Best swimming instruction for swim team prep

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

Summer teams vary so much in this area. If you find a pool with a very small team (less than 60 kids) then they will pretty much any kid with a pulse to fill a lane and teach them what they need to know. Once you get to teams over 120, it is a very different story. They generally have swimmers and some very good ones. So they have levels to their kids and where kids are placed for the summer. It sounds like OP is trying to give her kid a chance to getting on the competitive team. The minimum of that is usually back and free - 25 metes if under the age of 8 and 50 meters if older than that. If your kid is legal in fly or breaststroke - particularly at a young age they will take you and put you in a lane.

At most pools, during the summer, any kid can swim in the mid-week meets against other pools in at least one stroke regardless of ability (minimum requirement being making it the length of the pool for her 7yo). Competitive teams are the ones swimming Saturday mornings.

The idea of being at interminable B meet for my kid to do one lap of freestyle makes my head hurt.

You don’t have to stay for the whole meet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

Summer teams vary so much in this area. If you find a pool with a very small team (less than 60 kids) then they will pretty much any kid with a pulse to fill a lane and teach them what they need to know. Once you get to teams over 120, it is a very different story. They generally have swimmers and some very good ones. So they have levels to their kids and where kids are placed for the summer. It sounds like OP is trying to give her kid a chance to getting on the competitive team. The minimum of that is usually back and free - 25 metes if under the age of 8 and 50 meters if older than that. If your kid is legal in fly or breaststroke - particularly at a young age they will take you and put you in a lane.

At most pools, during the summer, any kid can swim in the mid-week meets against other pools in at least one stroke regardless of ability (minimum requirement being making it the length of the pool for her 7yo). Competitive teams are the ones swimming Saturday mornings.

The idea of being at interminable B meet for my kid to do one lap of freestyle makes my head hurt.

You don’t have to stay for the whole meet.

Except the whole point of summer swim is the fun swim atmosphere, bringing your kid to swim one of the first events and then leaving isn’t the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

Summer teams vary so much in this area. If you find a pool with a very small team (less than 60 kids) then they will pretty much any kid with a pulse to fill a lane and teach them what they need to know. Once you get to teams over 120, it is a very different story. They generally have swimmers and some very good ones. So they have levels to their kids and where kids are placed for the summer. It sounds like OP is trying to give her kid a chance to getting on the competitive team. The minimum of that is usually back and free - 25 metes if under the age of 8 and 50 meters if older than that. If your kid is legal in fly or breaststroke - particularly at a young age they will take you and put you in a lane.

At most pools, during the summer, any kid can swim in the mid-week meets against other pools in at least one stroke regardless of ability (minimum requirement being making it the length of the pool for her 7yo). Competitive teams are the ones swimming Saturday mornings.

The idea of being at interminable B meet for my kid to do one lap of freestyle makes my head hurt.

Our team would not let that happen. You have to be able to make it across and not limp across. I have been to B meets where teams throw any kid in the water and it is bad manners. It drags the meet and the kid is not ready for it. If it looks like the kid might drown, they should not be in a meet yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

I don’t disagree that this area is crazy, but the quality of summer swim instruction varies greatly. Our summer league team is very large, and the kids get very little actual instruction, largely because of the sheer number of kids and varying levels of proficiency. There is 1 head coach (who at our pool did very little but kind of hang out and occasionally chase her toddler around), and there are some new HS grads and some of the HS aged kids doing most of the instruction. Is it fun for the kids, absolutely, is your kid going to learn how to be technically sound, not so much.

What's your endgame for a kid who is 7 years old?

I’m the PP you’re responding to but I don’t have a 7 year old. I was responding to someone who was under the impression that you would learn everything you need to know to swim better during summer swim, and I was just pointing out that I would not use summer swim as somewhere your kid will learn to swim properly.

Sorry, my question was intended for the OP. OP, what is your endgame for your 7yo? How good does your kid need to be at this age for you to swim for their local pool team this summer?

Also, some others have used the term "swim properly" (or something close to it). As a parent I want my kids to know how to swim, because it's a life skill/safety skill and I feel that summer swim or regular pool time is adequate to help them gain those skills and comfort. I don't expect them to know how to do the butterfly, flip turns, or proper breaststroke or backstroke techniques to be able to swim well enough to enjoy the pool and if they don't have an interest in it. My endgame may be different than the OP's--it probably is, and I'm curious to knowl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

I don’t disagree that this area is crazy, but the quality of summer swim instruction varies greatly. Our summer league team is very large, and the kids get very little actual instruction, largely because of the sheer number of kids and varying levels of proficiency. There is 1 head coach (who at our pool did very little but kind of hang out and occasionally chase her toddler around), and there are some new HS grads and some of the HS aged kids doing most of the instruction. Is it fun for the kids, absolutely, is your kid going to learn how to be technically sound, not so much.

What's your endgame for a kid who is 7 years old?

I’m the PP you’re responding to but I don’t have a 7 year old. I was responding to someone who was under the impression that you would learn everything you need to know to swim better during summer swim, and I was just pointing out that I would not use summer swim as somewhere your kid will learn to swim properly.

Sorry, my question was intended for the OP. OP, what is your endgame for your 7yo? How good does your kid need to be at this age for you to swim for their local pool team this summer?

