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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Poolside chat: Calling all parents of competitive swimmers!

999 replies

Marypoppins19 · 06/04/2018 08:13

I thought it might be helpful to share our highs/lows/questions/thoughts in one place. Who’s joining me!?

OP posts:
estherfrewen · 02/07/2019 19:08

Hi - I would second what Madcats says. My son joined squad age six but was only on one lesson a week before that and squad started at three a week before increasingly steadily. If his technique is good I would just take him yourself over summer and have fun in the water but work on stamina - a lot of squad is endless front crawl...! If he joins squad, and he sounds like a natural, just be aware his coaches may not be keen on you also going elsewhere for extra lessons. My best advice to alleviate boredom as a parent is join the committee and get involved or train as a judge, timekeeper or team manager. You will definitely be welcomed with open arms! At 7 he will only he able to swim club champs or possibly diddy meets competitively, but it is all good practice for the years ahead.

Eccle80 · 02/07/2019 19:28

Wornout I agree with Madcats that it may be more cost effective to get a junior/swim leisure centre membership for him than to try and keep juggling lessons, though the downside is that his age probably means you will have to go in too.

Depending what stage he is in, the swimming club may wear him out more than lessons currently do, my DS didn’t start until he was just 9 and had done gold, but I always think training looks hard for the 7 year olds who have just done stage 7 and aren’t used to doing much distance

QueenofLouisiana · 05/07/2019 17:57

@WornOutMum3000 welcome to our corner of the poolside, please bring your own coffee, I’ll share my fan!

Feel as though we should be winding down now, but have a competition on Sunday. DS wants to be able to laze as his end of year exams are over, but he’s still in full-on training.

Bit fed up as had another house booking cancel this week. I’ve had 2 reservations for Glasgow cancel now- I’d paid in full for the last one, so really pissed off!! I’ve got another one booked, but the journey is longer as (surprise!!) the places near Tollcross are all booked or really expensive at the end of July....

estherfrewen · 06/07/2019 06:27

We have one more competition next week then home nations.

What a pain re Tollcross. It is really hard for accommodation there as very few places close by. Book now for next year, Queen!!

QueenofLouisiana · 19/07/2019 18:19

Happy summer to you all. Wishing anyone swimming at British or Home Nations Championships much luck and wonderful swimming.
I hope you enjoy the break (2weeks off for us!) and make the most of not getting up at stupid o’clock.

ealingwestmum · 19/07/2019 19:32

Here here Queen, all the best to all the swimmers competing!

estherfrewen · 19/07/2019 20:13

Well said! Good luck to everyone and enjoy the summer

WidowTwonky · 20/07/2019 13:51

4 weeks off for us but still 1 more week of training. Cannot wait for my much needed rest 😂

QueenofLouisiana · 20/07/2019 16:46

Bit of a bonus, no training for DS tomorrow morning. I’d assumed training before we set off for Scotland (was banking on it so I could pack up the car really!), but no.

Coaches orders are for a good night’s sleep. DS is very happy to follow those instructions!

estherfrewen · 20/07/2019 17:18

Best of luck, Queen. Let us know how he does

SkydivingKittyCat · 22/07/2019 15:34

I don't have a competitive swimmer (he's 8 months old, more of a competitive splasher!) but I'm hoping you experts may be able to help me!

He's been having swimming lessons since he was 8 weeks old and he absolutely loves it. I also take him at least once a week outside of his lessons, I very much want him to become a confident swimmer.

Anyway, what I need help with....

He's started collecting swimming badges (which is very cute!) I'm after a towel to start sewing them on. I'm after something a reasonable size (he's going to be a big boy) that will last the test of time that can have the badges sewn around the edge...

Any recommendations?

QueenofLouisiana · 23/07/2019 14:35

We have a towel with badges on- we used one if his hoodie type towels. It was a long time ago, so not sure what it was. It is lovely looking back on it!

Competitive splashing is a great sport- very under-rated in my opinion Grin

SkydivingKittyCat · 24/07/2019 18:14

*We have a towel with badges on- we used one if his hoodie type towels. It was a long time ago, so not sure what it was. It is lovely looking back on it!

Competitive splashing is a great sport- very under-rated in my opinion*

Thanks for your reply Smile

Can you sew them straight on to normal towelling material then? I vaguely remember a girl in my class producing a swimming towel during school lessons which everyone was in awe of so I'm guessing so? I never had a swimming badge myself, I have a self taught "move through water without drowning" technique as I guess no one cared enough when I was a kid to make sure I wouldn't drown Hmm I did get my 10m certificate at school though!

