2026 Summer Swim Crazy - Word on the Street

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

Not to the families that belong to winning pools. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

Not to the families that belong to winning pools. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

People say this happens but the teams likely doing it deny it completely. But ten year waitlists would not get new young swimmers on the team.

If true, would definitely fall into crappy behavior for a summer league that is supposed to be fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

Not to the families that belong to winning pools. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

People say this happens but the teams likely doing it deny it completely. But ten year waitlists would not get new young swimmers on the team.

If true, would definitely fall into crappy behavior for a summer league that is supposed to be fun.

I'm ok either way with cutting. What happens between a swim team and their pool membership policies is their business. I don't see a practical impact at our mid-division pool (or lower divisions). On average, there's probably 6-8 kids who do club per team, and of that an even smaller portion are regularly making champs/AA-AAA cuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

Not to the families that belong to winning pools. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

People say this happens but the teams likely doing it deny it completely. But ten year waitlists would not get new young swimmers on the team.

If true, would definitely fall into crappy behavior for a summer league that is supposed to be fun.

I'm ok either way with cutting. What happens between a swim team and their pool membership policies is their business. I don't see a practical impact at our mid-division pool (or lower divisions). On average, there's probably 6-8 kids who do club per team, and of that an even smaller portion are regularly making champs/AA-AAA cuts.

True. For those upset with this, and likely on a waitlist, perhaps you should seek to join a different pool so that your kids don’t miss out on the summer fun experience of being on a summer swim team. OTOH, if you want to join a highly desirable pool, perhaps it’s less about your kids and more about you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

What NVSL or mcsl rule prohibits recruiting??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

What NVSL or mcsl rule prohibits recruiting??

None in NVSL. Only requirement in NVSL is that the swimmer is a member of the pool for which they compete for.

See page 68 of rule book.

Article IV – Competitor Eligibility
“An athlete whose Family has a bona fide membership at an NVSL
pool, established by the pool bylaws or other governing documents,
shall be eligible to compete for that pool in League activities.
“A. An athlete whose Family has more than one bona fide NVSL pool
membership is eligible to swim for only one pool and to dive for only
one pool during each season. League Rules Committees may, for
good cause shown, grant an exemption to permit a family to swim or
dive at a second pool during the current season.
“B. An athlete with individual swimming privileges at an NVSL pool,
rather than Family swimming privileges, shall not be eligible to
compete for that pool in League activities.
“C. An athlete whose Family membership at an NVSL pool does not
provide dive competition may dive for an NVSL pool that provides
such competition pursuant to its pool rules for dive team participation.
“D. Transparency - Any and all decisions on determination of eligibility
issued by the League Rules Committee under this Article shall be
made available in their entirety upon the request of any Member Pool
Team Representative.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

What NVSL or mcsl rule prohibits recruiting??

MCSL team transfer rules prohibit recruiting. However, those rules don’t prohibit kids from transferring if they have other legitimate reasons.

[Anonymous]

So parents and kids are allowed to be jerks as long as they win?

Wow.

Summer swim has really changed. So sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

Not to the families that belong to winning pools. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

People say this happens but the teams likely doing it deny it completely. But ten year waitlists would not get new young swimmers on the team.

If true, would definitely fall into crappy behavior for a summer league that is supposed to be fun.

Other than OKM (no waitlist, largely pulls from Lake Braddock school area), Hunt Valley (no waitlist, largely pulls from West Springfield school area), plus Fair Oaks and Crosspointe (both of which sort of have restrictions because of HOA/boundary restrictions), which teams in NVSL D1-D3 *don’t* have a waitlist? Because, to me, when teams DON’T have a waitlist but are only building teams within their current population (little kids who may become good swimmers notwithstanding), that’s much more impressive AND shows how much better their coaches are at developing young swimmers. This said, we swim in a top NVSL division, and very few of the teams actually have noticeable transfers from one team to another year to year, so other than a handful of exceptions we’ve noticed in the past few years, I don’t think this line-cutting-for-fast-kids is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

Not to the families that belong to winning pools. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

People say this happens but the teams likely doing it deny it completely. But ten year waitlists would not get new young swimmers on the team.

If true, would definitely fall into crappy behavior for a summer league that is supposed to be fun.

Other than OKM (no waitlist, largely pulls from Lake Braddock school area), Hunt Valley (no waitlist, largely pulls from West Springfield school area), plus Fair Oaks and Crosspointe (both of which sort of have restrictions because of HOA/boundary restrictions), which teams in NVSL D1-D3 *don’t* have a waitlist? Because, to me, when teams DON’T have a waitlist but are only building teams within their current population (little kids who may become good swimmers notwithstanding), that’s much more impressive AND shows how much better their coaches are at developing young swimmers. This said, we swim in a top NVSL division, and very few of the teams actually have noticeable transfers from one team to another year to year, so other than a handful of exceptions we’ve noticed in the past few years, I don’t think this line-cutting-for-fast-kids is happening.

Why the focus on Divisions 1-3? Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So parents and kids are allowed to be jerks as long as they win?

Wow.

Summer swim has really changed. So sad.

:shrug. there's jerks in all walks of life. that's nothing new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We had multiple families try to join our team based on their club times and get upset that they would have to get on the pool's waitlist. They thought there was a cut the line policy for fast kids.

Not sure if this is true or trolling, but many teams looking to move up divisions will move families with top club swimmers up the waitlist. This is reality (so don’t complain about line cutting), but shouldn’t be demanded by a family. It’s a conversation to be had discretely with the coach and reps.

This cannot be true. What the absolute hell? That shows lack of sportsmanship and not in the spirit of summer league. Also if coaches have to pad their roster with ringers, that shows poor coaching and not working with the talent you have.

It absolutely is true. Rules prohibit recruiting, but line cutting isn’t recruiting.

That is disgusting.

Not to the families that belong to winning pools. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

People say this happens but the teams likely doing it deny it completely. But ten year waitlists would not get new young swimmers on the team.

If true, would definitely fall into crappy behavior for a summer league that is supposed to be fun.

Other than OKM (no waitlist, largely pulls from Lake Braddock school area), Hunt Valley (no waitlist, largely pulls from West Springfield school area), plus Fair Oaks and Crosspointe (both of which sort of have restrictions because of HOA/boundary restrictions), which teams in NVSL D1-D3 *don’t* have a waitlist? Because, to me, when teams DON’T have a waitlist but are only building teams within their current population (little kids who may become good swimmers notwithstanding), that’s much more impressive AND shows how much better their coaches are at developing young swimmers. This said, we swim in a top NVSL division, and very few of the teams actually have noticeable transfers from one team to another year to year, so other than a handful of exceptions we’ve noticed in the past few years, I don’t think this line-cutting-for-fast-kids is happening.

Why the focus on Divisions 1-3? Just curious.

Presumption here, but the above cut-the-line policy allegations, which come up year-to-year (because drama) tend to focus on NVSL D1-2 ITB teams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So parents and kids are allowed to be jerks as long as they win?

Wow.

Summer swim has really changed. So sad.

:shrug. there's jerks in all walks of life. that's nothing new.

You can call them jerks, but it’s the team and pool who accept them. Yet you still want to join that pool? Again, that says a lot….