Summer Swim Team - swimmers train off season commonly?

[Anonymous]

B meets are certainly important as they let you have competition and many swim teams around here accept everyone so they have to have a and b meets. The a meets are the ones they count for divisional etc. at out swim club the whole team goes to b meets and cheers for those swimmers so they are very welcoming and supportive of everyone. But yes there are year round swimmers and they are usually the ones competing on Saturdays but not always.

[Anonymous]

OP, does your swim team have the website with the tracking software?

We check that with our beginner kid (B meets only) so he can see his score improvement from week to week.

He started out at time trials in the bottom quarter for his age group for freestyle (47 seconds for 25 meters!) and at the last meet dropped over ten seconds to 34 seconds. He disqualified backstroke at the first two meets, and actually finished backstroke for the final two meets. He is now solidly in the top of the bottom half for his age.

Seeing that personal achievement and growth really motivates him to improve.

[Anonymous]

I know my nephew "trains" at Machine Swim in Vienna in the off season. He's 12.

They also do private lessons at Machine.

Machine offers (for lack of better word, I know only through conversation) "land" training and special equipment to work on general strength and fitness. Nephew I believe swims elsewhere with an off season team through Machine, too. Machine has small pools that are for training only.

[Anonymous]

You don't mention how old your DD is or where you are, but from my perspective ( a Mom with two elementary school kids who swim in Northern VA (NVSL Division 4 team)
Summer swim can be super rewarding for children. It is great exercise, great for building character, i.e., dealing with disappointment, learning to win graciously, etc. and provides a wpmd

[Anonymous]

sorry...provides a great social outlet/opportunities for making new friends. If you DD is into swimming and asking to continue during the fall/winter, then look for team or clinic that might be a good fit (and is affordable). Many summer pools in NoVa have a 1x per week winter swim to keep the kids in the pool. There are also county-supported programs/rec centers; I think ACC is one that is supported by Arl County. GOod luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, does your swim team have the website with the tracking software?

We check that with our beginner kid (B meets only) so he can see his score improvement from week to week.

He started out at time trials in the bottom quarter for his age group for freestyle (47 seconds for 25 meters!) and at the last meet dropped over ten seconds to 34 seconds. He disqualified backstroke at the first two meets, and actually finished backstroke for the final two meets. He is now solidly in the top of the bottom half for his age.

Seeing that personal achievement and growth really motivates him to improve.

Our team just started doing this and I think it's so great. It used to be that only the A meet swimmers had their times tracked. Now everyone can have their times tracked. Easy to see improvement even if you're a just a "B" swimmer.

[Anonymous]

Just do B meets - they are fun and offer all the same exercise and social aspects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So our DD is on a summer swim team and is a little frustrated that she is one of the slowest swimmers. We don't train or take lessons outside of summer pool time, but heard some other swim moms talking about their swim programs etc(and they talked price which seemed pretty steep), and I now wonder if we giving our daughter short shrift by not doing lessons or something in off season? Swim season is so short, which we like b/c it's a chance to keep active even when hot hot hot. But DD is thinking of quitting simply because she is falling behind in performance. We tell her not to focus on that and just compete against herself, and enjoy the sport and learning new swim techniques but I wonder if we should try to get some lessons or at least more pool time in off season? Don't think we will sign up for the $600 swim program but don't want her to give up b/c we are not keeping with the team standards.

Well, she should do winter swim if she likes it only.
My kids are in a large summer swim team where many kids not only swim winter, they train seriously in the early mornings in the summer too.
Neither of which necessarily makes you one of the fastest swimmers on the team nor does it guarantee you a slot in the A meets either. Some kids with all-star times swim only in the B meets.
There's a few kids who don't swim in the winter who DO make the A meets.

Many of the kids don't swim winter and still swim summer. Your kids just have to get used to not necessarily being the fastest swimmer.
Swim team is about participating, having fun and beating your own times.

Why would someone with all star times swim in B meets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So our DD is on a summer swim team and is a little frustrated that she is one of the slowest swimmers. We don't train or take lessons outside of summer pool time, but heard some other swim moms talking about their swim programs etc(and they talked price which seemed pretty steep), and I now wonder if we giving our daughter short shrift by not doing lessons or something in off season? Swim season is so short, which we like b/c it's a chance to keep active even when hot hot hot. But DD is thinking of quitting simply because she is falling behind in performance. We tell her not to focus on that and just compete against herself, and enjoy the sport and learning new swim techniques but I wonder if we should try to get some lessons or at least more pool time in off season? Don't think we will sign up for the $600 swim program but don't want her to give up b/c we are not keeping with the team standards.

