How friendly is ASA for newcomers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our swimmer has one sectionals cut, might make two by spring champs

TIA to people with direct experience with the team

I’d recommend ASG over NTG. Better coach

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our swimmer has one sectionals cut, might make two by spring champs

TIA to people with direct experience with the team

I’d recommend ASG over NTG. Better coach

Can you choose? They don’t automatically put you in one group or the other?

My swimmer will be in HS but will have two sectionals cuts by the time they age up to Open category; is very close to Futures cut (might make it this SC season, if not probably the year after assuming no huge slow-down on their part).

I am honestly not terribly concerned with her times but the kids and how nice the coach is. They are a very hard worker in the water.

Thanks again

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our swimmer has one sectionals cut, might make two by spring champs

TIA to people with direct experience with the team

I’d recommend ASG over NTG. Better coach

Can you choose? They don’t automatically put you in one group or the other?

My swimmer will be in HS but will have two sectionals cuts by the time they age up to Open category; is very close to Futures cut (might make it this SC season, if not probably the year after assuming no huge slow-down on their part).

I am honestly not terribly concerned with her times but the kids and how nice the coach is. They are a very hard worker in the water.

Thanks again

I can’t speak to ASA, but at our club, the group placement is based on a few factors besides times alone, including swimmer’s goals/path/preference (if qualified for multiple groups).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our swimmer has one sectionals cut, might make two by spring champs

TIA to people with direct experience with the team

I’d recommend ASG over NTG. Better coach

Can you choose? They don’t automatically put you in one group or the other?

My swimmer will be in HS but will have two sectionals cuts by the time they age up to Open category; is very close to Futures cut (might make it this SC season, if not probably the year after assuming no huge slow-down on their part).

I am honestly not terribly concerned with her times but the kids and how nice the coach is. They are a very hard worker in the water.

Thanks again

Yes, you can choose and work with the coaching staff. The top ASA male in 2020-2021 and in 2022 came from the ASG group not the NTG. Similarly a lot of successful females out of that group. Coach keeps it fun and he cares about his swimmers. He's also very competitive and this balance motivates them to go to practice, work hard, and race. More effective and fun than pounding distance swimming just for the sake of more yards

[Anonymous]

I have a younger ASA swimmer but as I understood it from watching the senior speeches at the banquet (and looking at club records), the swimmers with the fastest times are in the NTG group. That isn’t to knock Advanced Seniors - there are a lot of good reasons for training with that group and I have heard great things about the coach, but, as a whole, ASG generally not as competitive as NTG.