swim parents: Why is NCap so expensive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Running through a pro-con list of the area teams for faster swimmers, I am wondering if I am missing something:

RMSC
Pros
- less expensive since it is subsidized
- dedicated pool space

Cons
- crowded
- depending on where you are in the county, not that convenient

ASA
Pros
- dedicated pool
- smaller team

Cons
- don't go to as high-profile meets
- if you don't like your teammates it's so small it's a problem
- age group coaches are great but not so great national-level coach

Machine
Pros
- awesome outcomes and recruiting
- family-owned and run team

Cons
- for us the only one I can think of is that the locations are not convenient if you live in Montgomery County

NCAP
Pros
- They attend and hold big meets with fast swimmers
- Some good coaches

Cons
- Some seriously mediocre coaches, and bc they have so many locations there is no quality control across location so you have to get lucky
- Expensive! Is this bc they have so many locations so it should be more convenient??
- Current CEO was supposedly somehow involved in the sexual abuse issues in the 90's and never suffered any consequences
- Even though there are a lot of locations, some teams are still swimming outdoors? Is this true?!

Since you’re referring to “faster swimmers” I will point out RMSC is not crowded in top level groups (4-5 kids per lane). Coaches, like anywhere and any sport, range from fine to outstanding. And not everyone is happy with their top level coach. There will be kids who leave and kids who thrive with the same coach.

And yes, it is true NCAP still uses some outdoor practice locations.

Every club has to figure out what meets make sense given the number of qualifiers and availability of coaches. I’m not sure how independent NCAP sites run, I know meet choice sometimes is by practice site. RMSC runs practice sites independently, and don’t always go to the same meets throughout the season, but it’s a pool for championship meet travel. It costs more money to send multiple coaches to meets and meets limit deck coaching credentials. So for example, RMSC may only be sending enough kids to justify one coach. If the kids going to that meet are split amongst the five sites, kids are going without “their” coach. So the club may decide which meet they can send the biggest mass of swimmers and coaches to. Smaller clubs may choose different meets (might be a con for smaller teams even though you note small team can be pro).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve only heard great things about the national level coach at ASA.

The NTG coach? From who?

I have not heard good things and this specific group has been discussed (albeit with little detail and from people who just know families in the group, but don’t have swimmers in the group) in recent threads.

[Anonymous]

My kid was a NTG swimmer at RMSC And had a good coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very curious about this. One of my kids is pretty talented and we are with a team that is not mentioned here. I am constantly worried that I’m doing this kid a disservice by not going with a bigger, more expensive club.

One thing I wonder is whether the training group itself - the actual kids - is worth the cost. In other words, is everyone fart and pushing each other?

My DD is an A/AA swimmer now and last year was her first year participating in club swim. Her rapid improvement was due not only to the coaching she has gotten at NCAP but the training group as well. She swims with kids her age, she’s not outside of her age group, but the lane of kids she swims with are also fast. That has helped motivate her, and her training within the training group is more rigorous than the other lanes with different intervals, different sets, etc. I think it’s probably a little more difficult to get the best out of a kid if they are clearly the best swimmer in their group and there is no one to push them and they are training under their capabilities because the other kids can’t keep up.

+1. I could have written this. DD also swims for NCAP and has an awesome training group of very talented swimmers that push her and a coach she loves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

My guess they only care about good swimmers leaving. And let’s be honest kids with times generally don’t leave their practice groups. It is the kids that are peaking that jump and it really is not a loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

My guess they only care about good swimmers leaving. And let’s be honest kids with times generally don’t leave their practice groups. It is the kids that are peaking that jump and it really is not a loss.

The group that has lost almost all of their swimmers is the very top group, they are all amazing swimmers who have left. Some have gone to another site, some to other clubs. Last I heard, 4 girls remain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

None care if kids leave. They are replaceable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

None care if kids leave. They are replaceable.

I’m sure you’re right- at the same time, shame on them. What a terrible way to run a team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very curious about this. One of my kids is pretty talented and we are with a team that is not mentioned here. I am constantly worried that I’m doing this kid a disservice by not going with a bigger, more expensive club.

One thing I wonder is whether the training group itself - the actual kids - is worth the cost. In other words, is everyone fart and pushing each other?

My DD is an A/AA swimmer now and last year was her first year participating in club swim. Her rapid improvement was due not only to the coaching she has gotten at NCAP but the training group as well. She swims with kids her age, she’s not outside of her age group, but the lane of kids she swims with are also fast. That has helped motivate her, and her training within the training group is more rigorous than the other lanes with different intervals, different sets, etc. I think it’s probably a little more difficult to get the best out of a kid if they are clearly the best swimmer in their group and there is no one to push them and they are training under their capabilities because the other kids can’t keep up.

+1. I could have written this. DD also swims for NCAP and has an awesome training group of very talented swimmers that push her and a coach she loves.

Which site?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

My guess they only care about good swimmers leaving. And let’s be honest kids with times generally don’t leave their practice groups. It is the kids that are peaking that jump and it really is not a loss.

The group that has lost almost all of their swimmers is the very top group, they are all amazing swimmers who have left. Some have gone to another site, some to other clubs. Last I heard, 4 girls remain.

I’ve heard this too- in the mean time AU Gold is so crowded kids couldn’t move up from Silver. How is this fair? One site is getting a lot less money in fees but I’m assuming the coach gets paid the same. Crazy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

My guess they only care about good swimmers leaving. And let’s be honest kids with times generally don’t leave their practice groups. It is the kids that are peaking that jump and it really is not a loss.

The group that has lost almost all of their swimmers is the very top group, they are all amazing swimmers who have left. Some have gone to another site, some to other clubs. Last I heard, 4 girls remain.

I’ve heard this too- in the mean time AU Gold is so crowded kids couldn’t move up from Silver. How is this fair? One site is getting a lot less money in fees but I’m assuming the coach gets paid the same. Crazy

Isn’t Gemmell leaving when his daughter goes to TX?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

None care if kids leave. They are replaceable.

Well, if no one is willing to move into the group, it’s an issue.

I’ve talked to families who know they’re only being invited bc numbers are so low and the kid doesn’t want to be in that group/with that coach. Or maybe they do belong at that level but aren’t willing to stay for all the reasons others left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NCAP doesn't charge you for meets or nickel and dime you for other things and doesn't require parents to volunteer. It is one cost and that is it.

Not true, you are required to volunteer for three meets or get charged $150 and ever since the pandemic you get charged per event per meet, just FYI

As an NCap parent I am annoyed with the coaching- some coaches are great, others are not, and its hard to switch between location and the administration doesn't seem to care a lick that there is such a huge disparity. I don't even know what the administration does other than charge you almost twice as much as RMSC (yes, I know we can switch and frankly we are seriously thinking about it)

Also I know that a ton of swimmers left the Prep site and don't know why and why the admin wouldn't care about that??????

The reason they left is the same reason “admin” doesn’t care.

None care if kids leave. They are replaceable.

Well, if no one is willing to move into the group, it’s an issue.

I’ve talked to families who know they’re only being invited bc numbers are so low and the kid doesn’t want to be in that group/with that coach. Or maybe they do belong at that level but aren’t willing to stay for all the reasons others left.

Why are people leaving that site?

[Anonymous]

I’ve heard that no one likes the coach except the daughter lol