Swimming stage 8

[solittletime]

Wondering what others' experience of stage 8 swimming is please!
We haven't gone through the grades and dd was assessed at local pool and put in to stage 8 ( she had been doing swimming at school overseas so that's why we didn't know what stage she was). She is 10yrs old.

The lesson consists of the instructor making them all do 16 lengths in front crawl then 16 lengths I backstroke. Then he tells them all their times and tells my d's she's got to get faster. Then he goes to get next group and starts next lesson so no chance to ask him a question, it's too hectic in there!!

There doesn't seem to be correction of technique, let alone any encouragement?

I think he assumes that she went through stage 7 so knows the drill etc.. .

She can do it and was only two lengths behind the rest of the group but she did feel quite sick and teary afterwards!!

Is this it once they get to that stage? Are all stage 8 lessons like that or is it just our local leisure centre?

Dd not especially sporty but likes swimming and says she wants to get in a swim team eventually. I don't know if it's ok to push a ten yr old to swim until they 'feel sick or if I should ask to put her in stage 7?

I'm worried it's counter productive but also aware that as I have never done a sport I don't understand the value of pushing yourself in training etc... !

Be grateful to hear other experiences of stage 8 swimming thank you!

We're not at stage 8 yet (I don't think our pool do it actually). DD plans on joining the swimming club once she's passed stage 6. I think by then they should be able to swim all four strokes and can then work on improving technique and speed. Is this possible for your DD?

But there is value in pushing yourself, yes. Should be enjoyable though. Most of the time.

There are some new skills at level 8 but most of it is about speed and stamina. At dd's lessons they would correct technique but would expect most of it to be addressed in earlier stages. If she wants to be in a swim team she would need to be able to swim fast/many lengths, or if she can swim at level 8 then I would be happy to let her just swim for fun.

My local swimming club takes them from completion of stage 7, as do the synchro, diving and water polo teams if you DC prefers something other than lengths.

ASA stage guidance

Thanks for early replies. Maybe stage 7 would have been an easier transition, to perfect technique a bit while also working on stamina?
I just thought the swim teachers looked so grumpy, even a quick well done at the end would have helped!

Also not sure she can improve stamina and speed with one session a week. Although not sure there's a chance for children to do lane swimming in between lessons, and it my goodness I don't know if I can handle two trips a week to the pool!!!

Ok so how does the swimming club work? Because this teacher making it sound like tney cannot progress unless they swim 32 lengths within a specified time.

A swimming club might be more stimulating with working towards competitions instead of just mindless lengths for mr grumpy!!

Thanks princess can I ask what they have to do to complete stage 7? From your link it says stage 8 they have to complete 400 m and stage 9 800metres.
So it doesn't seem average to push them to do 800 metres after two lessons in stage 8?

We ditched swimming at this stage because it became almost entirely about speed and stamina. My little one had sailed through the grades and was only just 7, so a few years below most of her class. Her technique and stamina were great but she just couldn't make their times. She was too young for the local club and for the leisure centre lifesaving classes, so we stopped.

Our stage 8 is nothing to do with times. It's more starts and turns - my girls had to learn official turns and also IM turns, which my youngest tells me are different? So I think it depends on your pool. Eldest packed it in after stage 8 - she arrives there aged 6 and event a whole year in there - the technicality of it killed the love of it at that age (and she wasn't the youngest!) but she still swims well and might go back to it are some point. Younger DD is now 9 and has also been in stage 8 for a year, but they also do lifesaving, diving and obstacle courses sometimes. The 16 lengths thing should only be a small part if it.

I think there is a gap in the market for something like swimfit for kids. Dd2 is desperate to do more swimming. She currently does 30 min with school and 60 min in stage 8, but we have to travel to a different town for that. There doesn't seem to be anything available for kids who want to swim several times a week for fitness and fun.

Waffle IM turns are different only to the extent that you are switching between strokes. Butterfly must touch the end with both hands touching the wall and swap to backstroke...backstroke must end on back, one hand touching the wall...(there are a couple of legal ways of turning here)...onto breaststroke ending with both hands touching the wall.....standard breaststroke turn...into freestyle.

