Anonymous
09/20/2023 11:28
Subject: Swim team 101?
Anonymous wrote:
There are also team bonding activities on my kid’s club team. They hang out together outside of the pool all the time and are constantly staying at meets even when their events are done to cheer for their friends.
What age and what club? This isn't the experience our family and friends have had at clubs near us.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 11:20
Subject: Swim team 101?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Summer swim = fun
Club swim = work
Summer swim = team
Club swim = individual
For Summer swim, you hang out with your friends and the entire team on the pool deck. It's also more family-oriented, parents hang out too. There are fun activities, pasta dinners, ice cream socials, and buying candy at concessions. Stay for team lunch afterward.
Year-round, club swimming is different. You hang out with your club in your age group. When you are done with your events, you leave. No get togethers.
Two different vibes.
There are also team bonding activities on my kid’s club team. They hang out together outside of the pool all the time and are constantly staying at meets even when their events are done to cheer for their friends.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 11:06
Subject: Swim team 101?
Anonymous wrote:Summer swim = fun
Club swim = work
Summer swim = team
Club swim = individual
For Summer swim, you hang out with your friends and the entire team on the pool deck. It's also more family-oriented, parents hang out too. There are fun activities, pasta dinners, ice cream socials, and buying candy at concessions. Stay for team lunch afterward.
Year-round, club swimming is different. You hang out with your club in your age group. When you are done with your events, you leave. No get togethers.
Two different vibes.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 10:57
Subject: Swim team 101?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Summer swim = fun
Club swim = work
If this is how your kid feels, stick with summer swim only. Club swim should also be fun.
The PPs kid probably couldn’t hack club swim so this is is how she makes herself feel better about that.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 10:25
Subject: Swim team 101?
The options really vary, OP. We're also in SS, just outside the Beltway. The closest club options are at Georgetown Prep: NCAP, Tollefson, JF Dolphins. NCAP and JFD are likely full; Tollefson has a technique and endurance program that's practice-focused, with no competition. It's also $$$ (they do have a competitive team, but tryouts were in the summer). RMSC at MLK or KSAC are options, also had tryouts in the summer.
We're doing Machine at Fairland - just started - and the drive isn't bad. They may have space left for this season; we've heard nothing but good reviews, FWIW. There are other programs at Fairland, too, as a PP noted.
Does your daughter *want* to do club swim? That's the most important thing.
We're doing Machine at Fairland - just started - and the drive isn't bad. They may have space left for this season; we've heard nothing but good reviews, FWIW. There are other programs at Fairland, too, as a PP noted.
Does your daughter *want* to do club swim? That's the most important thing.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 10:14
Subject: Swim team 101?
Anonymous wrote:Summer swim = fun
Club swim = work
If this is how your kid feels, stick with summer swim only. Club swim should also be fun.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 09:47
Subject: Swim team 101?
Anonymous wrote:
Summer swim is the vehicle/tool that will make your swimmer love swimming. Most kids that get on a team end up loving it and therefore loving swim. It is a great way for your swimmer to become a good swimmer.
Summer swim is a family activity which is really nice too.
Winter swim will do it's best to counteract that love. It's a great way for the whole family (especially those members responsible for driving the swimmer to 5:00 am practices) to learn to resent swim
Anonymous
09/20/2023 09:44
Subject: Swim team 101?
🙄 The comparisons between club and summer swim are over the top. You can see any number of threads in this section detailing reasons why I would say summer swim actually sucks, which includes the summer swim parents. My kid is a club and summer swimmer and club is far and away her favorite. Her club teammates are her best friends and her least favorite month of the year is August because that is her club swim break.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 09:04
Subject: Swim team 101?
Summer swim = fun
Club swim = work
Club swim = work
Anonymous
09/20/2023 08:30
Subject: Re:Swim team 101?
Anonymous wrote:Just for content we are in SS also by the beltway. I think some of the clubs at Fairland probably have space. My DC (7) enjoys swimming, did not do summer swim but made one of the low-key team at Fairland which have practice twice a week with an option they could have done 1 a week at his age. I have not yet volunteered because I am waiting to see how each role plays out, but from the sign-up sheet, you can pick the times at certain times. Teams at Fairland Aquatics are FAST, PAC, Machines, ASA, and others.
I feel like summer v. club is very much apples to oranges, they just don't compare.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 08:29
Subject: Swim team 101?
