RMSC tryout questions

[Anonymous]

Thinking about signing my 7-year-old for the tryout. She is an average swimmer and I have zero expectations she will get in this time. It's more of gaining the tryout experience for next spring or fall. A couple of questions:

1. Can I sign up for tryout at two locations?
2. I know the minimum expectations for a 7-year-old is to swim one lap of freestyle and backstroke. What else would she be tested? What about breaststroke?
3. Any other information I should know that is not listed on the RMSC website? Any tips?

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

The minis is a lot easier to get into than the older groups. When does your child turn 9? If before december 1 2024, she won't be eliglbe for minis for 2024-2025. I know there were a couple of kids that got into minis last year that were barely legal in anything besides freestyle.
The locations are independent of each other, so if you can swing different tryouts it may be worth your while to maximize your chances. How much (if any) summer swim experience do they have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The minis is a lot easier to get into than the older groups. When does your child turn 9? If before december 1 2024, she won't be eliglbe for minis for 2024-2025. I know there were a couple of kids that got into minis last year that were barely legal in anything besides freestyle.
The locations are independent of each other, so if you can swing different tryouts it may be worth your while to maximize your chances. How much (if any) summer swim experience do they have?

She turns 9 at the end of December 2024. She has a very late December birthday. She is in a neighborhood swim team right now. She is definitely NOT the fastest.

[Anonymous]

MLK may be the easiest to get into. There is also a Swim Montgomery program M/W evenings that takes some "overflow" from kids who don't make the RMSC cut. It doesn't go to meets, but if your child doesn't make the cut for minis this time, and you do Swim Montgomery year round I'd be almost 100% sure they'd make minis for 2024-2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MLK may be the easiest to get into. There is also a Swim Montgomery program M/W evenings that takes some "overflow" from kids who don't make the RMSC cut. It doesn't go to meets, but if your child doesn't make the cut for minis this time, and you do Swim Montgomery year round I'd be almost 100% sure they'd make minis for 2024-2025.

And, try olney. It’s really about space availability and how many kids try out who are “better.” I would not be sure of anything.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all. It sounds like she can do tryout for multiple locations. I’m guessing Rockville Swim Center is the most competitive? The other closer location would be Germantown. Is that hard to get in as well? I’m quite certain she won’t get in this round since she’s at best average.

I checked Swim Montgomery but the practice times are just too late for us.

[Anonymous]

Your kid is turning 9 in December 2024, right? That’s a point in your favor because that means two years of minis.

When my kid tried out, they had the kids show all four strokes if they could do them. Same for flip turns. No starts, though.

I’m not sure how much any of the extra stuff matters, though.

It’s also sort of a numbers game. An easier pool might have fewer slots for 7-year-olds, while another pool might be more competitive but had most of their minis age up to juniors.

I’d try out at two locations if two are convenient. We only were convenient to one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. It sounds like she can do tryout for multiple locations. I’m guessing Rockville Swim Center is the most competitive? The other closer location would be Germantown. Is that hard to get in as well? I’m quite certain she won’t get in this round since she’s at best average.

I checked Swim Montgomery but the practice times are just too late for us.

Average is totally fine for minis! Best to do it now while she is still 7, and good luck!! My DD barely (I think) made it in at that age- she was definitely average. Now at 15 she has national cuts. It's good to be average young and peak later

[Anonymous]

They are all competitive. KSAC is the most. Rockville is hard too. Germantown next and then Olney would be my guess based on the kids we know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is turning 9 in December 2024, right? That’s a point in your favor because that means two years of minis.

When my kid tried out, they had the kids show all four strokes if they could do them. Same for flip turns. No starts, though.

I’m not sure how much any of the extra stuff matters, though.

It’s also sort of a numbers game. An easier pool might have fewer slots for 7-year-olds, while another pool might be more competitive but had most of their minis age up to juniors.

I’d try out at two locations if two are convenient. We only were convenient to one.

OP here. Thanks! My kid cannot do flip turns or butterfly stroke and I think she doesn’t have the something extra to offer. We will go anyway for the experience of it and hopefully she will be better prepared for next spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. It sounds like she can do tryout for multiple locations. I’m guessing Rockville Swim Center is the most competitive? The other closer location would be Germantown. Is that hard to get in as well? I’m quite certain she won’t get in this round since she’s at best average.

I checked Swim Montgomery but the practice times are just too late for us.

Swim Montgomery is a good program to start with if they don't get in. The times are bad but if you an make it work, I would. You can try for Germantown. Rockville is near impossible to get in, next is KSAC in Rockville, but at some point they will move to the new Silver Spring Pool for a few years for renovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is turning 9 in December 2024, right? That’s a point in your favor because that means two years of minis.

When my kid tried out, they had the kids show all four strokes if they could do them. Same for flip turns. No starts, though.

I’m not sure how much any of the extra stuff matters, though.

It’s also sort of a numbers game. An easier pool might have fewer slots for 7-year-olds, while another pool might be more competitive but had most of their minis age up to juniors.

I’d try out at two locations if two are convenient. We only were convenient to one.

OP here. Thanks! My kid cannot do flip turns or butterfly stroke and I think she doesn’t have the something extra to offer. We will go anyway for the experience of it and hopefully she will be better prepared for next spring.

Have her try out. Most likely she will not get in which is why someone recommended the swim montgomery but if they have more slots than swimmers they will take her.

[Anonymous]

City of Rockville has good regular swim classes as another option so she can learn more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thinking about signing my 7-year-old for the tryout. She is an average swimmer and I have zero expectations she will get in this time. It's more of gaining the tryout experience for next spring or fall. A couple of questions:

1. Can I sign up for tryout at two locations?
2. I know the minimum expectations for a 7-year-old is to swim one lap of freestyle and backstroke. What else would she be tested? What about breaststroke?
3. Any other information I should know that is not listed on the RMSC website? Any tips?

Thanks so much!

You can try out at two county run locations and rockville site. They have different time for tryout.

[Anonymous]

NP, can someone please point me to info on Swim Montgomery? All I found is a brief paragraph on a county site but no info on times, how to sign up, etc. Thanks so much!