2026 MCSL Division Seedings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be interested in seeing a ranking of Summer teams broken into two groups -- pools with waitlists and pools with immediate memberships available.

There are pools with 3 and 4 year waitlists, so unless their BoD allows shenanigans, there's no transferring or recruiting happening at those places.

Or, you could accept that this is a summer league, kids want to swim with their friends, and parents want a positive and welcoming sport environment.

It’s not a competition for parents and club boards.

I think you missed my point. I think its likely that the majority of teams with immediate openings and Club coaches who bring swimmers with them are in the top divisions and the teams with waitlists where the teams are all neighborhood kids who are friends are in the middle divisions. And that's why people claim the middle/lower divisions are more fun.

I think you’re getting the causation wrong. The club coaches encourage promising 7-8 year olds to join club swim and then they turn into strong 10 year olds. We’re at a pool in a top division with a club coach, and that’s exactly why we have a strong team. All the kids are from nearby neighborhoods.

Same- we had no experience with swimming before my oldest joined the sumer team as an 8yo, and I was surprised how early many kids start swimming year round. But many get "the swimming bug" so to speak and learn early on that if you want to make A meets you need to put in the work. Our pool has a 4 year waitlist at the moment, it's all kids from the neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

When are the divisions for next year announced?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be interested in seeing a ranking of Summer teams broken into two groups -- pools with waitlists and pools with immediate memberships available.

There are pools with 3 and 4 year waitlists, so unless their BoD allows shenanigans, there's no transferring or recruiting happening at those places.

Or, you could accept that this is a summer league, kids want to swim with their friends, and parents want a positive and welcoming sport environment.

It’s not a competition for parents and club boards.

I think you missed my point. I think its likely that the majority of teams with immediate openings and Club coaches who bring swimmers with them are in the top divisions and the teams with waitlists where the teams are all neighborhood kids who are friends are in the middle divisions. And that's why people claim the middle/lower divisions are more fun.

I think you’re getting the causation wrong. The club coaches encourage promising 7-8 year olds to join club swim and then they turn into strong 10 year olds. We’re at a pool in a top division with a club coach, and that’s exactly why we have a strong team. All the kids are from nearby neighborhoods.

Same- we had no experience with swimming before my oldest joined the sumer team as an 8yo, and I was surprised how early many kids start swimming year round. But many get "the swimming bug" so to speak and learn early on that if you want to make A meets you need to put in the work. Our pool has a 4 year waitlist at the moment, it's all kids from the neighborhoods.

These are signs of a solid team, which is why the waitlist is so long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When are the divisions for next year announced?

To the general public, this weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be interested in seeing a ranking of Summer teams broken into two groups -- pools with waitlists and pools with immediate memberships available.

There are pools with 3 and 4 year waitlists, so unless their BoD allows shenanigans, there's no transferring or recruiting happening at those places.

Or, you could accept that this is a summer league, kids want to swim with their friends, and parents want a positive and welcoming sport environment.

It’s not a competition for parents and club boards.

I think you missed my point. I think its likely that the majority of teams with immediate openings and Club coaches who bring swimmers with them are in the top divisions and the teams with waitlists where the teams are all neighborhood kids who are friends are in the middle divisions. And that's why people claim the middle/lower divisions are more fun.

I think you’re getting the causation wrong. The club coaches encourage promising 7-8 year olds to join club swim and then they turn into strong 10 year olds. We’re at a pool in a top division with a club coach, and that’s exactly why we have a strong team. All the kids are from nearby neighborhoods.

Same- we had no experience with swimming before my oldest joined the sumer team as an 8yo, and I was surprised how early many kids start swimming year round. But many get "the swimming bug" so to speak and learn early on that if you want to make A meets you need to put in the work. Our pool has a 4 year waitlist at the moment, it's all kids from the neighborhoods.

These are signs of a solid team, which is why the waitlist is so long.

Well I think the waitlist is more that there aren't many other options in the immediate vicinity- most families are on the waitlist years before the kids are even age-eligible for swim team- but I'm sure that's a factor for some.

[Anonymous]

it can be very competitive , in a not fun way all the way down the divisions. Way too many tech suits being worn, kids and parents obsessed with getting records, to a point where it becomes more about the individual and less about the team. it happens at the lower divisions when the age group is stacked. I can see the value in tech suits for sure, my swimmer is an above average year round swimmer, recruiting for college, but they refuse to buy in to the uber competitive ness, and just trying to have fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be interested in seeing a ranking of Summer teams broken into two groups -- pools with waitlists and pools with immediate memberships available.

There are pools with 3 and 4 year waitlists, so unless their BoD allows shenanigans, there's no transferring or recruiting happening at those places.

Or, you could accept that this is a summer league, kids want to swim with their friends, and parents want a positive and welcoming sport environment.

It’s not a competition for parents and club boards.

I think you missed my point. I think its likely that the majority of teams with immediate openings and Club coaches who bring swimmers with them are in the top divisions and the teams with waitlists where the teams are all neighborhood kids who are friends are in the middle divisions. And that's why people claim the middle/lower divisions are more fun.

I think you’re getting the causation wrong. The club coaches encourage promising 7-8 year olds to join club swim and then they turn into strong 10 year olds. We’re at a pool in a top division with a club coach, and that’s exactly why we have a strong team. All the kids are from nearby neighborhoods.

Same- we had no experience with swimming before my oldest joined the sumer team as an 8yo, and I was surprised how early many kids start swimming year round. But many get "the swimming bug" so to speak and learn early on that if you want to make A meets you need to put in the work. Our pool has a 4 year waitlist at the moment, it's all kids from the neighborhoods.

These are signs of a solid team, which is why the waitlist is so long.

Not necessarily. It may be more affordable, more prestigious or walkable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious about any other teams? I may remember some of them.

Woodley?

I think E, lost it yesterday

Confirmed with a Woodley Gardens parent at divisionals this morning that they already communicated they will stay in E next year (if they even have a pool).

What about the rest of the current division E? Curious to know where these pools ended up:

Connecticut Belair
Northwest Branch
OGC
Manor Woods

[Anonymous]

E is a very strong division this year. There’s a real chance that 4 of them move up.

[Anonymous]

Where have the divisions been announced? I know there was a link posted here but it didn’t work for me

[Anonymous]

Has not been communicated to reps, despite what some here claim.

If it is handled as in last years, it will be posted later this afternoon. Let the kids who swam today enjoy the moment before we make it about next year.

[Anonymous]

https://mcsl.org/content/documents/2025/MCSL_Division_Assignments_2026.pdf

[Anonymous]

Damn CCRA brutal fall….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Damn CCRA brutal fall….

Tough break for a really nice community. Their coach quit unexpectedly in the preseason.

[Anonymous]

Link is up on MCSL