How to Support Children in Sports

When it comes to such a demanding sport as triathlon, supporting children in their passion is no small challenge… But when the whole family enjoys the sport together, it’s so much more fun! We spoke with Michał Górniak—a mountain biker, father to Marysia, Maja, and little Marcel—about the family’s shared passion for physical activity, including triathlon and swimming. How can we support children in sports? One suggestion in our magazine.

Sport or physical activity—what’s more important to you?

Michał Górniak: For us, movement has always been important—it’s hard to say which is more valuable. From an early age, we encouraged our children to be physically active, keeping their health in mind. They were exposed to sports very quickly since they often accompanied me to cycling competitions. They observed and, over time, wanted to try their hand at children’s races themselves. Of course, it was all for fun, and the results were secondary—we see this clearly now with our youngest son, Marcel. For the girls, however, around the ages of 6–7, a spirit of competition and a desire to stand on the podium began to emerge. That’s when physical activity evolved into sports rivalry.

Physical Activity for Children

Leading by example… How did you, as athlete parents, encourage and motivate your daughters to engage in sports?

The girls spent many weekends in various parts of Poland, cheering me on and often standing with me on the podium. Living in a large city, we have access to a wide range of sports disciplines and facilities, so from the start, we aimed to give the girls the opportunity to try as many different types of physical activity as possible, allowing them the chance to find something they truly enjoy. When an opportunity to compete locally came up, they would participate—if they wanted to. That’s how it started with running and duathlon. Soon enough, they began asking the day after a race where we’d be competing the following week, so we didn’t have to do much to motivate them.

Swimming, however, was different. We agreed as a family that learning to swim is a "must-have" skill in life. The girls quickly mastered the basics, progressed to older age groups, and eventually, we enrolled them in SSP No. 14 in Poznań, which specializes in swimming. Here, their swimming skills reached a new level, and shortly after, their first competitions began.

Supporting Children in Sports

Why is setting an example so important in encouraging physical activity and maintaining a passion for sports in children?

From a young age, children try to imitate their parents—examples are set from the top. Seeing me go to training every day and participating in races on weekends, they were, in a way, destined for sports. On the other hand, as they got older, they enjoyed watching videos of their mom’s acrobatic competitions. That, combined with cheering for me during races, inspired them to try for themselves and fight for their first trophies.

The girls quickly understood certain principles—consistent movement and early training led to improving results, even among children. When you’re exposed to something daily from a young age, it becomes natural for you—and that’s likely how it was with Marysia and Maja.

Are you concerned that, as athletes, you might be putting pressure on your children to succeed, even unintentionally?

We’re not worried about that. We’ve seen the movie King Richard, and we don’t want to overdo it, though watching our daughters compete brings us immense joy. My wife and I are already fulfilled as athletes—we’ve won Polish championship medals in cycling and sports acrobatics, so there’s no element of unfulfilled ambition here. We try to use our sports experience to help them with certain aspects so they don’t have to learn everything through their own mistakes.

Even though the girls are only 9 and 11 years old, they’ve already realized that winning feels different from finishing further down the standings. They understand that nothing in sports comes for free, and even on tough days, it’s worth completing a planned workout. Having competed for a few years now, they are aware of what pressure feels like because it’s impossible to eliminate it entirely in sports. Ultimately, we always remind them before a competition that the most important thing is to have fun and give it their all. However, since they’ve already reached a certain level, they have their own aspirations and expectations.

Swimming: The Perfect Activity for the Youngest

Swimming is a demanding sport, but it offers countless opportunities for development. In the future, one can pursue triathlon, water rescue, water polo, and more. What do you enjoy most about swimming?

Maja: I love spending time in the water—whether it’s just swimming or simply playing around. I must admit, out of the three triathlon disciplines, swimming gives me the greatest satisfaction. Swimming practice and learning new things are pure pleasure for me. In the future, I’d like to master all swimming techniques so I can become a swimming coach.

Marysia: I love water, and even more, I enjoy competing with others, giving high-fives at the finish line, and making new friends. I always listen carefully to my coaches and try to implement their tips. In the future, when the time and age allow, I’d like to become a lifeguard at a pool.

Answers recorded by their father, Michał.

How Much Does Sports Activity Cost?

You’re a sporty family. Does participating in competitions also serve as an opportunity to spend time together and travel? How do you prepare for it?

The key to success is logistics—especially with three kids. At the beginning of the year, we try to create a competition calendar and plan other events around it. Sports-related matters (training, equipment) are my responsibility, while logistics and competition-related tasks (registration, entry fees, scheduling) fall under Mom’s domain.

In the end, it all comes down to being in it together. We try to provide the best possible conditions for our kids, just as our parents did for us. Back in the day, all we needed was a functioning bike, a pair of sneakers, and basic swimwear and goggles from a chain store.

Nowadays, each of the girls needs high-quality bikes—a mountain bike and a road bike. Then there are running shoes for different surfaces, and since their feet are growing rapidly, replacements are necessary every six months. For swimming, they need training and competition swimsuits, proper goggles, and additional training equipment.

There are also extra training sessions with specialists, entry fees, and soon training camps—it all adds up. That’s why we are open to various forms of support. We appreciate every gesture—special thanks to the Rybczyński-Bikes bicycle shop, Force Bike parts distributor, Strefa Plywania swimming store, and the clubs Warta Poznań and KU AZS UAM Poznań Triathlon, which support us in different ways.

Even though this is just a drop in the ocean of expenses, with 90% still falling on us, we do everything in our power to ensure the girls have decent conditions to compete with their peers.

Children’s Sports Dreams

What is your family’s sports dream? And when do you plan to fulfill it?

We asked the girls this question, and surprisingly, they both answered in unison: they simply want to keep getting better. Additionally, Maja—theoretically the lazier one—clearly stated that she dreams of going to the Olympics.

Marysia also has ambitions to compete in the biggest events. She often watches videos on YouTube of performances by Otylia Jędrzejczak, Bart Kizierowski, Radosław Kawęcki, and her swimming idol, Kacper Majchrzak.

Their progress keeps them motivated—Marysia’s recent swimming competition is a testament to that (Hot Racing at Termy Maltańskie, Poznań, March 9, 2024). Competing in five swimming events, she significantly improved her qualifying times in each one. The most moving moment was when, after one race, she saw her result on the scoreboard and started crying with joy.

As parents, we’re satisfied knowing they have a passion and are fulfilling themselves through sports—Maja also in hip-hop dance, which she trains in separate formations alongside her mom. And we’re thrilled to be a part of it.

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Interview by: Maciej Mazerant / Editor-in-Chief, AQUA SPEED Magazine
Photos courtesy of: Michał Górniak (private archive) / bikesiscycling

How to Support Children in Sports – The TRI Family

Physical Activity for Children

Supporting Children in Sports

Swimming: The Perfect Activity for the Youngest

How Much Does Sports Activity Cost?

Children’s Sports Dreams

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