Swimming clubs

[Joyx3]

Hi
We have just moved to a new area and my daughter has joined a new competitive swimming squad
It is a very busy club with large numbers of children in each squad ranked by ability (ages range from 10-17 male and female)
I have noticed that on a couple of the sessions each week an adult male member (age 40+) of the masters section of the club(who have separate sessions) is allowed to swim alongside the children!!
I am extremely uncomfortable with this
Are there mums out there who are ‘swim mums’ too who can give me their views and if this happens at their club please

I am a masters swimmer, so is dh and quite a few of our friends.

The club’s sessions are on ability. So if you are fast enough to keep up with the kids then you are allowed to do so.

What’s the difference between a swimming club session and a public session where there are adults? Swimmers will be club members so will be registered ASA members too. Less of a threat than randomers.

What about the 16-18 year olds too? Are 17/18 year old boys making you uncomfortable as well?

Clubs quite often can’t afford to put on separate masters sessions. Not without cutting in to club pool time etc.

It’s not personal
It’s the general principle of an ‘open door’
Join masters swim with children
I just never want to be in a position where I say ‘if only’ I’d said/did/asked/objected

My children's club have squad members up to 25 in the main squad. They train according to ability not age.

In any given coaching session there will be 3-5 over 18s usually. These are not really 'masters' ages, young adults really. We just think of them as older squad members.

It never occurred to me that this would be an issue.

I was a swimmer and many of our masters club swam with us during the sessions. We didn't have separate masters sessions. The only lane that was masters/adults was a lane for adults who wanted to swim but were too slow to go in the training lanes (mainly mums doing breaststroke). Never thought it was odd then and wouldn't do today either.

It’s the general principle of an ‘open door’

It isn’t “open door”. You can’t just show up and train with children.

You will need to be a club and Asa member. You will be paying monthly fees, like any other club member.

It isn’t inviting any adult off the street. Most people joining masters do so to swim. If they want access to children it’s easier to go to a public session where their name, address and bank details aren’t known.

These adults aren’t in a position of trust. Abuse in swimming is often carried out when parents unwittingly allow access outside of training- lifts to the pool and the like.

He won’t be in the girls change after, and the session is in front of swimmers, coaches and parents. Unlikely he’s going to try anything mid-set.

This wouldn’t bother me at all, not in the slightest.

In fact, my DH swims with a triathlon squad and often takes my 11 year old along to the weekend training sessions. (She’s a good swimmer, better than he is). I never for a second worried that the adults in the squad might see an opportunity to abuse her .

Does your club actually list the official squad age categories e.g. 11-16, 16+ or whatever on its website?

Technically I actually do think you have a point. I am now struggling to decide how I classify a swimming club. Is it like school in which I wouldn't expect an adult to be in with children even if they were at the same learning level. Or is it more like public swims in which everyone mixes in the pool? And how does the ASA or the club itself define its safeguarding responsibility?

In our club the squads have published maximum age limits and then go to Master's squad for 18+ There is a relaxed group for up to 18 who want to just swim less competitively, then they go to Masters. I have never seen an adult swimmer in an age group squad.

They are all milling about come changing time though because of older and younger squads starting and finishing at the same time. We are informed our children are our responsibility once they have left poolside though.

As I say, I'd be interested to know your club's stated age group categories.

Free access to children in an intamate close quarters

But he hasn't. He is swimming in the same pool as them. In front of coaches / lifeguards / parents. I repeat again - swimming. Not having sleepovers. Not isolating your dd in private.

If you have concerns about anything else - such as the socialising - then raise that, but I can't see what the concern is about the swimming.

As I say, I'd be interested to know your club's stated age group categories

Our club doesn’t have age categories, just ability. We have 10 year olds in with 14 year olds, and 12 year olds in with 8 year olds.

Does your club have no competitive swimmers post 18 then? What happens if you have someone over the max age limit who isn’t fast enough for the next age group? Do they quit, or just get in the way of faster swimmers?

What is someone is 18 and wants to continue training competitively? And not go to a “relaxed group” of adults?

Most olympians are 18+. Pretty sure they don’t train in masters squads.

Is that to me? From the website it looks like they go to a joint pathway with another club if they are that good 18+. I'm just saying what it says. Mine aren't old enough so I don't know exactly who they are and where they train and how many of them are heading for the Olympics! Some go to uni. Others simply go up to Masters, yes. I've never seen an adult in with the kids' squads.

I don't think in practice the OP has anything to worry about but I do think technically it is a reasonable question to ask in the age of child safeguarding.

