Tollefson Swim Team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So this family was at Toll for eight years, became a great swimmer with them, then you expect the team to shower then with affection when they leave?

Yeah the team handled it wrong for sure- they should have said bye, and let the kid go. But the kid is in for a surprise when they move- teams pay the most attention to their fastest swimmers. And the fastest kids at NCap are Olympic caliber swimmers and the rest of the swimmers are just there to pay the coaches’ salaries

Big fish little pond becomes small fish big pond. But hope it works out for the swimmer and next time this happens Toll just lets the kid go quietly- bc the kid may regret leaving anyway.

Regret is a waste of time, as is gloating. We all make decisions in life. How others react to those decisions is irrelevant unless their opinions matter - which in the vast majority of cases they don't. In the business world, long-time executives leave companies leave for competitors all the time. If a company handles such departure poorly enough, its reputation will suffer and executives from other companies will be hesitant to join that company.

In this swimming scenario, it sounds like Tollefson didn't want the kid swimming competitively for them for the remaining time because he's leaving for another team. Giving the kid a Tollefson competition slot means that another swimmer - who isn't leaving - won't get that slot. Can you blame Tollefson for wanting to give that slot to an ongoing paying customer, possibly for a kid who is an up-and-coming swimmer that just needs more competitive meet experience? Allowing the departing kid to practice for the remaining season would be reasonable (since his parents paid for it), but he shouldn't expect to receive much from the coaching staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this family was at Toll for eight years, became a great swimmer with them, then you expect the team to shower then with affection when they leave?

Yeah the team handled it wrong for sure- they should have said bye, and let the kid go. But the kid is in for a surprise when they move- teams pay the most attention to their fastest swimmers. And the fastest kids at NCap are Olympic caliber swimmers and the rest of the swimmers are just there to pay the coaches’ salaries

Big fish little pond becomes small fish big pond. But hope it works out for the swimmer and next time this happens Toll just lets the kid go quietly- bc the kid may regret leaving anyway.

Regret is a waste of time, as is gloating. We all make decisions in life. How others react to those decisions is irrelevant unless their opinions matter - which in the vast majority of cases they don't. In the business world, long-time executives leave companies leave for competitors all the time. If a company handles such departure poorly enough, its reputation will suffer and executives from other companies will be hesitant to join that company.

In this swimming scenario, it sounds like Tollefson didn't want the kid swimming competitively for them for the remaining time because he's leaving for another team. Giving the kid a Tollefson competition slot means that another swimmer - who isn't leaving - won't get that slot. Can you blame Tollefson for wanting to give that slot to an ongoing paying customer, possibly for a kid who is an up-and-coming swimmer that just needs more competitive meet experience? Allowing the departing kid to practice for the remaining season would be reasonable (since his parents paid for it), but he shouldn't expect to receive much from the coaching staff.

The big difference in this scenario is we are talking about a 12 year old kid not a 50 year old corporate exec. This is a bad look for TOLL, especially as they are trying to be competitive with the big clubs. Part of their hook is caring about the individual swimmers, blah blah blah, and this just flies in the face of that. My kid isn’t looking to switch clubs, but knowing this TOLL would never be an option for us.

[Anonymous]

The kid is older, not that that matters, but it’s normal to leave a club early if you’re moving teams. These teams are trying to get many of these kids ready for competitive swimming in college- there is no handholding. And the swimmers who aren’t as fast are just dollar signs for the clubs.

The kid did the right thing by being honest etc and is learning a hard lesson- leave it at that. But OP is very naive and should know they eill get even less customer service at a bigger club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The swimmer is 14 not 12 if that makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

The OP also sent the same exact post to existing TOLL swimmers via blind copy, posted this to DC Urban Mom, and stated they filed a complaint at USA Swimming. The OP is clearly hurt and a little naïve about the world of USA swimming. As a PP poster said, there are ALWAYS two sides to a story.

The 14 yr old swimmer is with the new club; the swimmer can swim in championships; the team did not block the swimmer’s transfer. When switching clubs, it is a USA swimming requirement to be unattached for 60 days (used to be 120). Unattached means that they are not-affiliated “officially” with a club, but that new coach can coach them at the meet (they just are not eligible to represent the team officially).

When one of my swimmers switched to TOLL, my swimmer practiced with TOLL that summer and was not charged by TOLL for practices, and we were NOT REIMBURSED by our old club for LC Season. This is NOT UNCOMMON.

If a swimmer wants to leave, most parents place their deposit down for the fall and leave after long course champs for a new team. This family chose not to, and these are the consequences as the team will invest in their future, not their past.

Full disclosure, I am a TOLL parent (my swimmers were on another team previous to TOLL) and have nothing but KUDOS for the team. My swimmers' gains at TOLL are amazing, and the personal coaching has been fantastic for us. Everyone will find a team that works for them; for us, TOLL works.

I hope the OP’s swimmer never becomes aware of this post. Unfortunately, it is already circulating in TOLL team group chats via text.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP also sent the same exact post to existing TOLL swimmers via blind copy, posted this to DC Urban Mom, and stated they filed a complaint at USA Swimming. The OP is clearly hurt and a little naïve about the world of USA swimming. As a PP poster said, there are ALWAYS two sides to a story.

