I hate almost everything about summer swim team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate how the average swimmers have to sit around and listen to the names of the star swimmers and the advice to the star swimmers at the daily practices. It is not a team sport but they call it a team. I am new to this whole swim team thing so didn't appreciate this in advance.

Should everyone get a trophy instead? Or perhaps they could pretend that the best kids don't matter? This sounds like real life. Do you hate how the average kids have to sit around and listen to the names of the star students? If you or your kids don't like it you should definitely find something else for them to do, but as a mom whose kids have played every sport under the sun, I've found the camaraderie of the swim team refreshing.

You missed the whole point. This is billed as a team. Academics is not a team sport. Swim team is very different from soccer, basketball ... Where there are stars but the team wins and loses together.

[Anonymous]

But the team does win or lose meets together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also dislike the culture among the parents. It feels a lot like a fraternity and sorority.

+ 1

I didn't realize joining a community pool was going to be like going back to high school, and that my perfectly nice non-team member child would be on the social dud list. This is just so fucking weird and cliched. Can't wait to get away from this $700 summer of watching a bunch of little snots and their nasty parents hang out together.

Ha. Thinking the same.
Going to the pool during "away" meets helps!

Would love names of pools where this is NOT the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the team does win or lose meets together.

And the relays are team events.

Swimming is like cross-country or track and field. Individual efforts, but team results. My team took great pride in winning our local championship.

[Anonymous]

This is soooo funny to read. We seriously don't have these problems, but maybe its because we are outside the beltway. Sounds like DC egos thrown in to the mix. If it annoys you so much, I highly recommend that you drop off your kids and avoid meets and practices, depending on what age you can do that. Our team allows that at age 10 and up. Ignorance is bliss. You can certainly show up to volunteer but just make a minimum commitment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also dislike the culture among the parents. It feels a lot like a fraternity and sorority.

+ 1

I didn't realize joining a community pool was going to be like going back to high school, and that my perfectly nice non-team member child would be on the social dud list. This is just so fucking weird and cliched. Can't wait to get away from this $700 summer of watching a bunch of little snots and their nasty parents hang out together.

So sorry that this is your pooL. We are NVSL and a small team so all parents on swim team ( about 6 weeks) do spend a lot of time together. Maybe it feels cliquish but there is no attempt to. I have one swimmer and one non-swimmer and both are welcome. We have two phonemes on team who swim at a very high level year-round and their parents are the most helpful! I have one who has a lot of success in summer and starting to as year-round but he is very introverted and ONLY speaks to 3-4 friends. Quite painful actually but he loves swimming. Maybe you would think he thinks highly of himself but he really just has a hard time saying hi to both kids and parents.

I will say the first summer or two can feel intimidating as you have to learn the sport, what's involved, the different meets but once you see an entire team of kids cheering for a little 6 year old .....it will warm your heart. It is a great sport, but is timely, expensive, and can get extremely competitive in this area but what you are describing can happen in any group activity - at least I think so! One of mime tried a drama group and I felt there was a core group there, for example. I understand the feeling but I don't think unique to swim. Hope you find a pool you love!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is soooo funny to read. We seriously don't have these problems, but maybe its because we are outside the beltway. Sounds like DC egos thrown in to the mix. If it annoys you so much, I highly recommend that you drop off your kids and avoid meets and practices, depending on what age you can do that. Our team allows that at age 10 and up. Ignorance is bliss. You can certainly show up to volunteer but just make a minimum commitment.

Is it "soooo" funny? Posters like you are funny though. You are laughing at OP and others here about how egotistical they are and here you are bragging and looking down your nose at them. Ha hahahaha. If your pool and community "outside the beltway" is made up of those just like you, then you're exactly the same...just further out. Think about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also dislike the culture among the parents. It feels a lot like a fraternity and sorority.

+ 1

I didn't realize joining a community pool was going to be like going back to high school, and that my perfectly nice non-team member child would be on the social dud list. This is just so fucking weird and cliched. Can't wait to get away from this $700 summer of watching a bunch of little snots and their nasty parents hang out together.

Ha. Thinking the same.
Going to the pool during "away" meets helps!

Would love names of pools where this is NOT the case.

Well, where do you live?

[Anonymous]

Is it possible OP that you don't really want to be there and are not giving the other parents a fair shot? Maybe I am reading too much between the lines. Sounds like your husband should step up if he's the one the is into it!

We've been on a couple different teams. One in prince mont and one is MCSL, and our experience has been vastly different. Some of my kids are great and others not so much, but all have been welcome. It is always heartwarming to see them cheer in the kids who are struggling and helping the younger kids.

