Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

They aren’t outdone as a matter of course, they are outdone by kids who are working hard at their sport and practicing 4-5 times a week 🙄 The entitlement here is a lot.

Winter swim costs a fortune compared to most other sports and it requires committed parents. We're fortunate that our kid who wants to swim winters can, but summer gets ridiculous when they're at the pool at 6:00 being coached by their summer coach as part of their club's summer program and then get another half assed practice at 8:00 with the summer team. If my kid is messing something up in a meet, their coach works with them at their club practice. The kids the coach coaches for club doing divisionals get a ton of work whereas the summer only kids get almost none.

we pay $105 per month for year round. That’s the same as my kids martial arts. Not really a fortune. Yes some charge more, but not all.

for 4 day a week with a reputable club? We were paying more than twice that for twice a week stroke school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

They aren’t outdone as a matter of course, they are outdone by kids who are working hard at their sport and practicing 4-5 times a week 🙄 The entitlement here is a lot.

Winter swim costs a fortune compared to most other sports and it requires committed parents. We're fortunate that our kid who wants to swim winters can, but summer gets ridiculous when they're at the pool at 6:00 being coached by their summer coach as part of their club's summer program and then get another half assed practice at 8:00 with the summer team. If my kid is messing something up in a meet, their coach works with them at their club practice. The kids the coach coaches for club doing divisionals get a ton of work whereas the summer only kids get almost none.

we pay $105 per month for year round. That’s the same as my kids martial arts. Not really a fortune. Yes some charge more, but not all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

They aren’t outdone as a matter of course, they are outdone by kids who are working hard at their sport and practicing 4-5 times a week 🙄 The entitlement here is a lot.

Winter swim costs a fortune compared to most other sports and it requires committed parents. We're fortunate that our kid who wants to swim winters can, but summer gets ridiculous when they're at the pool at 6:00 being coached by their summer coach as part of their club's summer program and then get another half assed practice at 8:00 with the summer team. If my kid is messing something up in a meet, their coach works with them at their club practice. The kids the coach coaches for club doing divisionals get a ton of work whereas the summer only kids get almost none.

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

This is bizarre. You want to cut kids because they're too good? This is a summer community pool. If you're going to cut kids, why not cut the kids who suck? That way, you have better chances of winning.

See how dumb that sounds? It's a fun, all-inclusive summer activity. Of course some kids will be better than others even among those who don't swim year round.

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

They aren’t outdone as a matter of course, they are outdone by kids who are working hard at their sport and practicing 4-5 times a week 🙄 The entitlement here is a lot.

Well, generally, kids who do a sport year round will be stronger in that sport than kids who only do it for one season each year. So if your new team has a lot of year-round swimmers, they will likely dominate the A meets.

But ... That's exactly why B meets exist. To give the rest of the kids a chance to participate, develop, and shine among their peers. If your kid loses interest because they aren't competing in the top tier, you can work with them on individual goals, like beating their own best time, and focus on the team spirit in B meets (cheering each other on, costume days, etc). My kids actually prefer B meets because they are more relaxed and fun.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

I don’t get this- if your child wants to compete in A meets, then they need to put in the legwork year round. If they aren’t interested in doing that then B meets are sufficient. They are still meets, and they are still fun.

Agree with this reply! Jeez, my kid doesn't play baseball, but why can't he be on the travel baseball team???

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

I don’t get this- if your child wants to compete in A meets, then they need to put in the legwork year round. If they aren’t interested in doing that then B meets are sufficient. They are still meets, and they are still fun.

Anonymous wrote:This is depressing. Why can't the winter swimmers have their own meets? ...concerned my kids will lose interest if they're always B meet. But I am happy to hear the B meets can be fun. They certainly were at our last pool but everyone was in it together but every kid had a chance. They weren't outdone as a matter of course by the winter swim kids.

I mean the year round kids in the upper divisions do have their own meets, the A meets. A meet is a meet is a meet, your kid is swimming the same event and getting the same times regardless of whether it is a Saturday A meet or a midweek B meet. As a parent I know the B meets can be a bit of a time suck, but my kid enjoyed those every bit as much as A meets, I’m the one that liked the A meets better because they were much faster.

Anonymous wrote:B meets are so fun! So what if they don't qualify for A? Does your team not do cheers at B meets? Themed dress up? Make a point to have a special treat on meet nights. We need to stop projecting to kids that a sport is only worth doing if they are the fastest. Talk about the fun, the physical activity, the camaraderie. Don't ask her about her times, ask her how she felt when she was done.

This.

As a general rule the year-round swimmers will be stronger than those that only swim in the summer. Not always, especially under age 12 or so, but usually. Our DS loves to swim, and swims year round, but is a very average swimmer. There are boys on his summer team who routinely beat him even though he swims Sept-May with a club and they don't. They just overall are fit and solid athletes. We'll see if that still holds true when they're teenagers but it's been the case in the 10-12yr range.

Either way, B meets are fun! Cheers, theme nights, snack bars, hanging out for hours with your swim team friends in the team area with no parental oversight. What's not to love if you're a kid!?

Join a non-competitive swimming pool/team if your kid cares about being in A meets.

We go to a pool where we can’t always fill lanes on Saturdays. It’s all about having fun. And my kids swim year round.

Yes, at our pool A meets are dominated by year-round swimmers.

Both of my kids do other things during the year, and swim team in the summer. They both swim B meets and it is tons of fun for them, and me!

Plus, if a B meet swimmer, you have weekends free.

Why did you join a pool known for its swim team? We are at a pool in division N. But my slow swimmer will do great and have fun. At an A division pool she would never be in meets…..

B meets are so fun! So what if they don't qualify for A? Does your team not do cheers at B meets? Themed dress up? Make a point to have a special treat on meet nights. We need to stop projecting to kids that a sport is only worth doing if they are the fastest. Talk about the fun, the physical activity, the camaraderie. Don't ask her about her times, ask her how she felt when she was done.