Anonymous wrote:I think the intense winter swim programs are akin to travel sports but travel sports doesn’t even mean anything anymore. The companies have realized that it’s a moneymaker to admit as many kids as possible onto these teams so anyone can do travel who wants to pay for it now. Back in the day there might’ve been cuts to make the team - now they just have multiple levels of teams to give everybody who wants to participate a slot.

This is true.

Anonymous wrote:Swim is kind of a different animal than other travel sports.

In swim people don't call it travel. It's club swim.

Club swim has meets where anyone can swim and meets that you need to qualify. There are also meets where anyone can swim but then best times only are invited to swim in final heats. Meets you need to travel far for (as in get on a plane), you're going to need to have qualifying times.

So other travel sports are basically equivalent to club swim? That's really what I was wondering.

Anonymous wrote:Each sport is different. What sport are you talking about?

Anything but swimming? Just want to make sure I'm on the same page when I talk with friends.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After a certain level or age most swimmers travel for meets

Not true if soccer or basketball, baseball etc

Travel means more just than time in the car. It usually means competition on back to back (or even 3) days in a row. Plus 1-2 overnight stays.

Not just a long drive to a swim meet

Swim meets that require travel are typically 3-4 days long with morning prelims and afternoon finals. As a parent of club soccer and club swim kids, I’ll say that the big swim meets are WAY more grueling and exhausting than soccer tournaments. They are often there from 7 am - 8/9pm, swimming 6-7 events a day, with a 3 hour break between. There’s no time to take the team out to pizza or hang in the hotel pool afterwards. Kids eat together between sessions and grab something quickly at night before falling into bed. Travel soccer tournaments are leisurely in comparison.

But the main difference is that only some of the swimmers will qualify for these meets based on times, so not all the club travels. I think “travel” is a distinction that sports use to say they play at a more competitive level, even though they could be traveling to tournaments that aren’t any more competitive than the local ones. Yes, many travel teams are elite, but some travel to tournaments and play in the bronze flight. That concept is rare in swim. Some teams will pick a destination meet with easier time standards, but it still has them.

Kids swim locally to achieve times to qualify for big meets. These meets are well known by their time standards and there’s no local equivalent. The goal is to get to travel to these meets, and usually only a small percentage of the team, 10-20%, is able to qualify.

Each sport is different. What sport are you talking about?

Anonymous wrote:I think the intense winter swim programs are akin to travel sports but travel sports doesn’t even mean anything anymore. The companies have realized that it’s a moneymaker to admit as many kids as possible onto these teams so anyone can do travel who wants to pay for it now. Back in the day there might’ve been cuts to make the team - now they just have multiple levels of teams to give everybody who wants to participate a slot.

For older kids wanting to join a swim team, there are evaluations. I've been to those with my kid and it reminded me of a travel soccer try out. he slow kids are pitched swim team prep classes or told that they'll hear by the end of the week. Meanwhile, the kids who are fast with good form have coaches starting to already talk to them and sell the club and discussing placement on the spot.

Swim is kind of a different animal than other travel sports.

In swim people don't call it travel. It's club swim.

Club swim has meets where anyone can swim and meets that you need to qualify. There are also meets where anyone can swim but then best times only are invited to swim in final heats. Meets you need to travel far for (as in get on a plane), you're going to need to have qualifying times.

Anonymous wrote:After a certain level or age most swimmers travel for meets

Not true if soccer or basketball, baseball etc

Rec soccer turns into the suburban friendship league which has as much travel as a low level travel team. The big difference is that anyone can sign up

I think the intense winter swim programs are akin to travel sports but travel sports doesn’t even mean anything anymore. The companies have realized that it’s a moneymaker to admit as many kids as possible onto these teams so anyone can do travel who wants to pay for it now. Back in the day there might’ve been cuts to make the team - now they just have multiple levels of teams to give everybody who wants to participate a slot.

Anonymous wrote:After a certain level or age most swimmers travel for meets

Not true if soccer or basketball, baseball etc

Travel means more just than time in the car. It usually means competition on back to back (or even 3) days in a row. Plus 1-2 overnight stays.

Not just a long drive to a swim meet

- Tryouts / cuts to make the team
- more frequent/dedicated practices
- More games
- Expectation of doing sport specific drills/workouts on off days
- No playing time minimums

the lack of playing time can be the toughest part for a kid switching from rec to travel. For example, in baseball/softball, in tournaments, the coach has the option to play just the best 9.

We've seen families spend a close to a thousand dollars on hotels, gas, food, dogsitting, etc., to drive 4-5 hours and their kid doesnt play. Or their kid only played 1 or 2 innings of pool play after the game was basically decided.

After a certain level or age most swimmers travel for meets

Not true if soccer or basketball, baseball etc

Is there a tryout with the possibility of not making a team? If so, travel. If not, rec.

Who cares?

Is it as opposed to rec center/parks and school? Our kids swim, and even though we travel, it's not a term we use.