My family didn't even consider swim team until the kids were aged out of day camps, and old enough to walk to/from practice and spend the rest of the day at home while both parents were at the office. One kid wasn't interested in starting swim team at age 12, so never joined. The other kid joined and loves it. It took a couple years to catch up to his peers, but he eventually did.

I know families who got a summer nanny, but we were never interested in giving up the day camps that our kids loved just so they could spend 45 minutes swimming laps mid-morning. And while the team advertises the option of evening practices, it's not the same - only a couple days a week and with a much smaller group, so they don't get the whole team dynamic. So, swim team when we needed full time childcare just didn't work for us.

Anonymous wrote:Swim clubs in general are for the UMC. They’re the non-wealthy family’s country club, and were created to keep out people of color and other underprivileged. While membership rules and housing laws have changed, team practice times and volunteer requirements do not favor those with working parents. If swim teams become too small, they probably become more flexible. Ours has 200+ swimmers so they are not changing anything too soon.

Right- summer swim is run pretty much the same as it was 40 years ago when there were a lot more SAHMs. We have a pretty active swim team but there are definitely a portion of parents bending over backwards to make it work. It’s not easy, but when we did evening practices last year DC barely made any progress, so I joined the legion of trying-to-make-morning-practices-work this year.

Anonymous wrote:A few of my neighbors have asked me why swim team practices are conducted during the day, during traditional work hours. They would like to join our team, but they cannot lose work to bring kids to morning practice.

I am stumped. Why is this the general practice? We make it work. We have always had either a nanny or a parent that works from home and can take some time off.

What can be done to make this a more inclusive environment for all?

The problem is that if practices are from, say, 6-7:30pm, then everyone complains that “swim team is taking over the pool every day during the only time my family can go!” And that’s a valid concern too.

You could always take lessons at the PG pool

Swim clubs in general are for the UMC. They’re the non-wealthy family’s country club, and were created to keep out people of color and other underprivileged. While membership rules and housing laws have changed, team practice times and volunteer requirements do not favor those with working parents. If swim teams become too small, they probably become more flexible. Ours has 200+ swimmers so they are not changing anything too soon.

That’s why it didn’t work for my family. Even if I could be flexible and get them there, it messed up camp for the morning and I still need care for my kids even with a remote job

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our pool, the kids who can’t come to morning practice are pretty much locked into a situation where it’s impossible to improve.

There are three lanes for evening practice, 7-8 kids/lane of mixed age groups, and often an indifferent assistant coach who doesn’t want to coach a second practice a day, and little to no instruction.

It’s a real shame but summer swim seems to be really difficult unless you have one stay at home (or remote working) parent or a full time nanny.

Interesting. This must be why swim team parents come up with so many stupid volunteer activities like countless events and concessions stands - the SAHMS are looking for ways to make themselves feel useful while shaming the working parents for not volunteering enough. I say this as a non swim team parent at a pool - I observe this dynamic. There is so much useless volunteer work that seems like make-work. And the moms do jobs the teen swimmers should be doing, like setting out chairs the night before.

Anonymous wrote:At our pool, the kids who can’t come to morning practice are pretty much locked into a situation where it’s impossible to improve.

There are three lanes for evening practice, 7-8 kids/lane of mixed age groups, and often an indifferent assistant coach who doesn’t want to coach a second practice a day, and little to no instruction.

It’s a real shame but summer swim seems to be really difficult unless you have one stay at home (or remote working) parent or a full time nanny.

Interesting. This must be why swim team parents come up with so many stupid volunteer activities like countless events and concessions stands - the SAHMS are looking for ways to make themselves feel useful while shaming the working parents for not volunteering enough. I say this as a non swim team parent at a pool - I observe this dynamic. There is so much useless volunteer work that seems like make-work. And the moms do jobs the teen swimmers should be doing, like setting out chairs the night before.

Anonymous wrote:My kids are summer swim drop outs too, because both 830am and 530pm practices are not doable for working parents. When you say " We have always had either a nanny or a parent that works from home and can take some time off." your privilege is showing. Do your kids do day camp ? Do they have to? I just couldn't justify hiring a babysitter for those 2 hours in the morning to get them to summer day camp just so they can swim for 3 minutes per week in a a few A meets and all the other B meets. Maybe some of those stay at home moms/dads and nannies could look around and see who needs a little help.

It's OK. Everyone doesn't need to do every activity. Summer swim doesn't work for your family's schedule.

My kids are summer swim drop outs too, because both 830am and 530pm practices are not doable for working parents. When you say " We have always had either a nanny or a parent that works from home and can take some time off." your privilege is showing. Do your kids do day camp ? Do they have to? I just couldn't justify hiring a babysitter for those 2 hours in the morning to get them to summer day camp just so they can swim for 3 minutes per week in a a few A meets and all the other B meets. Maybe some of those stay at home moms/dads and nannies could look around and see who needs a little help.

In addition to morning practice, we have evening practices 2x a week.

At our pool, the kids who can’t come to morning practice are pretty much locked into a situation where it’s impossible to improve.

There are three lanes for evening practice, 7-8 kids/lane of mixed age groups, and often an indifferent assistant coach who doesn’t want to coach a second practice a day, and little to no instruction.

It’s a real shame but summer swim seems to be really difficult unless you have one stay at home (or remote working) parent or a full time nanny.

Our team has early morning (7 am) practice and late evening (6:30 PM) practice.

Offer evening practices, one or two lanes three weekday nights a week.

A few of my neighbors have asked me why swim team practices are conducted during the day, during traditional work hours. They would like to join our team, but they cannot lose work to bring kids to morning practice.

I am stumped. Why is this the general practice? We make it work. We have always had either a nanny or a parent that works from home and can take some time off.

What can be done to make this a more inclusive environment for all?