Summer swim absurd age rules

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not many people really care who wins Divisionals or All Stars. This is not something your kid will put on a college or private school app. There has to be an age cutoff /rule that does not create nonsensical administrative burdens for these volunteer-run swim teams.

Ha! We had a parent with his panties in a bunch because his kid was not in the event he wanted for Divisionals so that his kid could try for all star time. His kid never made any all star times all season for any event. Not even close but still wanted to try one last time in Divisionals. Some parents really care too much. They need a real life.

Was his kid one of the top two swimmers in that stroke?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

She'll be separated because she'll swim in the 9-10 age group and practice. All her friends will swim in the 11-12 age group and practice next summer. At our pool there's a 10u practice, a 14u and an 18u practice. She can't practice up or she won't be able to practice with her relay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

She'll be separated because she'll swim in the 9-10 age group and practice. All her friends will swim in the 11-12 age group and practice next summer. At our pool there's a 10u practice, a 14u and an 18u practice. She can't practice up or she won't be able to practice with her relay.

She'll make new friends then. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

She'll be separated because she'll swim in the 9-10 age group and practice. All her friends will swim in the 11-12 age group and practice next summer. At our pool there's a 10u practice, a 14u and an 18u practice. She can't practice up or she won't be able to practice with her relay.

She'll make new friends then. No big deal.

+1, I have found that my kid with an August birthday benefits from sometimes doing activities where she is the oldest. She gets plenty of practice being the youngest, the smallest, and the least experienced. Being the oldest allows them to work on leadership skills, makes it easier to practice good sportsmanship (it can be hard to practice sportsmanship when you are always last or always smallest, because it feels unfair), and enjoys having the younger kids in the group look up to her or ask her questions.

And then the next year she'll be back with classmates but also back to the youngest. It really is good to have both experiences. She will be a more well rounded person as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

She'll be separated because she'll swim in the 9-10 age group and practice. All her friends will swim in the 11-12 age group and practice next summer. At our pool there's a 10u practice, a 14u and an 18u practice. She can't practice up or she won't be able to practice with her relay.

I’ve been a swim parent a long time and “practicing with their relay” has never been a thing. Relay slots are fluid, both due to vacations and people being overtaken, and they’ve never been a focus at practice. They do relays for fun at the end of practice sometimes, but it’s not necessarily with the people doing a relay together during the meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

She'll be separated because she'll swim in the 9-10 age group and practice. All her friends will swim in the 11-12 age group and practice next summer. At our pool there's a 10u practice, a 14u and an 18u practice. She can't practice up or she won't be able to practice with her relay.

I’ve been a swim parent a long time and “practicing with their relay” has never been a thing. Relay slots are fluid, both due to vacations and people being overtaken, and they’ve never been a focus at practice. They do relays for fun at the end of practice sometimes, but it’s not necessarily with the people doing a relay together during the meet.

Yup, the only time my kid (who was in this exact age situation last year) practiced with her relay was the week between divisionals and all-stars. They didn’t practice together before the relay carnival that qualified them for all stars.

Both my summer swimmers just practice up with their friends during the years they aren’t in the same age division with the rest of their friends. It’s not a big deal at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

She'll be separated because she'll swim in the 9-10 age group and practice. All her friends will swim in the 11-12 age group and practice next summer. At our pool there's a 10u practice, a 14u and an 18u practice. She can't practice up or she won't be able to practice with her relay.

I’ve been a swim parent a long time and “practicing with their relay” has never been a thing. Relay slots are fluid, both due to vacations and people being overtaken, and they’ve never been a focus at practice. They do relays for fun at the end of practice sometimes, but it’s not necessarily with the people doing a relay together during the meet.

Yup, the only time my kid (who was in this exact age situation last year) practiced with her relay was the week between divisionals and all-stars. They didn’t practice together before the relay carnival that qualified them for all stars.

Both my summer swimmers just practice up with their friends during the years they aren’t in the same age division with the rest of their friends. It’s not a big deal at all.

+1. But NVSL has more relays built into the meet structure than MCSL does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys in our family with summer bdays less than a week apart. One went on time, the other waited a year. Both sets of parents made the correct call for their kid. Two very different kids who are both doing well academically and socially 5 years later.

Both kids have awesome summer swim bdays though!

How do you know the held back kid would not have been just fine in the proper grade. In summer swim the kids talk about ages and grades as well as classes.

What does it even mean that kids talk?

My kid will be a 10 yo rising 6th grader next summer. That means she'll be separated from all of her friends/classmates for all practices, relays, social events, etc. I'm sure it will be discussed that she's still grouped with the elementary aged kids while her friends/classmates are with the middle school group. If we'd redshirted then she'd be grouped with her classmates instead of the younger grade.

(She has a September birthday, so she'd be in the younger swim age group regardless of the cutoff.)

Mine has the same birthday. Come MS and HS they compare what grade they are in and what classes they are taking. So, at 13/14 yours will start high school and can either be in pre-algebra in 6th or in 8th. Why would she be separated. It goes by age and most age up the September birthdays or that was our experience.

She'll be separated because she'll swim in the 9-10 age group and practice. All her friends will swim in the 11-12 age group and practice next summer. At our pool there's a 10u practice, a 14u and an 18u practice. She can't practice up or she won't be able to practice with her relay.

Ask the head coach about having your child attend the MS practice. Our team allows this type of flexibility. Your DC is right on the cusp and It shouldn’t be a big deal, especially with moving into older age group practices since older kids tend to focus on winter swim practices over summer team practices.