Summer swim is the vehicle/tool that will make your swimmer love swimming. Most kids that get on a team end up loving it and therefore loving swim. It is a great way for your swimmer to become a good swimmer.
Summer swim is a family activity which is really nice too.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 07:59
Subject: Re:Swim team 101?
The PP gave a really good explanation of summer swim. I might tweak a few things, but it's good enough.
One important thing to note is that year-round club swim is very different. It isn't a team sport the way summer swim is. There isn't the same type of camaraderie or team spirit that you see at summer swim. Groups of parents aren't in the stands cheering on all the NCAP kids as a team, or all the RMSC kids. They watch their own child and then read a book for two hours. The kids might enjoy hanging out on deck with their club teammates, but it isn't the same atmosphere.
You might do best finding a club that has 1-2x/wk technique sessions for your son to do this winter in preparation for next summer. I do know kids who got turned off by club swim, since they expected the same vibe as summer.
One important thing to note is that year-round club swim is very different. It isn't a team sport the way summer swim is. There isn't the same type of camaraderie or team spirit that you see at summer swim. Groups of parents aren't in the stands cheering on all the NCAP kids as a team, or all the RMSC kids. They watch their own child and then read a book for two hours. The kids might enjoy hanging out on deck with their club teammates, but it isn't the same atmosphere.
You might do best finding a club that has 1-2x/wk technique sessions for your son to do this winter in preparation for next summer. I do know kids who got turned off by club swim, since they expected the same vibe as summer.
Anonymous
09/20/2023 07:50
Subject: Swim team 101?
OP, why are you thinking summer swim when it doesn't happen for quite a while?
Would we have to join a private pool or can we do it at a public one?
I think that there are some public pool options for swim team (there are in Virginia) but you would be better off joining your community pool. That way they are with kids that are nearby and when they make friends playdates are so much easier.
Is it possible to only practice once or twice a week, or does it have to be more?
It is possible to practice once or twice a week, but why would you. Summer swim usually is a short duration sport (6 weeks) where a lot of the younger kids make HUGE improvements really fast because they are in the water. You are paying for it, use it.
Are there evening practices, or only morning ones?
Call the pools near you. Some pools offer evening and/or morning practices but not all. We actually chose the pool we ended up joining because they had evening practices. Evening practices tend to not be very good. When a pool can do practices before the pool is open to the public - they have music and do fun things, and kids are not distracted by their friends playing in the pool while they are swimming.
Is it really expensive?
Summer swim is usually very cheap. Two months for under $200 and daily practice. Most teams keep the team suits inexpensive and it does not require a lot of equipment. The cost is usually the pool membership. But joining a pool is great.
How much of the day should we expect meets to take up?
B meets are generally three hours and all swimmers swim them. A meets are about 2 to 2 1/2 hours and not all swimmers will swim that. They are twice a week.
I hear the parent-volunteering requirements are pretty intense, what does that look like?
This varies from team to team. Most require a parent to work a meet a week or whatever meet their kid is swimming. You time the kids, make snow cones, work at a table marking ribbons. It is all really easy stuff and honestly makes the meets more interesting. Gives you something to do. Some will want help with pep rallies and outside activities as well. It is all fine because it shows your kid you are involved and it gets you active on the team.
What's the difference between summer swim team and school-year?
School-year swim is either "Club" swim or "High School". Club is usually very intense and requires difficult practices because you are swimming 50s, 100s, 200s, etc. whereas summer swim is meant for athletic kids to keep up with club swimmers and you really only swim 25s (8&unders) and 50s. Summer is mostly sprints.
Club and High School swim is where kids will get recruited for college. It is more professional for lack of a better term. You move up in intensity in it, etc.
You can join club and swim there non-competitive track if your swimmer likes to swim. Club is also expensive. For a 9 month season it can run $1500 (if something like RMSC) to $5000 - huge range of cost. Plus you have to pay meet fees each month. The fees for the meet run $40-$60 per kid.
Are there even low-key swim teams out there at all, or is this just going to be too intense/demanding for us?
Summer swim is a lot of fun. Commit to it, and you will enjoy it. Club is not as fun, but if your kid develops a passion for it, it can work. I love our summer team. During the pep rallies the kids all do the activities and the parents order food to the pool and bring great drinks. It is like a party every week.
Would we have to join a private pool or can we do it at a public one?
