NCAP Prep question

[Anonymous]

Am I reading correctly that there are no tryout dates for NCAP @ Georgetown Prep? You have to email the coach to arrange one? So, if you don't hear back from the coach after emailing your kid won't have an opportunity to tryout?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I reading correctly that there are no tryout dates for NCAP @ Georgetown Prep? You have to email the coach to arrange one? So, if you don't hear back from the coach after emailing your kid won't have an opportunity to tryout?

If you haven't heard back, maybe try emailing a different coach on their list.

[Anonymous]

The NCAP website is so horrible. How does such a big program not have basic information like this on the website?

[Anonymous]

This is because NCap is run like a franchise, so each site is run independently of one another. The head coach for the oldest group is the de facto manager at each site, and they hire their own coaches and make their own decisions, including how often they swim and what meets they attend. There is no universal standard.

The problem is that with little oversight there is no quality control. Some sites, like West with Jeremy, are run well. Other sites might have one or two excellent coaches (Mary at Holton and Tyler and Stephen at Prep) but many of the other coaches are bad or mediocre. Some sites are just completely irrelevant.

NCap the organization exists to make money. Unless your child is a top performer, do not expect to get much attention. If they are a top 5%er, choose your site wisely. Some older group coaches are down right bullies.

And yes, you need to contact each coach at each site separately and they only take kids if there is space. Mind boggling that they are as full as they are given the often shoddy treatment of parents and kids across sites. For every one happy family you meet, you’ll also meet four unhappy ones who feel trapped with nowhere else to go.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Very happy NCAP Prep family here. PP obviously had a bad experience and brings it up on many NCAP-related threads. Fact remains that the club is in high demand and many of their swimmers are happy and successful.

Hopefully you hear back soon, OP, and can schedule a tryout to form your own opinion.

[Anonymous]

Why would you assume I was unhappy? West is great. The other sites are not. Calling a spade a spade.

[Anonymous]

You could say the same thing about most of the big clubs (RMSC, Machine, NCAP). Some sites and coaches are better than others, some families will always be disgruntled, some families have unrealistic expectations of both their kid and the coaches, some families love the program they are in. The most important thing, especially with a brand new club swimmer, is finding a location close to where you live with a practice schedule that fits for your family. For example, NCAP West is great but their training facilities are in Prince William and Fauquier Counties, so unless you live out that way it’s not an option no matter how great it is.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all! Was just disappointed because most of the other NCAP sites had formal tryout dates and I haven’t been successful in getting NCAP Prep coaches to email back. If they’re full, it would be good to get a quick reply saying so. Oh well! Hopefully we will find our kid a good fit at another club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could say the same thing about most of the big clubs (RMSC, Machine, NCAP). Some sites and coaches are better than others, some families will always be disgruntled, some families have unrealistic expectations of both their kid and the coaches, some families love the program they are in. The most important thing, especially with a brand new club swimmer, is finding a location close to where you live with a practice schedule that fits for your family. For example, NCAP West is great but their training facilities are in Prince William and Fauquier Counties, so unless you live out that way it’s not an option no matter how great it is.

This is what I was thinking with our RMSC experience. We've been at three groups at the same site, two had good coaches, one was terrible.

[Anonymous]

Reach out to Spencer Ugast, who handles athlete services. [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

FWIW, a recruiter/assistant coach at an Ivy we spoke to said their view was that Machine has the best program in the DMV.

As for NCap, on the VA side, three of their top age group/open swimmers left for AAC. On the MD side, one of their top age group swimmers left for another MD team. Ten? Older kids left the Prep site in the course of a few months.

Yes, swimmers leave teams- but you have to wonder why NCap has had so much happen in the last two years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, a recruiter/assistant coach at an Ivy we spoke to said their view was that Machine has the best program in the DMV.

As for NCap, on the VA side, three of their top age group/open swimmers left for AAC. On the MD side, one of their top age group swimmers left for another MD team. Ten? Older kids left the Prep site in the course of a few months.

Yes, swimmers leave teams- but you have to wonder why NCap has had so much happen in the last two years

Well, there were swimmers at nationals this past week from NCAP Prep and NCAP West.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, a recruiter/assistant coach at an Ivy we spoke to said their view was that Machine has the best program in the DMV.

As for NCap, on the VA side, three of their top age group/open swimmers left for AAC. On the MD side, one of their top age group swimmers left for another MD team. Ten? Older kids left the Prep site in the course of a few months.

Yes, swimmers leave teams- but you have to wonder why NCap has had so much happen in the last two years

I wonder what that assessment is based on - can't be actual times and results of the swimmers since there are few clubs in PVS that are consistently ranked higher(NCAP, RMSC, AAC, ASA, Occoquan to name a few just off the top of my head).

I'd be curious to know what the criteria is where Machine is number 1 in PVS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, a recruiter/assistant coach at an Ivy we spoke to said their view was that Machine has the best program in the DMV.

As for NCap, on the VA side, three of their top age group/open swimmers left for AAC. On the MD side, one of their top age group swimmers left for another MD team. Ten? Older kids left the Prep site in the course of a few months.

Yes, swimmers leave teams- but you have to wonder why NCap has had so much happen in the last two years

I wonder what that assessment is based on - can't be actual times and results of the swimmers since there are few clubs in PVS that are consistently ranked higher(NCAP, RMSC, AAC, ASA, Occoquan to name a few just off the top of my head).

I'd be curious to know what the criteria is where Machine is number 1 in PVS.

I honestly wouldn’t read much into that comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, a recruiter/assistant coach at an Ivy we spoke to said their view was that Machine has the best program in the DMV.

As for NCap, on the VA side, three of their top age group/open swimmers left for AAC. On the MD side, one of their top age group swimmers left for another MD team. Ten? Older kids left the Prep site in the course of a few months.

Yes, swimmers leave teams- but you have to wonder why NCap has had so much happen in the last two years

Four top swimmers might have left— but more than four more top swimmers transferred in.