Missing school for big sports events

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If any of your kids participate in a high level/travel sport, how do you handle events that require missed school time? My fourth grader has become very good, very quickly, at swimming and is qualifying for big multiple-day swim meets, many of them out of town. Its not like it’s all the time but seems to working out to a couple days, every other month or so. I am excited for him and want him to enjoy these opportunities but also feel a bit ridiculous taking a nine year old out of school for a sport. Of course there is some pressure from coaches to attend but I also know I can decline. Do you take your kid out of school for a sport? If so, how many times a school year and how do you approach it with the school? Thanks for any advice.

Why is your fourth grader traveling for swimming once every other month? It makes sense to miss school for a championship meet in December and March, but monthly travel seems extreme at nine.

Also curious- not in the DC area I would guess?

[Anonymous]

4th Grade = doesn't matter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If any of your kids participate in a high level/travel sport, how do you handle events that require missed school time? My fourth grader has become very good, very quickly, at swimming and is qualifying for big multiple-day swim meets, many of them out of town. Its not like it’s all the time but seems to working out to a couple days, every other month or so. I am excited for him and want him to enjoy these opportunities but also feel a bit ridiculous taking a nine year old out of school for a sport. Of course there is some pressure from coaches to attend but I also know I can decline. Do you take your kid out of school for a sport? If so, how many times a school year and how do you approach it with the school? Thanks for any advice.

Why is your fourth grader traveling for swimming once every other month? It makes sense to miss school for a championship meet in December and March, but monthly travel seems extreme at nine.

Sometimes advanced groups travel more for more/faster competition, even at younger ages. It really does make a difference for swimming development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If any of your kids participate in a high level/travel sport, how do you handle events that require missed school time? My fourth grader has become very good, very quickly, at swimming and is qualifying for big multiple-day swim meets, many of them out of town. Its not like it’s all the time but seems to working out to a couple days, every other month or so. I am excited for him and want him to enjoy these opportunities but also feel a bit ridiculous taking a nine year old out of school for a sport. Of course there is some pressure from coaches to attend but I also know I can decline. Do you take your kid out of school for a sport? If so, how many times a school year and how do you approach it with the school? Thanks for any advice.

Why is your fourth grader traveling for swimming once every other month? It makes sense to miss school for a championship meet in December and March, but monthly travel seems extreme at nine.

Also curious- not in the DC area I would guess?

That would be my guess too, or maybe a small club?

Around here, it’s just not common to have Friday events that require missing school all day. My kids have always been top level at one of the big clubs and have only been out in December and March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School comes before sport. You are limiting their choices in life by focusing on their sport that may not work out in the future.

Based on the dumbing down of school, most smart kids can miss a day here and there and still get straight A’s. Unless your kid is really struggling, let them enjoy something they’ll only get to enjoy while they’re kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If any of your kids participate in a high level/travel sport, how do you handle events that require missed school time? My fourth grader has become very good, very quickly, at swimming and is qualifying for big multiple-day swim meets, many of them out of town. Its not like it’s all the time but seems to working out to a couple days, every other month or so. I am excited for him and want him to enjoy these opportunities but also feel a bit ridiculous taking a nine year old out of school for a sport. Of course there is some pressure from coaches to attend but I also know I can decline. Do you take your kid out of school for a sport? If so, how many times a school year and how do you approach it with the school? Thanks for any advice.

Why is your fourth grader traveling for swimming once every other month? It makes sense to miss school for a championship meet in December and March, but monthly travel seems extreme at nine.

Sometimes advanced groups travel more for more/faster competition, even at younger ages. It really does make a difference for swimming development.

Not at nine years old. If anything, a fast nine-year-old would benefit from building confidence from winning events and learning to race herself. So many fast swimmers burn out once they reach high school because they have been introduced to a high school level commitment at a young age.

[Anonymous]

Just as an aside -- for the swimming folks -- to achieve an officially recognized US Swim time -- for any and all purposes, including but not limited to, setting an official US record and qualifying for the Olympic trials -- you need to meet the US Swim Rules for qualifying times under 102.74. As stated in the US Swim rulebook -- An official time can be achieved only (a) in a USA Swimming sanctioned event, or (b) in a USA Swimming approved competition, or (c) in an observed swim timed in accordance with all applicable rules. So -- want to set a USA record? You can do it at the local Y if the timing rules are followed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just as an aside -- for the swimming folks -- to achieve an officially recognized US Swim time -- for any and all purposes, including but not limited to, setting an official US record and qualifying for the Olympic trials -- you need to meet the US Swim Rules for qualifying times under 102.74. As stated in the US Swim rulebook -- An official time can be achieved only (a) in a USA Swimming sanctioned event, or (b) in a USA Swimming approved competition, or (c) in an observed swim timed in accordance with all applicable rules. So -- want to set a USA record? You can do it at the local Y if the timing rules are followed.

this is so weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just as an aside -- for the swimming folks -- to achieve an officially recognized US Swim time -- for any and all purposes, including but not limited to, setting an official US record and qualifying for the Olympic trials -- you need to meet the US Swim Rules for qualifying times under 102.74. As stated in the US Swim rulebook -- An official time can be achieved only (a) in a USA Swimming sanctioned event, or (b) in a USA Swimming approved competition, or (c) in an observed swim timed in accordance with all applicable rules. So -- want to set a USA record? You can do it at the local Y if the timing rules are followed.

this is so weird.

Dear poster that thinks you can get qualified times by swimming in your backyard pool,
So let’s wrangle together a bunch of USA swimming officials for each high school meet. /s

You’re delusional and need to stay in your lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If any of your kids participate in a high level/travel sport, how do you handle events that require missed school time? My fourth grader has become very good, very quickly, at swimming and is qualifying for big multiple-day swim meets, many of them out of town. Its not like it’s all the time but seems to working out to a couple days, every other month or so. I am excited for him and want him to enjoy these opportunities but also feel a bit ridiculous taking a nine year old out of school for a sport. Of course there is some pressure from coaches to attend but I also know I can decline. Do you take your kid out of school for a sport? If so, how many times a school year and how do you approach it with the school? Thanks for any advice.