Well, she should do winter swim if she likes it only.
My kids are in a large summer swim team where many kids not only swim winter, they train seriously in the early mornings in the summer too.
Neither of which necessarily makes you one of the fastest swimmers on the team nor does it guarantee you a slot in the A meets either. Some kids with all-star times swim only in the B meets.
There's a few kids who don't swim in the winter who DO make the A meets.

Many of the kids don't swim winter and still swim summer. Your kids just have to get used to not necessarily being the fastest swimmer.
Swim team is about participating, having fun and beating your own times.

Why would someone with all star times swim in B meets?

Because there's at least three kids with even faster all-star times.
This happens on multiple teams that I know of.

That's the thing about swimming - you can think you're hot stuff, but there's always someone who is faster.

Kids should swim and improve their times and have fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, does your swim team have the website with the tracking software?

We check that with our beginner kid (B meets only) so he can see his score improvement from week to week.

He started out at time trials in the bottom quarter for his age group for freestyle (47 seconds for 25 meters!) and at the last meet dropped over ten seconds to 34 seconds. He disqualified backstroke at the first two meets, and actually finished backstroke for the final two meets. He is now solidly in the top of the bottom half for his age.

Seeing that personal achievement and growth really motivates him to improve.

It's probably all on Reach For The Wall- Reachforthewall.com
Enter your kids name on 'search for swimmer'. No matter their level they are probably in that giant database.

[Anonymous]

I swam competitively when I was a kid. My mom would take me to the pool in the morning (before school) for practice and again after school for practice. I have the metals, and ribbons to show for her commitment to my progress. If it's a hobby do it during the summer. If you hope for a future Olympian and want to earn some gold then you go above and beyond.

Anonymous wrote:So our DD is on a summer swim team and is a little frustrated that she is one of the slowest swimmers. We don't train or take lessons outside of summer pool time, but heard some other swim moms talking about their swim programs etc(and they talked price which seemed pretty steep), and I now wonder if we giving our daughter short shrift by not doing lessons or something in off season? Swim season is so short, which we like b/c it's a chance to keep active even when hot hot hot. But DD is thinking of quitting simply because she is falling behind in performance. We tell her not to focus on that and just compete against herself, and enjoy the sport and learning new swim techniques but I wonder if we should try to get some lessons or at least more pool time in off season? Don't think we will sign up for the $600 swim program but don't want her to give up b/c we are not keeping with the team standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So our DD is on a summer swim team and is a little frustrated that she is one of the slowest swimmers. We don't train or take lessons outside of summer pool time, but heard some other swim moms talking about their swim programs etc(and they talked price which seemed pretty steep), and I now wonder if we giving our daughter short shrift by not doing lessons or something in off season? Swim season is so short, which we like b/c it's a chance to keep active even when hot hot hot. But DD is thinking of quitting simply because she is falling behind in performance. We tell her not to focus on that and just compete against herself, and enjoy the sport and learning new swim techniques but I wonder if we should try to get some lessons or at least more pool time in off season? Don't think we will sign up for the $600 swim program but don't want her to give up b/c we are not keeping with the team standards.

Well, she should do winter swim if she likes it only.
My kids are in a large summer swim team where many kids not only swim winter, they train seriously in the early mornings in the summer too.
Neither of which necessarily makes you one of the fastest swimmers on the team nor does it guarantee you a slot in the A meets either. Some kids with all-star times swim only in the B meets.
There's a few kids who don't swim in the winter who DO make the A meets.

Many of the kids don't swim winter and still swim summer. Your kids just have to get used to not necessarily being the fastest swimmer.
Swim team is about participating, having fun and beating your own times.

Why would someone with all star times swim in B meets?

Because there's at least three kids with even faster all-star times - in the same age group/team/event.
Sometimes kids with all-star times make no A meets for any strokes.
This happens on multiple teams that I know of.

That's the thing about swimming - you can think you're hot stuff, but there's always someone who is faster.

Kids should swim and improve their times and have fun.

[Anonymous]

What teams have more than 3 swimmers in an event with all star times? Is this Division A?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What teams have more than 3 swimmers in an event with all star times? Is this Division A?

A, B, C, D & E that I know of. Depends on the age group/sex, but yes.

Lots in A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What teams have more than 3 swimmers in an event with all star times? Is this Division A?

A, B, C, D & E that I know of. Depends on the age group/sex, but yes.

Lots in A.

This is why MCSL moved to top six kids in A meets for freestyle. When I was swimming you had to be one of the top 3 freestylers to make A meets. A lot of times the best swimmers are bunched up in the same groups. You can have tons of all star times in one age/gender and none in another. I really wish B meets could be left as a rec league though. It seems so far outside the purpose of the event to literally see kids who went to long course swimming in a B meet. It takes the fun out of these neighborhood rivalries.