Clubs that incorporate a bit of fun for 8 and unders?

[Anonymous]

Just a quick note that even if 8U doesn’t have to be legal in all 4 strokes to join a club, I would strongly recommend achieving legal strokes before joining a club. This weekend at St James I saw so many kids who didn’t have legal strokes - the club should be teaching mechanics but they aren’t. Once the kids are legal, by all means, join a club!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a quick note that even if 8U doesn’t have to be legal in all 4 strokes to join a club, I would strongly recommend achieving legal strokes before joining a club. This weekend at St James I saw so many kids who didn’t have legal strokes - the club should be teaching mechanics but they aren’t. Once the kids are legal, by all means, join a club!

I tell swimmers to do stroke and turn lessons before you join a club/team. Some clubs offer this prior to the joining competitive swim. Once you are age group swimming, they are not teaching strokes, but refining strokes with drills. Parents often want to push their kid to be in a higher group - but you get less attention one on one as you move up groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're at one of the Maryland sites of Machine and they've done a terrific job of making practice fun for the kids. My three are in their two intro groups (7 year old swims twice/week, 11 and 9 year olds three times). Their intro programs seem focused on making club swimming fun and engaging for kids, presumably so they'll stick with the sport.

Anyway - Machine has a bunch of Virginia sites if you want to take a look. Highly recommend!

Which location is this?

[Anonymous]

Don’t do Machine if you want it to be fun. I had a crying 10 year old because she hated it so much. Now at a different club, a lot nicer coaches, and less of a pressure cooker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're at one of the Maryland sites of Machine and they've done a terrific job of making practice fun for the kids. My three are in their two intro groups (7 year old swims twice/week, 11 and 9 year olds three times). Their intro programs seem focused on making club swimming fun and engaging for kids, presumably so they'll stick with the sport.

Anyway - Machine has a bunch of Virginia sites if you want to take a look. Highly recommend!

Which location is this?

Fairland.

To the PP whose 10 year old hated Machine - I'm sorry to hear that. They have a lot of sites and I can only speak for ours. As a club, they don't have super intense programs for young kids, which IMO contributes to the overall supportive environment my kids have had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the responses. I agree there are two different things to consider -- fun activities during the actual practice and the overall attitude/culture of the coaches and club. My DC's personality is such that they just really eat up the fun and silly things even if they're little things. It doesn't have to be sharks and minnows at practice... just something like the coach dressing up occasionally or doing fun team building things outside the pool would probably be enough to make it feel fun for them. Something like the chase 25s during practice would also probably be up their alley... that sounds like a good example of how to make something fun while still doing work.

I think part of the problem with the summer team program is lack of lane space and the fact that there aren't a lot of kids my child's age doing the program for some reason. None of their summer team buddies are there. It's a lot of older kids who don't want to swim club. DC is too advanced for the youngest lane of kids who are barely getting across the pool, but then they're being put in a lane with kids up to 3 years older who are just newer to swimming. My thinking is that DC might enjoy the "mini" group at a club where they can be in a lane with kids that all similar in terms of age and maturity level. DC is very social when around kids their own age, so just having more kids to talk to would make it more fun.

It sounds like York would be our best bet if DC were to try club swim. I'll see how the rest of this winter and next summer goes, and keep that one in mind.

My daughter is 7 and doing Potomac Marlins Mini Marlins and really enjoying it. The coaching is awesome and she has made some fun little buddies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the responses. I agree there are two different things to consider -- fun activities during the actual practice and the overall attitude/culture of the coaches and club. My DC's personality is such that they just really eat up the fun and silly things even if they're little things. It doesn't have to be sharks and minnows at practice... just something like the coach dressing up occasionally or doing fun team building things outside the pool would probably be enough to make it feel fun for them. Something like the chase 25s during practice would also probably be up their alley... that sounds like a good example of how to make something fun while still doing work.

I think part of the problem with the summer team program is lack of lane space and the fact that there aren't a lot of kids my child's age doing the program for some reason. None of their summer team buddies are there. It's a lot of older kids who don't want to swim club. DC is too advanced for the youngest lane of kids who are barely getting across the pool, but then they're being put in a lane with kids up to 3 years older who are just newer to swimming. My thinking is that DC might enjoy the "mini" group at a club where they can be in a lane with kids that all similar in terms of age and maturity level. DC is very social when around kids their own age, so just having more kids to talk to would make it more fun.

It sounds like York would be our best bet if DC were to try club swim. I'll see how the rest of this winter and next summer goes, and keep that one in mind.

My daughter is 7 and doing Potomac Marlins Mini Marlins and really enjoying it. The coaching is awesome and she has made some fun little buddies.

Which location? What are the criteria for that group? Do they have to be legal in all 4 strokes?

[Anonymous]

JFD offers seasonal events - pumpkin decorating, movie, service project. They also did a fun practice during the holiday week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the responses. I agree there are two different things to consider -- fun activities during the actual practice and the overall attitude/culture of the coaches and club. My DC's personality is such that they just really eat up the fun and silly things even if they're little things. It doesn't have to be sharks and minnows at practice... just something like the coach dressing up occasionally or doing fun team building things outside the pool would probably be enough to make it feel fun for them. Something like the chase 25s during practice would also probably be up their alley... that sounds like a good example of how to make something fun while still doing work.

I think part of the problem with the summer team program is lack of lane space and the fact that there aren't a lot of kids my child's age doing the program for some reason. None of their summer team buddies are there. It's a lot of older kids who don't want to swim club. DC is too advanced for the youngest lane of kids who are barely getting across the pool, but then they're being put in a lane with kids up to 3 years older who are just newer to swimming. My thinking is that DC might enjoy the "mini" group at a club where they can be in a lane with kids that all similar in terms of age and maturity level. DC is very social when around kids their own age, so just having more kids to talk to would make it more fun.

It sounds like York would be our best bet if DC were to try club swim. I'll see how the rest of this winter and next summer goes, and keep that one in mind.

My daughter is 7 and doing Potomac Marlins Mini Marlins and really enjoying it. The coaching is awesome and she has made some fun little buddies.

Which location? What are the criteria for that group? Do they have to be legal in all 4 strokes?

She does GW Rec Center. I am honestly not sure what the criteria were but she is not legal in all four strokes. She is decent and back and free and learning breast and fly. Had some exposure to both in private lessons and summer swim.