S/o: stealing at the pool

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At an A meet yesterday I overheard a big group of girls who were probably 11/12 in a bathroom. One of them didn’t have her team suit and another was missing a cap. Some of the girls chimed in and were like “just take one from lost and found or look for one in someone’s bag”.

I did intervene and got a bunch of rolled eyes, but it reminded me of the towel stealing. Obviously this is something kids do, but how alert do you need to be to it and how can it be stopped if kids see it as normal?

I send my kids with bags that zip and our team caps have the kids’ name on them, but goggles definitely seem to considered fair game if left unattended for even a minute. Our pool and team are small so it’s not like there are 1000 families and 300 kids and it’s an anonymous crime.

Were they wearing kneeskins or doping in the bathroom? We should have volunteers posted in the bathrooms and at the lost and found to help curb the behavior of 12 year old girls from taking things that aren't theirs.

OP and I was actually the bathroom volunteer and my job is supposed to be to stand by the sinks (not the stalls or changing area) and stop cellphone usage/potential videoing before it happens.

Most insane part of this post isn't taking a pair of goggles or towel from the lost and found but the fact that a pool has to have a bathroom monitor for an A meet. That is insane and speaks volumes to the types of kids at that pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

Mine have had their entire bag swipped and we found the stuff all over the place. They have never lost even a water bottle at school. Its your kids who think its ok to take things and call it borrowing. You are teaching your kids to steal as you are too selfish to buy a few pair of goggles and leave two in the bag, one in the car and its never an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

Mine have had their entire bag swipped and we found the stuff all over the place. They have never lost even a water bottle at school. Its your kids who think its ok to take things and call it borrowing. You are teaching your kids to steal as you are too selfish to buy a few pair of goggles and leave two in the bag, one in the car and its never an issue.

DP. Some kids will literally steal other team members stuff (especially if the victim is unpopular) if they forgot theirs - and not feel guilty about it at all. This is unfortunate and is part of a coach's duty to control. Your swim league may have a swimmer code of conduct. If you witnessed something and you feel that strongly about it, report it to the head official at your meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

Mine have had their entire bag swipped and we found the stuff all over the place. They have never lost even a water bottle at school. Its your kids who think its ok to take things and call it borrowing. You are teaching your kids to steal as you are too selfish to buy a few pair of goggles and leave two in the bag, one in the car and its never an issue.

DP. Some kids will literally steal other team members stuff (especially if the victim is unpopular) if they forgot theirs - and not feel guilty about it at all. This is unfortunate and is part of a coach's duty to control. Your swim league may have a swimmer code of conduct. If you witnessed something and you feel that strongly about it, report it to the head official at your meet.

No this is not a coaching issue. This is a parenting issue.
Are there really teams where kids are stealing things? not talking about borrowing goggles from lost and found?

For the last 10 yrs have been on a team with almost 200 hundred kids and have never had an issue with stealing. Yes kids accidentally grab the wrong towel or team shirt, but always return once they realize/if things are labeled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

Mine have had their entire bag swipped and we found the stuff all over the place. They have never lost even a water bottle at school. Its your kids who think its ok to take things and call it borrowing. You are teaching your kids to steal as you are too selfish to buy a few pair of goggles and leave two in the bag, one in the car and its never an issue.

DP. Some kids will literally steal other team members stuff (especially if the victim is unpopular) if they forgot theirs - and not feel guilty about it at all. This is unfortunate and is part of a coach's duty to control. Your swim league may have a swimmer code of conduct. If you witnessed something and you feel that strongly about it, report it to the head official at your meet.

At club swim, it’s not the coach. Kids leave their bags in an area and anyone can swipe it at a public pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

Mine have had their entire bag swipped and we found the stuff all over the place. They have never lost even a water bottle at school. Its your kids who think its ok to take things and call it borrowing. You are teaching your kids to steal as you are too selfish to buy a few pair of goggles and leave two in the bag, one in the car and its never an issue.

DP. Some kids will literally steal other team members stuff (especially if the victim is unpopular) if they forgot theirs - and not feel guilty about it at all. This is unfortunate and is part of a coach's duty to control. Your swim league may have a swimmer code of conduct. If you witnessed something and you feel that strongly about it, report it to the head official at your meet.

No this is not a coaching issue. This is a parenting issue.
Are there really teams where kids are stealing things? not talking about borrowing goggles from lost and found?

For the last 10 yrs have been on a team with almost 200 hundred kids and have never had an issue with stealing. Yes kids accidentally grab the wrong towel or team shirt, but always return once they realize/if things are labeled.

In a public pool anyone can come in and take things.

You don’t borrow from list and found. You are stealing it. Borrowing is asking permission. Taking without permission is stealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

Mine have had their entire bag swipped and we found the stuff all over the place. They have never lost even a water bottle at school. Its your kids who think its ok to take things and call it borrowing. You are teaching your kids to steal as you are too selfish to buy a few pair of goggles and leave two in the bag, one in the car and its never an issue.