The 14 yr old swimmer is with the new club; the swimmer can swim in championships; the team did not block the swimmer’s transfer. When switching clubs, it is a USA swimming requirement to be unattached for 60 days (used to be 120). Unattached means that they are not-affiliated “officially” with a club, but that new coach can coach them at the meet (they just are not eligible to represent the team officially).

When one of my swimmers switched to TOLL, my swimmer practiced with TOLL that summer and was not charged by TOLL for practices, and we were NOT REIMBURSED by our old club for LC Season. This is NOT UNCOMMON.

If a swimmer wants to leave, most parents place their deposit down for the fall and leave after long course champs for a new team. This family chose not to, and these are the consequences as the team will invest in their future, not their past.

Full disclosure, I am a TOLL parent (my swimmers were on another team previous to TOLL) and have nothing but KUDOS for the team. My swimmers' gains at TOLL are amazing, and the personal coaching has been fantastic for us. Everyone will find a team that works for them; for us, TOLL works.

I hope the OP’s swimmer never becomes aware of this post. Unfortunately, it is already circulating in TOLL team group chats via text.

The lack of reimbursement isn’t uncommon, you’re right. But it sounds like TOLL essentially kicked the kid out even though he intended to stay through LC champs season. That is the part of this whole story that I find to be petty AF, incredibly immature and something that would put me off if my kid was looking to join a club. Club swim at the highest levels is a business both ways. TOLL does not have a reputation for producing college level swimmers, it is what it is, so if your goal is to get to that level it is not surprising that you would look elsewhere. Just like if a coach left TOLL to take a higher paid position at a more prestigious club, totally understandable and part of the business. Throwing a hissy fit in response to something that is part of club swimming just shows that this is a club not used
to the upper echelons of the sport.

[Anonymous]

PP - Key WORD - SOUNDS LIKE... Please let me know if you have clarifying information or are a witness. Did you witness the "hissy fit?"

Have you switched teams in the middle of a long course and told your team during the season? Just curious.

There are TWO SIDES to every story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP - Key WORD - SOUNDS LIKE... Please let me know if you have clarifying information or are a witness. Did you witness the "hissy fit?"

Have you switched teams in the middle of a long course and told your team during the season? Just curious.

There are TWO SIDES to every story.

Well the only one being told here is the OP about the situation and what she described is exactly what I would term a hissy fit and petty AF. She also directly stated that her kid was cut from the team upon informing them he wouldn’t be returning next season. She didn’t say they were switching teams mid LC season, she just told them now they wouldn’t be returning next season.

[Anonymous]

PP... So you were not a witness, thanks for the confirmation.

This is all hearsay.

One person's interpretation is not the entire story. There are TWO SIDES to every story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP... So you were not a witness, thanks for the confirmation.

This is all hearsay.

One person's interpretation is not the entire story. There are TWO SIDES to every story.

You’ve repeated over and over that there’s 2 sides, but without knowing the second side it doesn’t change my opinion that the club handled it poorly and that it reflects badly on them to people considering joining the club.

[Anonymous]

No problem! My point is, you didn't witness the conversation, and you weren't part of it.

You have decided to take one person's interpretation for your opinion, which is your call.

I usually listen to all sides and since I have no feedback from the other party, I choose to stay neutral and not defame a team's character based on one post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP... So you were not a witness, thanks for the confirmation.

This is all hearsay.

One person's interpretation is not the entire story. There are TWO SIDES to every story.

You’ve repeated over and over that there’s 2 sides, but without knowing the second side it doesn’t change my opinion that the club handled it poorly and that it reflects badly on them to people considering joining the club.

Why do you care so much? You’re clearly not on Toll and who knows if you even swim.

People should judge not based on silly posts on an anonymous forum but based on personal experience- that said I am shocked more at the parent for posting here so obviously and outing their child. It obviously wasn’t a match so just move on, geez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP... So you were not a witness, thanks for the confirmation.

This is all hearsay.

One person's interpretation is not the entire story. There are TWO SIDES to every story.

You’ve repeated over and over that there’s 2 sides, but without knowing the second side it doesn’t change my opinion that the club handled it poorly and that it reflects badly on them to people considering joining the club.

Why do you care so much? You’re clearly not on Toll and who knows if you even swim.

People should judge not based on silly posts on an anonymous forum but based on personal experience- that said I am shocked more at the parent for posting here so obviously and outing their child. It obviously wasn’t a match so just move on, geez.

Well, if a team is basically kicking off a paid swimmer mid-season because they declared an intention to leave in the fall-- that's kind of a big deal. And if that idea caught on for all the PVS teams, that could affect my kids sooner or later. So if that's NOT what happened, just say so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP... So you were not a witness, thanks for the confirmation.

This is all hearsay.

One person's interpretation is not the entire story. There are TWO SIDES to every story.

You’ve repeated over and over that there’s 2 sides, but without knowing the second side it doesn’t change my opinion that the club handled it poorly and that it reflects badly on them to people considering joining the club.

Why do you care so much? You’re clearly not on Toll and who knows if you even swim.

People should judge not based on silly posts on an anonymous forum but based on personal experience- that said I am shocked more at the parent for posting here so obviously and outing their child. It obviously wasn’t a match so just move on, geez.

My kid swims with a big club. We actually considered TOLL when they first started but wanted a more competitive club and had heard some less than flattering things about some of the coaches.

[Anonymous]

You keep posting- are you OP? Why do you care??? Get over it. My kid was recruited by other teams and they wanted them to switch mid-season. All this stuff is to be expected.