I know I'm committing a minor DCUM crime by resurrecting this old thread, but if anyone has any recent experience with YMCA aquatics camps at the Anthony Bowen location, I'd love to hear about it!

Anonymous wrote:sorry PP here on St. Albans, I forgot they were actually 9, almost 10, and couldn't swim the length of the pool, and St. Albans had them swimming a lot so they built confidence and strength. but agree with the PP that it's pretty rigorous so you might want to just do half a day and kid can do something more relaxing in the afternoon.

St. Alban's all the way - great camp!

Lowell

DCPR Aqua Day Camp if they can get in. Fills up within seconds of registration opening.

sorry PP here on St. Albans, I forgot they were actually 9, almost 10, and couldn't swim the length of the pool, and St. Albans had them swimming a lot so they built confidence and strength. but agree with the PP that it's pretty rigorous so you might want to just do half a day and kid can do something more relaxing in the afternoon.

St. Albans. my kids had gone through years of group Y lessons and still couldn't swim the length of a 25 meter pool at age 8. One week at St. Albans and they could do it, with more than one stroke (i.e., freestyle, breast stroke, backstroke).

YMCA aquatics camp. I ran one of the other sports programs about 10 years ago but was always impressed with how the aquatics camps ran. Those kids definitely learn how to swim.

My daughter participated in the half-day version of this swim camp at St Albans last summer:

https://summer.stalbansschool.org/sports/swimming

I don't recall the name of her instructor, but she was a professional swim team coach and her expectations for stroke mechanics are higher than what I've found to be typical of Red Cross-trained youth swim instructors, especially the college-aged ones who tend to staff recreational summer camps. My seven-year-old daughter did not love the high standards--she mostly wanted to play with her friends in the water--but as a former youth swim instructor myself, I was very pleased.

I will say that the St. Albans camps seem to be run more like extended-day sports clinics than, say, the more recreational Beauvoir and Headfirst camps at the same location. They are great for kids who really want to focus on a sport, but maybe less so for a kid who wants a side order of sports with the usual camp fare like singing, arts and crafts, etc.

I've found YMCA acquatics camp to be good. Its two week sessions - i had my kids do two session for a total of 4 weeks.

My kids learned to swim at the JCC in Rockville. They went all summer and they swim once or maybe twice every day. That's the kind of repetition that leads to learning to swim, plus positive peer pressure.

I don't think you get the same from an intense one week camp - because no reinforcement.

OP have you thought about joining the Y or a private neighborhood pool?

None for the beginner level, usually only team. Montgomery County has daily swim classes and you can do two back to back so you do an hour vs. 30 minutes. Otherwise if they've done tons of classes, they need weekly or twice weekly private lessons and a few time a week practice. You cannot do just swim lessons without practice outside of lessons.

Hello - anyone have a good recommendation for a swimming camp? Both of my daughters are very beginner-level despite many, many classes and I'm thinking that an immersive (ha ha) week-long or longer summer camp might be the thing the get them finally swimming. I am looking in DC or Maryland. Thanks!