Frustrated with how our swim team takes over the pool

[Anonymous]

One meet a year?! Um no that is not swim team.

[Anonymous]

Email the board and ask them to talk to the team coaches and reps to ask all the bigger kids who are not using tables to drop their stuff elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. That’s normal. Join the swim team.

I am not going to do that, but I was frankly embarrassed trying to meet up with friends who have toddlers to admit that basically we could swim for an hour or so before their kids needed to go home to nap or we could deal with the bullhorns. And we would not be able to get a table under shade until the swim team families decided to leave.

Are these friends members? Or are you inviting people to join you at your club? If they are members they need to figure out how they want to deal with the situation. If they are not members, swim families have priority over them. I am guessing the swim families are supporting the financial health of the pool to a greater degree than non-swim club families. And I'm sure it is built in recruitment. Many clubs have struggled to keep membership up post Covid and need the money.

What a terrible stance. OP is a member. The pool has too many swim practices and apparently some swim families are taking over.

It's clear there are a lot of swim families on this board who are selfish and don't care that they're pushing out other families from their pools, but come on. Exercise your basic politeness muscle. Share your facilitties. Don't spread out your stuff too much. Tell the kids to keep the noise down so you don't need the bullhorn that much.

It's all part of living in a society.

I'm the PP you're responding to. I am not a swim club mom/family. But I've seen plenty you young moms who bring friends and commandeer a section of the pool area and no one is supposed to disturb their napping kids. I find that weird. Pools are generally loud. Sure, this pool sounds like it could be better run. But for OP to be "embarrassed" means she needs a different kind of pool. I'd say she's looking for a CC on a neighborhood pool budget.

Tell me more. My kids weren’t great sleepers so they always slept at home for naps. Days I brought them to the pool were after nap time because our pool opens at noon and there wasn’t time to swim and get home by 12:30 or 1:00 for naps. Do toddlers really nap at the pool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. That’s normal. Join the swim team.

I am not going to do that, but I was frankly embarrassed trying to meet up with friends who have toddlers to admit that basically we could swim for an hour or so before their kids needed to go home to nap or we could deal with the bullhorns. And we would not be able to get a table under shade until the swim team families decided to leave.

Are these friends members? Or are you inviting people to join you at your club? If they are members they need to figure out how they want to deal with the situation. If they are not members, swim families have priority over them. I am guessing the swim families are supporting the financial health of the pool to a greater degree than non-swim club families. And I'm sure it is built in recruitment. Many clubs have struggled to keep membership up post Covid and need the money.

What a terrible stance. OP is a member. The pool has too many swim practices and apparently some swim families are taking over.

It's clear there are a lot of swim families on this board who are selfish and don't care that they're pushing out other families from their pools, but come on. Exercise your basic politeness muscle. Share your facilitties. Don't spread out your stuff too much. Tell the kids to keep the noise down so you don't need the bullhorn that much.

It's all part of living in a society.

I'm the PP you're responding to. I am not a swim club mom/family. But I've seen plenty you young moms who bring friends and commandeer a section of the pool area and no one is supposed to disturb their napping kids. I find that weird. Pools are generally loud. Sure, this pool sounds like it could be better run. But for OP to be "embarrassed" means she needs a different kind of pool. I'd say she's looking for a CC on a neighborhood pool budget.

That is not what I am talking about at all. I am talking about an adult screaming into a bull horn at the top of their lungs. It’s a lot.

This is our neighborhood pool in the neighborhood we live in. Have no complaints about the amenities, which are totally adequate for the price we pay. We and many others already paid a large initiation fee for this pool and don’t want to have to go join a different pool and pay another initiation fee. I do wish there was more shade and a bigger baby pool only because it would help with some of the issues I described. The little pool really only good for small toddlers so families with elementary school aged kids and toddlers tend to spend a lot of time in the bigger pool. In August it’s great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. That’s normal. Join the swim team.

I am not going to do that, but I was frankly embarrassed trying to meet up with friends who have toddlers to admit that basically we could swim for an hour or so before their kids needed to go home to nap or we could deal with the bullhorns. And we would not be able to get a table under shade until the swim team families decided to leave.

Are these friends members? Or are you inviting people to join you at your club? If they are members they need to figure out how they want to deal with the situation. If they are not members, swim families have priority over them. I am guessing the swim families are supporting the financial health of the pool to a greater degree than non-swim club families. And I'm sure it is built in recruitment. Many clubs have struggled to keep membership up post Covid and need the money.

What a terrible stance. OP is a member. The pool has too many swim practices and apparently some swim families are taking over.

It's clear there are a lot of swim families on this board who are selfish and don't care that they're pushing out other families from their pools, but come on. Exercise your basic politeness muscle. Share your facilitties. Don't spread out your stuff too much. Tell the kids to keep the noise down so you don't need the bullhorn that much.

It's all part of living in a society.

It's a private pool club, not society. It's totally okay if the pool board wants to be "the swim team pool" and prioritizes swim team over other members. That's a choice and just makes it not the right pool for OP. Or the pool board can decide to be more balanced and that's okay too. Different pools make different choices.

