My kid can only do afternoon practices and does not want to swim in meets. The coaches were totally fine with that. I wanted him to do swim team to become a strong swimmer, and not doing the meets was our compromise. Our pool is a lower level pool in the moco swim league, and I doubt DD would swim in the A meets anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wonderful about swimming, as compared to classic team sports, is how objective it is.
You know your exact times on the races, and you know everyone else's exact time. No arguing over whose better or worse.
With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.
TL;DR version...the more practice you go to the better, but if you miss a few it won't kill you.

Bs - please do tell the name of the team that does this. We’ve been at 3 summer pools and I’ve never seen this. Pool Name, please.

Each kid can only swim two individual events at a meet. Often the same child is in the top 2 or 3 swimmers in all four strokes, so they have to strategically decide which events they want their top one or two swimmers in, versus the other events.

This!

If a kid is NOT already swimming in 2 events and has one of the top three times in another even then that kid will swim. There is no coach that would choose to have a kid with a slower time swim over kid who have faster times. Swimming just doesn't work that way; kids who earn the spot to swim swim.

I’m the bs poster. I agree with how this is stated. I disagree that, as the above poster claimed, “With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.” That would never happen.

Also in regards to coaches pushing "dropping time"...dropping significant time will really depend on the swimmer and the level they come in performing at. If you have a kid who is fairly new to swimming or who only really swims in the summer, they will likely see bigger drops in time from day 1 to the end of the season. Same is true for anyone new to a sport; you tend to improve quickly. however, for a someone who is already performing at a high level those drops are not going to be as dramatic.

That doesn’t matter. If a kid can do a 50 meter free in 32 seconds (and hasn’t improved all season), never goes to practice and never participated in swim team stuff is compared to another kid who attends all practices and started the season with a 45 second free and now swims a 34 second free)- the latter kid will never be placed in a meet above the former.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wonderful about swimming, as compared to classic team sports, is how objective it is.
You know your exact times on the races, and you know everyone else's exact time. No arguing over whose better or worse.
With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.
TL;DR version...the more practice you go to the better, but if you miss a few it won't kill you.

Bs - please do tell the name of the team that does this. We’ve been at 3 summer pools and I’ve never seen this. Pool Name, please.

Each kid can only swim two individual events at a meet. Often the same child is in the top 2 or 3 swimmers in all four strokes, so they have to strategically decide which events they want their top one or two swimmers in, versus the other events.

This!

If a kid is NOT already swimming in 2 events and has one of the top three times in another even then that kid will swim. There is no coach that would choose to have a kid with a slower time swim over kid who have faster times. Swimming just doesn't work that way; kids who earn the spot to swim swim.

I’m the bs poster. I agree with how this is stated. I disagree that, as the above poster claimed, “With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.” That would never happen.

Also in regards to coaches pushing "dropping time"...dropping significant time will really depend on the swimmer and the level they come in performing at. If you have a kid who is fairly new to swimming or who only really swims in the summer, they will likely see bigger drops in time from day 1 to the end of the season. Same is true for anyone new to a sport; you tend to improve quickly. however, for a someone who is already performing at a high level those drops are not going to be as dramatic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wonderful about swimming, as compared to classic team sports, is how objective it is.
You know your exact times on the races, and you know everyone else's exact time. No arguing over whose better or worse.
With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.
TL;DR version...the more practice you go to the better, but if you miss a few it won't kill you.

Bs - please do tell the name of the team that does this. We’ve been at 3 summer pools and I’ve never seen this. Pool Name, please.

Each kid can only swim two individual events at a meet. Often the same child is in the top 2 or 3 swimmers in all four strokes, so they have to strategically decide which events they want their top one or two swimmers in, versus the other events.

This!

If a kid is NOT already swimming in 2 events and has one of the top three times in another even then that kid will swim. There is no coach that would choose to have a kid with a slower time swim over kid who have faster times. Swimming just doesn't work that way; kids who earn the spot to swim swim.

I’m the bs poster. I agree with how this is stated. I disagree that, as the above poster claimed, “With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.” That would never happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wonderful about swimming, as compared to classic team sports, is how objective it is.
You know your exact times on the races, and you know everyone else's exact time. No arguing over whose better or worse.
With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.
TL;DR version...the more practice you go to the better, but if you miss a few it won't kill you.

Bs - please do tell the name of the team that does this. We’ve been at 3 summer pools and I’ve never seen this. Pool Name, please.

Each kid can only swim two individual events at a meet. Often the same child is in the top 2 or 3 swimmers in all four strokes, so they have to strategically decide which events they want their top one or two swimmers in, versus the other events.

This!

If a kid is NOT already swimming in 2 events and has one of the top three times in another even then that kid will swim. There is no coach that would choose to have a kid with a slower time swim over kid who have faster times. Swimming just doesn't work that way; kids who earn the spot to swim swim.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's wonderful about swimming, as compared to classic team sports, is how objective it is.
You know your exact times on the races, and you know everyone else's exact time. No arguing over whose better or worse.
With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.
TL;DR version...the more practice you go to the better, but if you miss a few it won't kill you.

Bs - please do tell the name of the team that does this. We’ve been at 3 summer pools and I’ve never seen this. Pool Name, please.

Each kid can only swim two individual events at a meet. Often the same child is in the top 2 or 3 swimmers in all four strokes, so they have to strategically decide which events they want their top one or two swimmers in, versus the other events.

