Is your swim team making practices fun for the kids during this time?

[Anonymous]

Our team has a series of piñatas in the pool and then when you get out there is a pie slide. If you make a personal best, it’s pie coaster time!

[Anonymous]

Our our kid’s club team before the kids socialized in the locker room, had a huddle and cheer with the coach after practice, at the wall for a few minutes between sets, drylands, sometimes did kick sets next to a buddy, and spent long hours hanging out with friends during meets, especially the ones that had the prelim and final format.

Now there is none of that. So it has been hard for my kid. Happy to be in the water, yes, but missing the other aspects. I wish the team did zoom socials with kids or something to try to keep the connection up bc my kid feels disconnected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our our kid’s club team before the kids socialized in the locker room, had a huddle and cheer with the coach after practice, at the wall for a few minutes between sets, drylands, sometimes did kick sets next to a buddy, and spent long hours hanging out with friends during meets, especially the ones that had the prelim and final format.

Now there is none of that. So it has been hard for my kid. Happy to be in the water, yes, but missing the other aspects. I wish the team did zoom socials with kids or something to try to keep the connection up bc my kid feels disconnected.

I am sure if you asked the coach, you could take the initiative and make that happen. But, winter swim is not fun. And locker rooms are closed and people are supposed to be not talking or hanging on the wall, with one another. The kids don't exchange names. Swimming and running are both this way. Not super social sports to begin with, even less so with covid.

[Anonymous]

I'm with you OP. I have a 12-year-old DS too.

Winter swim is always more serious than summer swim but DS is a chatty kid and really liked talking with the other kids in the same lane or adjacent lanes while waiting in line. He was always one of those kids who hung out afterwards and talked with friends. Apparently he's reporting it's pretty miserable from that standpoint although it is nice to be around other kids he hasn't seen in a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm with you OP. I have a 12-year-old DS too.

Winter swim is always more serious than summer swim but DS is a chatty kid and really liked talking with the other kids in the same lane or adjacent lanes while waiting in line. He was always one of those kids who hung out afterwards and talked with friends. Apparently he's reporting it's pretty miserable from that standpoint although it is nice to be around other kids he hasn't seen in a while.

+1. DS is 11 and not enjoying his year-round team at all the fall. It’s all the cons (hard practices, time-consuming, cold) and none of the pros (socializing at pools and separate events, motivation from meets). It’s going to be a long year.

[Anonymous]

OP, unless they are supremely talented, give them permission to quit and try something else.

[Anonymous]

Swimming has a reputation for burning kids out young.

[Anonymous]

OP again. My kid doesn’t want to quit, I asked about that.

This is why I was just wondering if other teams are doing something different so that maybe I could offer a suggestion.

But it sounds like this is how it is going to be this year.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Coaches are doing a great job working them back into shape but also doing modified relays so they are distanced.

[Anonymous]

There are small meets with our club team. That has been good esp since my kids are young. I totally get how it sucks this year. I seriously hope summer swim happens next year or there are going to be a lot of kids quitting.