Anonymous
06/25/2025 08:55
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Recruiting absolutely goes on in the NVSL and if you believe otherwise, your head is completely buried in the sand. A few seasons back while in D1-2 team, I timed with a parent who admitted they lived in Loudon County (passed Dulles) but swam for this particular team which was well over 20 miles from their home. The parent said her child never attended the team practices and only showed-up on Saturday morning to swim. And yes, she dominated and was by far one of the best kids in this particular team.
I’ve also timed with other parents who openly admitted they had country club memberships and spent all their time at the club, while also simultaneously holding a membership at a top NVSL team pool (and never attended) solely so their kid could swim for a top team. That’s not technically recruiting per say, but you get a sense of what goes on at the top levels.
While a team may no officially recruit per say through coaches and team reps, you can absolutely bet your bottom dollar there is recruiting going in within internal pool families recruiting other external families to join their pool with the goal of putting together competitive relays at a high level. I’ve actively seen it first hand at our pool. Sometimes it comes to fruition, sometimes it doesn’t but to state recruiting doesn’t occur in the NVSL is a downright lie. It may not be official per se, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of absurdity going on.
It’s “per se.”
Anonymous
06/25/2025 08:50
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Recruiting absolutely goes on in the NVSL and if you believe otherwise, your head is completely buried in the sand. A few seasons back while in D1-2 team, I timed with a parent who admitted they lived in Loudon County (passed Dulles) but swam for this particular team which was well over 20 miles from their home. The parent said her child never attended the team practices and only showed-up on Saturday morning to swim. And yes, she dominated and was by far one of the best kids in this particular team.
I’ve also timed with other parents who openly admitted they had country club memberships and spent all their time at the club, while also simultaneously holding a membership at a top NVSL team pool (and never attended) solely so their kid could swim for a top team. That’s not technically recruiting per say, but you get a sense of what goes on at the top levels.
While a team may no officially recruit per say through coaches and team reps, you can absolutely bet your bottom dollar there is recruiting going in within internal pool families recruiting other external families to join their pool with the goal of putting together competitive relays at a high level. I’ve actively seen it first hand at our pool. Sometimes it comes to fruition, sometimes it doesn’t but to state recruiting doesn’t occur in the NVSL is a downright lie. It may not be official per say, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of absurdity going on.
A family asking a kid on their club or school swim team who is super fast or telling friends about a swim team they love isn't "recruiting." It's just the way human beings operate. "Hey, I like you! I like my swim team! You should join so we can hang out more!"
This is not nefarious.
In fact recruiting in some cases might bump a kid down the ladder, so be counterproductive to the kind of crazy mentioned on other threads. Which is part of why it just can't be what people like you are saying it is.
Anonymous
06/25/2025 06:49
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Hilarious that anyone cares who joins which pool for a completely meaningless
REC swim league.
REC swim league.
Anonymous
06/25/2025 06:43
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Recruiting absolutely goes on in the NVSL and if you believe otherwise, your head is completely buried in the sand. A few seasons back while in D1-2 team, I timed with a parent who admitted they lived in Loudon County (passed Dulles) but swam for this particular team which was well over 20 miles from their home. The parent said her child never attended the team practices and only showed-up on Saturday morning to swim. And yes, she dominated and was by far one of the best kids in this particular team.
I’ve also timed with other parents who openly admitted they had country club memberships and spent all their time at the club, while also simultaneously holding a membership at a top NVSL team pool (and never attended) solely so their kid could swim for a top team. That’s not technically recruiting per say, but you get a sense of what goes on at the top levels.
While a team may no officially recruit per say through coaches and team reps, you can absolutely bet your bottom dollar there is recruiting going in within internal pool families recruiting other external families to join their pool with the goal of putting together competitive relays at a high level. I’ve actively seen it first hand at our pool. Sometimes it comes to fruition, sometimes it doesn’t but to state recruiting doesn’t occur in the NVSL is a downright lie. It may not be official per say, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of absurdity going on.
I’ve also timed with other parents who openly admitted they had country club memberships and spent all their time at the club, while also simultaneously holding a membership at a top NVSL team pool (and never attended) solely so their kid could swim for a top team. That’s not technically recruiting per say, but you get a sense of what goes on at the top levels.