Anonymous wrote:What's wonderful about swimming, as compared to classic team sports, is how objective it is.
You know your exact times on the races, and you know everyone else's exact time. No arguing over whose better or worse.
With that said, swim team coaches preach non-stop about "dropping time", and can, and will, put swimmers with slightly lower scores into A meets if they're improving, over someone with better scores that have plateaued.
TL;DR version...the more practice you go to the better, but if you miss a few it won't kill you.

Bs - please do tell the name of the team that does this. We’ve been at 3 summer pools and I’ve never seen this. Pool Name, please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's much less about technique than size/strength when you're talking about the sprints in the summer

Disagree. Although size and strength can help, my tiny but technically adept swimmers routinely trounce big kids who have inferior technical swimming skills. Even in 25 m.

Don't usually see this at a young age although I do know of excellent swimmers who are small adults. At 8-12 you can have height differences of a foot or more and it really helps to be able to power through in the 25m. You don't need endurance or technique. I have seen swimmers splashing across the pool with what doesn't even look like rotary breathing. Yet they are getting top times.

top times in which division? I can tell you the top kids who make league all stars are not simply big kids. Sure size absolutely helps and is a factor, I but it's not the only factor. Now in a group of kids where they all have poor form, then yes, the bigger kids will be faster and win.

Hey, here’s a new question- what happens if your kid misses practice? Do the coaches get mad?

only if they are good/swim in A meets. Otherwise no one cares.

Others will be fine with it. Swim team lanes are always pretty full.

It's OK to miss practice, but try to get to most of them, especially after school ends. It's OK to miss a meet as long as you let the coaches know ahead of time. We routinely take a week off in early July and miss 2 meets.

FWIW, my child, who is not a year-round swimmer, swims in A meets in age 9-10. He's not the best in his age group, and we're in the D division of MCSL. The kids who swim faster in his age group are smaller, swim year round, and have much better technique, so they can beat my much-bigger son even in a 25. But he's getting great exercise, has become a proficient swimmer, is having fun, and improving...so we're all happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's much less about technique than size/strength when you're talking about the sprints in the summer

Disagree. Although size and strength can help, my tiny but technically adept swimmers routinely trounce big kids who have inferior technical swimming skills. Even in 25 m.

Don't usually see this at a young age although I do know of excellent swimmers who are small adults. At 8-12 you can have height differences of a foot or more and it really helps to be able to power through in the 25m. You don't need endurance or technique. I have seen swimmers splashing across the pool with what doesn't even look like rotary breathing. Yet they are getting top times.

top times in which division? I can tell you the top kids who make league all stars are not simply big kids. Sure size absolutely helps and is a factor, I but it's not the only factor. Now in a group of kids where they all have poor form, then yes, the bigger kids will be faster and win.

Hey, here’s a new question- what happens if your kid misses practice? Do the coaches get mad?

only if they are good/swim in A meets. Otherwise no one cares.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's much less about technique than size/strength when you're talking about the sprints in the summer

Disagree. Although size and strength can help, my tiny but technically adept swimmers routinely trounce big kids who have inferior technical swimming skills. Even in 25 m.

Don't usually see this at a young age although I do know of excellent swimmers who are small adults. At 8-12 you can have height differences of a foot or more and it really helps to be able to power through in the 25m. You don't need endurance or technique. I have seen swimmers splashing across the pool with what doesn't even look like rotary breathing. Yet they are getting top times.

top times in which division? I can tell you the top kids who make league all stars are not simply big kids. Sure size absolutely helps and is a factor, I but it's not the only factor. Now in a group of kids where they all have poor form, then yes, the bigger kids will be faster and win.

Hey, here’s a new question- what happens if your kid misses practice? Do the coaches get mad?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's much less about technique than size/strength when you're talking about the sprints in the summer

Disagree. Although size and strength can help, my tiny but technically adept swimmers routinely trounce big kids who have inferior technical swimming skills. Even in 25 m.

Don't usually see this at a young age although I do know of excellent swimmers who are small adults. At 8-12 you can have height differences of a foot or more and it really helps to be able to power through in the 25m. You don't need endurance or technique. I have seen swimmers splashing across the pool with what doesn't even look like rotary breathing. Yet they are getting top times.

top times in which division? I can tell you the top kids who make league all stars are not simply big kids. Sure size absolutely helps and is a factor, I but it's not the only factor. Now in a group of kids where they all have poor form, then yes, the bigger kids will be faster and win.

Anonymous wrote:

It's much less about technique than size/strength when you're talking about the sprints in the summer

Disagree. Although size and strength can help, my tiny but technically adept swimmers routinely trounce big kids who have inferior technical swimming skills. Even in 25 m.

Don't usually see this at a young age although I do know of excellent swimmers who are small adults. At 8-12 you can have height differences of a foot or more and it really helps to be able to power through in the 25m. You don't need endurance or technique. I have seen swimmers splashing across the pool with what doesn't even look like rotary breathing. Yet they are getting top times.

Anonymous wrote:

It's much less about technique than size/strength when you're talking about the sprints in the summer

Disagree. Although size and strength can help, my tiny but technically adept swimmers routinely trounce big kids who have inferior technical swimming skills. Even in 25 m.

+1

My kid is far from big for his age, but he has excellent form/technique. I'd also say that with such short distances technique, especially with things like turns is that much more critical. I've seen races won and lost on turns alone.

I'm sure it depends on the pool. While school is in session, at our pool, they say they know people have other activities finishing, etc. and that's it ok if you miss practice.
At our pool, I think ideally they would prefer if you don't go on vacation during the swim season, but they understand it happens.
For our team, whoever swims in A meets is strictly based on times.
They also try to do a "swimmer of the week" award, and I do believe they try to use that award to give extra credit to kids who are showing up every day with a good work effort and attitude.