurance and breathing may not be enough, because the alarm seems to go off faster than they can think. This is where brain training may be worth considering.

Neurofeedback aims to let the brain practise calm directly. Small sensors on the scalp read the brain's electrical activity. They only read, and nothing is sent into the brain. A computer turns that activity into sound and images. When the brain moves towards a calmer and steadier pattern, the picture and sound respond, and the idea is that the brain gradually learns how to get there.

With anxious young athletes, a common aim in neurofeedback is to encourage SMR, the sensorimotor rhythm. This is a steady brain rhythm linked with a quiet body and a clear, ready mind, which is just what a swimmer wants on the blocks. Another is reducing high beta, the fast and tense activity linked with worry.

Every child starts with a 19-channel brain map, which takes about an hour and a half. Our what to expect page explains the steps.

The aim is a nervous system that settles more easily, which may help a child feel less jumpy, fall asleep more easily before big days and recover faster from a disappointing race. Each child is different, and no particular result can be promised.

When it is more than gala nerves

Sometimes the gala is simply where a wider worry shows itself. If your child also dreads school mornings, tests or sleepovers, you may find our articles on school refusal and morning anxiety and freezing under exam stress helpful. Older children in team sports face a similar moment, which we describe in holding your nerve on penalty shots.

Please speak to your doctor if tummy pain, headaches or nausea happen often and not only around galas, or if your child's anxiety is affecting eating, sleeping or school. Neurofeedback is a complement to medical and psychological care, not a replacement for it.

Common questions

Is gala anxiety normal in children?

Yes, some nerves before a race are completely normal and even useful. It becomes a concern when the fear is out of proportion: your child feels ill before every gala, cannot sleep the night before, freezes on the blocks or wants to give up a sport they love. That is a sign your child may need some support, and it is worth mentioning to your doctor.

Can neurofeedback help a nervous young swimmer?

It may. Neurofeedback aims to train the brain to settle and steady itself, which may help a child stay calmer under pressure, at galas and elsewhere. It is not a quick fix and results vary from child to child. It belongs together with a supportive coach and relaxed, encouraging parents.

What does a session look like for a child?

Your child sits with small sensors on the scalp. The sensors only read brain activity and nothing is sent into the brain. The feedback comes through sound and images that respond when the brain finds a calmer pattern. Sessions last 45 to 60 minutes and begin with a short check-in.

Swimming should be something your child looks forward to. If gala mornings have become hard for your family, you are welcome to get in touch and tell us what you are seeing. A calm conversation is a good place to start.