Anonymous wrote:8 and under’s are terribly behaved these days. I don’t envy our coaches. So much whining, crying, fighting over spot in the lane. Certainly not listening to the coaches instruction.

That is a parenting problem. Welcome to the land of entitlement.

Our 8&unders basically can’t make it down the lane unless they drag themselves via the gutter. Their parents are very hands-off annd don’t seem worried. I really feel the generational difference even though my kid is only a few years older- we are as overbearing and involved as they are indifferent. We would have had those kids in 5 days/week private lessons and asking the coach to put them in lane 2 away from the wall.

This is the group that was locked down while the kids were babies or very young toddlers so it was hard to get into the swing of signing up for swim lessons and getting out of the house. My friend with a rising 1st grader has said as much.

We have a ton of 8u's, but most of the ones who are actually legal in all 4 strokes did winter swim.

We're PMSL so 8&u's don't normally do fly (it's a 10&u event) unless they're really good.

We have soooooooooo many 8&us (although only a handful I would consider "good"). Like more than 15 each for boys and girls. Four of each legal in breast.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think coaches spend much time with 8 and under, honestly. Our kid (7) swims year round. Coaches don’t get in water. Tells us kid is legal in three strokes with a “close” butterfly. Does weekend stroke and turn. DQs in breast every summer B swim meet (feet turned in). They never say anything to her or help her work on it. Does other strokes in A meets. No real coaching there, either.

+1. I’m not sure what the answer is other than private coaching. But my kid likes to do other sports the rest of the year and mamma appreciates a day off, so it would basically mean no club.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say though. The vast majority of the swimming programs are really expensive many 3k a year.

This is a huge issue for us. The cost is just so high, it’s a hardship.

Ours is $7000/year (including meet fees), 12 months, but let me tell you…dance is SOOOOO much more expensive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who cares?

So true. You people need to get a life.

They do have one and they love it. Why are you hanging out on threads that appear to irritate you?

Anonymous wrote:Who cares?

So true. You people need to get a life.

I don’t think coaches spend much time with 8 and under, honestly. Our kid (7) swims year round. Coaches don’t get in water. Tells us kid is legal in three strokes with a “close” butterfly. Does weekend stroke and turn. DQs in breast every summer B swim meet (feet turned in). They never say anything to her or help her work on it. Does other strokes in A meets. No real coaching there, either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will say though. The vast majority of the swimming programs are really expensive many 3k a year.

This is a huge issue for us. The cost is just so high, it’s a hardship.

DP and I get it. There’s not really a way to lower the cost because indoor pools are so expensive to maintain. The clubs pay a lot of money to rent the lanes, plus they have to pay the coaches and administrators (not much). The meets are largely run by volunteers, unlike other sports where the refs get paid. If your summer team has a once weekly winter maintenance program that’s usually a lot cheaper because it’s less frequent and the coaches are probably paid even less. Of course, the quality of coaching is often lower too because it’s young people not career coaches.

Anonymous wrote:I will say though. The vast majority of the swimming programs are really expensive many 3k a year.

This is a huge issue for us. The cost is just so high, it’s a hardship.

We had 12 empty lanes plus no 8U free relays.

Our 8 and under girls are fast! They will be carrying the older age groups, since we’ve lost a lot of 13/14s to other sports.

Anonymous wrote:8 and under’s are terribly behaved these days. I don’t envy our coaches. So much whining, crying, fighting over spot in the lane. Certainly not listening to the coaches instruction.

That's something for team culture to address. The coaches can and should expect behavior standards from 8Us if they want to be part of the team. This can be done in a humane and age-appropriate way, but it has to be done - and it can. I've seen our coaches do it.

One important maturity step is requiring the littles to perch with the team at meets, not with their parents. They're in full view (and often arm's reach) of the adults, but they're not supposed to go running back to their family unless they just need to pick up an item or reapply some sunscreen. The behavior improves vastly when they're trying to seem cool in front of the older kids. And the older kids moderate their behavior and act as mentors.

8 and under’s are terribly behaved these days. I don’t envy our coaches. So much whining, crying, fighting over spot in the lane. Certainly not listening to the coaches instruction.