Help me find a new club

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly each family has their own experience and it can vary from club to club, site to site, training group to training group. It’s rare to get a uniform opinion across the boards about a particular club. We are with NCAP, not Tysons, and it’s a good fit for my swimmer. My swimmer is an NCSA/Zones level swimmer, so I do feel like NCAP will maximize their potential better than some of the smaller clubs could. We have also found the communication to be great, we are never in the dark about upcoming meets, the QTs needed, etc. But I also understand why the club wouldn’t be a good fit for every family/swimmer. It’s competitive, and there is focus on the fast kids with extra meets and training trips that are available only to those kids. Families/swimmers need to identify what is most important to them and pick a club with those priorities in mind.

I’ve heard this a lot. What is it about NCAP that maximizes potential better than other clubs? Thank you!

I think the biggest thing for us is the training cohort. My swimmer trains with other swimmers who are at their level and better. Yes, there are slower kids in their training group, but they don’t train down, so to speak, to the level of the slower kids. The lane with the slower kids is sometimes given different intervals so that the faster kids are being challenged appropriately. When you are at a club that just has 1 or 2 fast kids it’s hard for those kids to be challenged properly while still training with the appropriate age group. NCAP also has incentives for the fast kids, the select travel meets and training camps, and the number of meets with QTs that are available for the kids to attend. Sure kids from smaller clubs can go to the bigger QT meets, but NCAP never leaves you in the dark about the meets, the QTs, getting signed up, etc. like a PP above described, and the kids generally aren’t going alone there are multiple kids and coaches from the club going. My kid is motivated by competition so all of this works great for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

Which coaches/ locations/ groups are you referring to? Both my kids are at Cub Run and this has not been our experience at all.

Stroke development is 2-3 days max. Aerobic development is 3-4 days max. And, to PPs post, no one is warming up with 400 frees if they can’t do a flip turn, because flip turns are one of the first things they learn how to do in Mighty Marlins.

In terms of stroke development, the stroke development coach at Cub Run is one of the main reasons we chose the Marlins in the first place. My philosophy was this: if the Marlins are good enough for an elite, Ivy League swimmer who is on the record boards right under the name “Phelps”, the Marlins are probably good enough for my semi-mediocre BB/A swimmers. And it has been (so far).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

This whole screed is confusing for me. Marlins have little ones in the water much less then other comparable clubs. I've heard of zero overuse injuries. The most negative thing I'd say about the club is that older teenagers get lured away to the bigger clubs (just look at their records and you see a lot of names that moved to other clubs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly each family has their own experience and it can vary from club to club, site to site, training group to training group. It’s rare to get a uniform opinion across the boards about a particular club. We are with NCAP, not Tysons, and it’s a good fit for my swimmer. My swimmer is an NCSA/Zones level swimmer, so I do feel like NCAP will maximize their potential better than some of the smaller clubs could. We have also found the communication to be great, we are never in the dark about upcoming meets, the QTs needed, etc. But I also understand why the club wouldn’t be a good fit for every family/swimmer. It’s competitive, and there is focus on the fast kids with extra meets and training trips that are available only to those kids. Families/swimmers need to identify what is most important to them and pick a club with those priorities in mind.

I’ve heard this a lot. What is it about NCAP that maximizes potential better than other clubs? Thank you!

I think the biggest thing for us is the training cohort. My swimmer trains with other swimmers who are at their level and better. Yes, there are slower kids in their training group, but they don’t train down, so to speak, to the level of the slower kids. The lane with the slower kids is sometimes given different intervals so that the faster kids are being challenged appropriately. When you are at a club that just has 1 or 2 fast kids it’s hard for those kids to be challenged properly while still training with the appropriate age group. NCAP also has incentives for the fast kids, the select travel meets and training camps, and the number of meets with QTs that are available for the kids to attend. Sure kids from smaller clubs can go to the bigger QT meets, but NCAP never leaves you in the dark about the meets, the QTs, getting signed up, etc. like a PP above described, and the kids generally aren’t going alone there are multiple kids and coaches from the club going. My kid is motivated by competition so all of this works great for them.

