Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our experience was that Machine did not provide stroke corrections and focused only on older kids. Younger kids are just cash cows. To supplement, we did private lessons with one of the summer swim college kids. That helped with strike mechanics. We are exploring other options for next year. For us it’s really about exercising and doing hard tasks - which they could do with stroke and turn and a private lesson. Or a municipal team that takes OOB kids.

This hasn't been our experience at all with Machine, at either Maryland site. My now 8-year old has gotten lots of stroke input, as has my now 11-year old. At times over the year Dan Haines, who is the head site coach at UMD and coaches the National/National Prep groups, has been on the deck coaching the younger kids. I've seen him give very specific, immediate feedback multiple times over the course of this year.

I know experiences across sites vary, so wanted to share ours.

That is helpful. Was your kid there on MW? Because at some point a lot of the littles on TH moved to MW, that may color people's experiences. Because our experience with TTH at CP has not been great.

Anonymous wrote:Our experience was that Machine did not provide stroke corrections and focused only on older kids. Younger kids are just cash cows. To supplement, we did private lessons with one of the summer swim college kids. That helped with strike mechanics. We are exploring other options for next year. For us it’s really about exercising and doing hard tasks - which they could do with stroke and turn and a private lesson. Or a municipal team that takes OOB kids.

This hasn't been our experience at all with Machine, at either Maryland site. My now 8-year old has gotten lots of stroke input, as has my now 11-year old. At times over the year Dan Haines, who is the head site coach at UMD and coaches the National/National Prep groups, has been on the deck coaching the younger kids. I've seen him give very specific, immediate feedback multiple times over the course of this year.

I know experiences across sites vary, so wanted to share ours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the point of club swimming if what everyone is saying is true that the coaches don't actually correct their stroke mistakes? I'm considering signing up my 8 year old. It seems like everyone else on her summer team does it and if I don't sign her up next year she'll be behind.

There will be some correction, but it will vary by team, practice group, and coach. Really detailed stroke work is something that you have to seek out. Private lessons are always easiest to come by with your summer team at your summer pool, so that is a great time to dig in a little more deeply.

Private lessons with summer swim coach is probably the lowest risk option in terms of price and commitment. However, even quality of instruction of teens vary widely! So still need to do some homework!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the point of club swimming if what everyone is saying is true that the coaches don't actually correct their stroke mistakes? I'm considering signing up my 8 year old. It seems like everyone else on her summer team does it and if I don't sign her up next year she'll be behind.

There will be some correction, but it will vary by team, practice group, and coach. Really detailed stroke work is something that you have to seek out. Private lessons are always easiest to come by with your summer team at your summer pool, so that is a great time to dig in a little more deeply.

I was the PP that had a good experience with Mach at Audrey Moore; it was hands on with 2 coaches in the water and this was the case when they moved to the first age group tier (but 1 coach in the water sometimes but not all the time depending on what they were working on). A different poster didn’t have a good experience with Mach. Both can be true. With club swimming you will find differences across clubs and within club sites.

Now that my kids are older and still in club and talking to other parents of different club swimmers, it can be hard to generalize. If you’re looking for options best to talk to the current staff or find parents of current stroke mechanics swimmers to talk to. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:What is the point of club swimming if what everyone is saying is true that the coaches don't actually correct their stroke mistakes? I'm considering signing up my 8 year old. It seems like everyone else on her summer team does it and if I don't sign her up next year she'll be behind.

We did this with our second grader on same logic. Again, good workout and definitely helped with endurance. But for $3000+ for us not worth for about an hour in-pool - particularly with so many cancellations or weird substitutions (go to Fairland at 8pm on a school night). We watched a few random practices and the coach barely spoke to the younger kids.

Anonymous wrote:What is the point of club swimming if what everyone is saying is true that the coaches don't actually correct their stroke mistakes? I'm considering signing up my 8 year old. It seems like everyone else on her summer team does it and if I don't sign her up next year she'll be behind.

There will be some correction, but it will vary by team, practice group, and coach. Really detailed stroke work is something that you have to seek out. Private lessons are always easiest to come by with your summer team at your summer pool, so that is a great time to dig in a little more deeply.

What is the point of club swimming if what everyone is saying is true that the coaches don't actually correct their stroke mistakes? I'm considering signing up my 8 year old. It seems like everyone else on her summer team does it and if I don't sign her up next year she'll be behind.

Anonymous wrote:The programs you mentioned are all good. However, none will provide “hands on” technique the same way a private coach likely will. It sounds like you have a summer pool—I would ask a coach or older teen for weekly private instruction to really focus on stroke mechanics.

As for the clubs, Fish has a very good—probably the best around—mini program. However, most kids are moving out of the mini program at 8/9.

How is the Fish program for 9 and 10 year olds in the age group?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The programs you mentioned are all good. However, none will provide “hands on” technique the same way a private coach likely will. It sounds like you have a summer pool—I would ask a coach or older teen for weekly private instruction to really focus on stroke mechanics.

As for the clubs, Fish has a very good—probably the best around—mini program. However, most kids are moving out of the mini program at 8/9.

AG1 at ASA often has coaches in the water.

OP is looking at Virginia teams

Anonymous wrote:We have already done summer

How does machine compare to fish

They are the same in that neither will have coaches in the water giving hands-on technique instruction to your kid

https://swimwithbeth.com/

Coaches are in the water, hands on.

Our experience was that Machine did not provide stroke corrections and focused only on older kids. Younger kids are just cash cows. To supplement, we did private lessons with one of the summer swim college kids. That helped with strike mechanics. We are exploring other options for next year. For us it’s really about exercising and doing hard tasks - which they could do with stroke and turn and a private lesson. Or a municipal team that takes OOB kids.

If you're willing to drive to Yorktown HS, York has a great swim school. The coaches are all in the water, but it's not a competition group by any means.

Anonymous wrote:The programs you mentioned are all good. However, none will provide “hands on” technique the same way a private coach likely will. It sounds like you have a summer pool—I would ask a coach or older teen for weekly private instruction to really focus on stroke mechanics.

As for the clubs, Fish has a very good—probably the best around—mini program. However, most kids are moving out of the mini program at 8/9.

AG1 at ASA often has coaches in the water.

Hands on I mean more individual corrections. Stop the kid if they’re doing it wrong instead of just ketting them continue to swim and build bad habits. Not just say swim 200m free. Good solid corrections.