Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
There are also team bonding activities on my kid’s club team. They hang out together outside of the pool all the time and are constantly staying at meets even when their events are done to cheer for their friends.
What age and what club? This isn't the experience our family and friends have had at clubs near us.
NCAP, my kid is 11. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been ready to leave a meet and my kid comes to tell me they want to watch and cheer for a friend still swimming or that they’ve volunteered to count for a friend doing a distance event at the end of the meet.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. I sounded unclear about summer vs club swim because I was/am unclear. We have never done any kind of swim team before, just lessons, so I'm still trying to understand what the options are in order to figure out what might work for us.
It sounds like if we want to start with something low-key and fun, we should just wait for next summer and see how she likes it, is that right? In an ideal world we'd start sooner but I don't want to turn her off the whole idea if the school-year options aren't the best starting point.
And then you basically have to join a private pool to get the summer swim team experience, is that right? (Or would the summer options at the Silver Spring YMCA or the public pools still be fun?) Any suggestions for SS/Wheaton area pools that have no wait list, evening practices, aren't picky about kids attending every practice, and have a fun swim team atmosphere for an 8 year old joining as a newbie? (The pool where most of the neighborhood kids go has a huge waitlist so that's out.)
There are five public teams in the summer Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL). They are the Bethesda Barracudas, Germantown Torpedoes, Glenmont Gators, Long Branch Water Wizards, Poolesville Piranhas and the Upper County Dolphins. Choose the one that's closest to you. Toward the end of the school year, they will all post on their websites information about practice times, tryouts, expectations, and meets. Summer swim is entirely what you make of it. Your kids can go to every practice or one practice. They don't have to compete in a single meet if they don't want to. But as other posters have mentioned, it is great fun for the kids and families. My son is a year-round club swimmer, and he enjoys it. But he absolutely loves his summer team, the Bethesda Barracudas.
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. I sounded unclear about summer vs club swim because I was/am unclear. We have never done any kind of swim team before, just lessons, so I'm still trying to understand what the options are in order to figure out what might work for us.
It sounds like if we want to start with something low-key and fun, we should just wait for next summer and see how she likes it, is that right? In an ideal world we'd start sooner but I don't want to turn her off the whole idea if the school-year options aren't the best starting point.
And then you basically have to join a private pool to get the summer swim team experience, is that right? (Or would the summer options at the Silver Spring YMCA or the public pools still be fun?) Any suggestions for SS/Wheaton area pools that have no wait list, evening practices, aren't picky about kids attending every practice, and have a fun swim team atmosphere for an 8 year old joining as a newbie? (The pool where most of the neighborhood kids go has a huge waitlist so that's out.)
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. I sounded unclear about summer vs club swim because I was/am unclear. We have never done any kind of swim team before, just lessons, so I'm still trying to understand what the options are in order to figure out what might work for us.
It sounds like if we want to start with something low-key and fun, we should just wait for next summer and see how she likes it, is that right? In an ideal world we'd start sooner but I don't want to turn her off the whole idea if the school-year options aren't the best starting point.
And then you basically have to join a private pool to get the summer swim team experience, is that right? (Or would the summer options at the Silver Spring YMCA or the public pools still be fun?) Any suggestions for SS/Wheaton area pools that have no wait list, evening practices, aren't picky about kids attending every practice, and have a fun swim team atmosphere for an 8 year old joining as a newbie? (The pool where most of the neighborhood kids go has a huge waitlist so that's out.)
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. I sounded unclear about summer vs club swim because I was/am unclear. We have never done any kind of swim team before, just lessons, so I'm still trying to understand what the options are in order to figure out what might work for us.
It sounds like if we want to start with something low-key and fun, we should just wait for next summer and see how she likes it, is that right? In an ideal world we'd start sooner but I don't want to turn her off the whole idea if the school-year options aren't the best starting point.
And then you basically have to join a private pool to get the summer swim team experience, is that right? (Or would the summer options at the Silver Spring YMCA or the public pools still be fun?) Any suggestions for SS/Wheaton area pools that have no wait list, evening practices, aren't picky about kids attending every practice, and have a fun swim team atmosphere for an 8 year old joining as a newbie? (The pool where most of the neighborhood kids go has a huge waitlist so that's out.)
Anonymous wrote:Not OP - question for the group:
When you hear swim team does it ever connotate to you a club team?
In my head, it does not. When someone says swim team I think summer team or high school team (since you compete against others). Club is individualistic so it is just Club Swim.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Summer swim = fun
Club swim = work
Summer swim = team
Club swim = individual
For Summer swim, you hang out with your friends and the entire team on the pool deck. It's also more family-oriented, parents hang out too. There are fun activities, pasta dinners, ice cream socials, and buying candy at concessions. Stay for team lunch afterward.
Year-round, club swimming is different. You hang out with your club in your age group. When you are done with your events, you leave. No get togethers.
Two different vibes.
There are also team bonding activities on my kid’s club team. They hang out together outside of the pool all the time and are constantly staying at meets even when their events are done to cheer for their friends.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The options really vary, OP. We're also in SS, just outside the Beltway. The closest club options are at Georgetown Prep: NCAP, Tollefson, JF Dolphins. NCAP and JFD are likely full; Tollefson has a technique and endurance program that's practice-focused, with no competition. It's also $$$ (they do have a competitive team, but tryouts were in the summer). RMSC at MLK or KSAC are options, also had tryouts in the summer.
We're doing Machine at Fairland - just started - and the drive isn't bad. They may have space left for this season; we've heard nothing but good reviews, FWIW. There are other programs at Fairland, too, as a PP noted.
Does your daughter *want* to do club swim? That's the most important thing.
OP is asking about summer swim options. Are their any?
Anonymous wrote:Can someone walk me through the basics of how swim teams work? My 7 year old finally really learned to swim fairly well and enjoy it this summer, and since she's not really into team sports in general, I thought joining a swim team (ideally a low-key one) might be a nice middle ground where she's still getting a "team" experience. But I have almost no idea what that actually involves.
Would we have to join a private pool or can we do it at a public one? Is it possible to only practice once or twice a week, or does it have to be more? Are there evening practices, or only morning ones? Is it really expensive? How much of the day should we expect meets to take up? I hear the parent-volunteering requirements are pretty intense, what does that look like? What's the difference between summer swim team and school-year? Are there even low-key swim teams out there at all, or is this just going to be too intense/demanding for us?
(We're in Silver Spring near the Beltway, if that matters.)
Anonymous wrote:The options really vary, OP. We're also in SS, just outside the Beltway. The closest club options are at Georgetown Prep: NCAP, Tollefson, JF Dolphins. NCAP and JFD are likely full; Tollefson has a technique and endurance program that's practice-focused, with no competition. It's also $$$ (they do have a competitive team, but tryouts were in the summer). RMSC at MLK or KSAC are options, also had tryouts in the summer.
We're doing Machine at Fairland - just started - and the drive isn't bad. They may have space left for this season; we've heard nothing but good reviews, FWIW. There are other programs at Fairland, too, as a PP noted.
Does your daughter *want* to do club swim? That's the most important thing.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
There are also team bonding activities on my kid’s club team. They hang out together outside of the pool all the time and are constantly staying at meets even when their events are done to cheer for their friends.
What age and what club? This isn't the experience our family and friends have had at clubs near us.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
There are also team bonding activities on my kid’s club team. They hang out together outside of the pool all the time and are constantly staying at meets even when their events are done to cheer for their friends.
What age and what club? This isn't the experience our family and friends have had at clubs near us.