Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 14:58     Subject: Re:Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
I've noticed it typically takes a few weeks for the coaches to sort things out and get the swimmers in the appropriate lanes based on ability.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 14:49     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It feels way too crowded and there are 7-8 kids in one lane. Also, they take everyone. There are 3 5-6 year-olds who can barely swim 10 meter and they are there and still take up an entire lane. I thought the requirement is to be able to swim 25m?

What are my other options? Kid is 8. FINS?


What location is this? If this is MoCo, they do pro-rated refunds until Dec so that might be something to consider.

I had a 5yo go through this and although he could go 25m w/o stopping, that was only 1 or 2 lengths in the beginning of practice/session and then he'd be grabbing the wall or rope for breaks or bobbing off the bottom to propel himself using the rope to propel himself, etc, he figured out all the "tricks". Although he was comfortable in the "big pool", he just didn't have the endurance at that age. This gradually went away and by the time he was 7 he didn't do it anymore.

In my experience, these younger/weaker swimmers would be in the lane closest to the wall and wouldn't be in a lane w/ a stronger 8yo swimmer like your DC so I'm not sure why this would be an issue unless they aren't running the session this way in which case you should raise this with the coach - lane grouping by age/ability is common practice and they should be doing this.



I think OP is saying the younger kids that shouldn’t be there are in a lane to themselves, which is then forcing the other lanes to be overcrowded. OP, my kid got more out of FINS than stroke and turn for similar reasons. They did a year of FINS (age 8) and then moved to a club the following year.


That's OP's mistake/misunderstanding of the program.

Anonymous wrote:
Parents, please stop over-estimating your kids’ abilities or throwing them into something like a stroke and turn clinic knowing full well they aren’t ready for it. It ruins the experience for everyone else who is appropriately there because they are constantly having to adjust the session for the kids that aren’t ready to be there.


But that's not a parent decision, that is a coach/instructor/coordinator decision.

Parents can overestimate all they want but at the end of the day,if they don't "belong" there, they won't be there regardless of what the parents think/want.

There are going to be a range of abilities in any group setting, that's just how it works. If you don't want/like this, go private.

Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 14:18     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Anonymous wrote:It's run by the RMSC coaches and its very hit or miss depending on the coach. I'd stick it out and add extra classes elsewhere. Ideally you want to swim at least 2-3 days a week and one day a week isn't enough. Kids will slowly start dropping out and there will be less kids. But, that's pretty normal for lower level RMCS.


At our site it is less coaches and more high school junior/seniors from the advanced groups. A few adults here and there but mostly teenagers.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 13:50     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It feels way too crowded and there are 7-8 kids in one lane. Also, they take everyone. There are 3 5-6 year-olds who can barely swim 10 meter and they are there and still take up an entire lane. I thought the requirement is to be able to swim 25m?

What are my other options? Kid is 8. FINS?


What location is this? If this is MoCo, they do pro-rated refunds until Dec so that might be something to consider.

I had a 5yo go through this and although he could go 25m w/o stopping, that was only 1 or 2 lengths in the beginning of practice/session and then he'd be grabbing the wall or rope for breaks or bobbing off the bottom to propel himself using the rope to propel himself, etc, he figured out all the "tricks". Although he was comfortable in the "big pool", he just didn't have the endurance at that age. This gradually went away and by the time he was 7 he didn't do it anymore.

In my experience, these younger/weaker swimmers would be in the lane closest to the wall and wouldn't be in a lane w/ a stronger 8yo swimmer like your DC so I'm not sure why this would be an issue unless they aren't running the session this way in which case you should raise this with the coach - lane grouping by age/ability is common practice and they should be doing this.

I think OP is saying the younger kids that shouldn’t be there are in a lane to themselves, which is then forcing the other lanes to be overcrowded. OP, my kid got more out of FINS than stroke and turn for similar reasons. They did a year of FINS (age 8) and then moved to a club the following year.

Parents, please stop over-estimating your kids’ abilities or throwing them into something like a stroke and turn clinic knowing full well they aren’t ready for it. It ruins the experience for everyone else who is appropriately there because they are constantly having to adjust the session for the kids that aren’t ready to be there.

I would stop expecting parents to have any idea about what level is appropriate. They are parents not swimming experts.