Why is your fourth grader traveling for swimming once every other month? It makes sense to miss school for a championship meet in December and March, but monthly travel seems extreme at nine.

Also curious- not in the DC area I would guess?

NP and also curious. What meets? Is your 9 year old in the Toyota US Open going on this week? LOL

All joking aside, I am genuinely curious as I have a 10 year old swimmer that also has cuts for "big" multiple day swim meets, and the only meets on our horizon as an age grouper are NSCA in March, ISCA in April, Eastern Zone AG Champs and the MD LSC 14&U champ meet in March (we swim in a club in the Maryland Swimming LSC).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just as an aside -- for the swimming folks -- to achieve an officially recognized US Swim time -- for any and all purposes, including but not limited to, setting an official US record and qualifying for the Olympic trials -- you need to meet the US Swim Rules for qualifying times under 102.74. As stated in the US Swim rulebook -- An official time can be achieved only (a) in a USA Swimming sanctioned event, or (b) in a USA Swimming approved competition, or (c) in an observed swim timed in accordance with all applicable rules. So -- want to set a USA record? You can do it at the local Y if the timing rules are followed.

this is so weird.

Dear poster that thinks you can get qualified times by swimming in your backyard pool,
So let’s wrangle together a bunch of USA swimming officials for each high school meet. /s

You’re delusional and need to stay in your lane.

No -- you are a snob -- and wrong. You can set a record, or qualify for the Olympic trials, swimming in a high school pool as long as the timing requirements are met, and these days lots of high school pools are better than college pools. Mostly a matter of how new, and when last renovated. US Swimming is not going to miss out on a potential medal winner, because they happen to swim for some small town high school. If they can swim fast -- good for them. They will have plenty of opportunities to get a qualifying time.

[Anonymous]

There are very very few sports where anything at all important is done before age 15. Maybe gymnastics and figure skating. Maybe.

In figure skating, you are over the hill if you haven't met certain benchmarks by 12 (i.e., landed double axel and preferably a triple or two). Serious skaters train hours a day starting early on, usually by mid-elementary school. Most do online school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just as an aside -- for the swimming folks -- to achieve an officially recognized US Swim time -- for any and all purposes, including but not limited to, setting an official US record and qualifying for the Olympic trials -- you need to meet the US Swim Rules for qualifying times under 102.74. As stated in the US Swim rulebook -- An official time can be achieved only (a) in a USA Swimming sanctioned event, or (b) in a USA Swimming approved competition, or (c) in an observed swim timed in accordance with all applicable rules. So -- want to set a USA record? You can do it at the local Y if the timing rules are followed.

this is so weird.

Dear poster that thinks you can get qualified times by swimming in your backyard pool,
So let’s wrangle together a bunch of USA swimming officials for each high school meet. /s

You’re delusional and need to stay in your lane.

No -- you are a snob -- and wrong. You can set a record, or qualify for the Olympic trials, swimming in a high school pool as long as the timing requirements are met, and these days lots of high school pools are better than college pools. Mostly a matter of how new, and when last renovated. US Swimming is not going to miss out on a potential medal winner, because they happen to swim for some small town high school. If they can swim fast -- good for them. They will have plenty of opportunities to get a qualifying time.

"Timing requirements" also means appropriate officials and such. That just isn't how a regular season HS dual/tri meet is run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dd misses a few days/half days a year for swim meets. She’s a good student and catches up quickly. She goes out of her way to choose events that will get her out of school 500 fly? Why yes, sounds awesome!

Lol, this is so true. My DD has not caught on yet that the distance events are more likely to get her out of school, but I’m sure when she does she will suddenly have an interest in doing distance fly (she avoids fly to the extent possible now, so it will be an easy tell!).

Just curious but why is that?

Because distance events take much longer, so they are often scheduled on Fridays, while the rest of the meet, with many more swimmers, runs on the weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just as an aside -- for the swimming folks -- to achieve an officially recognized US Swim time -- for any and all purposes, including but not limited to, setting an official US record and qualifying for the Olympic trials -- you need to meet the US Swim Rules for qualifying times under 102.74. As stated in the US Swim rulebook -- An official time can be achieved only (a) in a USA Swimming sanctioned event, or (b) in a USA Swimming approved competition, or (c) in an observed swim timed in accordance with all applicable rules. So -- want to set a USA record? You can do it at the local Y if the timing rules are followed.

this is so weird.

Dear poster that thinks you can get qualified times by swimming in your backyard pool,
So let’s wrangle together a bunch of USA swimming officials for each high school meet. /s

You’re delusional and need to stay in your lane.

No -- you are a snob -- and wrong. You can set a record, or qualify for the Olympic trials, swimming in a high school pool as long as the timing requirements are met, and these days lots of high school pools are better than college pools. Mostly a matter of how new, and when last renovated. US Swimming is not going to miss out on a potential medal winner, because they happen to swim for some small town high school. If they can swim fast -- good for them. They will have plenty of opportunities to get a qualifying time.

NP, but this isn’t a question of snobbery or the age of the pool. There are no recent medal winners that weren’t linked in to club swimming when they were kids. There are also probably very few D1 swimmers that aren’t connected with a club. Even the swimmer from Alaska who won a gold at the Olympics this summer was with a club. You aren’t getting the same level of training and preparation just swimming at your high school pool or YMCA. You’re selling these athletes way short if you think that it’s just a matter of jumping in the pool and doing some laps.