Let's talk about improvements in motivational cuts

[Anonymous]

I have a 12 year old girl, soon to be 13. She works really hard and loves swim. In her best strokes and events she is hitting A times for the 13 year old motivational times and is showing constant improvement (she still has a lot of technique things to be tightened and is working on that). She has not started puberty and is smaller than her peers but has a good chance for height. She makes JOs in one or two events currently.

Should I assume she will stay at the A level? Or will she improve. She is a hard worker and is talking of swimming in college. I just don't know if this is a D1 possibility or a D3. I also do not care if she swims in college and it is not a money thing.

I just don't know what the expectations - realistically - should be at this point. I feel like she has to be much better than what she is.

[Anonymous]

Way too early to tell

All that should be “expected” of her is to enjoy swimming and practice hard

[Anonymous]

I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

I agree that doesn’t make sense about cuts.

And would also agree to slow your roll. If she loves to swim and is committed (and sounds like you won’t depend on a scholarship) there is likely a swim program out there. But given her age, 7th grade is too early to read anything from the tea leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

50 free you need better than AA for champs

100 free you need better than AA for champs

200 free you need better than AA for champs

100 back you need better than A time for champs

100 breast you need better than A time

100 fly you need better than A time

If you are just hitting at A time in the three strokes, you might have to drop a few more seconds to make cuts. If your main stroke is free you have to be better than AA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

50 free you need better than AA for champs

100 free you need better than AA for champs

200 free you need better than AA for champs

100 back you need better than A time for champs

100 breast you need better than A time

100 fly you need better than A time



If you are just hitting at A time in the three strokes, you might have to drop a few more seconds to make cuts. If your main stroke is free you have to be better than AA.

I think she said that the swimmer is 12 and hitting A times for a 13 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

50 free you need better than AA for champs

100 free you need better than AA for champs

200 free you need better than AA for champs

100 back you need better than A time for champs

100 breast you need better than A time

100 fly you need better than A time

If you are just hitting at A time in the three strokes, you might have to drop a few more seconds to make cuts. If your main stroke is free you have to be better than AA.

Yes, as you move up the age groups, point power / time standard inflation sets in. Haha. As a 10&u, you can qualify for all the JO events with BB times. By 13-14, the approximate same group of kids is all AA or above. There are currently 83 girls qualified for 13-14 50 free and 71 girls qualified for 10&u 50 free.

[Anonymous]

"I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events? "

Makes sense to me. Her child probably has good A times in a particular non free stroke for 100 and 200. The freestyle events need better times. The 13-14 JO cuts aren't right on the A minimum standard time but less than AA for non free.

[Anonymous]

Stop being the competitive parent and let her enjoy swim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop being the competitive parent and let her enjoy swim.

I was not getting the competitive vibe at here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

50 free you need better than AA for champs

100 free you need better than AA for champs

200 free you need better than AA for champs

100 back you need better than A time for champs

100 breast you need better than A time

100 fly you need better than A time

If you are just hitting at A time in the three strokes, you might have to drop a few more seconds to make cuts. If your main stroke is free you have to be better than AA.

Yes, as you move up the age groups, point power / time standard inflation sets in. Haha. As a 10&u, you can qualify for all the JO events with BB times. By 13-14, the approximate same group of kids is all AA or above. There are currently 83 girls qualified for 13-14 50 free and 71 girls qualified for 10&u 50 free.

NP - is this why I see all over the board that it gets harder at 13? Do the standards tighten? Do they continue to tighten as you age up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

50 free you need better than AA for champs

100 free you need better than AA for champs

200 free you need better than AA for champs

100 back you need better than A time for champs

100 breast you need better than A time

100 fly you need better than A time

If you are just hitting at A time in the three strokes, you might have to drop a few more seconds to make cuts. If your main stroke is free you have to be better than AA.

Yes, as you move up the age groups, point power / time standard inflation sets in. Haha. As a 10&u, you can qualify for all the JO events with BB times. By 13-14, the approximate same group of kids is all AA or above. There are currently 83 girls qualified for 13-14 50 free and 71 girls qualified for 10&u 50 free.

And not too surprisingly, most the AA girls at the bottom of the 13-14 qualifiers list were B/BB swimmers as 10 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused how she could be hitting A times for 13 year olds while only getting into JOs for one or two events?

50 free you need better than AA for champs

100 free you need better than AA for champs

200 free you need better than AA for champs

100 back you need better than A time for champs

100 breast you need better than A time

100 fly you need better than A time

If you are just hitting at A time in the three strokes, you might have to drop a few more seconds to make cuts. If your main stroke is free you have to be better than AA.

Yes, as you move up the age groups, point power / time standard inflation sets in. Haha. As a 10&u, you can qualify for all the JO events with BB times. By 13-14, the approximate same group of kids is all AA or above. There are currently 83 girls qualified for 13-14 50 free and 71 girls qualified for 10&u 50 free.

NP - is this why I see all over the board that it gets harder at 13? Do the standards tighten? Do they continue to tighten as you age up?

The numbers say that it gets easier (83 in 13-14 group vs. only 71 in 10&u), but changing bodies can make it harder for some to maintain their place in the pecking order.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I agree that the numbers say it gets easier. More kids made cuts at 13/14, which presumably means they are easier cuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah I agree that the numbers say it gets easier. More kids made cuts at 13/14, which presumably means they are easier cuts.

Or the cuts are similar and more kids are training at a higher level. The bottom line though is A and AA means very different things depending on your age group. For younger kids, AA puts you select company (e.g., only 17 girls who are still 10&u have AA times in 50 free), but for 13+, "everyone" has AA times (e.g., 151 girls who are 13-14 have AA times in 50 free).