NVSL Seeding Surprises?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No skin in the D1 drama, but when Tuckahoe refused to host couldn’t another team host besides Overlee?

Chesterbrook, OKM, DR, or Highlands? Why did Ovelee need to host both divisionals and relay carnival? Couldn’t one of the other 4 pools step up?

The others probably didn’t want to host or they would have volunteered earlier. It’s fine.

OKM has a one foot protruding gutter on each side, which makes all events except backstroke events a tad longer. It’s a fast pool because it’s a 50 yard pool divided into 25 yard lanes, but the extra almost 2 feet to dive from is not ideal for teams who want great times. I know OKM would have offered to host, but undoubtedly the other teams wouldn’t want to sacrifice the times for their swimmers. OKM also has limited parking options, so we probably would have needed a shuttle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No skin in the D1 drama, but when Tuckahoe refused to host couldn’t another team host besides Overlee?

Chesterbrook, OKM, DR, or Highlands? Why did Ovelee need to host both divisionals and relay carnival? Couldn’t one of the other 4 pools step up?

The others probably didn’t want to host or they would have volunteered earlier. It’s fine.

OKM has a one foot protruding gutter on each side, which makes all events except backstroke events a tad longer. It’s a fast pool because it’s a 50 yard pool divided into 25 yard lanes, but the extra almost 2 feet to dive from is not ideal for teams who want great times. I know OKM would have offered to host, but undoubtedly the other teams wouldn’t want to sacrifice the times for their swimmers. OKM also has limited parking options, so we probably would have needed a shuttle.

**meant 50 meter pool/25 meter lanes (still stuck in SCY mode)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No skin in the D1 drama, but when Tuckahoe refused to host couldn’t another team host besides Overlee?

Chesterbrook, OKM, DR, or Highlands? Why did Ovelee need to host both divisionals and relay carnival? Couldn’t one of the other 4 pools step up?

What's wrong with Overlee hosting? They're the ones that volunteered.

Nothing wrong with Overlee hosting. It’s a lot of work to host divisional events. Since Overlee was already hosting divisional relay carnival, maybe it would have been nice for one of the other 4 pools to step to share the burden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The funny thing about Tuckahoe throwing a fit over only hosting 2 A meets is that when it comes to B meets they NEVER want to host. They reach out to other pools and don't just ask for a B meet, but straight up say "we'd love a B meet AT X-pool". Even if that pool hosted them last. No reciprocation. Not surprising they only have 2 B-meets with other teams.

They hosted us for a B meet last year (after we hosted them in the past). It wasn't an issue at all. Everyone there was very nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Alexandria area has seen Mount Vernon continue to fall and Little Hunting Park continue to rise. LHP has great facilities and no neighborhood restrictions on membership so it will be interesting to see how high they can go

As a member of Mount Vernon Park (MVP), the last several years have been frustrating. Since my daughter started swimming there, we’ve dropped from Division 4 to Division 8. Part of the problem, in my eyes at least, is that our park has lovely extensive grounds, but much of our monies go towards maintaining those grounds. Pruning of tree limbs, removal of dead trees, maintaining the pond and stocking it, planting new trees… it adds up. Right now, we have an outdated bathhouse and no clubhouse (we have a pavilion that has been there since the 1970s). There is no impetus to upgrade either of these facilities and this is driving potential new members to other pools (Little Hunting Park, Riverside Gardens, Stratford Landing and Waynewood). For the same amount in fees, the other local pools offer nicer amenities and are attracting families more interested in competitive swimming than in maintaining extensive grounds. Also, the current coaching at MVP appears to be going through the motions without passion. We live in the Waynewood map, but joined MVP due to Waynewood’s long waiting list. However, my daughter is a strong competitive swimmer and we’re considering other pools, both for the more competitive swimming and the upgraded facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Alexandria area has seen Mount Vernon continue to fall and Little Hunting Park continue to rise. LHP has great facilities and no neighborhood restrictions on membership so it will be interesting to see how high they can go

As a member of Mount Vernon Park (MVP), the last several years have been frustrating. Since my daughter started swimming there, we’ve dropped from Division 4 to Division 8. Part of the problem, in my eyes at least, is that our park has lovely extensive grounds, but much of our monies go towards maintaining those grounds. Pruning of tree limbs, removal of dead trees, maintaining the pond and stocking it, planting new trees… it adds up. Right now, we have an outdated bathhouse and no clubhouse (we have a pavilion that has been there since the 1970s). There is no impetus to upgrade either of these facilities and this is driving potential new members to other pools (Little Hunting Park, Riverside Gardens, Stratford Landing and Waynewood). For the same amount in fees, the other local pools offer nicer amenities and are attracting families more interested in competitive swimming than in maintaining extensive grounds. Also, the current coaching at MVP appears to be going through the motions without passion. We live in the Waynewood map, but joined MVP due to Waynewood’s long waiting list. However, my daughter is a strong competitive swimmer and we’re considering other pools, both for the more competitive swimming and the upgraded facilities.

Neighborhood restrictions create issues. But eventually a great pool ends up with a waitlist and then that puts a governor of the swim team membership.

[Anonymous]

MVP historically had a waitlist. Once Little Hunting Park put in hot food options, they took the families from neighborhoods without pools that MVP used to get. Good luck convincing membership to permit and build a clubhouse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our pool the waitlist isn’t quite as long as Overlee but the people selling memberships are primarily empty nesters and the people buying memberships are young families so it’s a constant influx of young kids who then join the team when they’re old enough.

I’d assume the demographics of sales and purchases are the same at other pools that aren’t limited by HOA

I got on the Arlington pool waitlists when I was pregnant with my first child on the advice of a coworker. We got in when there was a huge waitlist turnover during Covid. I know others who got on the lists before they conceived a child because they grew up in NoVa and know that they would want a pool membership when they have a young family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MVP historically had a waitlist. Once Little Hunting Park put in hot food options, they took the families from neighborhoods without pools that MVP used to get. Good luck convincing membership to permit and build a clubhouse

Yeah, the current membership isn’t interested in a new clubhouse or bathhouse. Many of the members are older and they’ve been at MVP for a long time. They just aren’t interested in change and don’t want to pay a one time financial assessment to fund new facilities. Sadly, it’s costing them potential members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MVP historically had a waitlist. Once Little Hunting Park put in hot food options, they took the families from neighborhoods without pools that MVP used to get. Good luck convincing membership to permit and build a clubhouse

Yeah, the current membership isn’t interested in a new clubhouse or bathhouse. Many of the members are older and they’ve been at MVP for a long time. They just aren’t interested in change and don’t want to pay a one time financial assessment to fund new facilities. Sadly, it’s costing them potential members.

An older leadership (think empty nesters) can be an issue. Limited resources and not prone to updates/change. A young leadership can be rash and not always see big picture. If they don't get some leadership there thinking of the future, the pool will die and be like some other area pools that made similar mistakes.

[Anonymous]

Could they put in some facilities that would actually pay? Local soccer team putting in a field or even a bubbled field or tennis court?

[Anonymous]

Little Hunting Park 4-1 this season in Division 3. Very impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Little Hunting Park 4-1 this season in Division 3. Very impressive.

LHP has a ton of new families in the last 2-3 years, many from Rosemont/Del Ray/South Arlington where there aren't neighborhood pools.