DD is 5 and a half and a reasonably good swimmer for her age- she is currently working towards stage 5 and has a lesson with a private swim school and also with the local swim club on a Friday evening.
Her teacher pulled me aside this afternoon and suggested that she takes up synchronised swimming - I think this stems from the fact that she seems to be pretty good at the forward roll/backward roll stuff and is quite agile in the water!
This isn't an activity I've ever thought about or know anything about. If anyone's child does this can you answer a few questions for me?
Is 5 too young?
Should she already be doing gym or dance to be good at this?
Is it competitive or just for fun?
Thank you!
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Extra-curricular activities
Synchronised swimming
4 replies
avidenjoyer · 19/05/2018 18:03
OP posts:
bluegiraffe ·
19/05/2018 20:28
Hi
My daughter started synchro just after her 9th birthday. She'd been with a swimming club since age 5 and moving up the squads, but just wasn't 'into' doing competitive swimming. She was also doing gymnastics and Dance (and still does as they all complement each other) so I suggested she try synchro as she much preferred swimming underwater/doing handstands/somersaults etc. too- but that's rather frowned on in a swimming club!
She went for a trial lesson and loved it and progressed really quickly, competing with the club's 12 and under team at Nationals a few months later!
Our club takes swimmers into their Aquafun group from age 7/8. Not sure if other clubs take younger ages. They need to be strong swimmers, min 50m in 3 main strokes and comfortable in deep water and good flexibility - so gym and dance go well alongside it.
There are various clubs around, some really super competitive where you'd fight for a place on the team, but most will have a recreational strand too, so everyone gets to be part of a team and compete at some level.
Go on the Swim England website or swimming. org and there's lots of info there.
It's a fabulous sport though,hard work but fun and they are super-fit athletes!
More fun to watch too than when she just used to swim up and down a lane!
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