What are B meets like?

[Anonymous]

MCSL rep again. The kids will bond at practice, at pep rallies, and at team events. It’s sort of like sleepaway camp in that way.

I love the waterproof Uno cards. Rainbow loom loops for bracelets are also fun to send for the kids.

I’m not the LB rep, but I know the pool well. Everyone there is so lovely and welcoming and they’ll be thrilled to have you.

Your daughter is going to get folded into the group of kids cheering at the side of the pool and running back and forth to the snack bar for more Ring Pops. She’ll make posters at pep rallies and enjoy having her team suit and cap. Some B meets will be at LB and you’ll also get to travel (probably not very far!) to other pools. She’ll be grumpy on Thursday mornings but it’ll be worth it.

I almost forgot the actual swimming and the fun that comes with improvement, because that’s not what she will remember most when the season ends.

[Anonymous]

B is same as A but each of the races takes a bit longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, everyone. I think I get it now from my perspective re: volunteering, but still a little worried about whether my daughter will actually have fun.

Is it is mostly the "hanging out with friends" part that makes meets fun for most kids, or are there other aspects of the meet that kids typically find fun that keep all the non-swimming time from feeling boring? (I'm not sure how realistic it is to expect her to make friends on the team quickly unless the team is actively doing stuff to help kids make friends, or we luck into finding an outgoing kid who decides they want to befriend mine. Or if there's something I can do to help make it happen...)

Anonymous wrote: Do you want to say if you’re at LB, Bethesda, or Glenmont? LB is super welcoming (been there for 2 years now) and our team isn’t huge.

Yes, it would be Long Branch.

Time trials are the Saturday Jun 8. It’s like a meet in the sense that there are events and timers but it’s much more loose. You definitely can stand by her in the chairs as her events come up and give her pep talks and talk to the other swimmers. They will also start to bond/meet during practice as well. There are also pep rallies before every home A meet (which include popsicles)

[Anonymous]

Are you a single parent? Usually one spouse volunteers, the other spouse babysits. There aren't a lot of jobs you can do with a four year old.

[Anonymous]

You should be taking the class for Stroke and Turn by now, it's getting late in the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:B is same as A but each of the races takes a bit longer.

If you're lucky, it balances out with some events getting combined (such as 8U fly).

[Anonymous]

OP you've received a lot of decent advice above! Come prepared for the snack bar (for both kids) and agree on UNO or another waterproof simple game. I would think that your swimmer will probably be 50-50 with the team and with you so taking a volunteer role where you can be present for both kids will be the challenge.

As a long time MCSL swimmer's parent, volunteer jobs I can think of that could accommodate a younger child (from my perspective) include: ribbon writer (sticking labels onto ribbons), clerk of course (I'm sure there will be many opinions about this - organizing the kids before they swim), runner (collects timer slips from timers and gives them to automation) and possibly concessions (depends on how LB runs it - if there is a cashier position but this can be hectic). Outside of meet jobs are probably best - at our pool there are plenty of pre-meet (even the day before) food pick up tasks and we have set-up the meet options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you've received a lot of decent advice above! Come prepared for the snack bar (for both kids) and agree on UNO or another waterproof simple game. I would think that your swimmer will probably be 50-50 with the team and with you so taking a volunteer role where you can be present for both kids will be the challenge.

As a long time MCSL swimmer's parent, volunteer jobs I can think of that could accommodate a younger child (from my perspective) include: ribbon writer (sticking labels onto ribbons), clerk of course (I'm sure there will be many opinions about this - organizing the kids before they swim), runner (collects timer slips from timers and gives them to automation) and possibly concessions (depends on how LB runs it - if there is a cashier position but this can be hectic). Outside of meet jobs are probably best - at our pool there are plenty of pre-meet (even the day before) food pick up tasks and we have set-up the meet options.

DP and frequent clerk of course - there is no way in fresh hell you could capably clerk while managing a preschooler. You're actively looking for kids, often in crowded, unfamiliar spaces, lining them up, interacting with the other teams' clerks, etc. Please, no.

I honestly don't think any during-meet volunteer roles can be done decently with a young kid, unless that kid is extraordinarily docile. The pre-meet Costco run is your best bet, for sure, plus any other roles your team has that are asynchronous with meets.

[Anonymous]

OP, I’m a team rep, please reach out to your reps and they should be happy to get your help with tasks that don’t involve you trying to wrangle your 4 year old while volunteering during a meet. We have parents with similar situations that we use for things like the pancake breakfasts, pasta dinners, running game nights for the kids, food prep/pick-up, creating the sign-up geniuses for the meet volunteer slots, etc. I promise most reps will be happy to work with you and understanding of your situation. We purposely hold some of these non-meet volunteer positions for the people that don’t have the flexibility to volunteer at the meet.

[Anonymous]

YAY for swim team!

Your DD will definitely make friends. She will learn the cheers and have plenty of things to do during the meet.

Most teams do themes. They're simple (zoo, 4th of july, beach, army, superheros), but a lot of fun. You'll get the themes each week and she can just use stuff in your house to dress up each week. But you could also send her with something to share -- a pack of leis, paper hats, eye black or body paint to write "eat my bubbles" on her arm -- and that might help her make friends.

And it is really all about the snack bar. Give her a snack bar allowance per meet and have her wait until she's done swimming to eat it!

You might also be able to do ribbons if your team doesn't need them done on deck.

Have a blast. My oldest kid is on his last year of summer swim. (Still have a younger one coming along.) He adores it and has made SO many friends at the pool.

[Anonymous]

You may want to show up early to the parent meeting to talk to the reps to let them know of your situation and see what options there are - I think they need to leave early for some reason

[Anonymous]

At our pool, concessions donations count toward your volunteer points.

I would NOT recommend Clerk of Course while wrangling a preschooler. Is it possible? Sure. Will you be stressed to the max? Yes. Not worth it.