DD stopped badges after stage 8 and joined a local club when she turned 9. The first few weeks swimming sets in stage 8 were tricky/exhausting. It does get a lot easier with practice (and I don't think you do need to swim more than once a week to get that fitness level up).

There is definitely a gap in market for pre-teen/teen swimming provision. In theory it is probably synchro/waterpolo/rookie lifeguard (or maybe all three in an hour), but I am pretty certain it isn't offered around here (pool availability is a nightmare too). I get really annoyed when I see lane swim sessions just for 16+.

My DS quit swimming lessons in stage 8 because he was bored just swimming lengths the whole time. He joined Rookie Lifeguards because whilst he is competitive he had no interest in competitive swimming despite being invited to swim team trials. I would suggest forgetting the ASA swim.lessins and just find her a swimming club to join.

I think it's because the sytem.is geared up to finishing after stage 7. Different pools are stricter on criteria or add criteria to the ASA standards so they don't speed through the levels when v young or other pools just speed through them! There's quote a bit of variability.

After stage 7 it splits - so you can choose rookies or diving or synchronised or stage 8 is the gearing for competitive swimming. They'd expect you to already swim strokes competently.

If she didn't enjoy it Is look at another Poole to perhaps do stage 7 in to gain confidence and then look at club swimming?

pool even. And so many typos

We abandoned swimming lessons at this stage because the emphasis was so much on speed, stamina, starts and turns and getting up to swimming club standard. DD pointed out that she didn't want toswim competitively and so couldn't see the point in carrying on. I agreed.

I think it's a shame, like a PP upthread said, that there isn't a "non-competitive" swimming option for DC that can swim but want to continue in a more structured environment just for enjoyment.

And definitely a need for more swim4fit style classes. My daughter will do rookies when there's a space but she loves her actual swimming lessons!

Thank you everyone that that does help put it in perspective.
It is a shame as it's amazing exercise but there is a chance she may be put off eventually. I'll ask locally didn't know about lifeguards and water polo. And I'll ask the local swimming club how they are structured. Although for now dd wants to continue so will just see how it goes.

I knew stage 8 would be more intensive but I am a little surprised at how super serious and non-smiley the whole thing is. Even for stage 3 dd (another story there. So many in the class she must swim 5 mins out of a whole 30 min lesson which leaves me to wonder how the younger ones actually make a my progress??)

There must be so many children who get up to stage 7 and then just leave?! And just at the age were regular exercise is so valuable me socially and developmentally.

You're right there is definitely a gap in the market.

Anyway I'm rambling, thanks again for the feedback

Our local swim club has a learn to swim option which leads to the transition squad and then the junior squad. They also have a non competitive squad that swims twice a week.

My dd1 got up to stage 7 (youngest and smallest there), was so pleased to get to stage 8 and then hated it. It was later in the evening so she was tired, it was longer (45 mins rather than 30 mins) and it was just about speed and stamina. So she's completely given up swimming.

If there was a rookie lifeguard or synchro option she'd love that, but there's nothing locally except diving, and she doesn't want to do that. She did a rookie lifeguard course in the holidays (just a three day thing) and loved it - it's such a pity there's nothing she can do regularly.

I'm hoping that once she goes to secondary school she'll have swimming as an option, and that she'll pick it up again then.

My 2 boys swim in a club.The older one started the in the very lowest squad when on Stage 6 but also wanted to carry on with the stages .Stage 8 is supposed to be about an intro to competitive swimming but he found it much more rigorous and boring than the actual swimming club training where they use fins ,do racing dives off blocks,and generally had more fun as there is a big social element too :they all chat in the showers after training .I skipped stage 8 for my younger one,he went straight into the club after stage 7 and loves it.
If she wants to eventually swim in a club I would definitely look at that option now and abandon Stage 8 if it is tedious.Not sure what your local club does but ours (which ranges from 6 year olds to teenage Commonwealth/Olympic hopefuls) will trial swimmers once they complete Stage 6.

Thanks lucozany that sounds ideal! I will look in to it and have already identified a different leisure centre.