I think that there are some public pool options for swim team (there are in Virginia) but you would be better off joining your community pool. That way they are with kids that are nearby and when they make friends playdates are so much easier.
Is it possible to only practice once or twice a week, or does it have to be more?
It is possible to practice once or twice a week, but why would you. Summer swim usually is a short duration sport (6 weeks) where a lot of the younger kids make HUGE improvements really fast because they are in the water. You are paying for it, use it.
Are there evening practices, or only morning ones?
Call the pools near you. Some pools offer evening and/or morning practices but not all. We actually chose the pool we ended up joining because they had evening practices. Evening practices tend to not be very good. When a pool can do practices before the pool is open to the public - they have music and do fun things, and kids are not distracted by their friends playing in the pool while they are swimming.
Is it really expensive?
Summer swim is usually very cheap. Two months for under $200 and daily practice. Most teams keep the team suits inexpensive and it does not require a lot of equipment. The cost is usually the pool membership. But joining a pool is great.
How much of the day should we expect meets to take up?
B meets are generally three hours and all swimmers swim them. A meets are about 2 to 2 1/2 hours and not all swimmers will swim that. They are twice a week.
I hear the parent-volunteering requirements are pretty intense, what does that look like?
This varies from team to team. Most require a parent to work a meet a week or whatever meet their kid is swimming. You time the kids, make snow cones, work at a table marking ribbons. It is all really easy stuff and honestly makes the meets more interesting. Gives you something to do. Some will want help with pep rallies and outside activities as well. It is all fine because it shows your kid you are involved and it gets you active on the team.
What's the difference between summer swim team and school-year?
School-year swim is either "Club" swim or "High School". Club is usually very intense and requires difficult practices because you are swimming 50s, 100s, 200s, etc. whereas summer swim is meant for athletic kids to keep up with club swimmers and you really only swim 25s (8&unders) and 50s. Summer is mostly sprints.
Club and High School swim is where kids will get recruited for college. It is more professional for lack of a better term. You move up in intensity in it, etc.
You can join club and swim there non-competitive track if your swimmer likes to swim. Club is also expensive. For a 9 month season it can run $1500 (if something like RMSC) to $5000 - huge range of cost. Plus you have to pay meet fees each month. The fees for the meet run $40-$60 per kid.
Are there even low-key swim teams out there at all, or is this just going to be too intense/demanding for us?
Summer swim is a lot of fun. Commit to it, and you will enjoy it. Club is not as fun, but if your kid develops a passion for it, it can work. I love our summer team. During the pep rallies the kids all do the activities and the parents order food to the pool and bring great drinks. It is like a party every week.
Anonymous
09/19/2023 22:27
Subject: Re:Swim team 101?
Just for content we are in SS also by the beltway. I think some of the clubs at Fairland probably have space. My DC (7) enjoys swimming, did not do summer swim but made one of the low-key team at Fairland which have practice twice a week with an option they could have done 1 a week at his age. I have not yet volunteered because I am waiting to see how each role plays out, but from the sign-up sheet, you can pick the times at certain times. Teams at Fairland Aquatics are FAST, PAC, Machines, ASA, and others.
Anonymous
09/19/2023 21:04
Subject: Swim team 101?
Can someone walk me through the basics of how swim teams work? My 7 year old finally really learned to swim fairly well and enjoy it this summer, and since she's not really into team sports in general, I thought joining a swim team (ideally a low-key one) might be a nice middle ground where she's still getting a "team" experience. But I have almost no idea what that actually involves.
Would we have to join a private pool or can we do it at a public one? Is it possible to only practice once or twice a week, or does it have to be more? Are there evening practices, or only morning ones? Is it really expensive? How much of the day should we expect meets to take up? I hear the parent-volunteering requirements are pretty intense, what does that look like? What's the difference between summer swim team and school-year? Are there even low-key swim teams out there at all, or is this just going to be too intense/demanding for us?
(We're in Silver Spring near the Beltway, if that matters.)
Would we have to join a private pool or can we do it at a public one? Is it possible to only practice once or twice a week, or does it have to be more? Are there evening practices, or only morning ones? Is it really expensive? How much of the day should we expect meets to take up? I hear the parent-volunteering requirements are pretty intense, what does that look like? What's the difference between summer swim team and school-year? Are there even low-key swim teams out there at all, or is this just going to be too intense/demanding for us?
(We're in Silver Spring near the Beltway, if that matters.)