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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The whole system is offensive. Mine were A meet kids and year round swimmers. But if they are all on the same team, they should all be able to swim at the same meet. Otherwise, why pay 200-300$ (or more ?) over your membership to have your kid attend packed, chaotic practices? Then get sent to the "B Meet" if your team is even "lucky" enough to have any.[/quote]

So don't join then.  You know how it works and you understand the terms of participation and you prefer not to live with them, which is understandable - no one thing suits everyone.  But some of us love summer swim and are willing to contribute to it.  Live and let live.[/quote]

fine, some kids will keep showing up to the A meets and the awards banquet and everyone else can "practice" 20 to a lane for an hour in freezing water then maybe go to a B meet. Its just bizarre. Teammates should be teammates.[/quote]

Yeah I agree with this and then the coaches and team reps are insanely peppy and act like everyone is having this amazing experience.  Our team at least is kind of cult-ish.  But meanwhile so many kids feel totally disconnected and end up quitting.  It's a weird environment and what other sport is like this for something that is supposed to be "fun"?  Genuinely curious if people have examples.  Any other sport, including a rec league, you are on a team and then you're all doing all the things together.  With competitive sports, they made and are part of the team and get some limited playing time.  This is like you got cut for varsity but stay on the team aren't you having a great time and show up to practice every day and go over there with the other kids who aren't very good and then we'll have separate games for you!  But you are included!!  We value you! I mean sorry kids see through this BS eventually.[/quote]

The catch is that the faster you swim, the more meets you get to attend.  It works that way all the way up to the Olympics.  And it sucks in winter club when a kid has a birthday and changes age groups: yesterday they were at the top of the heap and tomorrow they can't race the fun meet with all their friends that they've practiced months for because they don't have the cut for the next age up.

Even though swimming pits athletes against one another as individuals this way, the coaches, team reps, and other enthusiastic supporters of a successful summer swim team genuinely want the kids to have a good time, learn to be supportive of one another, and feel part of the team.  If you are hooked on the idea that only the A meets and the A meet kids matter, then I'm sorry that you seem to have connected with a team that isn't succeeding in its messaging and culture.

And yes, there are kids who leave swim because it turns out that their talents and their interests lie elsewhere.  And a bunch of them come back and swim every summer anyway, and they have a great time.  Some of them come to A meets they aren't swimming just to be with the team and with their friends.[/quote]

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