Club Swimming - what is the "toughest" age group?

[Anonymous]

As my kids age up I wonder if the age group meet/time dynamics change. I am thrilled to no longer have a 10&U where I felt that it was DQs, kids throwing up because they attempted 100 Fly and were not ready, etc. My kid keeps telling me 13-14 is a brutal age for times particularly when you have not gone through puberty.

What are the BTDT parents impressions?

[Anonymous]

11-12 and 13-14 are both big transitions. My swimmer transitioned from 10U to 11-12 over the summer and it’s an adjustment for the kids who were at the top of their age group when they were 10 to go back to middle of the pack and just trying to make champs cuts in their best events. You also in the 11-12 group have kids that didn’t start year round swimming until 9 or 10 that start overtaking the swimmers who have been with the club since they were 7, which leads to some interesting dynamics. I’ve noticed it more amongst the boys, but the size differences within the 11-12 age group are also very noticeable. I don’t have personal experience with the 13-14s but my DDs teammates who made that transition last season experienced similar things.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP. It isn't so much that a particular age group is tough. It's the moving up to a new set of faster standards. For many kids, the odd years (9, 11, 13, 15) are tougher because you're competing against older and bigger kids. (Yes, I know there are exceptions. We don't need to hear about your 11 year old phenom that has sectional cut times.)

[Anonymous]

I have a boy and I thought 13 and 15 were the most challenging years.

[Anonymous]

For my boy I'd say 13 has been the hardest so far. We will see how 14 goes this year!

[Anonymous]

13 is pretty rough, my kid had not gone through puberty yet and most have at the point with the girls. Makes it really tough.

[Anonymous]

I definitely agree that for boys 13-15 is rough due to development. Some of these kids have gone through full puberty and have the muscle mass of grown men where others are still scrawny. I also think there is a tough transition for the kids where were fast as 11-12 simply because there were bigger. Some of these kids spent years muscling through the water with poor form, once the other kids catch up in size it can be a bit rough.

[Anonymous]

11-12 is pretty brutal because the cut times get so much faster. There's not as much of a drop at 13-14.

[Anonymous]

It was brutal for my 11 year old DS last year. Hoping this year will be better at a 12 year old. 13 will probably be brutal too. He's on track to be a late bloomer like his older brother.

[Anonymous]

11 was horrible, almost quit, but had a good summer and will see how 12 goes. It’s reinforcing to me that age group swim should not be a super intense commitment until after puberty. We let the kid decide what he wants to do! One event on one day at a meet, sure! Two practices instead of 4? Fine!

[Anonymous]

DS is 10 and turns 11 the first week of April. So as an older boy he is expecting to do well this year in 10 & under. But I already know next year will be really, really tough. Will probably be when we see if he sticks it out or not.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes how fast kids grow has a huge effect on these rough stages. Some boys are super tall at age 12/13 and really shine. They may peak there and watch everyone else pass them by a few years later. Coaches have also told me some boys shoot up so fast that their stroke suffers for a while.

For my son who is not very big, ages 11-13 were brutal. Even though the height difference is bigger now, for some reason he’s been able to strength train enough to narrow the gap as an older teen.

Fifteen can be a really tough year because they are competing with almost 19 year olds. Usually by 15, experienced swimmers expected this transitional year and know they have time on their side so it’s not as hard to see themselves at the bottom of the results as it was when they were 11 or 13.

[Anonymous]

I think 15 is going to be brutal.

[Anonymous]

my 10 y/o boy (starting his 2nd year of club) is going to run straight into that 11-12 age group cutoff at the beginning of december. I don't expect him to get any letter times (has a couple BB from late short course/one long course 2023) for quite a time, probably at least 11 and a half. It will be very long slog for all of 2024. There's an almost 10 second drop from a 9-10 50Y BK B time (47.49) to a 11-12 50Y BK B time (37.89) which is HUGE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think 15 is going to be brutal.

It hasn't been so bad so far for my swimmer- got her first 2 futures cuts at 15, and sure, didn't make finals at Futures, but still pretty happy overall.