How did you get your kid swimming well enough for swim team?

[Anonymous]

Weekly rec lessons got our kid there at 7, but the first few weeks of swim team were really hard for him. It’s better if you can find something that meets multiple times a week, even if it’s for a short period of time to get them to really learn without forgetting between lessons - you can then maintain with weekly lessons until swim season. We saw the most progress with 2 weeks of daily lessons (hard to find in winter). If she isn’t ready for swim team next summer I’d definitely recommend you go this route, or look for a pool with a pre-team.

My second kid was physically ready for swim team at a young 6, but not emotionally (the intensity freaked him out at the beginning of the season) so we held off a year.

[Anonymous]

OP, summer preteams do a good job of helping kids learn and adjust. Better than swim lessons IMO. We did a year of 30 min lessons in which my kid resisted floating and barely learned a thing. This summer, at age 4, he started preteam and did really well. He was proud of his swim cap and liked the teenage girl coach helpers.

[Anonymous]

We just signed our 5 and 6 year olds up for semi- private swim lessons. The sole purpose is to work on strokes and stamina so they can join swim team next year if they want to.

[Anonymous]

I would recommend doing some private lessons this year so that she really learns the strokes, especially free and back, and gains some endurance. Most summer teams will let you join if you can do one length free without holding onto the wall. You could do a chunk of private lessons through winter, then switch to a group lesson later in the year to save money. Also, keep taking her to a pool periodically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it such a priority for her to be on the swim team?
- For more high-level competitive swimmer

Lol, former

Because I think she'd like it?! She's a high energy kid who loves competition and the water. This is a kid who dove into the pool 2 million times in a row this summer until she figured out how to do a perfectly executed dive off of the diving board. She was still 4. She can quit swim team after one summer if it's not for her, but I'd like her to give it a go. It might be right up her alley.

For the record we've so tried ballet, soccer, gymnastics, ice skating, etc. It's good for 5 yos to try new things.

I coached summer swim team and it’s not the big deal you’re making it out to be. Plenty of kids join who can’t swim very well and they learn.

I haven't found a local club that accepts kids who can't swim 25m free, 25m back and tread water. I think we need to help get her these skills if she's going to be able to try swim team. At this point she's not a strong enough swimmer that I feel comfortable letting her swim alone, so pool trips require both me and her little sister swimming if she's not in a lesson. It is an ordeal does require a commitment to take her.

Honestly, those swim times mean nothing to me. I just want her to be good enough to give swimming a try. I figure I'll follow her interest from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it such a priority for her to be on the swim team?
- For more high-level competitive swimmer

Lol, former

Because I think she'd like it?! She's a high energy kid who loves competition and the water. This is a kid who dove into the pool 2 million times in a row this summer until she figured out how to do a perfectly executed dive off of the diving board. She was still 4. She can quit swim team after one summer if it's not for her, but I'd like her to give it a go. It might be right up her alley.

For the record we've so tried ballet, soccer, gymnastics, ice skating, etc. It's good for 5 yos to try new things.

I coached summer swim team and it’s not the big deal you’re making it out to be. Plenty of kids join who can’t swim very well and they learn.

I haven't found a local club that accepts kids who can't swim 25m free, 25m back and tread water. I think we need to help get her these skills if she's going to be able to try swim team. At this point she's not a strong enough swimmer that I feel comfortable letting her swim alone, so pool trips require both me and her little sister swimming if she's not in a lesson. It is an ordeal does require a commitment to take her.

Honestly, those swim times mean nothing to me. I just want her to be good enough to give swimming a try. I figure I'll follow her interest from there.

If that's what the pool requires, it's possible she might not be able to join until she's 7. Our pool used to have 25m free as the requirement, and my one son joined the team at 5. He was one of four 5 year olds on the team (I think). I thought he'd have more friends on the team this past summer at 6, but then, our pool switched to require 25m free and 25m back to join the team. So, only a few more kids were able to join the team and not the majority of his friends. I'm still hoping that next summer, at 7, the majority of his friends will be able to join the team!

I have a younger 3 y/o who is just starting swim lessons. I assume given the requirement is 25m free and 25m back, that she will NOT join the team at 5 like my middle guy. I am not in a rush - I sort of "messed up" with the middle guy putting him so early, but he was able to do it and I wanted to have him at the same time / place as my older son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it such a priority for her to be on the swim team?
- For more high-level competitive swimmer

Lol, former

Because I think she'd like it?! She's a high energy kid who loves competition and the water. This is a kid who dove into the pool 2 million times in a row this summer until she figured out how to do a perfectly executed dive off of the diving board. She was still 4. She can quit swim team after one summer if it's not for her, but I'd like her to give it a go. It might be right up her alley.

For the record we've so tried ballet, soccer, gymnastics, ice skating, etc. It's good for 5 yos to try new things.

I coached summer swim team and it’s not the big deal you’re making it out to be. Plenty of kids join who can’t swim very well and they learn.

I haven't found a local club that accepts kids who can't swim 25m free, 25m back and tread water. I think we need to help get her these skills if she's going to be able to try swim team. At this point she's not a strong enough swimmer that I feel comfortable letting her swim alone, so pool trips require both me and her little sister swimming if she's not in a lesson. It is an ordeal does require a commitment to take her.

Honestly, those swim times mean nothing to me. I just want her to be good enough to give swimming a try. I figure I'll follow her interest from there.

If that's what the pool requires, it's possible she might not be able to join until she's 7. Our pool used to have 25m free as the requirement, and my one son joined the team at 5. He was one of four 5 year olds on the team (I think). I thought he'd have more friends on the team this past summer at 6, but then, our pool switched to require 25m free and 25m back to join the team. So, only a few more kids were able to join the team and not the majority of his friends. I'm still hoping that next summer, at 7, the majority of his friends will be able to join the team!

I have a younger 3 y/o who is just starting swim lessons. I assume given the requirement is 25m free and 25m back, that she will NOT join the team at 5 like my middle guy. I am not in a rush - I sort of "messed up" with the middle guy putting him so early, but he was able to do it and I wanted to have him at the same time / place as my older son.

Thanks so much! This is really helpful. I had no idea when she would likely be able to meet these reqs. She's young for her grade so she'll be a rising 3rd grader the summer that she's 7. I'd like her to be able to participate with her friends so we'll talk to friends to see when they're likely to join.

It does sound like private or semi private lessons are the way to go. I'll look for break clinics, too. I don't think we're hard core enough to want to put her in twice weekly lessons at this point. Just good quality lessons and some extra swim time seem like enough for us.