11.5 year old boy swimming team advise (falls church VA)

[Anonymous]

Stay where you are.

Based on how you describe your kid, I can tell you with 99% certainty that his experience with NCAP, Machine, FISH, or YORK will be any different than his past experience with AAC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Machine's Gear programs do not require competition. Not sure on NCAPs policies for the similar level. Machine's Tysons location also has maintenance programs 1x a week and NCAP may have something similar. Agree on FISH and would definitely check out York as it is a smaller club. As PP have said, AAC is cheaper because it is subsidized by Arlington County. No other clubs that you are looking at have the subsidy so the cost will be higher (not having to pay for lane rental is a huge, huge savings).

Even though the Gear programs don't require competition, practices and season schedule and coaches' communication with the kids is structured around 2 big meets (Winter and Spring) and then a few in between in the build-up to those meets. I'm sure York, Fish, and NCAP operate along those lines although it's fair to say that between clubs and within club locations, there's a range of site personalities/cultures.

As far as your kid not liking meets, big difference for my kids was making friends/swim buddies with kids in their practice groups. Might be worth talking to coaches to see if your kid would gel with other kids/practice groups.

[Anonymous]

Centreville Swim Club is a great option. they practice at Cub Run and George Mason. We have had a great experience. They are very flexible and you can pick as little as one day a week. The coaches are great too. Highly recommend

[Anonymous]

Probably too late, but if I were you, I’d stay at AAC. In your situation, switching clubs doesn’t make sense.