Reply to All Star Aquatics Swim (11-14)

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[quote=Anonymous]There are many downsides to ASA:

1. Yes, the coaches are fun but they aren't good at stroke training and they don't offer private lessons - so you have to go somewhere else for that. Mark Lewis is the best coach there.
2. The practices are disorganized because the lanes are a mess. My child had her arms scratched, her fins pulled off, and her arms twisted. She started to dread going to practice out of fear - and she had done well and made JO cut times. My daughter was too shy to complain to the coaches or the other swimmers. I did complain several times but nothing changed, and it would start looking strange for me to complain to coaches on a regular basis. It got even worse when COVID hit and there were no parents watching.
3. Even though it is a smaller team, your child can fall through the cracks - even if your child is a good swimmer and has great times. They had no clue that my daughter would make JO cut times and focus on their few favorites.
3. There is a parent board because ASA is a 501(c)(3). The Board seems to be self-selected and some of the board members serve just to benefit their own child. The Board has a great deal of power and can vote to kick a child off of the team - in some instances, false allegations are made by the Board resulting in a child losing their slot. There is no due process, and neither Bob Walker or anyone else will not talk to you. You will just be told that the Board has voted and the decision is final. There is no other team like that that I know of in this area so it is possible that you may have a fast swimmer that gets randomly kicked off because another parent feels their child is threatened by your child's success or because their child is a bully/trouble maker and your child happens to be the target.
4. ASA had faster and slower swimmers when we joined. When they lost their Boldger site combined with COVID, tons of kids who had been on the team for years were kicked off. My child was not one of the kids kicked off but several of her friends were - it really demonstrated the lack of stability at ASA.
5. ASA is extremely expensive as compared to other teams. Of course RMSC is government subsidized so it is very reasonable but ASA costs more than even NCAP and you get more for your money at NCAP. 
6. The summer swim program for ASA is early morning at Twinbrook. Twinbrook is a dirty and disgusting pool that is highly unpleasant. 
7. ASA's relationship with Stone Ridge is tenuous so ASA has to move around practices to accommodate the school making your life unpredictable.

I am comparing this experience to RMSC and NCAP.

RMSC has assigned spots for lanes and will move your child if they are stuck behind someone or vice versa. RMSC practices are extremely difficult because they are very focused on mileage and kick - sometimes they kick for 15 to 20 minutes straight. They are also more focused on stroke technique and give you the option of private lessons (it is not a requirement). You have to have a swimmer that loves the sport and has endurance. The cost is minimal and the Rockville facility is fantastic with great indoor and outdoor pools that are new. The coaches knew who my daughter was and knew her strengths and weaknesses. We met other former ASA swimmers and parents that had similar experiences. One of them had a daughter that was stuck in the lower group at ASA and has become a fast swimmer at RMSC. They felt that their daughter didn't get much attention in the lower group.

My daughter also tried out/participated in classes at several NCAP sites. The lanes were organized and they focused much more on stroke technique than ASA. There are very few breaks during an RMSC practice which can make it challenging. The NCAP practices had more time between sets to talk about technique and hydrate. We are going to try NCAP this year because it is something that my daughter is excited about and the location is closer.

If you do choose ASA, be prepared for drama and unpredictability. If your swimmer doesn't have perfect technique, you will also feel a sense of deep frustration when you seen no improvement. [/quote]

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