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Swim Team

post #1 of 17
2/22/12 at 11:55pm
Thread Starter 

Does anyone have a kiddo on Swim Team?

A year ago DS started 'swim lessons' now he is getting ready for his first swim meet.  I am truly amazed at what the boy has accomplished in a year.  He is not Michael Phelps by any means but he is committed, has determination, and respect for the sport.

I love there is very little 'gear' and my only true investment seems to be a swim bag and swim 'trunks'.  Oh plus a bit of laundry and extra shower soap!   Meet fees are very reasonable and monthly club dues are very very reasonable.

 

DS asthma is better since switching to an outdoor pool.

 

Please tell me someone else has a swim team kiddo!  I feel lonely over here :(

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post #2 of 17
2/23/12 at 6:08am

 

Not me, personally, but my cousin's two kids are both training and hoping for a spot on the Olympic team (at least that's what their justifiably proud grandma told me). They are both on swim scholarships at college. It seems to be a great sport for them and their fitness level is awesome. One note - as they progressed and the competitions became more intense, they put in a lot of time (and money) in training and traveling to tournaments. 

 

 

post #3 of 17
2/23/12 at 8:27am

We've done swim team off and on over the last 3 years with DD1. I like it. It is a cheaper team sport. DD1 prefers other (expensive) team sports so we now only do it in off seasons of her main sports. 

post #4 of 17
2/23/12 at 8:32am

I was on a swim team!! I loved it, and then was a lifeguard for a long time.

post #5 of 17
2/23/12 at 8:55am

Swim is big in our area. DH and I were both swimmers through high school (he did water polo too) and our older DD has been on teams since she was 7 or so. She took last year off, but this year at 14 she is really excited to start practice and get into shape. It's truly amazing exercise, since the kids practice five days per week.

One thing, though, is that it is a big commitment. Because they practice every day, during swim season she can't do a lot of other activities... and until mid-July, the end of the season, our Saturdays are booked up. Also, on both of the teams we've been on, volunteering has been a very big job. DH and I have to split at least 7 volunteer shifts, which is really only a pain because we have a toddler (I pulled a lot of timing and snack bar shifts with her in the Ergo as an infant - and when I was expecting too). It's a whole-family kind of sport, at least around here.

 

That said, I think it's totally worth it if the kid enjoys it. Our DD is not very competitive by nature and has never been a star, but she loves to swim and to improve her times for herself. We expect the little one to join the team when she's old enough.

post #6 of 17
2/23/12 at 1:00pm
My two oldest will be joining the summer swim league this year for the first time. I swam summer league and loved it! Hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
post #7 of 17
2/23/12 at 4:45pm

We've done teams in different cities and they vary a lot.

 

What kind of team is your son on? Is it USA swimming? Is it a city league? How much do they practice?  Do they travel for meets?

 

I think swimming is the best sport. It's a fantastic work out. It focuses on personal best while having the fun of being part of team -- relays, having matching suits and getting photos and all that team stuff. We've met so many lovely families through swimming.

 

We did year round/USA swimming/travel for meets thing for a while, but eventually got burned out. We are now down to just swimming in our city's very mellow summer league. It's a lower level of competition, which is more appropriate for my kids. And cheaper. And a lot fewer practices! 

post #8 of 17
2/23/12 at 10:15pm

Two of my three kids are on a year-round swim team.  They're 9 & 6.  I'm amazed every practice that my 6-year-old sticks with it, but she never complains, and neither does my 9 yo.  I did swim team as a kid and I have memories of fun times, but also some really over-the-top coaches.  I hope they continue to like it.  I'm certainly not going to push them into it because I know it's hard.

post #9 of 17
2/24/12 at 12:34am
Thread Starter 

He is on USA Swimming.  Right now he does 3 - 1 hr practices a week but is getting ready to move up to 4 -90 minute practices a week.  Most meets are local, since we live in a warm climate we have  at least 1 meet locally a month.

His coach is very mellow and laid back.  No yelling, screaming, etc.  Very fun and 'child like' himself.  The coach also trains adults for tri-athalions at the same time so there is tons going on at the pool!

 

I can tell you this team is 180 degrees different than the team that practices 2 miles over.  That coach is wound too tight, that team requires many more practices and longer practices, (Yes requires) and that 'team' just isn't a fun place to be.

 

I'm trying to keep the focus on 'fun' and the current team seems to have that critical combo of fun and internal drive for DS.  He has clicked with the coach, loves that particular pool (and its totally safe so I can drop him off-private club).

 

In 11 years this is the only thing DS has been so dang passionate about.  
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Linda on the move View Post

We've done teams in different cities and they vary a lot.

 

What kind of team is your son on? Is it USA swimming? Is it a city league? How much do they practice?  Do they travel for meets?

 

I think swimming is the best sport. It's a fantastic work out. It focuses on personal best while having the fun of being part of team -- relays, having matching suits and getting photos and all that team stuff. We've met so many lovely families through swimming.