SkydivingKittyCat · 24/07/2019 18:15

Full disclosure: I'd ask a friend who is handy with a sewing machine to sew them on rather than doing it myself!

QueenofLouisiana · 26/07/2019 11:47

We’re on our way home from Glasgow. It’s been a busy, but very exciting, few days.

DS had some highs and lows but is already determined to go back to British Championships next year. Project 27 starts now! In reality, a few weeks of not a lot is planned here, gentle training, playing on water-slides and lazing by a pool abroad.

estherfrewen · 26/07/2019 12:24

Well done! Enjoy the break 🏊🏻‍♂️🏊🏻‍♂️

Eccle80 · 26/07/2019 15:46

Well done! Hope you have a nice relaxing holiday

Madcats · 28/07/2019 15:57

Belated well done to Esther's DS.

Welcome to @SkydivingKittyCat! We didn't go down the "badges on towel" route. There are some really cute hooded towels available though (we had a duck head on our hood).

DD had her badges sewn onto what I can only describe as a school drawstring gym bag. I would have thought the towel would be in and out of the washing machine too often?

We have had a very lazy (almost 'no swim') month (though a bit of surfing and sailing). Interestingly DD has chosen to eat far less as a result.

ExpletiveDelighted · 02/08/2019 08:38

Skydiving - I went to TXMaxx and bought a decent brightly coloured towel that would go with our bathroom colour scheme for each DC for their badges, I hand-sewed them on and they have been used as regular bath/swim towels ever since, must be 8 or 9 years now.

I'm not sure if I have posted on this thread before, if not, hello. I am a mum to a DD who is at the top end of her club development squad and a club committee member. No early mornings or long distance travel yet but she is very much enjoying her swimming at the moment (it goes in phases).

winesolveseverything · 02/08/2019 11:01

Swimwear- how do you make it last? We are going through it at a rate of knots...wearing out rather than outgrown though..

He has 3 pairs of jammers that he rotates between. Not sure if we should just stick to one and wear and wear them..

I don't wash with detergent- usually stick them on the rinse cycle then hang to dry but poor washing machine is being caned.. Don't think soaking in a sink of water is very effective though.

Trying to go for the endurance ones but more expensive...

Any better tried and tested tips!!

estherfrewen · 02/08/2019 13:05

Hi, ExpletiveDelighted, nice to meet you! How do you enjoy being on the Committee?

Re: Jammers - we have about a dozen pairs (yes, I know ...) that we rotate round. I just put them in with normal washing and they seem to last for ages and then 'go' all of a sudden and became very thin. We usually get at least a year out of a pair though, probably worn and washed once or twice a week. We have a Speedo Outlet shop not far away and tend to bulk buy when we go and never pay more than about £11 for a pair. Even at 15 he still likes the highly decorated ones (we have some frightening clown ones at the moment) but will pretty much wear anything that is in the sale. Race trunks, however - ow. Pricey. He is still in the same waist size at 15 that he was at 9 ... I do wonder now whether he was swimming in jammers that were far too big 6 years ago! I'm not sure if link works, but he wears this kind of thing:

www.speedo.com/uk/en/allover-v-cut-panel-jammer/808686C238.html

Just done at home nations and has had a great time. One medal and pbs in 8/9 races. Happy boy.

ExpletiveDelighted · 02/08/2019 14:09

Hi Esther - it's certainly interesting, I'm fairly new to it and there are a lot of changes going on in our club at the moment (personnel, squad format, one of our pools being rebuilt). There's so much more to it than I realised as a mere parent.

QueenofLouisiana · 02/08/2019 18:42

Jammers- definitely endurance or proper swim make needed otherwise the bottom goes see-through rapidly!

Mary have lasted us well.

QueenofLouisiana · 02/08/2019 18:42

Maru not Mary!

winesolveseverything · 02/08/2019 20:38

Thanks- perhaps I should continue to add to the collection!! Would also make my life easier to include them in the normal wash without them disintegrating faster.

He only has speedo- although possibly only one of those is endurance..
Will keep my eye out for sales.

Great news about Nationals- Well done! A few from our club are at Ponds forge this week- my son has been cheering them on over the live feed and declaring that's what he wants to do... Only several years of bloody hard work to go then.. 😬

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