Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 15:14     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Let’s hear about the other crazy things, please share


Parents complaining about tech suits and knesskins. Just relax and let the swimmer do their thing within the rules. Don't stress about whether records were broken in the days of mustaches, paper suits, or tech suits. It will be ok. Kids shattering records in NVSL aren't doing so because of a suit--they are doing it because of training, nutrition, a good night's sleep, good mental headspace, and a good dose of talent.

If you see a kid in a kneeskin just cheer them on. No need for judgment about why you think they are wearing it or what their parents must be thinking, or whether it is fair or not based on speed or income. Just relax and cheer the kids on.


This thread is about the craziness of some swim parents during the summer. Having your kid "suited up" outside of the relay carnival meets falls in that catagory.


A parent worried or complaining about a kid wearing a kneeskin outside of some set period that fits their own personal criteria is what is crazy.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 14:45     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Let’s hear about the other crazy things, please share


Parents complaining about tech suits and knesskins. Just relax and let the swimmer do their thing within the rules. Don't stress about whether records were broken in the days of mustaches, paper suits, or tech suits. It will be ok. Kids shattering records in NVSL aren't doing so because of a suit--they are doing it because of training, nutrition, a good night's sleep, good mental headspace, and a good dose of talent.

If you see a kid in a kneeskin just cheer them on. No need for judgment about why you think they are wearing it or what their parents must be thinking, or whether it is fair or not based on speed or income. Just relax and cheer the kids on.


This thread is about the craziness of some swim parents during the summer. Having your kid "suited up" outside of the relay carnival meets falls in that catagory.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 13:36     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Correction: 30+ years ago
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 13:29     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our summer swim team only allows them at Divisionals and All Stars. It would be fine if everyone in NVSL had the same rules. Annoying when swimming against teams that allow them. Just be consistent.


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a team trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a *swimmer* trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).


This seems fair for everyone, except if the record is from pre-tech suit time. I’d be embarrassed buying my way to a record I couldn’t break in the same suit the actual record holder wore.


Even regular suits now are better than suits 10 and 20 years ago, so that doesn't hold. This is true at the national level as well. The earliest swim records were slow. Swimmers wore crazy suits made out of natural fibers and goggles and caps were not aerodynamic etc.


Maybe try like 3”+ years ago… suits now are 100% not better than they were 10-20 years ago as the super-suited era started almost 20 years ago at this point (LA is 20 years after Beijing where Phelps won 8 golds)
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 13:03     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

My kids played all the sports when they were little and the swim moms were the craziest, by far. The most hilarious thing is that the vast majority had very short kids with zero chance of getting tall enough to seriously compete. The delusion was high.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 13:00     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:Let’s hear about the other crazy things, please share


Parents complaining about tech suits and knesskins. Just relax and let the swimmer do their thing within the rules. Don't stress about whether records were broken in the days of mustaches, paper suits, or tech suits. It will be ok. Kids shattering records in NVSL aren't doing so because of a suit--they are doing it because of training, nutrition, a good night's sleep, good mental headspace, and a good dose of talent.

If you see a kid in a kneeskin just cheer them on. No need for judgment about why you think they are wearing it or what their parents must be thinking, or whether it is fair or not based on speed or income. Just relax and cheer the kids on.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 09:11     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The cost isn’t the issue. The issue is the mindset “I must be atop the ladder, so I’ll gain any advantage by wearing a tech suit, when every other kid wears a training suit.” Great frickin teammate.


tech suits may take off a second or two but they aren't going to make a slow kid faster.


For 12U, very rare for a tech suit to make a difference (and no difference for 10U)...why? tech suit is about compression. So unless the kid has some above-average physical maturity, a tech suit isn't going to do anything. Now if the parent is encouraging a kid to wear tech suit for mindset purposes then that's probably not a whole lot different from parents trying to incentivize their kids to swim faster by buying them treats or gifts.


The 12U "tech suits" aren't actually tech suits. You can usually pick them up for $80. They are really popular for club meets. My kid wears one just because all his friends do. He really wanted one and after a year or two of club swim we agreed to get him one since he's so into the sport. He's not fast, and I can't imagine it makes a difference other than maybe a slight psychological boost. Some come in cool colors and patterns and they are just fun. In short, a lot of kids just like wearing them when they race and that includes *gasp* B meets.


