I am a rep for a top third team and as we moved up I started getting more emails from families telling me that their kid would be the perfect addition to my team. They had fast kids and disclosed their club times so I would know just how fast their kiddo was.

I always asked if they were pool members and they would say no. I would tell them to sign up on the waitlist (about three years) and we would see them then.

Parents would get so mad and tell me that I should let them cut the line etc. It is a thing. I know families that have been recruited by coaches. It is just not something we do.

We tell our coaches we don't recruit, they our swimmers have to come from membership and there is not cutting the line. Even if the kid swims for our coach at their club.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

May be naïve question but aren't pools/memberships determined by neighborhood location etc.? are do some pools allow people to become members/jump waiting list regardless of where they live (if they have kid who's great swimmer)?

Very few are dictated by geographical boundaries. Donaldson Run is the only one I know that has an actual boundary. Everyone else has a very long list, but I’ve heard that Overlee will allow jumping off the list with a very good swimmer. No idea if that is just unfounded rumor. The wait list for that pool is like a decade long.

A lot of the lower level teams-you have to live in a certain HOA to swim at the pool no exceptions. So those teams can't recruit the way the private swim clubs can. Anyone who lives anywhere can join Tuckahoe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

May be naïve question but aren't pools/memberships determined by neighborhood location etc.? are do some pools allow people to become members/jump waiting list regardless of where they live (if they have kid who's great swimmer)?

Very few are dictated by geographical boundaries. Donaldson Run is the only one I know that has an actual boundary. Everyone else has a very long list, but I’ve heard that Overlee will allow jumping off the list with a very good swimmer. No idea if that is just unfounded rumor. The wait list for that pool is like a decade long.

Chesterbrook absolutely recruits.

Overlee recruits as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

May be naïve question but aren't pools/memberships determined by neighborhood location etc.? are do some pools allow people to become members/jump waiting list regardless of where they live (if they have kid who's great swimmer)?

There are teams that will allow membership to elite/good swimmers. This is all kept very quiet. Basically family reaches out and all of the sudden they are pool members or are able to rent a summer membership and be on the team. They let these families cut the line to get that swimmer.

Some pools are not limited by neighborhoods and can take anyone who is on their waitlist. A lot of the West Alexandria and Annandale area are able to do this. This will naturally allow them to have more potential swimmers.

Anonymous wrote:McLean wanted to be promoted.

Really or are they just saying that? Dowden got killed and put through the ringer. The other teams showed up to their pool and were rude. They called it a dump and complained about swimming there. Too small, way too shallow, etc. It was not good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

May be naïve question but aren't pools/memberships determined by neighborhood location etc.? are do some pools allow people to become members/jump waiting list regardless of where they live (if they have kid who's great swimmer)?

Very few are dictated by geographical boundaries. Donaldson Run is the only one I know that has an actual boundary. Everyone else has a very long list, but I’ve heard that Overlee will allow jumping off the list with a very good swimmer. No idea if that is just unfounded rumor. The wait list for that pool is like a decade long.

Chesterbrook absolutely recruits.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

May be naïve question but aren't pools/memberships determined by neighborhood location etc.? are do some pools allow people to become members/jump waiting list regardless of where they live (if they have kid who's great swimmer)?

Very few are dictated by geographical boundaries. Donaldson Run is the only one I know that has an actual boundary. Everyone else has a very long list, but I’ve heard that Overlee will allow jumping off the list with a very good swimmer. No idea if that is just unfounded rumor. The wait list for that pool is like a decade long.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

May be naïve question but aren't pools/memberships determined by neighborhood location etc.? are do some pools allow people to become members/jump waiting list regardless of where they live (if they have kid who's great swimmer)?

McLean wanted to be promoted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

+1

We have been the sacrificial lamb in D1 and it was hard. The younger kids got so demoralized, despite the efforts of our excellent coaching staff.

the sad part is that the other 3 teams are EXCELLENT teams with incredible swimmers but still it stinks to show up and lose every meet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

+1

We have been the sacrificial lamb in D1 and it was hard. The younger kids got so demoralized, despite the efforts of our excellent coaching staff.

Anonymous wrote:As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

I wish they would make a premier division for Tuckahoe, Chesterbrook, Overlee, and any other team that wants to recruit and build super teams. The other teams in Division 1 really are just tributes, as you note.

Anonymous wrote:We are relatively happy with our division this year. Can't wait for the summer to start!

Yawn

As a team rep I am not ready for summer

We ended up exactly where we expected.

My condolences to McLean who are this year's Div 1 tributes.

We are relatively happy with our division this year. Can't wait for the summer to start!