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[quote=Anonymous]Summer swim at a local pool is a great activity for any kid. Specific pools may differ, but here's how it works for our pool in Maryland.

For those who can can 'swim' enough not to drown upon entering the water, there is what is called "pre-team". Most kids who do pre-team are 4-8 though sometimes older kids do it too. It's run by coaches and older kids on the swim team get in the water and assist individual little kids.

Once you can swim a pool length approximating free-style (it can be messy!) you're ready for swim team. Most kids starting swim team are 6-8 though plenty of kids join older too. Practice is every day after school and in the mornings in the summer from Memorial day until mid-late July. There are plenty of kids who are just learning strokes, and also kids who are really proficient and swim in a club team year round. Faster kids swim in "A" meets and everyone else swims in "B" meets, and in addition to all the swimming, there are a ton of 'spirit' activities - Friday night potlucks and games, raft nights, pancake breakfast, special team cheers and dances. Many of the swim team kids stick around the pool most of the day and play with each other.

As kids get older, they can become pre-team assistance, "big buddies" to younger kids on the team, or even coaches. It's a great way to take on responsibility and build camaraderie with a big group of kids of all ages.

My kids love it. It's pretty much like camp for them - and all for ~$100 plus the cost of a swim suit. There is a lot of parent volunteering though to make it happen.

We also started doing winter swim, or 'club' swim. You definitely do not NEED to do that. Winter swim is all the exercise with none of the fun, and costs thousands of dollars. We only do winter swim because they love summer swim so much and wanted to become better swimmers. There are winter stroke clinics that are not as intense, and not as expensive, which are a good place to start if you think your child might like to do swim team next year but could stand to work on their strokes a bit first. As others have said, it's a bit late to join a team this summer since the season is already pretty well underway but it would be worth asking at your local pool.[/quote]

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