The rec league rule about kneeskin suits seems to be more about the appearance of haves/have nots than about an unfair advantage.


There is no rec rule about kneeskins. Kneeskins are not tech suits.


Yeah - we were doing great on the expense front until my kid learned the difference!
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 07:48     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The cost isn’t the issue. The issue is the mindset “I must be atop the ladder, so I’ll gain any advantage by wearing a tech suit, when every other kid wears a training suit.” Great frickin teammate.


tech suits may take off a second or two but they aren't going to make a slow kid faster.


For 12U, very rare for a tech suit to make a difference (and no difference for 10U)...why? tech suit is about compression. So unless the kid has some above-average physical maturity, a tech suit isn't going to do anything. Now if the parent is encouraging a kid to wear tech suit for mindset purposes then that's probably not a whole lot different from parents trying to incentivize their kids to swim faster by buying them treats or gifts.


The 12U "tech suits" aren't actually tech suits. You can usually pick them up for $80. They are really popular for club meets. My kid wears one just because all his friends do. He really wanted one and after a year or two of club swim we agreed to get him one since he's so into the sport. He's not fast, and I can't imagine it makes a difference other than maybe a slight psychological boost. Some come in cool colors and patterns and they are just fun. In short, a lot of kids just like wearing them when they race and that includes *gasp* B meets.


The rec league rule about kneeskin suits seems to be more about the appearance of haves/have nots than about an unfair advantage.


There is no rec rule about kneeskins. Kneeskins are not tech suits.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 07:48     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
FINA logo and green check mark: legal for 12 and unders to wear in MCSL competition.

Yep, very likely that the suit that a PP was freaking out over had a green tick.


And they don’t have to contain the green check to be legal. Some of the newer Arena Powerskin Nexts do not have the check, but they are legal.


And the Speedos.

The majority of this complaining is by parents who don’t know what they’re talking about. And typically they’re whining because their kids aren’t very fast.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 07:18     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:Let’s hear about the other crazy things, please share


Parents asking who the "competition" is for their swimmers. I have heard them ask who are the top five swimmers in age group X.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2025 07:13     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our summer swim team only allows them at Divisionals and All Stars. It would be fine if everyone in NVSL had the same rules. Annoying when swimming against teams that allow them. Just be consistent.


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a team trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a *swimmer* trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).


This seems fair for everyone, except if the record is from pre-tech suit time. I’d be embarrassed buying my way to a record I couldn’t break in the same suit the actual record holder wore.


Even regular suits now are better than suits 10 and 20 years ago, so that doesn't hold. This is true at the national level as well. The earliest swim records were slow. Swimmers wore crazy suits made out of natural fibers and goggles and caps were not aerodynamic etc.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 22:33     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our summer swim team only allows them at Divisionals and All Stars. It would be fine if everyone in NVSL had the same rules. Annoying when swimming against teams that allow them. Just be consistent.


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a team trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a *swimmer* trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).


This seems fair for everyone, except if the record is from pre-tech suit time. I’d be embarrassed buying my way to a record I couldn’t break in the same suit the actual record holder wore.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 20:48     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our summer swim team only allows them at Divisionals and All Stars. It would be fine if everyone in NVSL had the same rules. Annoying when swimming against teams that allow them. Just be consistent.


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a team trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a *swimmer* trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 20:48     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:Our summer swim team only allows them at Divisionals and All Stars. It would be fine if everyone in NVSL had the same rules. Annoying when swimming against teams that allow them. Just be consistent.


Ours has the same rule, with the exception of a team trying to break a team record. And then they notify the team we are swimming so their same-age, same-gender swimmers can wear the same suits if they want (to make things fair).
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2025 20:44     Subject: Summer swim brings out the crazy

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How about the board who doesn’t know what they’re doing and insists on ordering around all the other experienced volunteers, the parent cliques who want influence and want their kids to coach, and the team social media with the volunteer who posts tons of pictures of their own children (and friends).


Gotta get an early start on NIL $$$$$


Are we on the same team? lol. Our social media posts so much of his kids, it’s unbelievable. Pics of him kids swimming and pics of his kids NOT swimming with their friends. It is what it is.