 

We did year round/USA swimming/travel for meets thing for a while, but eventually got burned out. We are now down to just swimming in our city's very mellow summer league. It's a lower level of competition, which is more appropriate for my kids. And cheaper. And a lot fewer practices! 



 

post #10 of 17
3/20/12 at 4:49pm

All 3 of my girls (aged 18, 13, and 9) are on our local swim team and they all love it! Swimming is a great sport and so useful, especially if you're like us and visit the beach quite frequently.

post #11 of 17
3/25/12 at 5:25am

My 7 and 8 year olds do swim team among other things.  My 7yo just likes summer league meets and doesn't care for training all year so he will probably drop down to a sophisticated lesson program for next year while my 8yo will step it up to more serious preparation for 10&U state meet qualification.  Good training around here is pricey.  There is one municipal team.  Most of the clubs have home school practice times, so that is one big plus for it with us, as it doesn't interfere with evening activities / sports.

post #12 of 17
3/27/12 at 11:45am

I'm thinking about putting my 11 year old on a swim team for the first time this summer.  She has taken swim lessons for the last two years and has been at the highest level they offer for some time now.  She's not competitive by nature, but I think it would help her improve if she had others to compare herself to and swim with.  She wants to be a lifeguard someday, so this will be good real swimming practice, not just playing in the water.

 

She's also talked about wanting to dive, like you see in the Olympics.  Has anyone done diving lessons?  Locally, there seem to be very few places that offer diving and it is very expensive...

post #13 of 17
3/27/12 at 4:25pm

We haven't done diving but they just started offering them at our local rec center pool and I hope to get DD1 involved over the summer. I talked to the coach yesterday. There is practice on two days a week that I am there with DD2 but DD1 is busy then. I think she would love it. It is more at an entry level right now but they are adding more this summer. Since it is through the rec center, the prices are cheap. The same coach also trains the local high school dive teams and is a part time coach at a gymnastics center. I really like what I see when I watch the practices. 

post #14 of 17
3/28/12 at 4:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kythe View Post

 

She's also talked about wanting to dive, like you see in the Olympics.  Has anyone done diving lessons?  Locally, there seem to be very few places that offer diving and it is very expensive...


Yes, DD dives also.  She started in November.  She wants to pursue it at this time.  I don't know much about it.
 

 

post #15 of 17
3/30/12 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kythe View Post

 

She's also talked about wanting to dive, like you see in the Olympics.  Has anyone done diving lessons?  Locally, there seem to be very few places that offer diving and it is very expensive...


A lot depends on where you live.  We used to live in a big college town and they had a diving team for kids, diving camp, and lots of opportunity to dive both winter and summer. DS did their summer league for 2 years and loved it!  Then we moved to a town where there is NO diving.  In fact, they removed all the diving boards from the swimming pools "for insurance reasons" irked.gif.  He's not even allowed to dive off the side of the pool unless he's doing a racing start for a swim meet.  Yeah.... I know.  I hope you live in a more diving-friendly community than we do.
 

 

post #16 of 17
3/31/12 at 2:24pm

another happy swim mom here!

 

my dd has been swimming on our local team since she was about 8. meets are optional, and she got comforable with those at around age 10 (she's 11.5 now). she tried other team sports (soccer, etc.) and just really figured out that she prefers the individual focus of swimming (altho she also loves relays). she's got her eye on stanford for college, and she really wants to make their swim team.

 

i never swam as a kid (beyond summer time pool screwing around stuff) and i LOVE the whole swim community. it is MUCH more low key than any other sport here, jsut a lot of fun, great coaches, lots of positive encouragement.

post #17 of 17
6/20/12 at 2:09am

My one piece of advice is not to get too caught up on the long-term.  Ironically after bunny's message, my husband and I were both Stanford swimmers (that's where we met).  On the one hand, it was fantastic to do something I loved at such a high level.  On the other, it came at a huge personal cost in terms of my own psychological development and relationships -- to swim at that level comes at great personal sacrifice -- I swam 4+ hours/day 6 days/week for many years.  And I was only an average Stanford swimmer... my friends who were successes practiced almost 1.5-2x as much as I did.  I think parents get jazzed about seeing their kids have that success and underestimate the amount of work it takes to get there.  

 

I have a swimmer too and she loves it.  I just make a point to remember that this is about fitness and love, and not to get too extreme about where this might take her int he future.  My parents were huge fans and great support during my swimming career, but they were blind to just how much time it took from other things and really uninformed about the psychological costs.  They would never have allowed me to play tournament baseball or softball, but swimming seemed "individual" to them and so they were unable/unwilling to see the craziness in devotion required at that level..  I always remember my job as a mom is not just to get psyched about future successes, but to help DD learn how to find balance now.  

 

My two cents as a former swimmer and mom of one.