Let's say I'm an average 9 year olds club standard as a swimmer. Shall I ask a club if I can have a trial and join the relevant squad? It would be a bit peculiar and I expect only a Masters squad would be suggested to me because I am 18+ even though they'd probably be too fast for me.

Ideally yes, an 18+ would swim with other adults, and be in a lane of similar ability. But lane time is hard to come by. Our club uses 5 different pools, with a variety of time slots, and we still don't have enough pool time to accommodate all our swimmers for the hours of training each squad should be doing. Our Masters squad is heavily oversubscribed with a lengthy waiting list.

So sometimes, in particular during school holidays when lots of the kids don't turn up for training but the Masters are more likely to turn up because they're not doing school runs, we have too many adults in one lane and only 2 kids in another. Makes sense to put the adults closest in speed in that lane with the kids.

By the way, the kids love it. They feel very grown up training with adults, and their behaviour is on top form. No messing around when there's a Master in their lane. And the post-training chatter between all age groups, adults included, is lovely to watch. And when the Masters compete at the same galas as the kids (obviously in their own age categories), the team spirit is fabulous.

Swim England ( formerly ASA) have named County and Regional Welfare Officers. Maybe you could take it up with your representative. Have a look at
www.swimming.org/swimengland/wavepower-child-safeguarding-for-clubs/

As an ex swim Mum and committee member, I also don't see the issue. Others have mentioned that this is all public and there are plenty of people around. It is exactly the same as being in a public swimming session.

You are honestly getting yourself worked up over nothing.

My daughter attends a club too. Have to say you're pearl clutching a bit here. Would you feel differently if it was a female masters swimmer training?? Have a chat about your concerns with the person in the child protection/safeguarding role for your club. There will be one, am sure they'll put your mind at ease. Also as already posted all volunteers, coaches paid or otherwise must be dbs checked in line with swimming regs.

I really don't see the problem, they are swimming, under full supervision of a coach and a lifeguard, plus parents on the poolside. They will have had to sign up to a club code of conduct (which will have been approved for their club by Swim England) and all their details will be registered with the club and the ASA. They are not just some random stranger and also they are not alone with any young person and not in a position of power in the same way as a coach. So the risks are pretty minimal and probably far less than in a normal non-club swimming session.

If the club already has a masters section that I wonder why this person is swimming alongside the youngsters? Why does this person want to swim alongside youngsters?

I don't think I would be very happy about this. Lane space is typically very tight and often it is a jostle to get to a position in a lane. Does this person lead the lane? If this person is large they will take up and make a lot more 'noise' that a younger swimmer.

Additionally I think it could be intimidating for younger swimmers. Quieter types are more likely to let him go first and be aware of an adult. The problem is that many of these things depend on what the person is like, in reality I just cannot see the need for it and see more negatives than potential positives.

As she has started already it might just be worth watching the dynamic in the lane, with the coach and get chatting to other parents and see what the general feeling is. It could be that this person is just doing a bit of extra training for an event and it is temporary.

Not personal to everyone saying “he” !!
General concern that this is the club policy
and in today’s mine field what adult would put themselves in this position when there are other options (full set of masters sessions)
And YES I would feel the same about female masters swimming
In an already very busy squad that the kids have to earn a place in why take up a child’s place?
Selfish and small minded??

Well, as a pp has said, if you aren't happy with the club's response, the best thing to do would be approach the welfare rep for your Swim England region.

If the club already has a masters section that I wonder why this person is swimming alongside the youngsters? Why does this person want to swim alongside youngsters?

I swim alongside youngsters because masters sessions are often only once or twice a week. If i can’t make a session because of work or whatever i can jump in a kids session.

Also masters sessions tend to have only two or three lanes so to can be difficult to find your level. Club sessions have 6 so it’s more likely you’ll be able to swim with your own speed.

Masters don’t bump kids off or take away attention. They get on with it. It won't have an effect on kids at all swimming with adults. Swimmers are swimmers when training, you very rarely think about sex or age, just whether you can beat them or keep up with them...

This is interesting from the wider topic of sports and health, swimming is almost certainly popular enough throughout life that it could sustain distinct adult/child swimming without too much bother. Even for adults who are slower than the average adult (either through age, or just ability) and would otherwise match well against teenagers.

Other sports though really struggle maintaining opportunities for adults who are not very, very good to continue participating, denying the opportunity of them to participate with teenagers will likely deny them the opportunity entirely - which will harm both their health and very possibly the viability of the entire activity cutting off the kids too.

Protecting the teenagers is important, the risks here though are very low, and I cannot see at all that the restrictions are worth it.