Feedback on Glenmont Gators and Bethesda Barracudas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New swimmers have until June 10 to register at Connecticut Belair. We are just down the road from the Glenmont pool.

It's a lot more expensive to join CB and then sign up for swim team as opposed to joining one of these county-based teams.

Correct. It depends on your budget and how much you value the pool facilities. For us, it’s worth every Penny to be a CB member and have a consistent group of kids on the same schedule as ours for summer play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our team swam away at Glenmont in a meet last year. They were not particularly competitive, that can be good or bad I suppose, depending what level your kid is at. From memory there did not seem to be much team spirit.

Glenmont was in our division last year, and they had a handful of kids that were good RMSC swimmers, but they weren’t deep enough to be competitive.

+1

But also, it's summer swim. One of the teams in our division had an abundance of team spirit, to the point of being obnoxious. Summer swim, to me, should first and foremost be fun and safe for the kids.

Oh darn, that’s not nice.

[Anonymous]

define obnoxious team spirit? most teams don't have much, so I always love teams that have a bunch and never find it irritating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am looking for feedback on Glenmont Gators and Bethesda Barracudas swim teams. Is one more organized or have better coaches than the other. This will be our first experience with swim team. I am looking for a friendly setting where DS can improve on swimming skills. We are looking to ease DS into the meet/competition experience and think he will mostly participate in the B meets.

TIA

Bethesda is not much of a team. They recruit the best area club swimmers who only show up on saturdays. Last year polled a group of their top swimmers and they stepped foot at their home pool twice last year (just for their 2 home A meets).

Coach is a bit incompetent and not very spirited. If money is an issue than swim for one of these public pools but the experience is 3rd rate compared to swimming at a decently spirited or a very spirited private pool team. Not much fun happening in Bethesda and even if you kid is somewhat successful they’ll just recruit over you

Very little cheering at bethesda. the coach barely knows the swimmers names. this team is just for people chasing glory. make lifelong friends at your neighborhood pool

Your neighborhood pool probably has restrictive membership criteria and a very high fee to join and continue membership. The Barracudas are open to all for a much lower price point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am looking for feedback on Glenmont Gators and Bethesda Barracudas swim teams. Is one more organized or have better coaches than the other. This will be our first experience with swim team. I am looking for a friendly setting where DS can improve on swimming skills. We are looking to ease DS into the meet/competition experience and think he will mostly participate in the B meets.

TIA

Bethesda is not much of a team. They recruit the best area club swimmers who only show up on saturdays. Last year polled a group of their top swimmers and they stepped foot at their home pool twice last year (just for their 2 home A meets).

Coach is a bit incompetent and not very spirited. If money is an issue than swim for one of these public pools but the experience is 3rd rate compared to swimming at a decently spirited or a very spirited private pool team. Not much fun happening in Bethesda and even if you kid is somewhat successful they’ll just recruit over you

Very little cheering at bethesda. the coach barely knows the swimmers names. this team is just for people chasing glory. make lifelong friends at your neighborhood pool

Your neighborhood pool probably has restrictive membership criteria and a very high fee to join and continue membership. The Barracudas are open to all for a much lower price point.

'

But the pool is merely there for lap swimming besides saturday mornings. No one hangs out at the pool. There are no team events. The team practices are token events with minimal attendance. So yes the barracudas are a cheap option, but it only sort of provides a pool membership and only sort of provides a team experience. If you look year after year they lose masses of younger kids to other pools because families join, learn how lame it is, and then move on to a neighborhood pool with their friends and classmates.

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, my 8-year-old son absolutely LOVES being on the Barracudas. He could not wait for the summer swim season to start.

[Anonymous]

Whichever is closest, OP