Do winter swim kids dominate summer swim?

[Anonymous]

Hi, we love summer swim and belonged to a very low key pool. This year we are switching to a pool known for it's swim team and are concerned summer swim won't be as fun because it will be dominated by the parents and kids of those who swim year round. My swimmer would be an A meet swimmer but for these kids and I am worried he will have no fun if he's always in the B meets. What's your experience?

[Anonymous]

Short answer is yes.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the pool. Our pool doesn't have a lot of winter swimmers so there are more opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Yes it will.

It’s okay though. It is much better to be a balanced athlete than one who specializes.

[Anonymous]

B meets are super fun too!

The kids with the fastest times will swim A meets. Those winter swimmers have dedicated a ton of time to this passion so a lot of times they have the best times.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the league and division.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes younger non club swimmers catch up over the course of the season and make A meets, even at very competitive pools. Over age 10 or so that is much less likely, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes younger non club swimmers catch up over the course of the season and make A meets, even at very competitive pools. Over age 10 or so that is much less likely, though.

Yea it's mostly 8 and unders. Once you hit 50s the year round swimmers dominate.

[Anonymous]

This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

Everyone has a chance, however if your kid loves swimming year round is the way to go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Short answer is yes.

Qualified short answer is, after a certain age, yes. There are some years where good all-around athletes who don't do winter swim can swim A meets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

Some winter swimmers only swim September to May and then switch to summer teams. The higher groups swim all year round and should do their own meets.

[Anonymous]

What’s wrong with being a B meet swimmer? It’s not as fun because they’re not as fast? I don’t get this thinking. It’s run by volunteers so make it fun!! We joined a pool last year and my kid did swim team but there was no AB because of Covid. She then wanted to do year round. Her last meet her freestyle time was 48th out of 53 so I’m pretty sure she’s not an A meet swimmer. It’s fine, she still enjoys it.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, if your kid wants to be a top swimmer, the answer is to swim more or go back to being a big fish in a small pond. If your kid wants to have fun, then the easy solution is to make sure that the B meets are fun and that there are lots of events for all swimmers. That probably depends on the pool, but you might be able to get involved at your new pool to make sure your concerns are addressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

Some winter swimmers only swim September to May and then switch to summer teams. The higher groups swim all year round and should do their own meets.

There really isn't a one-size-fits all answer. Some kids who swim year-round get beat by athletic kids who just swim summer league. Others dominate because they are talented and/or have put a ton of time into swimming. Best way to have a good summer season is for kids to focus on the team spirit and their own times. It is really fun to hang out at the neighborhood pool!