If you live in SE DC some of the pools in south FFX county could work for you. I don’t know which have open membership or short waitlists though. Ours allows members from outside of the community, but the wait list is years long. Look up the pool map from NVSL and call around!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the details! Especially regarding dates for sign up. I'll be looking into both TPDC and the DCPR summer league (and DC Wave Juniors).

One more question: what are people's experiences/recommendations with getting your child's level assessed with either of these organizations? Since we've just been at a swim school the last few years, I have no sense of how this works. Is it intimidating? Do they ever just say "your kids not ready for swim team"? Even pre-team? I want to make sure I'm prepared for how it works so I can adequately prepare my kid (don't want to make promises I can't keep!).

For TPDC this past year, there were a few kids who dropped out after the first practice if they were uncomfortable swimming laps across the 25 yard pool. It was fine, they got refunded. It was based on their comfort level. The team worked with any kids who were slower swimmers and they were in a slower lane. It was really about level of disruption to the flow of practice. I would say that if you’re able to take your child to a lap pool and get them comfortable swimming a lap, that would go a long way. Like start in March or April of next year before the season. It feels more intimidating when the lane ropes are up.

Thank you for this. DC is still building up to swimming laps -- needs to refine some things about the basic strokes before they switch into full lane classes as opposed to the half-lane classes. I'll pay attention to this and see where we are at in the spring.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the details! Especially regarding dates for sign up. I'll be looking into both TPDC and the DCPR summer league (and DC Wave Juniors).

One more question: what are people's experiences/recommendations with getting your child's level assessed with either of these organizations? Since we've just been at a swim school the last few years, I have no sense of how this works. Is it intimidating? Do they ever just say "your kids not ready for swim team"? Even pre-team? I want to make sure I'm prepared for how it works so I can adequately prepare my kid (don't want to make promises I can't keep!).

For TPDC this past year, there were a few kids who dropped out after the first practice if they were uncomfortable swimming laps across the 25 yard pool. It was fine, they got refunded. It was based on their comfort level. The team worked with any kids who were slower swimmers and they were in a slower lane. It was really about level of disruption to the flow of practice. I would say that if you’re able to take your child to a lap pool and get them comfortable swimming a lap, that would go a long way. Like start in March or April of next year before the season. It feels more intimidating when the lane ropes are up.

OP here. We live in SE DC, so Bethesda is a hike for us. Takoma Park and parts of PG County or Silver Spring might be manageable, but thinking about the time commitment of summer swim, I do think the closer the better. I'm willing to drive but I want to be realistic about what that commitment looks like, especially since we both work (though I have a lot of flexibility and can arrange to make time for this in the summer for sure). So I'm definitely looking hard at the DC summer league through DCPR as that might be the most manageable option. But since the whole point of this is for it to be a great experience for DC to have fun, gain some swimming skills and confidence, and make friends, I want to make sure I consider all options.

I’m not sure where you live but my DC kids swam for the Bethesda Barracudas, a team sponsored by the Montgomery Co Rec Dept. They swim at the outdoor pool in Bethesda on Little Falls.

OP here. Thanks for the details! Especially regarding dates for sign up. I'll be looking into both TPDC and the DCPR summer league (and DC Wave Juniors).

One more question: what are people's experiences/recommendations with getting your child's level assessed with either of these organizations? Since we've just been at a swim school the last few years, I have no sense of how this works. Is it intimidating? Do they ever just say "your kids not ready for swim team"? Even pre-team? I want to make sure I'm prepared for how it works so I can adequately prepare my kid (don't want to make promises I can't keep!).

Anonymous wrote:TPDC was back up and running this season. Practices started at the very end of May and the final swim meet for PMSL was in late July. They have an amazing coach and are trying to build the team back to pre Covid participation levels. We had a very small team this year because DC DPR approved the permits for Takoma Aquatic in mid spring. You can check their IG around Feb/March 2024 for signup for next season. It’s a lovely team and my kids had the most fun on it this summer.

+1

If we were just starting out, we would join TPDC.

The DC dor summer swim league wasn’t hard to get into if you pay attn to the sign up day and time. It is always in mid May for sign up. It’s an extension of DC Wave but for the summer so it’s the DC Wave coaches who lead each pool.