Agree. My swimmer has 6-8 kids the same age that are the same level and really challenge them. They have faster intervals and harder sets and all push each other. The travel meets and training camps are also a big motivator. The coach is great and communication is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

This whole screed is confusing for me. Marlins have little ones in the water much less then other comparable clubs. I've heard of zero overuse injuries. The most negative thing I'd say about the club is that older teenagers get lured away to the bigger clubs (just look at their records and you see a lot of names that moved to other clubs).

I’ve always heard Marlins are all about yardage and we were warned to stay away from them unless you just want to swim laps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

This whole screed is confusing for me. Marlins have little ones in the water much less then other comparable clubs. I've heard of zero overuse injuries. The most negative thing I'd say about the club is that older teenagers get lured away to the bigger clubs (just look at their records and you see a lot of names that moved to other clubs).

I’ve always heard Marlins are all about yardage and we were warned to stay away from them unless you just want to swim laps.

They care very much about technique, but yes, the workouts are more geared to middle distance and distance swimmers. They are the club that hosts IMX for a reason!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

This whole screed is confusing for me. Marlins have little ones in the water much less then other comparable clubs. I've heard of zero overuse injuries. The most negative thing I'd say about the club is that older teenagers get lured away to the bigger clubs (just look at their records and you see a lot of names that moved to other clubs).

I’ve always heard Marlins are all about yardage and we were warned to stay away from them unless you just want to swim laps.

They care very much about technique, but yes, the workouts are more geared to middle distance and distance swimmers. They are the club that hosts IMX for a reason!

And they push kids into IMX way too young and make those events a huge focus because yes they host it. Lots of garbage yardage.

The club is pricey for what you get, their meets are ridiculously overpriced and they plan travel meets and training as money grabs from their swimmers.

Good swimmers have to leave if they want to reach their potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

This whole screed is confusing for me. Marlins have little ones in the water much less then other comparable clubs. I've heard of zero overuse injuries. The most negative thing I'd say about the club is that older teenagers get lured away to the bigger clubs (just look at their records and you see a lot of names that moved to other clubs).

I’ve always heard Marlins are all about yardage and we were warned to stay away from them unless you just want to swim laps.

They care very much about technique, but yes, the workouts are more geared to middle distance and distance swimmers. They are the club that hosts IMX for a reason!

And they push kids into IMX way too young and make those events a huge focus because yes they host it. Lots of garbage yardage.

The club is pricey for what you get, their meets are ridiculously overpriced and they plan travel meets and training as money grabs from their swimmers.

Good swimmers have to leave if they want to reach their potential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what are the main clubs' reps?

We have the folks on here saying Marlins are small and give more attention, others saying they only care about l.aps and not technique

Many Older Machine swimmers at our summer pool seem to be in physical therapy by 13, but they churn out very strong athletes?

Marlins have a lot of coaches that do garbage yardage. It is part of their culture. They push kids to swim WAY too much way too early. And similar to Machine I suspect a lot of burn out and injuries at 15/16. Their best swimmers in each age group swim way too much, particularly in their 13&U ages. They have kids that have not gone through puberty in the water several hours a day, six days a week. Most age group programs are 3-4 days and less hours at that age. It accounts for some of the speed gains but will be tough as they age up and their peers start catching up with their increased yardage when it is age appropriate.

It is one of the few clubs I do not recommend.

This whole screed is confusing for me. Marlins have little ones in the water much less then other comparable clubs. I've heard of zero overuse injuries. The most negative thing I'd say about the club is that older teenagers get lured away to the bigger clubs (just look at their records and you see a lot of names that moved to other clubs).

I’ve always heard Marlins are all about yardage and we were warned to stay away from them unless you just want to swim laps.

They care very much about technique, but yes, the workouts are more geared to middle distance and distance swimmers. They are the club that hosts IMX for a reason!

And they push kids into IMX way too young and make those events a huge focus because yes they host it. Lots of garbage yardage.

The club is pricey for what you get, their meets are ridiculously overpriced and they plan travel meets and training as money grabs from their swimmers.

Good swimmers have to leave if they want to reach their potential.

