What does swim team mean?
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Anonymous
| My ES kids have been taking swim lessons at the community pool over the past few summers and my older one has basically “graduated”; she’s learned all of the strokes, though they’re far from perfect, she def still needs to practice them and swimming overall, but has learned everything they teach in the group lessons. She wants to keep swimming and to improve her technique, she’ll need something guided, not just swimming at the pool with her friends. Is swim team the next step? If not, what is? I’ve chatted with other moms at the lessons and one of them told me she was signing up her then-preschoolers for swim team. It sounded like the goal was for them to get lots of swim practice / become stronger swimmers, competing was more a side note. My kid is not looking to become a HS or college swimmer and she’s not really competitive, although she’ll do competitions if she has to. Would swim team be right for her? DH and I just want our kids to become good swimmers for safety and enjoyment. |
Anonymous
| Do you belong to a pool? Most "swim teams" in the DMV area are at member-only pools. No county based swim teams. You can also join a private swim org for "travel" type swimming. |
Anonymous
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Hi OP, yes summer swim team at a local community pool would be a good fit. The reasons you describe is why I have my kids do it. WHere are you located? If in northern virginia you want a pool near you that is a part of the NVSL most likely. If in MOCO I think it is MCSL? Summer swim is a lot of fun, the kids learn a lot and become really strong swimmers but at most pools unless they are division 1 or 2, you don't have to be a rockstar to participate. It does require some commitment on the parents part - swim meets require a lot of volunteers but it is usually a great, really fun community and for me it is worth it. And it is only 5-6 weeks of the summer.
Winter swim/club swim is where it gets more intense. But in elementary you can just do summer swim and go from there. Other benefits of summer swim team: a sport that boys and girls are on the same team, a sport where kids of all ages contribute to the team equally (an 8 year old get the same amount of points as a 17 year old for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, the older kids look out for the younger ones then the younger ones grow up and look out for the new younger ones it is a great mixed aged sport, it has the fun aspects of a team (cheering, working together) but also the actual events are more individual which can be a good fit for a lot of kids. Big fan over here clearly - even a couple years on swim team will make your child a much stronger swimmer that will last their whole life. There is a swimming diving forum that might have more info for you too. |
Anonymous
| Swim teams typically are summer only programs associated with a particular pool. Practice daily May/June-July with "meets" once or twice a week. Kids start around 5 and go up to 18. |
Anonymous
| If you share where you're located people could help with local pool ideas |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
| Not op, can any kids of swim level join summer swim meets? I have one kid can swim full lap "slowly" and know only 3 strokes except butterfly. |
Anonymous
Yes, your kid would make the team and would likely learn fly over 1 summer. |
Anonymous
Additional point, you just can't walk off the street and swim in a meet in most instances, you need to be part of the team. |
Anonymous
+1 You join the team of a pool you are a member at. |
Anonymous
As long as your child can swim a lap even if slowly and not pretty most swim teams are happy to have them and will help them improve. if 8 and under many pools have a developmental part of their team with the younger kids who can't do multiple laps during a practice and help build them to be able to participate in regular practice. Basically it is extremely welcoming in my experience. The way the meets work is there are "B" meets each Monday night (in NVSL) that are considered developmental meets. They aren't keeping score/points, but you do swim againt another team. Your child can sign up for what strokes they want to and basically get practice. If their times are fast enough, they may be asked eventually to swim in an "A" meet which is on Saturday mornings and is where points are counted and is the official "competition." I recommend going to some A meets even if your child is only swimming in B meets at the time because they are fun and exciting - lots of cheering and it is good to go and be a part of the team. And motivating to keep practicing! |
Anonymous
Pp here. Thank you. I live near Quince orchard HS, and we don't belong to any pool. Which pool could we look at for membership? Hope it won't break our bank. |
Anonymous
You are in luck. MoCo public pools have teams. Which one do you go to, Germantown: https://germantowntorpedoes.swimtopia.com/home |
Anonymous
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Most teams will take any kid that can swim the length of a pool.
We made our kids do one year each to ensure they'd be strong swimmers. It really helps them just get in the time and the repetition in a way that lessons and playing in the pool never will. Daily practice for 6 weeks makes a huge difference. One of our kids did their year and didn't want to continue. My other kid is still swimming as a 14 year old. You can be on a swim team and never attend a meet if you don't want to and just go to practice. I've known kids to do that. |
Anonymous
Thank you!!! |