Norman swim is great. We did private lessons at Tom Dolan big blue but at a certain point you have to move on if you want your kids to build endurance and learn about swim team. My 7 year old is in Norman pre swim team section and it’s been great. When he isn’t swimming he is treading water.

Anonymous wrote:Fins Swimming

finsswimming.org

They run an outdoor spring program (perfect for MCSL prep) at Old Farm Pool as well as an indoor program at Georgetown Prep.

+1

FINS prepped my DD well for summer swim team. My boys are doing it this year, too, with the goal of doing summer swim.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

I don’t disagree that this area is crazy, but the quality of summer swim instruction varies greatly. Our summer league team is very large, and the kids get very little actual instruction, largely because of the sheer number of kids and varying levels of proficiency. There is 1 head coach (who at our pool did very little but kind of hang out and occasionally chase her toddler around), and there are some new HS grads and some of the HS aged kids doing most of the instruction. Is it fun for the kids, absolutely, is your kid going to learn how to be technically sound, not so much.

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

I don't understand--is this for your neighborhood/recreation association team?
You DC will get taught the additional things they need to know learn how to swim better on the summer league team, which is recreational anyway. I thougth most pools/clubs stratify kids based on ability anyway.

This is like getting doing private basketball, baseball or soccer training for a rec league. SMH. This area is crazy.

Montgomery county is offering a swim team prep course this spring. It sounds just what you’re looking for. It’s called swiMontgomery. It may have already started though but worth a shot

My pool’s winter prep is only for kids who can already swim. My 7yr old is prepping for Mini team at Big Blue - used to be Tom Dolan in Arlington.

He is making progress, but he was close to swimming a lap at the end of the summer last year. We will ramp up to 2x a week in April/May. I was explicit with the instructors what our goal was.

Anonymous wrote:You might try the Swim Farm or Norman swimming. Swim farm is designed to be flexible. Norman is sept-may but I know there are kids who start in Feb to get ready for summer swim.

Oooh Swim Farm is a great idea! I bet you could start right away.

Anonymous wrote:Curious parent who just signed up two kids for goldfish, what's your issue with goldfish?

Goldfish is really nice to start. The kids will learn to float and do rudimentary swimming. But if you want your kid on a team there usually has to be a bridge program that starts the fundamentals of swim technique that will help the kid with racing. Usually these programs hammer streamline and body position since that become the building block for the strokes, then the starts, and turns.

Anonymous wrote:

So Goldfish is NOT it. Looking for a program my 7 year old could start now to be prepared for a summer league.

Tollefson swimming

Private lessons have worked the best for us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax Rec programs are terrible.

Second this. Please do not do them.

I have had great experiences through them, but it is very dependent on the instructor.

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax Rec programs are terrible.

Second this. Please do not do them.

Fairfax Rec programs are terrible.

Burke Racquet has a great stroke program.

You might try the Swim Farm or Norman swimming. Swim farm is designed to be flexible. Norman is sept-may but I know there are kids who start in Feb to get ready for summer swim.