TPDC was back up and running this season. Practices started at the very end of May and the final swim meet for PMSL was in late July. They have an amazing coach and are trying to build the team back to pre Covid participation levels. We had a very small team this year because DC DPR approved the permits for Takoma Aquatic in mid spring. You can check their IG around Feb/March 2024 for signup for next season. It’s a lovely team and my kids had the most fun on it this summer.

Adelphi, Belair, West Hillandale all have short summer lists. Cheverly is slightly shorter than PG but still a few years.

Anonymous wrote:What neighborhood in DC are you in? If Takoma DC All stars (practices at Takoma Aquatic) is too far for you, then what would be a reasonable distance? There is also the montgomery county pools - specifically Long Branch outdoor pool may be the closest to parts of DC, which does NOT have a waitlist, but is part of MCSL. DC summer swim league is definitely an option. I don't know much about it, but I don't think it's hard to get into at all. If child is six now I might see if you can get them into Junior Waves (DC Wave preteam)

Also recommend Long Branch - no membership as it’s a county pool, so no waitlist.

What neighborhood in DC are you in? If Takoma DC All stars (practices at Takoma Aquatic) is too far for you, then what would be a reasonable distance? There is also the montgomery county pools - specifically Long Branch outdoor pool may be the closest to parts of DC, which does NOT have a waitlist, but is part of MCSL. DC summer swim league is definitely an option. I don't know much about it, but I don't think it's hard to get into at all. If child is six now I might see if you can get them into Junior Waves (DC Wave preteam)

Anonymous wrote:For summer swim most teams are at suburban pools and country clubs. The only exception I have found are the Takoma Park DC Allstars, who swim in the Prince-Mont summer league.

For club swimming, the following use/have used pools in DC: NCAP (at GW pool, used to use AU too), SDS (at St.Alban's pool, used to use Jackson_Reed too), DC Wave (have used Jackson-Reed and Takoma).

It is very difficult for teams to get pool time in DC. I get the sense that most of the pools used in DC stopped letting clubs rent them during COVID, and it has been slow getting those slots back.

Thank you, this is helpful. Follow up questions:

Anyone have experiences with the Takoma Park DC Allstars? I did find info about them online and will pursue it, but would love more info if people have it. That would still be a hike for us but much better than a suburban team.

Also, for people who have joined pools in the burbs in order to do summer swim or club swim -- any recommendations? Any that don't consistently have long waitlists? We are on the list for the PG pool but I feel like we'll never make it to the top. I've looked at the Adelphi pool as well, and I understand they will have a brand new facility next year? But that also means they come with sizable capital improvement fees, which I get, but it does add up!

For summer swim most teams are at suburban pools and country clubs. The only exception I have found are the Takoma Park DC Allstars, who swim in the Prince-Mont summer league.

For club swimming, the following use/have used pools in DC: NCAP (at GW pool, used to use AU too), SDS (at St.Alban's pool, used to use Jackson_Reed too), DC Wave (have used Jackson-Reed and Takoma).

It is very difficult for teams to get pool time in DC. I get the sense that most of the pools used in DC stopped letting clubs rent them during COVID, and it has been slow getting those slots back.

I am having a hard time figuring out if/how people who live in DC limits participate in swim team without having to join a pool in the burbs. We have friends who have joined pools in PG county and Silver Spring and their kids participate in summer swim at those pools, and I think also have club swim options through those pools. But those pools have waitlists or are very far for us, especially for summer swim with frequent morning practices.

I see an option for "summer swim league" on the DCPR site, but since the season is obviously ending/over for 2023, there's no additional info. Is it hard to get into that? We tried to do swim lessons through DCPR and struck out 3 years in a row so wound up at a suburban swim school. I'd like a surer bet than trying to get enrolled within 60 seconds of the summer enrollment starting.

I have also read up on DC Wave and I think understand the process with tryouts and such. We are at least a couple years away from that I think (and it will depend on how much our kid likes summer swim and whether they want to pursue it -- we are fine either way). But I'm curious as to whether people have good experiences with DC Wave.

Basically, my kid loves swim and definitely wants to do summer swim next year and I'm trying to explore our options and get ready so that I can make it happen. Any advice from DC swim families is much appreciated!

Oh, and kid is 6 years old if that is relevant. Is not a fast swimmer but picks up strokes pretty easily and, most importantly, just loves being in the water and loves swimming.