While a team may no officially recruit per say through coaches and team reps, you can absolutely bet your bottom dollar there is recruiting going in within internal pool families recruiting other external families to join their pool with the goal of putting together competitive relays at a high level. I’ve actively seen it first hand at our pool. Sometimes it comes to fruition, sometimes it doesn’t but to state recruiting doesn’t occur in the NVSL is a downright lie. It may not be official per say, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of absurdity going on.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 23:46
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Lots of drama
Anonymous
06/24/2025 23:40
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How often does something like this really happen where a top swimmer in their age group really jump to a new pool?
Seems like it would be a pretty rare occurrence in the NVSL and as other posters have mentioned probably good reasons to switch. Otherwise they would have stayed.
Happened to us a couple years ago. Mother of one her high school teammates was the team rep, so I suspect entreaties were made. There were no hard feelings, she is still friends with her teammates at our pool. No biggie.
Glad they are all still friends! People should be able to swim where they want.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 23:37
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:How often does something like this really happen where a top swimmer in their age group really jump to a new pool?
Seems like it would be a pretty rare occurrence in the NVSL and as other posters have mentioned probably good reasons to switch. Otherwise they would have stayed.
Happened to us a couple years ago. Mother of one her high school teammates was the team rep, so I suspect entreaties were made. There were no hard feelings, she is still friends with her teammates at our pool. No biggie.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 23:34
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Welcome to the NVSL, most of the pools in our area are aggressively recruiting to climb the division ladder.Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone be putting any thought or effort into whether their pool moves UP in a recreational, for fun, swim league?
Seek mental health help.
No
They
Aren't
This is crazy talk! Recruiting is not this rampant thing happening in NVSL.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 23:33
Subject: Re:How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Do most pools have initiation fees? Having to pay another initiation fee would keep us from jumping to a different pool.
Some do, some don’t. If you’re happy at your pool you should stay.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 23:31
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Welcome to the NVSL, most of the pools in our area are aggressively recruiting to climb the division ladder.Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone be putting any thought or effort into whether their pool moves UP in a recreational, for fun, swim league?
Seek mental health help.
No
They
Aren't
Anonymous
06/24/2025 23:28
Subject: Re:How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Do most pools have initiation fees? Having to pay another initiation fee would keep us from jumping to a different pool.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 22:38
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How often does something like this really happen where a top swimmer in their age group really jump to a new pool?
Seems like it would be a pretty rare occurrence in the NVSL and as other posters have mentioned probably good reasons to switch. Otherwise they would have stayed.
It happened this year with Tuckahoe, but I am *absolutely not* suggesting it was anything improper. Likely, it’s a family who finally got off the waitlist. But it did enhance their 9-10 girls group.
It happened a few years ago with an 8 year old girl who jumped to a top (D1-D3) team from a mid-division team. That girls group at the new top-division team was also enhanced. But with an 8 year old, I’m sure it was nothing improper either.
Several years ago, like maybe 2018-2019, a mid-division, very small NVSL team all the sudden got a bunch of top Makos swimmers (like swimmers who now are D1 swimmers in college). It was kind of crazy because these swimmers left two or three different NVSL teams and joined this smaller NVSL team, then that team moved up 7 divisions.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 22:32
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:How often does something like this really happen where a top swimmer in their age group really jump to a new pool?
Seems like it would be a pretty rare occurrence in the NVSL and as other posters have mentioned probably good reasons to switch. Otherwise they would have stayed.
It happened this year with Tuckahoe, but I am *absolutely not* suggesting it was anything improper. Likely, it’s a family who finally got off the waitlist. But it did enhance their 9-10 girls group.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 22:21
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
How often does something like this really happen where a top swimmer in their age group really jump to a new pool?
Seems like it would be a pretty rare occurrence in the NVSL and as other posters have mentioned probably good reasons to switch. Otherwise they would have stayed.
Seems like it would be a pretty rare occurrence in the NVSL and as other posters have mentioned probably good reasons to switch. Otherwise they would have stayed.
Anonymous
06/24/2025 21:59
Subject: How to Deal with Poached Swimmers in the NVSL
Anonymous wrote:Can’t wait for pools to start giving out NIL deals too…
