I would not consider moving up groups in club swim and doing 2 a days unless your kid is really fast or you have reason to believe your kid will be really fast (hasn’t hit puberty, both parents really tall, etc). I also wouldn’t do it unless the kid is begging to do it and is really committed to swimming. Don’t worry about what the coach wants you to do. Worry about what your kid wants to do.

Club swim is ultimately about money. Yes they want to win races, meets, etc., but they really want to pay themselves and coaches and staff more.

Anonymous wrote:I swam 2x a day with weeknight and weekend meets in HS in the 90s and somehow I found time to take multiple AP classes, be president of French club, chair my instrument in band, play in jazz band, and do a bunch of other stuff.

The 90s were different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD played only soccer and is in a top 5 school right now. Just soccer.

English please

NP. How is this not English?

I swam 2x a day with weeknight and weekend meets in HS in the 90s and somehow I found time to take multiple AP classes, be president of French club, chair my instrument in band, play in jazz band, and do a bunch of other stuff.

College admissions officers like to see sustained commitment to an activity.

Two PPs are exactly right. At some point, if your kid has the interest and talent "a single club (varsity) sport will get a kid into college" and pursuing that path may be the way to go.

Our club doesn't have kids doing doubles (and it's 1-2 per week) until 9th grade (sometimes well into the year even) though, and I think this is smart approach. We were not doing that at 13.

My kid has committed to a D1 program.

With swimming the choice seems to be (1) focus 100% on swimming with little or no room for anything else or (2) swim for fun and have time for other things. Approach #2 is totally feasible to do (lower level practice group like RMSC seniors and/or high school team and summer swim) but if kids want to see how far they can get with swimming, possibly swim in college, etc. you do #1.

We just went through this choice with my own high school freshman. For now he is choosing #1 but it was a hard choice, and I would not be at all surprised (and frankly, would be very supportive!) if sophomore year he switches to approach #2.

If your kid is trying to swim in college, which many club high school swimmers are, then focusing on swimming is exactly the right thing to do. If your kid doesn't want to swim in college, then s/he should either (1) quit club swimming and just swim high school + summer (very common option), or (2) move down the a less intense club group (at NCAP, for example, that would be Silver 2 or Gold 3).

DD played only soccer and is in a top 5 school right now. Just soccer.

This again? You already asked this earlier.

What do you mean? Both of my kids only played one sport and not much else for ECs and both are in college right now.

Anonymous wrote:IME they are focused on having a winning team- not an individual kid’s college admissions.

This. Duh.

IME they are focused on having a winning team- not an individual kid’s college admissions.

13 year DS is a fairly decent swimmer and wants to continue swimming in high school. We're concerned the schedule won't allow for any other EC's, and with college applications eventually coming, that's an issue. I know we'll be make it work, but I guess my question is, why don't coaches understand that a single varsity sport won't get a kid into college? What's the endgame with 2x a day practices? Focusing so much on a single activity would seem to be counterproductive, right?