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Original poster

Swimming advice for teens

30 replies

Thepeopleversuswork · 08/08/2024 20:26

Looking for some advice: my DD (13) is not keen on most exercise. Swimming is one of the few activities she enjoys and is good at. For a time she was a member of a youth swimming club but was put off by the aggressively competitive element and it also required a greater time commitment than we could give (four sessions per week, often during my work hours or her school hours).

I am keen to nudge her back into it but she’s too old and too advanced for most swimming lessons and I don’t think a competitive club would work. Aside from just going to the pool for fun are there other swimming clubs which are a bit more relaxed?

We’re in South London. Willing to travel a bit but not too far. Any thoughts welcome.

OP posts:
DoublePeonies · 08/08/2024 20:41

We have a lanes session early ish at the weekends. So not a club, but a bit more swimming lengths rather than messing about. Might be worth looking for?

Or, there is a swim to a mile (sometimes 1650m) similar to the couch 2 5k for running. Or swimming training programmes on one of the fitness watches. Maybe Garmin. Would sonething like that work?

thentheycameforme · 08/08/2024 20:44

What about lifeguard training?

erinaceus · 08/08/2024 20:46

I was going to suggest lifeguard training, or other swim-adjacent options such as scuba diving.

PatChaunceysFruitCake · 08/08/2024 20:54

Where I live there are 'swim fit' sessions which include the types of sets she would have done at her club but without a competitive element.

TBH though, at her age i'd just try another club. She is more likely to be motivated if she makes some friends at the club and enjoys the social element?

Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 08/08/2024 21:10

Thanks all. I think another club would be good. The ones I have found seem very competitive and require serious commitment (several hours a week) and I just don’t think she is motivated enough to keep it up. I think maybe we will just start lane swimming again for now.

OP posts:
Original poster
Thepeopleversuswork · 08/08/2024 21:11

thentheycameforme · 08/08/2024 20:44

What about lifeguard training?

It’s a great idea but we are in London: I thought you had to be by the sea?

OP posts:
milkysmum · 08/08/2024 21:14

You can be a pool life guard as well as open water.

www.rlss.org.uk/pages/category/become-a-lifeguard

Hugsbunny · 08/08/2024 21:23

Have you considered a triathlon club? They tend to be less competitive, the ones with me provide training sessions for all the sports.

Greigeisthelatestbeige · 08/08/2024 21:24

Thepeopleversuswork · 08/08/2024 21:11

It’s a great idea but we are in London: I thought you had to be by the sea?

Show quote history

Most pools that offer swimming lessons will offer lifeguard training and lane swimming for kids age ten and up who have completed swimming lessons.

Neversaygoodbye · 08/08/2024 21:45

Our local pool offers intermediate and advanced lessons which I took up as an adult. It involved stroke improvement, tumble turns and lots of drills. I was only in the intermediate lessons and learnt butterfly which I'd never mastered as a kid. The lessons were once a week but quite a few people did lane swimming on top.

erinaceus · 09/08/2024 07:13

Thepeopleversuswork · 08/08/2024 21:11

It’s a great idea but we are in London: I thought you had to be by the sea?

Show quote history

I don’t think so. I did the training in a pool when I was a teen.

Pottingup · 09/08/2024 07:36

When my DS was in this position we tried water polo. The classes he did aren’t run any more but maybe this is near you https://www.lewishamwaterpolo.co.uk/contacts

Sessions | Mysite

https://www.lewishamwaterpolo.co.uk/contacts

parkrun500club · 10/08/2024 17:00

My ds swam until he went to university, but wasn't a club swimmer. He did junior lane swimming which involved some long distance badges like ASA gold award and 1500m badges - is that too low a level for your dd? He was also going to do the Rookie Lifeguard sessions but then decided to join an athletics club instead.

When he got to 16 he joined my adult lessons and did fitness swimming. And then trained as an actual lifeguard (you need to be 16 for that).

Triathlon is also a great idea if they take kids. She could do the swimming and might enjoy the other aspects as well. I've suggested my son does it when he goes back to university too!