DP. Some kids will literally steal other team members stuff (especially if the victim is unpopular) if they forgot theirs - and not feel guilty about it at all. This is unfortunate and is part of a coach's duty to control. Your swim league may have a swimmer code of conduct. If you witnessed something and you feel that strongly about it, report it to the head official at your meet.

No this is not a coaching issue. This is a parenting issue.
Are there really teams where kids are stealing things? not talking about borrowing goggles from lost and found?

For the last 10 yrs have been on a team with almost 200 hundred kids and have never had an issue with stealing. Yes kids accidentally grab the wrong towel or team shirt, but always return once they realize/if things are labeled.

In a public pool anyone can come in and take things.

You don’t borrow from list and found. You are stealing it. Borrowing is asking permission. Taking without permission is stealing.

this wasn't about stealing at a public pool. This started with a discussion of stealing during an A meet which occurs in summer swim at a meet held at a private pool where all kids on the team are members of the private pool. Seriously, never once have we had something stolen at our pool. Now my kids have misplaced team shirts and such but that was on them not other kids stealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At an A meet yesterday I overheard a big group of girls who were probably 11/12 in a bathroom. One of them didn’t have her team suit and another was missing a cap. Some of the girls chimed in and were like “just take one from lost and found or look for one in someone’s bag”.

I did intervene and got a bunch of rolled eyes, but it reminded me of the towel stealing. Obviously this is something kids do, but how alert do you need to be to it and how can it be stopped if kids see it as normal?

I send my kids with bags that zip and our team caps have the kids’ name on them, but goggles definitely seem to considered fair game if left unattended for even a minute. Our pool and team are small so it’s not like there are 1000 families and 300 kids and it’s an anonymous crime.

Were they wearing kneeskins or doping in the bathroom? We should have volunteers posted in the bathrooms and at the lost and found to help curb the behavior of 12 year old girls from taking things that aren't theirs.

OP and I was actually the bathroom volunteer and my job is supposed to be to stand by the sinks (not the stalls or changing area) and stop cellphone usage/potential videoing before it happens.

Most insane part of this post isn't taking a pair of goggles or towel from the lost and found but the fact that a pool has to have a bathroom monitor for an A meet. That is insane and speaks volumes to the types of kids at that pool.

Volunteer at a pool and we were told a bathroom monitor is a Safesport requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could “take one from the lost and found” have meant just for practice? It’s very common at our pool to take & then return items from lost and found.

Yes, ours too, and I don't have a problem with that as long as the item goes right back where it came from after practice is over. Our pool has a "goggle box" and a "toy box." The toy box is a rotating hodgepodge of lost and abandoned items, mainly small dollar-store diving toys and things like that (we don't allow inflatables, and there are enough balls on property that no one needs to bring those on their own). Most of the goggles in the goggle box are of the toy rather than the sport/racing category, but I always made sure my kids put them right back after borrowing them.

The culture of the pool itself is such that a lost item is usually right where you left it a day or two later, or even well beyond that. I've found towels of ours months after they were accidentally abandoned, because they were at the bottom of the lost-and-found textiles hamper - yuck!

Bring your own toys and goggles and stop stealing others.

Stop leaving your cr*p all over the pool so it doesn't end up in the lost and found.

We don’t and it still gets stollen. You are proud you steal?

So people are going through your pool bag to steal goggles and toys..ugh huh.sure. totally happening.
more like you kid leaves their stuff all over and it get lost

Mine have had their entire bag swipped and we found the stuff all over the place. They have never lost even a water bottle at school. Its your kids who think its ok to take things and call it borrowing. You are teaching your kids to steal as you are too selfish to buy a few pair of goggles and leave two in the bag, one in the car and its never an issue.

Yup, we’ve seen this with both swim bags and tennis bags. Kids will show up with someone else’s racquet that’s clearly labeled with the name and shrug it off and say their parents found it.

Our pool does have a kids’ camp with childcare for the day and I think that contributes to how kids think of possessions. A lot of parents are dropping off and then a nanny or grandma is picking up and none of the adults are communicating, hence stuff like no one blinking at a tennis racquet that looks different than the one that came to dropoff. It bleeds over into swim team and meet culture- if parents aren’t careful with stuff at home and shrug off mixed up possessions, kids won’t see grabbing someone else’s team shirt or cap as a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most kids keep an extra suit, cap and goggles in their swim bags. Never heard of kids going to lost and found. Borrow another kid, sure but not stealing.

If your kid is not a serious swimmer, which not every summer swim kid is, then why would they have extras?

The coaches at our pool regularly have to tell kids to go borrow a pair of goggles from the lost goggle bin at the desk. And then the kids return them after practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most kids keep an extra suit, cap and goggles in their swim bags. Never heard of kids going to lost and found. Borrow another kid, sure but not stealing.

If your kid is not a serious swimmer, which not every summer swim kid is, then why would they have extras?

The coaches at our pool regularly have to tell kids to go borrow a pair of goggles from the lost goggle bin at the desk. And then the kids return them after practice.

Better yet, our swimmers lend each other gear....as teammates should. Nobody takes anything out of each others' bags.