Poolside chat: Calling all parents of competitive swimmers!

[Marypoppins19]

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

Hi, @sadwithkiddies

At your DD's age, I would go to whichever club is easiest to get to, unless you have a really strong vibe against it. Check their websites as well and see what their training timetables are like. My DS started squad at 6 in a small local club and we are still there almost 10 years later. He could have moved to local big City of squad 30 minutes away, but we chose to stay put and he has medalled at home nations, regionals and counties out of the small club. He would no doubt have achieved more at the City of club but the incremental gains from that wouldn't have outweighed the convenience of 5 minutes down the road and no real pressure!

At 7 it is going to be a couple of years before your DD can compete in external galas anyway so I would give it those couple of years to see if it is for her (no matter how good the swimmer, not all of them want to compete). The time for girls to make that big push forward is really when puberty hits, We had a girl join us from a very tiny club age 14 where she only swum 3 times a week and even coming to our bigger club and training 5 times a week she has become regional champion and made British qualifying.

At this age, convenience and club friendliness is everything. You will no doubt make other swimming parent friends and hopefully will be able to sort out lift sharing etc. It is a big commitment as a parent, probably involving driving all over the place once she is 9 to different galas and probably also needing volunteering at your own club to help with club galas etc etc.

Let us know what decision you make and how it goes!

I agree with everybody that, for younger swimmers, go to a local club and make some local friends to lift share.

You are far more likely to go swimming if it is local.

You can think about moving on at 11-13.

thank you all - DD is trialling with the local club this Friday....eeek

(and in a very bizarre twist of fate gym has flooded over the weekend and so will be closed for the forseeable - that's 3/8 sessions a week dropped!)

@sadwithkiddies good luck to DD for Friday. Although competitive swimming is a huge commitment, DD has got so much out of it and is always excited to attend her sessions (even at 6am on a Saturday ).

Hi all! Sorry I've not much to add by way of answers to other's questions as we r still at the start of our club journey.

I have a quick question though, to parents of boys!

My DS, every time he dives, his jammers fill with air! He then spends the rest of the length trying to splat the air out! Rather than concentrating on swimming the length as fast as he can!!

Any tips? Any jammers you know of for skinny 8 year olds that don't do this?

Thanks for any tips!! :)

Asked my DS. He says when he first gets in the pool he just unties, pulls the waistband out to force air out and then reties jammers and they are fine after that. Just make sure he is in deep enough water so no-one can see! He wears Speedo endurance. I never pay more than £12 for training jammers.

Is there any chance they are too big, and loose on the legs and that is why they fill with air? We were told they should always be tight on the legs and my 11 year old (skinny but tall!) has size 26 Speedo ones

Thanks! I'll suggest that too Esther! They possibly are too big! They are size 23 waist, but he has little skinny legs, so we'll try and find some tighter fitting ones!! I might try another brand too! Thanks!

My DS is 16 and in size 26 so they could be too big. Would definitely try size less.

Arena are a slimmer style I think.
My ds is 15 and wears adult size 26.

Once you know the size you can then go,online and order afterwards - much cheaper!

I agree with Ester with regards choosing a smaller and closer club. You can move if needs be later on.

Ds had a meet today. Stupid o clock start in storm Dennis in the dark! Also age at end of year so at 15 swimming against 16/17/18 and 19yos!
He had a great meet! 6 races, 5 pbs and even managed to sneak in 3 medals! He looked the best I've ever seen him swim by far!

Fabulous results, @itsgettingweird!

oh well done itsgettingwierd.

can you explain the age thing....

i'm guessing its similar to gym...jan-dec rather than the school year...?

dd was born very late dec....its a nightmare for gym....so now she is 7 and 2 months....she competes '8 in year'.....her friend from school turned 7 2 weeks after her in January, she is '7 in year' and competes in the year below her....it sucks!!!

is it the same with swimming????? please God no!!!!

Well done to your son itsgettingweird!

Sadwithkiddies I am afraid to say it is the same in swimming with counties upwards being age at 31st December, open meets and leagues are mainly age at day/age at date of final

Yeah swimming can be like that. Age on day or age at end of year.
Ds is summer born. He loves all the end of season meets around July time with age on day because he's one of the oldest

Oh lordy more mummy guilt. I had her by c-section. 3 weeks early for my health.....I was offered Dec 24, 27, or Jan 2.....guess which date I picked absolutely gutted I had no idea of the consequences in sport!!!!!!
She wasn't due till mid January.

hoolahoops our swimmers aren't allowed to wear jammers until they're much older, they all wear trunks (obviously mean the boys when I say all!). Maybe try trunks instead and size down if needed. My DS is small with skinny legs and he gets the same issue with longer legs when he does wear them. Also I think it happens when the elastic is starting to go, they need replacing often!

Thanks Fourmagpies!

That's interesting about the rule that the younger boys only wear trunks. (Why do they have that rule by the way?) In DS club he's the youngest and all the boys wear jammers so I think he'd feel a bit a left out and uncomfortable in trunks, though I might try and find some jammer-type trunks with at least slightly shorter legs! And will definitely size down. I actually think he's lost weight recently with all the mileage!! So perhaps that's some of the problem!

As apparently they are generally a poor fit for younger swimmers and therefore cause drag. Also skins are designed for older muscular swimmers. Until their coaches say otherwise they have to wear briefs for racing. Even in shorts my DS struggles as he has skinny legs so he wears briefs all the time now for training. But as they all wear them it's not an issue, I can understand not wanting to stand out. I very rarely see other swimmers at meets wearing briefs.

We find the whole briefs vs jammers thing very club specific.

We have whole clubs of even older boys warming up in them at open meets. We have a few older swimmers in our club (either still at club or moved from bigger clubs) who wear them.

My brother who is in his 30's and ex swimmer thinks it's weird they train in jammers!

I guess it's like secondary schools and bags. One local to me all the girls seem to have these large holdall's handbags over one shoulder, tend to wear fashion shoes and loads of make up despite rules. My ds school most girls use a backpack on both shoulders and wear brogues shoes and adhere to no make up/minimal makeup.

Hi all.
So dd trialled for our 2 local teams and was offered a spot. I'm trying to decide which club based on family timetables and journeys rather than anything else.
The club's felt much the same except for the quality of the changing room - but I'm trying to ignore that as she can shower at home and save the faff anyway. They both filter into the 1 big city club as teenagers usually so it really makes no difference.
Dd is thrilled 😊

That's great, @sadwithkiddies. And definitely the best basis is timetabling of squads if all other things are equal. Enjoy the swim journey!

@sadwithkiddies In my experience, good showers and changing rooms are a negative. DD spends an age in there chatting with her friends while I wait to take her home! Cold, grotty-looking ones are much less appealing!

good to know....

we chose the grotty club! the timetabling is much easier! and journey better!

Well done to mini sad.

I try lure DD out of changing rooms with the promise of a snack and "second supper if there is time".

When the kids were much younger and trained at a school one mum often used to stand at the door with a bag of sweets available to any child who was dressed within 5(?) minutes (it was always a close thing for her child).

Jogging bottoms and hoodie aid speedy changing.

Anyone off to Cardiff this weekend for Arena League Finals? It feels like an awfully long way to go. I suspect DS will be in one relay! However he’s thrilled to have been selected, so it will be good experience for him.