By age 10 many kids at the big clubs have done the 9-10 IMX events and the 500 free (largely because of the patch program PPs described). However, I would not say it’s common for an 8 year old or a 9 year old in their first year of club swim to have done all them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our experience, it's on your schedule or not - club/group/coach decision.

For us, that was the advanced late elementary school group. My kids did it at 9-10 and maybe 11 (depending what time of the year they turned 11). Our club does not do it with the advanced middle school group.

Are 9-10 year olds actually doing the 100 fly?

Yes. At my kid's club, the majority of them have done it.

Absolutely same at our club. In fact, the 9-10 kids must do a 100 of everything (plus 2-IM, 2-Free, and 5-Free) to get the gold patch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our experience, it's on your schedule or not - club/group/coach decision.

For us, that was the advanced late elementary school group. My kids did it at 9-10 and maybe 11 (depending what time of the year they turned 11). Our club does not do it with the advanced middle school group.

Are 9-10 year olds actually doing the 100 fly?

Yes. At my kid's club, the majority of them have done it.

Nice flex. But doubtful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our experience, it's on your schedule or not - club/group/coach decision.

For us, that was the advanced late elementary school group. My kids did it at 9-10 and maybe 11 (depending what time of the year they turned 11). Our club does not do it with the advanced middle school group.

Are 9-10 year olds actually doing the 100 fly?

Yes. At my kid's club, the majority of them have done it.

OP - IMX is just a tool to encourage younger swimmers to swim events outside of their comfort zone.

The good clubs have a patch for their swimmers that you earn by completing a list of events for your age group. These events push the swimmer to swim events that they never ever would have chosen on their own.

We have belonged to three swim clubs (military) and every club we have belonged to had this for the swimmers. They would be rewarded at the end of the season and it was a big deal. I have come to learn that not all clubs do this, which I find surprising. 14&U swimmers have no idea what they will be good at and unless they try that 200 event or a distance swim, they will not know. So these patches push a swimmer.

Since not all clubs offer a patch, IMX enters the scene as another way to encourage swimmers to try event and develop a level of proficiency in each event. After 14, it means nothing. Swimmers will start specializing in their events for high school and college.

Anonymous wrote:Our club is not really into IMX. Not sure which clubs are big promoters of it. My kid is going to do it this year, just to see what it is about but I think this will be a one and done type meet. They had zero interest in it until this year.

I keep telling them that IMX is the key to the Olympics but they just won't listen.

That's totally fine. There are tons of opportunities to swim in NAIA programs, many of which are almost as competitive as D3.

Our club is not really into IMX. Not sure which clubs are big promoters of it. My kid is going to do it this year, just to see what it is about but I think this will be a one and done type meet. They had zero interest in it until this year.

I keep telling them that IMX is the key to the Olympics but they just won't listen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our experience, it's on your schedule or not - club/group/coach decision.

For us, that was the advanced late elementary school group. My kids did it at 9-10 and maybe 11 (depending what time of the year they turned 11). Our club does not do it with the advanced middle school group.

Are 9-10 year olds actually doing the 100 fly?

Our club/location is not an IMX club/location, but 9-10s are definitely swimming all the 100s, 200 free, 200 IM, and 500 free to get the gold patch. At 8, my swimmer’s cohort swam the 200 free. By 9, my swimmer’s cohort did all of the good patch mandatory events plus most added one-two more 200s to the aforementioned gold patch events. By 10, my swimmer’s cohort will have swum all the 200s. (But not because of IMX.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our experience, it's on your schedule or not - club/group/coach decision.

For us, that was the advanced late elementary school group. My kids did it at 9-10 and maybe 11 (depending what time of the year they turned 11). Our club does not do it with the advanced middle school group.

Are 9-10 year olds actually doing the 100 fly?

Yes. Not all of them, when you look at psych sheets the 9-10 100 fly is pretty sparse compared to other events, but the advanced 9-10s usually do it at least once a season.

Anonymous wrote:In our experience, it's on your schedule or not - club/group/coach decision.

For us, that was the advanced late elementary school group. My kids did it at 9-10 and maybe 11 (depending what time of the year they turned 11). Our club does not do it with the advanced middle school group.

Are 9-10 year olds actually doing the 100 fly?

IMX isn't an age, it's a lifestyle

In our experience, it's on your schedule or not - club/group/coach decision.

For us, that was the advanced late elementary school group. My kids did it at 9-10 and maybe 11 (depending what time of the year they turned 11). Our club does not do it with the advanced middle school group.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know I should probably ask my kid's coach, but what age is it normal to start swimming IMX events at a meet? Seems like 8 is way too early, but some kids on DD's team have started doing this.

The best time to start swimming IMX meets is yesterday. The second best time is today.

😂
In all seriousness, the 9-10 IMX events are the 200 free, the 200 IM, 100 Breast/Back/Fly. There are not many 8 year olds doing those events other than maybe the 100 back or breast.

Anonymous wrote:I know I should probably ask my kid's coach, but what age is it normal to start swimming IMX events at a meet? Seems like 8 is way too early, but some kids on DD's team have started doing this.

The best time to start swimming IMX meets is yesterday. The second best time is today.

I know I should probably ask my kid's coach, but what age is it normal to start swimming IMX events at a meet? Seems like 8 is way too early, but some kids on DD's team have started doing this.