[Anonymous]

What particular are you looking for in summer swim? I hear complaints, but not really what you're looking for. Summer swim team is the only sport I know of where the older kids, younger kids, competitive swimmers, and non-competitive swimmers all show up together for an event. It's a lot to manage, but in general I think our pool does a good job catering to everyone. We do themes for both competitive and non-competitive meets and for just members of the pool but not the team, so all of those events build a lot of camaraderie. We only pay about $100 per swim team member so most of the work to make it run is done by volunteers. I don't volunteer as much since I work out of the house, but everyone has been very friendly and I've learned so much about swimming and life with older children by talking with the veteran moms. Sure the veteran moms hang out together, but most are friendly to newcomers especially since they know they need new swimmers each year for the team to continue doing well. We're not in a highly competitive swim club, so this helps. I also joined a friendlier sorority in college and found the same sort of companionship and helpfulness that I now find in swim team. So I guess there is a correlation, but I think it's a positive one.

[Anonymous]

We're at a pool in Potomac and OPs experience has not been mine at all. This is our first year at this pool. Everyone has been kind, inclusive, and welcoming. This extends to my 5 year old who desperately wants to be on the team except he can't swim the length of the pool and I can't get him out of camp early enough to participate in the pre-team.

The coaches made him an "ass't coach". In real terms, he is a gopher. But he loves being a part of the team even if he isn't actually swimming. Those are his friends and he cheers each and everyone of them on. I love that they found a place for him on the team. He is included in the pep rally's, the sleep overs, Pump It Up night, etc.

As for the parents, I haven't found them to be cliquey at all. Everyone is very friendly and kind. I volunteer to help at the meets so perhaps that has integrated me faster than otherwise would happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is soooo funny to read. We seriously don't have these problems, but maybe its because we are outside the beltway. Sounds like DC egos thrown in to the mix. If it annoys you so much, I highly recommend that you drop off your kids and avoid meets and practices, depending on what age you can do that. Our team allows that at age 10 and up. Ignorance is bliss. You can certainly show up to volunteer but just make a minimum commitment.

Is it "soooo" funny? Posters like you are funny though. You are laughing at OP and others here about how egotistical they are and here you are bragging and looking down your nose at them. Ha hahahaha. If your pool and community "outside the beltway" is made up of those just like you, then you're exactly the same...just further out. Think about that.

Dude, you seriously need to take a chill pill. No need to insult me. Just telling you that we don't have the problems you are having. I think if its so bad you need to join another team. Its really that easy. A lot of neighborhoods accept swimmers from outside their neighborhood. Also, YMCA or indoor rec. centers have teams you can join.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is soooo funny to read. We seriously don't have these problems, but maybe its because we are outside the beltway. Sounds like DC egos thrown in to the mix. If it annoys you so much, I highly recommend that you drop off your kids and avoid meets and practices, depending on what age you can do that. Our team allows that at age 10 and up. Ignorance is bliss. You can certainly show up to volunteer but just make a minimum commitment.

Is it "soooo" funny? Posters like you are funny though. You are laughing at OP and others here about how egotistical they are and here you are bragging and looking down your nose at them. Ha hahahaha. If your pool and community "outside the beltway" is made up of those just like you, then you're exactly the same...just further out. Think about that.

Dude, you seriously need to take a chill pill. No need to insult me. Just telling you that we don't have the problems you are having. I think if its so bad you need to join another team. Its really that easy. A lot of neighborhoods accept swimmers from outside their neighborhood. Also, YMCA or indoor rec. centers have teams you can join.

Huh? Why is a "we" versus "you" which you've defined as inside v. outside the beltway? Do you really think it's that simple? OP is having an issue at her pool and you're saying it's bc of geography. That's ridiculous and you know it. Sure she can move pools but telling her going outside the beltway is the answer makes no sense at all. As for insults, you threw first so don't play victim now.

OP - I do understand what you're saying as this was our first year. But we participate to the extent we can. Swim is not everything to our family or our children so we try to have fun at practice and meets. Some of the parents on our team are extremely serious and some our less committed than we are. I try to do what we're comfortable with and ignore the rest. A lot of the families have SAHMs and I am a WOHM so making it to practice is already a huge accomplishment for me!!! We volunteer when we can but it's definitely less than some of the other families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moco, currently in MCSL but open to prnce-mont teams.

I recommend Prince Mont Division A teams. Check website for team listings.

[Anonymous]

If your kids are counted on to be at every A meet, why don't you skip the B meets? Do you need to go to the B meets to get your parent volunteering hours in or are you going because your kids enjoy swimming and being on the team?