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!?

The level X competition - I can see why they are doing it (although obviously suspended now) but the times will not be very accurate, will they? Just wondered because it’s obviously not the same as having touch pads etc.

Hi all
Havent been on for ages and I've name changed
My dd is only 7 (8 dec) and we are in wales...so unlike most of you maybe we are back in the pool this week. Its limited though to 15 at a time so our club has reduced training times to accommodate all the squads.
Dd just pleased to be back in, even for an hour twice a week. I hope for her it lasts
...it was 2 weeks in august before we locked down again so it's been all land training g via zoom which is tricky for all, but at 7 is v boring when she just wants to swim
Anyways hi all x

I'm wondering if we can get started from the 2nd...

Yes was hoping but just read on BBC stricter rules than before lockdown. DC missing swimming as well as just seeing swimming friends

I am really hoping that we will get back to swimming on 2nd, but I feel it’s very unlikely.

It’s so frustrating as the club had so many measures in place to keep the children safe. My DC are really missing swimming. They have land training via Zoom, but it’s not the same.

I think it's unlikely too. we're doing land training and cooking lessons but DS would much rather be in the pool. I've avoided the news today so haven't read about the stricter rules, but I'm sure even if the national lockdown does end on 2nd, we'll be in a local lockdown. Our local cases are rising and are above national average. I'm sick of it, it's been such a shit year.

We in Ireland are hoping for pools to reopen in Dec too. And Swim Ireland are so keen they are taking applications for a SC winter championship and a regional junior event. Who knows if they'll happen or who'll get a place as the junior one is limited to 30 per sex per age group. So it will be names out of a hat I'd imagine, DDs not keen but tempted to put her name in.

hi all, it's looking like swimming will resume everywhere next week? am very excited about it, hope it is true!

Oh, really? I didn't think we knew yet. I will check Swim England's Twitter feed.

www.swimming.org/swimengland/reopening-swimming-pools-applauded/

And of course one of DD's pools at a school is closed until next term for renovation.

So 2 1/2 hours/week (instead of last year's 9) for us.

We are beyond excited though!

Our first class is on Friday. DS is suddenly saying he doesn't want to do it, but he always gets nervous about new things and then normally ends up loving them. He really enjoys his swimming lessons, so I think he will just need to settle. It's the same pool anyhow, so I'm hoping it won't feel much different for him.

We’re back on Wednesday too. Back on reduced hours again but swimming every evening so will miss the family time

Also not looking forward to the icy mornings and evenings and leaving in wet clothes 🥶 Still no showers or changing facilities for us

DD had her first session on Wednesday, loved it, said she can't wait for her next session. They will train 3x per week (used to be 4x in non-pandemic times). Hope at some point next year meets will be allowed again.

Happy times ahead for mini sanam and Helenj.

I'm so pleased for all the DC and masters back in the pool.

Off to batch cook some ragu so I can rustle up "quick spag bol before training".

How often are meets, and what day of the week are they, please? I'm still stressing about clashes with football!

Hi Helen

Your best bet is to find a parent at your club and ask. The club website might have an old calendar.

A lot of the Open meets round here (Somerset) tend to be over 2 days of the weekend (the bigger ones would run all day, others might be for the afternoon/evening). When you are just starting, you probably just want to enter a couple of races (typically the 50m ones). Don't be disheartened if it doesn't go too well. The combination of nerves/excitement/lack of racing technique invariably mean a couple of disqualifications/slow times.

Luckily for you, in these Covid times, clubs are probably just going to be doing "Level X" (which is Swim England's competition to keep racing going over lockdown). Swimmers compete/get timed at their local club and there is a countrywide league table for each age/race. Unless your club is extremely lucky with pool time these races would probably happen during the regular training slots.

I suspect our club won't bother unless it looks likely that Counties and Regionals are reinstated - the kids can't get race fit on 2 1/2 hours/week.

We’ve been back since Wednesday, too. DD is back to 6 hrs per week and DS is back at 2 for entry squad. They are both delighted but I must admit I hadn’t missed being a taxi driver for the pair of them!

Ah, so "meet" means competitions? I thought it would be more of a social thing.

DS had his first session and enjoyed it, but he said they were told that it was up to them whether they did tumble turns and he chose not to. I assume they're just settling them in for now? I do want him encouraged to push himself.

We're back to a full timetable of 11 hours, not that DS does the full 11. One session clashes with Scouts and we don't do the early morning session. He's happy to be back though.

Helenjohanna they'll most likely ease them in, the coaches are usually good at knowing when swimmers are ready for different things. Usually they'll focus on a different skill in each training session, building up the different skills needed to compete.

@helenjoanna glad he enjoyed it, they tend to work gradually on turns etc at ours and don’t push them too hard to do it initially.

We are back again, full hours but our club doesn’t do as many as most (12 year old does 3 hours, 9 year old 2). We did level X 50s just before lockdown, eldest got 2.5 sec pbs in free and breast compared to March, his fly was off but they have barely done any training in that since they went back. Younger one got upset afterwards saying he was rubbish, despite actually improving a lot from March.

Well, I've now cancelled DS's swim school membership because he's settled into the swimming club. He said he'd really enjoyed it after his last session, so I'm feeling positive about it all.

DD (10 to) has been moved into the next squad up, which is great, but she now has 6am sessions that will start in the new year 😴.

Anyone else just waiting for swimming pools to close again? I know that we are lucky to still be going at all as lots of places have closed again/never reopened but how frustrating for the athletes to get up to fitness and then stop (and repeat).

How is everyone else getting on?

Well done to your DD.

My 12 year old is being moved into the top junior squad in January and is really excited about it, but like you I fear pool closures are coming again.

It is all frustrating as I do see swimming as safe, and the constant stop start has such an impact. My 9 year old wants to give up at the moment, he misses the social side of club swimming I think, and it is so hard for my youngest who started lessons not long before the first lockdown, every time he builds up a little confidence after a few weeks of lessons they stop again and he goes backwards.

I think long term there will be big impacts on competitive swimming, with lots quitting who otherwise wouldn’t have done, and lots never making it to club swimming at all because they give up on lessons

I am keeping my fingers crossed (tier 2, with falling hospital/Covid admissions), but the mood music seems to be that schools aren't opening in January (which presumably means that they will close leisure centres and pools too).

I have a nasty feeling that tonight might be our last swim for a couple of months.