If I was OP I'd probably just choose a different pool next year and not face the potential ire of hundreds of swim families by complaining, especially if I didn't think it would make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Ugh. Swim teams are so entitled.

And frequently pay the bills.

And frequency need to be subsidized by the pool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. That’s normal. Join the swim team.

I am not going to do that, but I was frankly embarrassed trying to meet up with friends who have toddlers to admit that basically we could swim for an hour or so before their kids needed to go home to nap or we could deal with the bullhorns. And we would not be able to get a table under shade until the swim team families decided to leave.

Are these friends members? Or are you inviting people to join you at your club? If they are members they need to figure out how they want to deal with the situation. If they are not members, swim families have priority over them. I am guessing the swim families are supporting the financial health of the pool to a greater degree than non-swim club families. And I'm sure it is built in recruitment. Many clubs have struggled to keep membership up post Covid and need the money.

How do you figure that swim team families support the pool more financially? We all pay the same fee to belong to the pool although, I think there is a nominal fee to join the team I can’t imagine it does more than cover the coaching salaries considering there are more than 5 hours of practice a day. Again I am happy to support summer swim I just feel like it’s gone too far.

[Anonymous]

Normal sadly. Yours sounds like more than is at our pool, but not by much if that makes any sense. The swim team brings in a lot of money for the pool and NVSL.

[Anonymous]

For our swim team the last practice (minis) is 9:30-10:15 and the pool doesn't open until 12, so there wouldn't be swim team families sticking around anyway. Some do come right back and noon, but we have enough shade it's not a huge issue.

Then our pool has a separate "toddler time" 2 days a week where only the baby pool is open from 11-12 - we're small and can't afford to pay too many life guards, but can have someone on hand to open it. So those toddler families you speak of could have some quiet time with just little kids.

Then our swim team doesn't have afternoon practices, so they aren't taking the pool then. The only area team I know of that does only uses 2 lanes, and it's not a problem at that pool.

The rest is normal at any NVSL pool - morning practice, Saturday meets, Monday evening B meets taking up the pool are all standard. I remember being annoyed by it when I had toddlers. Now I have swim team members. Life moves on.

OP not every pool has an initiation fee. Ours no longer does. Come on over .

[Anonymous]

We used to be at a pool with one pool and yes, it was like this. We are now at a pool with two pools, so this isn't an issue. The swim team takes over the lap pool (yes both morning and afternoon) and during meets one pool is available for other members.

My kids participate in swim team and I get it that people find it overwhelming and obnoxious. They moved the teams Friday pep rallies to a different part on the property so that other members can enjoy the pool and grounds on a Friday. It's not too much to ask. The vast majority of members are NOT on the swim team. I don't get the comment about how the swim team is subsidizing the pool either. The team makes money to support itself by charging a fee to join, concessions, and fund raisers and then keeps the money to pay for its activities. They are not subsidizing anything. The teams are a lot of work for the manager of the pool and staff.

I would talk to someone at the Board on your pool although beware swim team parents often stack the Board to be sure their interests are protected. But you should speak up.

[Anonymous]

I’m a swim team mom and I get it, it’s a lot. From July 22 through the end of the summer, it will be practically empty! Just hang tight.

[Anonymous]

OP here - from these replies it does not sound like the 3 hours of afternoon practice (in addition to morning practice) are standard and that, along with the random closures for team building are my biggest complaints.

And yes the board is largely swim team families which is how we ended up here I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We used to be at a pool with one pool and yes, it was like this. We are now at a pool with two pools, so this isn't an issue. The swim team takes over the lap pool (yes both morning and afternoon) and during meets one pool is available for other members.

My kids participate in swim team and I get it that people find it overwhelming and obnoxious. They moved the teams Friday pep rallies to a different part on the property so that other members can enjoy the pool and grounds on a Friday. It's not too much to ask. The vast majority of members are NOT on the swim team. I don't get the comment about how the swim team is subsidizing the pool either. The team makes money to support itself by charging a fee to join, concessions, and fund raisers and then keeps the money to pay for its activities. They are not subsidizing anything. The teams are a lot of work for the manager of the pool and staff.

I would talk to someone at the Board on your pool although beware swim team parents often stack the Board to be sure their interests are protected. But you should speak up.

I think it sounds like a more considerate approach. We were at the pool for a event that had been announced through the civic association and no one who is not on swim team knew a pep rally was going to happen in the middle of it, with again tons of bullhorn screaming and gathering the entire team in the middle of the pool deck so no one could get through multiple times, then kicking out the little kids from their play area so they could take a picture of everyone. It was chaos and just really inconsiderate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - from these replies it does not sound like the 3 hours of afternoon practice (in addition to morning practice) are standard and that, along with the random closures for team building are my biggest complaints.

And yes the board is largely swim team families which is how we ended up here I guess.

They do this on purpose and it sucks.

[Anonymous]

When I was at a pool with just one pool for all members, there was no afternoon practice. That is BS, in my opinion. Not all swim teams do afternoon practice.