I didn't grow up around swim and do my best to place my kids in the right programs, but it's always a gamble that I got it right. I try to get advice, but it can be hit or miss. If I get it wrong, I expect someone on the coaching staff to tell me and discuss options.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 13:35     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
It's run by the RMSC coaches and its very hit or miss depending on the coach. I'd stick it out and add extra classes elsewhere. Ideally you want to swim at least 2-3 days a week and one day a week isn't enough. Kids will slowly start dropping out and there will be less kids. But, that's pretty normal for lower level RMCS.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 13:25     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It feels way too crowded and there are 7-8 kids in one lane. Also, they take everyone. There are 3 5-6 year-olds who can barely swim 10 meter and they are there and still take up an entire lane. I thought the requirement is to be able to swim 25m?

What are my other options? Kid is 8. FINS?


What location is this? If this is MoCo, they do pro-rated refunds until Dec so that might be something to consider.

I had a 5yo go through this and although he could go 25m w/o stopping, that was only 1 or 2 lengths in the beginning of practice/session and then he'd be grabbing the wall or rope for breaks or bobbing off the bottom to propel himself using the rope to propel himself, etc, he figured out all the "tricks". Although he was comfortable in the "big pool", he just didn't have the endurance at that age. This gradually went away and by the time he was 7 he didn't do it anymore.

In my experience, these younger/weaker swimmers would be in the lane closest to the wall and wouldn't be in a lane w/ a stronger 8yo swimmer like your DC so I'm not sure why this would be an issue unless they aren't running the session this way in which case you should raise this with the coach - lane grouping by age/ability is common practice and they should be doing this.

I think OP is saying the younger kids that shouldn’t be there are in a lane to themselves, which is then forcing the other lanes to be overcrowded. OP, my kid got more out of FINS than stroke and turn for similar reasons. They did a year of FINS (age 8) and then moved to a club the following year.

Parents, please stop over-estimating your kids’ abilities or throwing them into something like a stroke and turn clinic knowing full well they aren’t ready for it. It ruins the experience for everyone else who is appropriately there because they are constantly having to adjust the session for the kids that aren’t ready to be there.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 13:04     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Anonymous wrote:It feels way too crowded and there are 7-8 kids in one lane. Also, they take everyone. There are 3 5-6 year-olds who can barely swim 10 meter and they are there and still take up an entire lane. I thought the requirement is to be able to swim 25m?

What are my other options? Kid is 8. FINS?


What location is this? If this is MoCo, they do pro-rated refunds until Dec so that might be something to consider.

I had a 5yo go through this and although he could go 25m w/o stopping, that was only 1 or 2 lengths in the beginning of practice/session and then he'd be grabbing the wall or rope for breaks or bobbing off the bottom to propel himself using the rope to propel himself, etc, he figured out all the "tricks". Although he was comfortable in the "big pool", he just didn't have the endurance at that age. This gradually went away and by the time he was 7 he didn't do it anymore.

In my experience, these younger/weaker swimmers would be in the lane closest to the wall and wouldn't be in a lane w/ a stronger 8yo swimmer like your DC so I'm not sure why this would be an issue unless they aren't running the session this way in which case you should raise this with the coach - lane grouping by age/ability is common practice and they should be doing this.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 10:03     Subject: Re:Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
I know of several kids who did Stroke & Turn for a year and transitioned well into summer swim and then club swim. It takes time though.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 09:41     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
My 11yo is doing stroke snd turn at MLK and I’ve been happy with it. She did club swim for 2 years with PAC and there was no real work on technique, it was more endurance.
Stroke and Turn had only been 4 weeks but they’re working on technique. She had 3 kids in her lane. 3 in the Jane next to her and one instructor manages both lanes.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 09:19     Subject: Re:Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
We've been very pleased with the Sea Devils stroke and turn clinic.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2023 07:45     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Anonymous wrote:Stroke and turn sounds good in theory but at most clubs it is really just a way to placate parents who insist that their kid who hasn’t finished swim lessons is actually ready for swim team. Same for mini team at our summer pool.


I agree that stroke and turn is the "in between" a kid can swim, but not well. I think it holds some value but very few do it well. NCAP, FISH, and Machine do have some good programs.

Private lessons are probably the best route with the most bang for your buck, until they can make it into an age group.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2023 22:16     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Stroke and turn sounds good in theory but at most clubs it is really just a way to placate parents who insist that their kid who hasn’t finished swim lessons is actually ready for swim team. Same for mini team at our summer pool.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2023 21:44     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
Most stroke clinics aren’t very good.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2023 21:02     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
How long have you been doing it?

Where are you? I would recommend FISH or YORK.
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2023 18:53     Subject: Started Stroke & Turn and am not impressed
It feels way too crowded and there are 7-8 kids in one lane. Also, they take everyone. There are 3 5-6 year-olds who can barely swim 10 meter and they are there and still take up an entire lane. I thought the requirement is to be able to swim 25m?

What are my other options? Kid is 8. FINS?