Junior Wave or Machine or Greenbelt Barracudas (or similar)

[Anonymous]

Rising second grade, but young for her age. Swims in summer MC pool club during summer, but took lessons in Greenbelt for several years. Tried out for DC Wave, and did not make it (no fly) - and they recommended junior wave. Really enjoys summer swim team and wants to do something during the year. Option 1), do junior wave if accepted to Takoma - 3X a week; 2) Machine at College Park - 2X week, pricey, late evening practices; 3) try out for Greenbelt team or similar close-in suburban team - 2X week early evening practices, one early morning Sunday practice that would be challenging to make; 4) wait until third grade...

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

If you can get her on a USA Swim team this year, do that. Junior Wave is very hit or miss, depending on the instructor. It also requires registration multiple times a year, and the spots are extremely hard to get (like concert tickets), so if you get in the first session (which is something like 2.5 months) you may not get in the second session. And doing Jr. Wave does not guarantee that you would get on DC Wave the next year. You still need to try out again next summer, and there's often a waiting list for spots at Tacoma.

[Anonymous]

My kids swim at Machine and we're very happy there. We were at Fairland last year and are switching to UMD, because the schedule is better. I've heard great things about the Gears coaches (the program your DD would be in) there, FWIW. I don't think 6 - 7:30pm is late evening, but that's just me. It's good for an early dinner, swim, light snack and then bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids swim at Machine and we're very happy there. We were at Fairland last year and are switching to UMD, because the schedule is better. I've heard great things about the Gears coaches (the program your DD would be in) there, FWIW. I don't think 6 - 7:30pm is late evening, but that's just me. It's good for an early dinner, swim, light snack and then bed.

Thanks for this. Our DD goes to bed currently around 6:30, so it would be an adjustment - but getting to UMD should be fine...maybe if we take East-West Highway. University/New Hampshire are all awful right now with roadwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids swim at Machine and we're very happy there. We were at Fairland last year and are switching to UMD, because the schedule is better. I've heard great things about the Gears coaches (the program your DD would be in) there, FWIW. I don't think 6 - 7:30pm is late evening, but that's just me. It's good for an early dinner, swim, light snack and then bed.

Thanks for this. Our DD goes to bed currently around 6:30, so it would be an adjustment - but getting to UMD should be fine...maybe if we take East-West Highway. University/New Hampshire are all awful right now with roadwork.

You're welcome! Yeah, hopefully the roadwork will be wrapped up sooner rather than later, but always good to have multiple routes to get to the pool.

Schedule adjustments can be tough, for sure. And sleep is crucial (part of the reason we're switching to UMD). Does she need to be up super early, or is sleeping a bit later an option, if her bedtime is later?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids swim at Machine and we're very happy there. We were at Fairland last year and are switching to UMD, because the schedule is better. I've heard great things about the Gears coaches (the program your DD would be in) there, FWIW. I don't think 6 - 7:30pm is late evening, but that's just me. It's good for an early dinner, swim, light snack and then bed.

Thanks for this. Our DD goes to bed currently around 6:30, so it would be an adjustment - but getting to UMD should be fine...maybe if we take East-West Highway. University/New Hampshire are all awful right now with roadwork.

You're welcome! Yeah, hopefully the roadwork will be wrapped up sooner rather than later, but always good to have multiple routes to get to the pool.

Schedule adjustments can be tough, for sure. And sleep is crucial (part of the reason we're switching to UMD). Does she need to be up super early, or is sleeping a bit later an option, if her bedtime is later?

She has been sleeping through the night and waking up at 6:00 since she was about six weeks old. Even if she begrudging stays up late- still gets up at 6:00. Have tried everything...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rising second grade, but young for her age. Swims in summer MC pool club during summer, but took lessons in Greenbelt for several years. Tried out for DC Wave, and did not make it (no fly) - and they recommended junior wave. Really enjoys summer swim team and wants to do something during the year. Option 1), do junior wave if accepted to Takoma - 3X a week; 2) Machine at College Park - 2X week, pricey, late evening practices; 3) try out for Greenbelt team or similar close-in suburban team - 2X week early evening practices, one early morning Sunday practice that would be challenging to make; 4) wait until third grade...

Thoughts?

The one word of advice I would offer here is don't wait. Your DC will not become a better swimmer by next year if they do not do winter swim...but the other kids DC's age who *do* swim over the winter will improve, sometimes dramatically. That in turn will make it harder for DC to get into competitive team programs and A meets. Plus the older DC gets the higher the tryout standards become.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids swim at Machine and we're very happy there. We were at Fairland last year and are switching to UMD, because the schedule is better. I've heard great things about the Gears coaches (the program your DD would be in) there, FWIW. I don't think 6 - 7:30pm is late evening, but that's just me. It's good for an early dinner, swim, light snack and then bed.

Thanks for this. Our DD goes to bed currently around 6:30, so it would be an adjustment - but getting to UMD should be fine...maybe if we take East-West Highway. University/New Hampshire are all awful right now with roadwork.

You're welcome! Yeah, hopefully the roadwork will be wrapped up sooner rather than later, but always good to have multiple routes to get to the pool.

Schedule adjustments can be tough, for sure. And sleep is crucial (part of the reason we're switching to UMD). Does she need to be up super early, or is sleeping a bit later an option, if her bedtime is later?

She has been sleeping through the night and waking up at 6:00 since she was about six weeks old. Even if she begrudging stays up late- still gets up at 6:00. Have tried everything...

You might find that winter swim practices, which are considerably longer and have less down time than summer ones, help DC sleep more deeply and therefore perhaps a little later. It definitely helps my DCs that way. The catch is that after a period of some years (my kids are older now) it takes more and more pool time to actually tire them out. Which is good in some ways but bad in others!

[Anonymous]

Rising second, so the kid is just barely 7 now? Full DCwave (even Developmental 1) is probably pushing it.

I don't know anything about the program, but I've seen Wee Aquatics show up at mini meets.

Also, Swim Montgomery at MLK may be an option. They definitely cater to competitive and pre-competitive swimmers. It used to be M/W evenings, not sure what it will be in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids swim at Machine and we're very happy there. We were at Fairland last year and are switching to UMD, because the schedule is better. I've heard great things about the Gears coaches (the program your DD would be in) there, FWIW. I don't think 6 - 7:30pm is late evening, but that's just me. It's good for an early dinner, swim, light snack and then bed.

Thanks for this. Our DD goes to bed currently around 6:30, so it would be an adjustment - but getting to UMD should be fine...maybe if we take East-West Highway. University/New Hampshire are all awful right now with roadwork.

You're welcome! Yeah, hopefully the roadwork will be wrapped up sooner rather than later, but always good to have multiple routes to get to the pool.

Schedule adjustments can be tough, for sure. And sleep is crucial (part of the reason we're switching to UMD). Does she need to be up super early, or is sleeping a bit later an option, if her bedtime is later?

She has been sleeping through the night and waking up at 6:00 since she was about six weeks old. Even if she begrudging stays up late- still gets up at 6:00. Have tried everything...

From the PP you're replying to: Oh man - I hear you! Kids and their sleep schedules. My kids *finally* started sleeping later after the occasional late night once they got to age 8 or 9. And some people just need more sleep than others.

[Anonymous]

Another thought from 14:39 - I think three times/week is probably too much for a rising second grader, especially on the younger side. Club swim is a lot more work than summer swim. At this age, keeping it fun and focusing on technique are critical. (I'd say they're critical all the way through, but little kids don't need to be swimming 3+ days/week)