Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A half dozen or so 13-14s got into serious trouble for violating PVS travel/room policies and some challenged the coaches.

Their actions caused coaches to revoke privileges from the other kids who didn’t do anything wrong.

What do these kids have in common? They were all from NCap.

Class acts!

Sounds like those kids should have immediately been sent home at their parents' expense and time and not been allowed to compete.

The parents absolutely should have been made to come get them and they should not have been allowed to compete. My 11-12 DD and I have read this thread and it definitely makes both of us think twice about whether we’d let her/she’d want to go to this meet next year (she’s likely to qualify in her best stroke). She also said this meet extends the season another few weeks and she’d probably be pretty burnt by then after the weeks of doubles between club and summer league.

Anonymous wrote:A half dozen or so 13-14s got into serious trouble for violating PVS travel/room policies and some challenged the coaches.

Their actions caused coaches to revoke privileges from the other kids who didn’t do anything wrong.

What do these kids have in common? They were all from NCap.

Class acts!

Sounds like those kids should have immediately been sent home at their parents' expense and time and not been allowed to compete.

A half dozen or so 13-14s got into serious trouble for violating PVS travel/room policies and some challenged the coaches.

Their actions caused coaches to revoke privileges from the other kids who didn’t do anything wrong.

What do these kids have in common? They were all from NCap.

Class acts!

It’s hard to have enough chaperones - our team had a big ratio, but the chaperones were overrun. They were running around picking up food, going back to the hotel because a swimmer forgot their goggles, going to target to pick up sweatpants for kids who didn’t pack well, fielding calls from parents at home, etc etc. I was traveling separately with my kid and helped out, but it was clear that there were a lot of logistical tasks to accomplish. Especially since this was a meet that we had flown to, so everyone was limited on what we could bring. I don’t even know how the canopy situation was sorted out. The kids did fine on their own, but I heard they didn’t sleep much at night because the call time to get breakfast and board the bus was so early. And they had no chance of a nap between sessions.

Sounds like Lord of the Flies. Sorry, but unless your kid is in high school, parental supervision is both appropriate and necessary. While I understand coaches want their athletes to learn independence and not be distracted by family members, swimming isn't the Olympics.

Anonymous wrote:Team travel used to happen all the time without incident. It was an honor and a big deal to go to Zones. I don’t think it is “crazy” to want to send my kid. They have to get used to team travel, chase starts etc if they want to eventually do bigger meets. There should be very high expectations of good behavior as this meet is a privilege not a right. These kids are supposed to be the most serious about swimming.

If anything, I would make it so you have to qualify LCM to keep numbers more manageable. Perhaps use SCY times as bonus events depending on how many LCM times they have. Not saying it is these kids who are bad but the focus needs to be on swimming in a way it doesn’t feel like it is. Maybe if the group was smaller that would be easier.

I just scrolled the PVS entry list and there were only 8 kids who used SCY times only to qualify for the meet, so that really wouldn’t move the needle much.

Agree with PP

PVS needs to re-examine selection for swimmers and coaches and add parent chaperones like the other teams from NE, CT etc

Team travel used to happen all the time without incident. It was an honor and a big deal to go to Zones. I don’t think it is “crazy” to want to send my kid. They have to get used to team travel, chase starts etc if they want to eventually do bigger meets. There should be very high expectations of good behavior as this meet is a privilege not a right. These kids are supposed to be the most serious about swimming.

If anything, I would make it so you have to qualify LCM to keep numbers more manageable. Perhaps use SCY times as bonus events depending on how many LCM times they have. Not saying it is these kids who are bad but the focus needs to be on swimming in a way it doesn’t feel like it is. Maybe if the group was smaller that would be easier.

Does anyone know if other LSCs have equivalent to summer swim leagues? PVS kids seem largely off their best times from Champs where other areas are swimming really well (though PVS is second at the meet but I think that might be sheer numbers).

That is all I can think of: swimmers are exhausted after NVSL, MSCL, CCSDL etc.

And, also they can’t nap between (which I don’t blame coaches for). Also underscoring a PP, there seems to be bad behavior at this meet that hadn’t happened last time there was team travel. A real bummer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Winter zones is great and hard to qualify. Summer zones is a joke and a waste of time and money.

Well, the LC times are actually harder so not sure what you mean. But I do think the team travel is unnecessary.

Oops I’m old I guess. Winter zones used to be the top 2 swimmers in each event from each state so it was a really big deal to go. Summer zones was a qualifying time. I’m sad to hear they switched winter zones to the summer format.

With all the other meets teams go to (NCSA, NASA, ISCA) zones participation significantly decreased. I believe that’s why the qualification format changed.

I will also say summer zones has been team travel for PVS for even the 10yos for a long time (aside from Covid). My child went at 10 in 2016. It was well-organized and a great experience. I thought of it like summer camp.

It was family travel last year.

Does anyone know who the 9/10 coaches are at this meet? They gave us a list of six coaches but don’t know which coach is responsible for which age group

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Winter zones is great and hard to qualify. Summer zones is a joke and a waste of time and money.

Well, the LC times are actually harder so not sure what you mean. But I do think the team travel is unnecessary.

Oops I’m old I guess. Winter zones used to be the top 2 swimmers in each event from each state so it was a really big deal to go. Summer zones was a qualifying time. I’m sad to hear they switched winter zones to the summer format.

With all the other meets teams go to (NCSA, NASA, ISCA) zones participation significantly decreased. I believe that’s why the qualification format changed.

I will also say summer zones has been team travel for PVS for even the 10yos for a long time (aside from Covid). My child went at 10 in 2016. It was well-organized and a great experience. I thought of it like summer camp.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Winter zones is great and hard to qualify. Summer zones is a joke and a waste of time and money.

Well, the LC times are actually harder so not sure what you mean. But I do think the team travel is unnecessary.

Oops I’m old I guess. Winter zones used to be the top 2 swimmers in each event from each state so it was a really big deal to go. Summer zones was a qualifying time. I’m sad to hear they switched winter zones to the summer format.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't kids travel with their families? Who is exactly is making this rule?

PVS is making the rule. It’s a team travel meet.

What's their rationale for this? I can't imagine organizing and running this as a team travel meet is much fun for anyone.

This is a good question. I don’t get the rationale for this type of team travel at such a young age. I’m not saying all team travel is bad, we are with NCAP and there is a travel meet to Arizona in January that includes the 10 & Us that is apparently very well run and the kids stay with the families of the Arizona swimmers (so more adult supervision), but the Zones set up seemed to guarantee issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't kids travel with their families? Who is exactly is making this rule?

PVS is making the rule. It’s a team travel meet.

What's their rationale for this? I can't imagine organizing and running this as a team travel meet is much fun for anyone.