It's a pity that clubs are so competitive and don't accommodate leisure swimming. I think running clubs are better for this - they accommodate the speedsters and the ones who just want to get out of the house.

parkrun500club · 10/08/2024 17:01

There are three types of lifeguard:

pools (the easiest to do)

open water (need to be confident swimming in lakes etc)

beach lifeguard (need to be superfit and a reasonably good runner as well).

lljkk · 15/08/2024 12:03

Look for junior Lifeguard sessions? Rookies etc. They do a mix of lifesaving, fitness, games in my experience.

lljkk · 15/08/2024 12:04

ps, sorry, was guilty of Not RTFT : Rookies is an indoor pool programme.
South London:

https://www.slsc.org.uk/rookie-lifeguard/

Rookie lifeguard – South London Swimming Club

https://www.slsc.org.uk/rookie-lifeguard

MiddleAgedDread · 16/08/2024 09:42

I think this is part of the issue with swimming, it's very "all or nothing" once you get to a certain age or level. All the teens I know who've kept going with it and now into 7 sessions a week at swimming club with unsociable hours of the morning and evening training as well as land sessions and gym work, there doesn't seem to be anything less intense. I think you have to be 16 for lifeguarding. Our local pool does lane swim sessions which are good if you just want to swim and they're usually open to all ages.

MigGril · 16/08/2024 09:53

The junior lifeguarding seasons at our local pool are once a week and take them from 10. They do a mix of pool work and poolside traning. DD tried it but she was actually to advance a swimmer for it really and 15 she should have tried it earlier.

Water polo is also another option if your pool does it. Unfortunately ours doesn't.

She's a club swimmer already so it was to easy for her. She went on to do her full lifeguard traning at 16 instead. Which is a full qualification for them to do the job on pool side.

Twinklefloss · 16/08/2024 09:57

David Lloyd Kidbrooke (and I’m sure other David Lloyd’s) has a club swim session one hour a couple times a week. Aimed at post level 7 swimmers and there are young teenagers who do it. Also shop around different swim clubs, some run a Friday night social swim club.

there are also a few active waterpolo clubs in south London looking for teen swimmers - swimming being the most important skill for the sport!

Isthiscorrect · 16/08/2024 09:57

Lifeguard training. Easy to get a job here or abroad when qualified and easy to work when she's at college or uni.

Nearandfaraway · 10/09/2024 06:42

Did you find something OP? Most of the Better pools have swim doctor sessions.

Also I thought Saxon Crown had a non-competitive stream? They're lewisham based, Glass Mill mostly. And there's a lovely Tri Club in Crystal palace.

You could also have a look at Streamline Swims who do coached sessions. When she's 16 she can also train as a lifeguard at the lake at Beckenham Place park (and get herself a PT job in the bargain). Good luck!

HerewegoagainSS · 10/09/2024 06:59

Do you think she would enjoy waterpolo? Tends to be less competitive with more fun options.

SwimGuide · 10/07/2025 13:07

Thepeopleversuswork · 08/08/2024 20:26

Looking for some advice: my DD (13) is not keen on most exercise. Swimming is one of the few activities she enjoys and is good at. For a time she was a member of a youth swimming club but was put off by the aggressively competitive element and it also required a greater time commitment than we could give (four sessions per week, often during my work hours or her school hours).

I am keen to nudge her back into it but she’s too old and too advanced for most swimming lessons and I don’t think a competitive club would work. Aside from just going to the pool for fun are there other swimming clubs which are a bit more relaxed?

We’re in South London. Willing to travel a bit but not too far. Any thoughts welcome.

Are you still in the same situation since you posted this. I would suggest joining a life saving club. They can be fun as well as building up stamina, exercise. Plus theres the opportunity of becoming a lifeguard whens shes 16

Paaseitjes · 10/07/2025 16:37

She's the perfect age to start underwater hockey! It's for people who find lane swimming boring, shouty sports stressful and waterpolo too violent. No one starts before 12, so everyone is a beginner, and it's a very easy sport to get onto the national team

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