Also, some others have used the term "swim properly" (or something close to it). As a parent I want my kids to know how to swim, because it's a life skill/safety skill and I feel that summer swim or regular pool time is adequate to help them gain those skills and comfort. I don't expect them to know how to do the butterfly, flip turns, or proper breaststroke or backstroke techniques to be able to swim well enough to enjoy the pool and if they don't have an interest in it. My endgame may be different than the OP's--it probably is, and I'm curious to knowl

For the 8 and unders they generally just expect that you can swim freestyle one length of the pool. Although as a PP noted above, some pools are more strict on that requirement than others. For purposes of meets though, they do have heats of all 4 strokes even for the 8 and unders. Some pools have a pre-team, which doesn’t compete in weekly meets, but maybe has a mini meet at the end of the season. What you are describing as your endgame sounds like a better fit for the pre team. What you will see as kids get older is that by the time you get to the 11-12 group (and even the 9-10s at competitive pools) many of the kids on the team are year round swimmers of varying intensities, not necessarily at a big club but doing stroke and turn or one of the more low key clubs.

[Anonymous]

My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Our pool requires free and back stroke - 8&U - 25 meters.

That doesn't guarantee a spot on the team, but will get you on the mini program. If you have good form and rotational breathing you will be on the main team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Your pool might not be that competitive and/or desperate for bodies. Some teams are overly large and simply do not have the lane space to take every kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Your pool might not be that competitive and/or desperate for bodies. Some teams are overly large and simply do not have the lane space to take every kid.

Can you cite some examples of pools that won't take a kid for the teams that compete in summer weeknight swim meets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Your pool might not be that competitive and/or desperate for bodies. Some teams are overly large and simply do not have the lane space to take every kid.

Can you cite some examples of pools that won't take a kid for the teams that compete in summer weeknight swim meets?

Not OP. But our pool Arlington Forest would put a kid on the mini-Tigers. Most pools in the upper divisions have a mini program where kids are not quite ready for the full team. Generally if your NVSL has a mini program listed on their swim site they have standards. A smattering of pools across varying divisions that have a mini program. I wish more pools would do it so as not to have the doggy paddler/drowing child swimming a B meet and holding it all up.

Poplar Heights
Arlington Forest
Woodley
Dominion Hills
Parklawn
Sleepy Hollow
Holmes Run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Your pool might not be that competitive and/or desperate for bodies. Some teams are overly large and simply do not have the lane space to take every kid.

Can you cite some examples of pools that won't take a kid for the teams that compete in summer weeknight swim meets?

We are Fairfax Swim and we have a mini program, the tadpoles - they are "team" but do not compete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Your pool might not be that competitive and/or desperate for bodies. Some teams are overly large and simply do not have the lane space to take every kid.

Can you cite some examples of pools that won't take a kid for the teams that compete in summer weeknight swim meets?

Not OP. But our pool Arlington Forest would put a kid on the mini-Tigers. Most pools in the upper divisions have a mini program where kids are not quite ready for the full team. Generally if your NVSL has a mini program listed on their swim site they have standards. A smattering of pools across varying divisions that have a mini program. I wish more pools would do it so as not to have the doggy paddler/drowing child swimming a B meet and holding it all up.

Poplar Heights
Arlington Forest
Woodley
Dominion Hills
Parklawn
Sleepy Hollow
Holmes Run.

I think it breaks down to the size of teams. Bigger teams have to diversify.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Your pool might not be that competitive and/or desperate for bodies. Some teams are overly large and simply do not have the lane space to take every kid.

Can you cite some examples of pools that won't take a kid for the teams that compete in summer weeknight swim meets?

Not OP. But our pool Arlington Forest would put a kid on the mini-Tigers. Most pools in the upper divisions have a mini program where kids are not quite ready for the full team. Generally if your NVSL has a mini program listed on their swim site they have standards. A smattering of pools across varying divisions that have a mini program. I wish more pools would do it so as not to have the doggy paddler/drowing child swimming a B meet and holding it all up.

Poplar Heights
Arlington Forest
Woodley
Dominion Hills
Parklawn
Sleepy Hollow
Holmes Run.

I think it breaks down to the size of teams. Bigger teams have to diversify.

Our pool has around 200 kids who are on the team and show up for practice, but we don't have a mini team. That makes B meets so painfully long that most of the A meet swimmers only show up if they want to post a time in a particular stroke and then leave. In terms of spirit, camaraderie, and just atmosphere it really is like two separate experiences. I can understand wanting your 7 year old good enough to make an a meet and that's the year where it's easiest because the kids who do winter swim haven't moved so far ahead that no summer swimmer will beat them out for a spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

As a parent who does private lessons for baseball and swimming for rec leagues - my kid is not naturally athletic. The quality of coaching from parent volunteers and HS/college kids varies wildly and my kid doesn't just naturally pick up on ways to improve. He needs 1:1 instructions on how to move his body, what to work towards, and most importantly WHY he should be doing the different skills. For sports I have played, I help him. For sports I don’t know how to coach, I outsource. If I don’t, my kid just doesn’t get it and then gets frustrated and wants to quit. But then he is sad because his friends are all together doing an activity he is not. We can afford the time and money for a bit of extra help, so why not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid did summer swim last year for the first time. She had to be able to swim a lap of the pool to be on the team. Not sure why you need to prep a 7yo for this?

Because not all 7yr olds can swim a lap?