Off ramp from club swimming

[Anonymous]

DC is downshifting from club swimming next season. They'll keep doing summer and HS swim over the next couple years before college. They're just not up for the grind of club swimming anymore and the schedule of the lowest group of their current team is more than they want to swim. As a decent but not elite swimmer, DC wants to keep doing some lower-key swimming over the school year to stay in shape somewhat; maybe 1-2X/week. They would probably like to do a few PVS meets here and there but that seems unrealistic without being on a hardcore team. And maybe the HS meets would be a sufficient competitive opportunity.

Has anyone's kid done this type of slower fade from swimming? Are there options to do a low-key team that doesn't have a practice and meet commitment? I'm somewhat familiar with most of the teams around here and am not seeing an obvious option. After doing club swimming for many years, I think DC may find stroke clinics not challenging enough at any given practice, but maybe that's the only real option and just something they'll get used to. Any ideas for options to explore? We're in mid-MoCo (the 270 corridor).

[Anonymous]

Close to where you live he could do the senior group with JFD or the HS Prep group with TIBU.

[Anonymous]

RMSC seniors is just 3 days a week. Most of the kids I know who do “swim lite” in our area do that. Plenty of kids on DS’s high school team just do HS swim and summer swim though. The Rockville pool has (or at least used to have) an endurance swim coached session that I think was 90 minutes on Sunday nights - mostly for adult triathletes, but I could actually imagine my kid enjoying something like that and maybe getting into open water/triathlons if he decided to give up club swim later in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RMSC seniors is just 3 days a week. Most of the kids I know who do “swim lite” in our area do that. Plenty of kids on DS’s high school team just do HS swim and summer swim though. The Rockville pool has (or at least used to have) an endurance swim coached session that I think was 90 minutes on Sunday nights - mostly for adult triathletes, but I could actually imagine my kid enjoying something like that and maybe getting into open water/triathlons if he decided to give up club swim later in high school.

No, they swim more than 3 days a week at our site but the minimum may be three days but we sometimes do 1-2 days, sometimes most depending on other activities and the coaches seem fine with it.

[Anonymous]

Olney RMSC is recommended 3 days, minimum 1 day, option of up to 5 per their info flyer.

[Anonymous]

Machine has a senior training group that practices twice/week, meets optional, no practice requirement. Fairland might not be too far, depending on where along the 270 corridor you are.

[Anonymous]

One kid dropped club swim sophomore year and 'just' did HS swim and summer swim. The other kid stayed with club swimming during HS swim (also did summer) but 'only' did club practice 2x/week. But we are in PG County.

[Anonymous]

York has options for older kids that are 2x a week. No meet requirements but they can do meets. If you are in Arlington, AAC also has middle school and high school groups that are low key.

[Anonymous]

FINS - which is really just training with a little S&T instruction just started up a low key program this past year - think two locations off the 270 corridor. TIBU's HS prep is a really nice option but may be more expensive than what you want though there is some flexibility (or was, haven't checked it in a while). Machine has 2 and 3 day groups and they are really just 2 and 3 day groups with meets optional but as an OP said Fairland or UMD. These would seem to be more up your alley. Unfortunately, NCAP in MoCo doesn't have this type of option to my knowledge and RMSC Seniors is still a competitive group and depending on the particular group may be more than you want.

[Anonymous]

Capital Sea Devils Silver Training Group: "No minimum practice requirement – attend when you can! Meet participation is encouraged but not required."

When my high schooler decided to slow down, this was a perfect fit b/c DC had lots of APs and another EC with a huge time commitment, but swimming was important for that needed physical activity. So grateful it was an option.

[Anonymous]

Our NCAP site has a group that is essentially HS prep, with practice 4 times/week outside of HS season and 3 times/week during it. It’s perfect for my kid who loves swim but is far from elite level and has no college aspirations. There are no attendance or meet requirements. Looks like NCAP North in MD has some 13+ non-competitive groups that may be similar.

[Anonymous]

JFD -- no pressure but option to do PVS meets. My son did it this year as his first season beyond just summer swim. It was a good middle ground from what I can see from friends who do RMSC or ASA

[Anonymous]

AAC High School Sprint. Practice x3 weekly, no meet requirement, fun group with a decent coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:JFD -- no pressure but option to do PVS meets. My son did it this year as his first season beyond just summer swim. It was a good middle ground from what I can see from friends who do RMSC or ASA

+1

JFD, TIBU, FINS are good middle of the road options.

My kid does RMSC and does 2-3 day a week and most meets depending on school. RMSC GERM is low pressure. Really.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the suggestions. RMSC (Rockville or Olney) would be ideal but I was thinking it would be tough to join this coming year even the basic seniors group if KSAC swimmers try to switch sites. I guess DC can go to a tryout and see what happens.