Op here. He can swim backstroke across the pool in legal form slowly, and swim freestyle across the pool in semi legal form slowly. His lower body is weak and he has no strength in body, so probably he can't swim fast without more practices. I have seen him do the spring diving board into deep water with foot down into 16 feet or so. He hates washing short hair, and he does not wear swim cap. Do kids wearing swim cap need to wash hair every time after they are done with swimming in pool?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

I am the PP whose friend convinced him to join. Does he have friends on the team? If not, it can be a really hard sell. If he does, my kid enjoyed hanging with his friends. Sumer swim practice is much less intensive than club swim practice.

Also, summer swim teams don't have cuts. So, he doesn't have to worry about that. But it can be challenging starting at 10/11/12 against kids who have been swimming on the team for many years. That can be difficult if your child is really competitive (mine isn't.)

Yes they have cuts. If you cannot swim legally or the full length you do lessons or preteam.

Ok, your team has cuts. Many (most) do not for summer swim.

Then only yours doesn't have cuts. Many will have preteam but that's for younger kids. The exception is that you can swim the lap amount for your age within reason in a semi legal to legal stroke. This kid will really struggle and be one of the few at his age. He needs more lessons.

DP
We've been involved with our summer swim NVSL team for about 17 years (including as a team rep) and have only ever known of one instance where a child was "cut". It sounds from the OP's post that DS can make it across the pool.

Anonymous wrote:If he doesn’t want to join swim team and enjoys taking lessons, why would you push it? Our kids never had an interest in swim team but took lessons and can swim. They had other activities they enjoyed and wanted to participate in. If he has other interests and activities. I don’t understand the push for swim team.

This, do lessons a few times a week. They will not progress once a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

I am the PP whose friend convinced him to join. Does he have friends on the team? If not, it can be a really hard sell. If he does, my kid enjoyed hanging with his friends. Sumer swim practice is much less intensive than club swim practice.

Also, summer swim teams don't have cuts. So, he doesn't have to worry about that. But it can be challenging starting at 10/11/12 against kids who have been swimming on the team for many years. That can be difficult if your child is really competitive (mine isn't.)

Yes they have cuts. If you cannot swim legally or the full length you do lessons or preteam.

Ok, your team has cuts. Many (most) do not for summer swim.

Then only yours doesn't have cuts. Many will have preteam but that's for younger kids. The exception is that you can swim the lap amount for your age within reason in a semi legal to legal stroke. This kid will really struggle and be one of the few at his age. He needs more lessons.

If he doesn’t want to join swim team and enjoys taking lessons, why would you push it? Our kids never had an interest in swim team but took lessons and can swim. They had other activities they enjoyed and wanted to participate in. If he has other interests and activities. I don’t understand the push for swim team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

I am the PP whose friend convinced him to join. Does he have friends on the team? If not, it can be a really hard sell. If he does, my kid enjoyed hanging with his friends. Sumer swim practice is much less intensive than club swim practice.

Also, summer swim teams don't have cuts. So, he doesn't have to worry about that. But it can be challenging starting at 10/11/12 against kids who have been swimming on the team for many years. That can be difficult if your child is really competitive (mine isn't.)

Yes they have cuts. If you cannot swim legally or the full length you do lessons or preteam.

Ok, your team has cuts. Many (most) do not for summer swim.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

I am the PP whose friend convinced him to join. Does he have friends on the team? If not, it can be a really hard sell. If he does, my kid enjoyed hanging with his friends. Sumer swim practice is much less intensive than club swim practice.

Also, summer swim teams don't have cuts. So, he doesn't have to worry about that. But it can be challenging starting at 10/11/12 against kids who have been swimming on the team for many years. That can be difficult if your child is really competitive (mine isn't.)

Yes they have cuts. If you cannot swim legally or the full length you do lessons or preteam.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

I am the PP whose friend convinced him to join. Does he have friends on the team? If not, it can be a really hard sell. If he does, my kid enjoyed hanging with his friends. Sumer swim practice is much less intensive than club swim practice.

Also, summer swim teams don't have cuts. So, he doesn't have to worry about that. But it can be challenging starting at 10/11/12 against kids who have been swimming on the team for many years. That can be difficult if your child is really competitive (mine isn't.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

You are making the right call. Definitely don’t force him. I would, however, have him take the diving board test, just to make sure he can tread water in an emergency and get himself safely to shore/edge of pool. That should be non-negotiable. (Child drowned in a person’s pool in Fairfax over the last week.)

I agree with the above. Passing the deep water test is a life skill and something he should do regardless of swim team.

Do any teams actually cut during tryouts? I know our tryouts are just a safety check, to make sure the kid will be okay in the water while being coached.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

You are making the right call. Definitely don’t force him. I would, however, have him take the diving board test, just to make sure he can tread water in an emergency and get himself safely to shore/edge of pool. That should be non-negotiable. (Child drowned in a person’s pool in Fairfax over the last week.)

Op here. I am willing to do my volunteer share if I can. I have been doing the group snack/drink volunteer for soccer/basketball team for years. It is just a trip to Costco to buy bulk.

I have talked to my son, and he is really scared of joining summer swim team. He is scared of getting eliminated at tryouts and he does not really want to swim laps after day camps in summer. He wants to watch screentime after day camps or after school. I have tried to use bribe, but he begs me not to take him to tryout this week. I will ask him again next year summer.

Summer swim is an absolutely free choice. No one has to do it. But do you notice how little it costs in comparison to club swim? (Yes, at most teams you have to be a pool member, but presumably you'd be doing that anyway.) The reason why swim team costs are so low in comparison to the extraness of the experiences is that summer swim is ultimately a family experience. If you as a parent want to drop off and leave for every single activity, there are plenty of summer camps out there for you. But summer swim needs and expects volunteers. If you take and never give, yes, people will notice. At some pools there would be no talk about it; at other pools there might be. But it doesn't change the fact that swim team families are ultimately responsible for one another's positive experiences. If you're not willing to contribute, even in some small way, well, no one is making you join.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh and while I am on it - WHY ARE THE ADULTS DOING THESE THINGS FOR THE KIDS?

little kids, fine.

but teenagers should be able to set up chairs and stuff the evening before! instead it's all these moms out there doing it for their spoiled teens.

Many of the teens do help out. You have no clue what goes on. Go away.

And any dads volunteer. Why did you have kids?

Anonymous wrote:Oh and while I am on it - WHY ARE THE ADULTS DOING THESE THINGS FOR THE KIDS?

little kids, fine.

but teenagers should be able to set up chairs and stuff the evening before! instead it's all these moms out there doing it for their spoiled teens.

Many of the teens do help out. You have no clue what goes on. Go away.

Lots of families are grateful not to do swim team