Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Really? Our older kids like having the last practice. The hated getting up early. They are generally the group that doesn't need their parents to get them to practice so they prefer sleeping and showing up to the pool.

Little kids need parents to drive them and get them to camps. So logically it makes more sense.

Completely agree with this. For summer swim, which is *supposed* to be focused more on the fun side of sport than the competitive side (understanding that competition is certainly a very important element), it makes a lot more sense (to me at least) that we give parents the opportunity to get their younger kids to camps by having them in early practice, and also allowing older kids to sleep in by having their practices be later.

In the end, it's really whatever works for any given pool. I'd love 7:00 am practices, personally, but would the coaches, never mind the nearby residents that already don't like 7:45 am practices? Some pools have early-morning masters programs, while others don't. Size of the team, size of the pool (8 v. 6 lanes, for instance), and the relative size of the age groups also all matter when trying to come up with practice times. No option will please everyone - you just need to implement with the one that will please the most on your team!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Really? Our older kids like having the last practice. The hated getting up early. They are generally the group that doesn't need their parents to get them to practice so they prefer sleeping and showing up to the pool.

Little kids need parents to drive them and get them to camps. So logically it makes more sense.

Our first practice was 8am, not terribly early. Practice is now 10am. Unless you lifeguard, it doesn’t work with summer jobs - example is camp counselors,

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For my DC who sucks at swimming, our pool has mandatory doubles (0430 and 1630) three times a week.

4:30 am?? For how long?

It’s a joke.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For my DC who sucks at swimming, our pool has mandatory doubles (0430 and 1630) three times a week.

How is this even remotely okay for summer swim

Y’all really don’t get sarcasm.

Anonymous wrote:For my DC who sucks at swimming, our pool has mandatory doubles (0430 and 1630) three times a week.

How is this even remotely okay for summer swim

What NVSL summer team is running mandatory DOUBLES

We run are youngest kids last. Most of our teens are coaches so they practice and then life guard or coach and the little kids can stay and play after their practice

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Really? Our older kids like having the last practice. The hated getting up early. They are generally the group that doesn't need their parents to get them to practice so they prefer sleeping and showing up to the pool.

Little kids need parents to drive them and get them to camps. So logically it makes more sense.

I think separating 13-14 (where the kids can’t work and are mostly still in MS) from 15-18 (HS kids that may have jobs) probably would help with this. Do a 10U, 11-14 and 15-18 practice.

It might help parents but it would not help swimmers or coaches.

You would then have to divide what you work on within the practice session and do different sets. Skill and speed wise the group to lump together is 13&U. Not to mention 9-10s are working on turns which 8&Us do not

Then add that socially a 14 year old is not going to want to practice with an 11 year old. A lot of 11 year olds are still quite "young" and should probably not be with high school kids.

They already do divide what they work on with specific lanes. In every age group there are lanes of kids that are more advanced than others and the lanes are coached accordingly.

Most 11 year olds are headed to MS, so putting them in a practice group with other MS kids is fine. The 13-14 year olds are in a lane with the other 13-14 year olds, it’s really not that big of a deal.

Most of these are neighborhood pools. 13-14 year olds are perfectly capable of getting themselves to practice (bike/walk) without their parents. Our 13+ all love the later practice and the chance to sleep in during the summer. As most of the jobs are of the lifeguard variety, they don't start work until after.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Really? Our older kids like having the last practice. The hated getting up early. They are generally the group that doesn't need their parents to get them to practice so they prefer sleeping and showing up to the pool.

Little kids need parents to drive them and get them to camps. So logically it makes more sense.

I think separating 13-14 (where the kids can’t work and are mostly still in MS) from 15-18 (HS kids that may have jobs) probably would help with this. Do a 10U, 11-14 and 15-18 practice.

It might help parents but it would not help swimmers or coaches.

You would then have to divide what you work on within the practice session and do different sets. Skill and speed wise the group to lump together is 13&U. Not to mention 9-10s are working on turns which 8&Us do not

Then add that socially a 14 year old is not going to want to practice with an 11 year old. A lot of 11 year olds are still quite "young" and should probably not be with high school kids.

This is why you group them into different lanes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Really? Our older kids like having the last practice. The hated getting up early. They are generally the group that doesn't need their parents to get them to practice so they prefer sleeping and showing up to the pool.

Little kids need parents to drive them and get them to camps. So logically it makes more sense.

I think separating 13-14 (where the kids can’t work and are mostly still in MS) from 15-18 (HS kids that may have jobs) probably would help with this. Do a 10U, 11-14 and 15-18 practice.

It might help parents but it would not help swimmers or coaches.

You would then have to divide what you work on within the practice session and do different sets. Skill and speed wise the group to lump together is 13&U. Not to mention 9-10s are working on turns which 8&Us do not

Then add that socially a 14 year old is not going to want to practice with an 11 year old. A lot of 11 year olds are still quite "young" and should probably not be with high school kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Really? Our older kids like having the last practice. The hated getting up early. They are generally the group that doesn't need their parents to get them to practice so they prefer sleeping and showing up to the pool.

Little kids need parents to drive them and get them to camps. So logically it makes more sense.

I think separating 13-14 (where the kids can’t work and are mostly still in MS) from 15-18 (HS kids that may have jobs) probably would help with this. Do a 10U, 11-14 and 15-18 practice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Really? Our older kids like having the last practice. The hated getting up early. They are generally the group that doesn't need their parents to get them to practice so they prefer sleeping and showing up to the pool.

Little kids need parents to drive them and get them to camps. So logically it makes more sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ours has a 7am all-ages practice (which we use for the weeks our kids are in camp) and then they have age group practices over the next 2-3 hours after that. Sometimes "fun" stuff after the age-group practice. Optional clinics in the afternoons a couple of days a week depending on age group.

It's definitely do-able (if a bit of a scramble) for families with kids in camp / 2 working parents, but optimized for those with more flexibility. We try to split the difference with about half of the weeks in camp and half where we make the later morning practices work.

Our coaches/leadership want it to be fun so there's not any notable attendance pressure (but it's a great experience and kids are drawn to be there).

This is brilliant. Which pool?

Ours is 8:15-9:15 for 9-12; 9:15-10 8u and mini; 13+ 10-11:00. Tough for working parents and teens who have summer jobs or take summer classes.

After years of the older kids having the first practice, a younger parent put out a biased survey to move the practice times - eg there was no where on the survey to indicate older kid time preferences. Now older kids have last practice.

We ended up leaving for another pool with better practice times. Pool doesn’t have any 15-18s anymore.

Our practices start at 7:15 and begin with the 8&U then move up from there. 13&O is the last practice group. The kids that need to work (not many) are allowed to practice with masters in the morning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do any other pools have 7 am for 13+? Our pool does this and honestly I find it ridiculous. Kid has been getting up at 6 am for middle school all year, and now can’t even sleep in for summer.

Can’t speak to current start times, but I swam in NVSL in early 2000s and this was standard start time for 13+ because we all had summer jobs to get to. I guess kids don’t work during the summer like we used to?

Most of these kids don't work, or a lot of summer jobs start much later than what they used to.