Anonymous wrote:My kids have done it for years now and love it. They're teens now and go for morning practice and then just stay at the pool most of the day

Yes this - this was how I spent my summers and last year watching the kids after swim practice just spend hours playing and goofing around with each other (with no screens to be seen!!! because, water) really reminded me how great it is. Kids make friends on the team and then spend the summer enjoying the pool together. Unstructured play and time with friends, it is great.

Summer swim team was some of my favorite memories as a kid. My son started last year at 6 on the "minis" kind of developmental team and loved it. 8 is a great age to start. Since most kids in this area aren't strong swimmers til 6-7, 8 isn't late at all. Yes you do need to volunteer some usually, but in my opinion if you want community and friends that is the name of the game. Put in some time and you get LOADS back. Younger kids are mentored by the older kids, then you become the older kid and help the younger, fantastic team spirit, girls and boys on the same team which is rare, individual but also team. Usually a spot for everyone unlike some sports. Yes some will swim in the "a" meets and some only in the "b" but all are a part of the same team and can have fun.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question for everyone..

How do you get your kid used to wearing 'jammers'?

My son has only ever worn trunks, but we're looking into joining a swim team and he's anxious about wearing the jammers.

Let him wear trunks until he wants to wear the jammers. But most boys want to wear the jammers when they see all the other boys wearing jammers.

Special trick…last year there was a kid who was nervous about them on our team, but he looked up to my then 13 year old son. The mom gave my son a heads up, and the first day the kid wore them, my son pointed out that they were just like his, and then gave the kid a fist bump. You could see the little boy just radiate happiness at that fist bump.

This is what's great about summer swim. Yes it can be a lot of volunteering which some families don't like so be prepared for that, but how many other experiences put 8yr olds and 18yrs olds on an equal footing on the same team. My teen idolized the older kids when she was young, and now enjoys being one of the big kids building relationships with the young kids.

My kids have done it for years now and love it. They're teens now and go for morning practice and then just stay at the pool most of the day

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question for everyone..

How do you get your kid used to wearing 'jammers'?

My son has only ever worn trunks, but we're looking into joining a swim team and he's anxious about wearing the jammers.

Let him wear trunks until he wants to wear the jammers. But most boys want to wear the jammers when they see all the other boys wearing jammers.

Special trick…last year there was a kid who was nervous about them on our team, but he looked up to my then 13 year old son. The mom gave my son a heads up, and the first day the kid wore them, my son pointed out that they were just like his, and then gave the kid a fist bump. You could see the little boy just radiate happiness at that fist bump.

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question for everyone..

How do you get your kid used to wearing 'jammers'?

My son has only ever worn trunks, but we're looking into joining a swim team and he's anxious about wearing the jammers.

Why is he anxious? All the boys wear them.

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question for everyone..

How do you get your kid used to wearing 'jammers'?

My son has only ever worn trunks, but we're looking into joining a swim team and he's anxious about wearing the jammers.

When every other boy is wearing them, the anxiety will likely diminish.

Dumb question for everyone..

How do you get your kid used to wearing 'jammers'?

My son has only ever worn trunks, but we're looking into joining a swim team and he's anxious about wearing the jammers.

My DCs don’t have time to join year round so we do summer swim team. It’s nice for kids to get involved in team sport and it’s 3 min walk so we don’t have to drive back and forth daily. Meet can be very exhausting for adults because we need to volunteer and sometimes drive far during traffic hours but it’s ok for us since it’s just seasonal. Ours accepts kids as young as age 5 to be able to float and paddle for short distances in the pool.

Ours neighborhood pool is a lower division NVSL pool. Some years it's great. Some years it's terrible. Because we are so small (that's why we're lower division), the leadership can really end up brow-beating parents about volunteering. Kids may or may not have friends and can't just go looking for new friends in the same age division because there might be 2-8 kids.

That said, any kid who wants to swim meets does so. They still get in the water and move. If they do click with the kids on the team, it's fabulous. Some years the parents are absolutely a blast.

I think bigger/higher division teams are different than ours.

Summer neighborhood

Are you talking about summer neighborhood pool swim team, or an actual sanctioned year round club swim team?

Love swim team! Eight is the perfect age to join. As kids get older it gets harder to catch up but but lots of first time swim teamers at 7, 8, 9, 10.

The first couple weeks were a challenge for our oldest but the 7 years since have been pure joy and second kid jumped right in there at 6.

Depends greatly on the pool but we love it. When your kids can join would also depend on the pool. Maybe have a “preteam” to get less experienced swimmers ready.

More than age, the kid has to swim well enough to handle practice safely. Usually have to be able to swim 25 yards and tread water a bit, but whether that 25 yards can be doggie paddle or must be actual freestyle depends on the pool.

Family have good experience with swim team? Do your kids make friends? Can we join when kids are 8.?