Op, please do your own research. This is our 5th season with the Marlins and none of this is accurate. I’ve got a good swimmer and frequently get propositioned by NCAP/ Machine. If it was anything like Garbage Yardage is making it out to be, we would have left a long time ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly each family has their own experience and it can vary from club to club, site to site, training group to training group. It’s rare to get a uniform opinion across the boards about a particular club. We are with NCAP, not Tysons, and it’s a good fit for my swimmer. My swimmer is an NCSA/Zones level swimmer, so I do feel like NCAP will maximize their potential better than some of the smaller clubs could. We have also found the communication to be great, we are never in the dark about upcoming meets, the QTs needed, etc. But I also understand why the club wouldn’t be a good fit for every family/swimmer. It’s competitive, and there is focus on the fast kids with extra meets and training trips that are available only to those kids. Families/swimmers need to identify what is most important to them and pick a club with those priorities in mind.

I’ve heard this a lot. What is it about NCAP that maximizes potential better than other clubs? Thank you!

NCap is very much location dependent FYI

[Anonymous]

You will hear the same things about pretty much every club. Some families love them, some don’t.

Every practice location is different. Every group is different. Every coach is different.

Overuse injuries are common across clubs. It happens when a kid swims too much at a young age. Sometimes it’s coaches pushing it, sometimes it’s parents pushing it.

A lot of parents complain that their kid isn’t getting enough attention. Personal attention is for private lessons. Kids learn technique at these sessions through drills. They need to go to practice ready to learn and work in order to improve. If your kid isn’t there yet, you are wasting your time expecting coaches to work miracles.

Crowded lanes are also a problem across clubs. Sometimes you will find certain locations/groups that don’t, but that’s just luck that not too many signed up for that slot. Every club is going to pack the lanes if they can.

Good luck. None of them are significantly better than the others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will hear the same things about pretty much every club. Some families love them, some don’t.

Every practice location is different. Every group is different. Every coach is different.

Overuse injuries are common across clubs. It happens when a kid swims too much at a young age. Sometimes it’s coaches pushing it, sometimes it’s parents pushing it.

A lot of parents complain that their kid isn’t getting enough attention. Personal attention is for private lessons. Kids learn technique at these sessions through drills. They need to go to practice ready to learn and work in order to improve. If your kid isn’t there yet, you are wasting your time expecting coaches to work miracles.

Crowded lanes are also a problem across clubs. Sometimes you will find certain locations/groups that don’t, but that’s just luck that not too many signed up for that slot. Every club is going to pack the lanes if they can.

Good luck. None of them are significantly better than the others.

Spot on. In our little area of Fairfax County, you have kids from same age group as the OP’s DC thriving at NCAP, Machine, Makos, SDS, and STJS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will hear the same things about pretty much every club. Some families love them, some don’t.

Every practice location is different. Every group is different. Every coach is different.

Overuse injuries are common across clubs. It happens when a kid swims too much at a young age. Sometimes it’s coaches pushing it, sometimes it’s parents pushing it.

A lot of parents complain that their kid isn’t getting enough attention. Personal attention is for private lessons. Kids learn technique at these sessions through drills. They need to go to practice ready to learn and work in order to improve. If your kid isn’t there yet, you are wasting your time expecting coaches to work miracles.

Crowded lanes are also a problem across clubs. Sometimes you will find certain locations/groups that don’t, but that’s just luck that not too many signed up for that slot. Every club is going to pack the lanes if they can.

Good luck. None of them are significantly better than the others.

+1. I would only add that the calculus of which club is “better” is different for each swimmer and depends a lot on what they are looking to get out of club swim, whether it’s just to stay in shape for summer or to try and compete at the higher levels of the sport. There are swimmers for whom NCAP or Machine is better than SDS or Makos and vice versa.

[Anonymous]

OP: I don't know about clubs in your area but I can say this..go where is convenient and you and your child are happy. Even if that means staying put. Your kid is not going to the Olympics as a parking attendant much less a swimmer. Don't be a delusional parent. Swim for the team that is fun and convenient and works with your other current and future plans.