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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:
Fourmagpies · 22/12/2020 20:30

DS is having to self isolate as identified as close contact with a positive case at school so no swimming this week. There was definitely a spike in cases in their year group towards the end of term (year 9). We're tier 2 by the scrape of our teeth and surrounded by tier 4 so I don't think it'll be long until we're tier 4. It sounds like another lockdown could be on the cards anyway with the new variant and yes I think schools will be closed too. I can't see competitive swimming returning to normal for a while yet. In some ways I'm relieved that there will be no Counties in January as I doubt DS will qualify for much.

SarahIsMe · 28/12/2020 17:31

Anyone else hating this? 5 months of no swimming for DS in the summer, then start again, then stop for a month, then start again and now stop again - for how long is anyone's guess. Feels like he's basically missed nearly a year of training (when you consider they have to re-gaijn fitness etc each time they re-start.)

Come on Borris, open the pools before my DS drives me to insanity.

Can't cope with the endless 'im bored' and 'when can I go swimming again', and seeing him so sad without water :(

Angry

So fed up now :(

WidowTwonky · 28/12/2020 20:15

We’re still managing 6 sessions a week for the moment, but expecting that to change any day now 😞

sanam2019 · 28/12/2020 20:40

yes it's very disappointing, DD has three weeks in her club 3x a week, absolutely loved it, was getting ready for her first LevelX gala in January and then they had to close again. Who knows when they'll open the pools in London. It was super safe and so healthy, they were so strict with the regulations, I wish they could have continued. I hope they can resume in January but it is not looking likely at the moment.

Eccle80 · 28/12/2020 21:10

I’m not expecting them to go back on Monday after the Christmas break, which will devastate my eldest, we aren’t tier 4 at the moment but I suspect everywhere will be within the week. It is such a shame, especially when outdoor sports for under 18s can continue in tier 4, and everything is done so carefully to minimise risks at swimming.

I know case numbers are bad, but I see little risk of transmission and this year is going to have had such an impact on the health and fitness of young people

Fourmagpies · 29/12/2020 13:33

We're expecting the same Eccle . We've moved up to tier 3 and as everyone around us is tier 4, it won't be long until we're also 4 or another national lockdown. It's so depressing.

InspectorAlleyn · 29/12/2020 14:28

We are still on 6x a week here but after each session I keep thinking it might be the last one for a while.

It’s so frustrating as DD (10) has worked so hard and has just moved to the next squad and pretty soon she’ll be stopping again. Hopefully it’ll only be a short break as the children did cope well with coming back after the last shorter lockdown in comparison to the March-August one.

It’s also frustrating for me as I am a teacher and I know that in comparison to schools, the swimming club are much more able to be COVID-secure. Why they can go to school and not swimming is a mystery to me!

Oh well, each swim is a bonus at the moment!

SarahIsMe · 29/12/2020 21:45

I agree it's a bit bonkers they can go to school and not swimming. :( (Our school is a hot house for transmission at drop off and pick up times, hundreds of snotty kids running around, siblings, parents chatting and hanging around after school for kids to play together .. Swimming on the other hand was very well controlled and infection control measures really good). Hating this all so much ...

Fourmagpies · 30/12/2020 18:52

I agree, it's bonkers. Swimming is much safer. We're in tier 4 from tomorrow so back to home workouts.

Madcats · 31/12/2020 17:27

Huge commiserations to those in tier 4. I was cross enough to be moved up to tier 3.

DD's club have 5 or 6 kids max in 3 double width lanes, with no changing room access. There is usually an eye-watering amount of chlorine in the pool at the best of times.

They have been so good over Christmas; just going for walks with family or staying at home.

Let's hope we'll be back to complaining about tedious open meets by Easter/Whitsun.

Happy New Year!

turkeyboots · 05/01/2021 16:54

Happy New Year everyone.

It's been almost a year since DD last completed, and it was a disaster of a meet. She hasn't missed the racing at all, but I have and am doing more officials training in this lockdown.

No training here for the foreseeable and way too cold for her to consider open water. I'm half tempted to join the local sea swimmer group though.

Madcats · 05/01/2021 21:43

I had to smile when we had a reminder to renew our Meet Mobile app subscription this week. Counties would just be starting.

DD seems fairly relaxed about swimming being cancelled AGAIN. I am not sure that she realises quite how long it will last, but she was chatting away about competing in 2022. She wants to do some open water events (so that is probably more likely to happen, I suppose).

WidowTwonky · 08/01/2021 09:18

How are clubs tackling fees, and SE membership?
Jan fees had already been taken for us but we’re getting feb and March at half price. It’s such a lot of money for the odd zoom workout
And then SE membership on top Sad

Madcats · 08/01/2021 10:12

The club is run by volunteers. We came to an agreement (eventually) with the pools that we wouldn't need to pay rental when they were closed. We have no S&C any more so it is mostly "radio silence" from the club.

Last summer the kids organised a few fitness challenges etc., but the older children are busy studying (more so now these next few months are likely to become their grade).

We all pay monthly ATM, so now have zero fees due this month and probably Feb & March. When we can swim we pay about £5/hour (I feel fairly confident we are subsidising other swimming ). I think we get charged the Swim England/insurance etc. fee in April.

I think some clubs will really struggle to retain members if the kids come from non-swimming families. Most can't have swum for more than about 15-20 weeks since March, if that!

Fourmagpies · 08/01/2021 21:26

Our fees are reduced to a bit less than 50% of normal fees, but we have employed coaches, some will be on furlough. We got approx 4 workouts a week plus a cooking class in previous lockdowns, we haven't had a full timetable yet for this one, they've done 2 workouts this week. SE fees are payable as normal. We pay a club membership fee in September for new season. I haven't heard anything from club about open water swimming but they are rubbish at communicating and it'll probably be offered to certain squads.

CovidCraziness · 08/02/2021 21:41

Hating this :( zoom session or ds are soooo boring! He needs a swim!!!!! Sad

fiveoldteddies · 09/02/2021 08:44

tell me about it, and with all the snow no running either

Madcats · 09/02/2021 10:25

When do you reckon they'll reopen pools, then? Dare I hope for Easter?
Whitsun?

Any other year we'd all be moaning about Counties!

Eccle80 · 09/02/2021 12:27

My best hope is some point in April, I don’t think there is any chance it will be before then, and I hope it will be higher up the priorities to reopen this time around. I really hope it isn’t longer for them all.

A year ago my eldest swam his one event in his first counties, and would have hoped to make it again. I can’t see the plans for counties in July time happening really

Notcontent · 11/02/2021 14:33

I agree that April is the earliest that they are likely to reopen pools. And to be honest, I can’t see there would be much point in having any competitions given that most swimmers would have only done training over the autumn (and many clubs were not able to run their full training programme even during that time).

Madcats · 13/02/2021 15:27

British Swimming have been live-streaming the International Swim Meet up in Manchester (and you can watch it at leisure). You can tell that some of the swimmers haven't raced in a while (e.g. racing a 100m breast and finishing midway through the 200m breast race).

www.youtube.com/user/BritishSwimming or here if you want to results too: www.cityofmanchesterswimteam.co.uk/Live_Results/

Hats off to the people doing the filming - the footage is really good.

WidowTwonky · 11/04/2021 22:31

How many of our clubs are back tomorrow?
We are. Cannot wait

ealingwestmum · 11/04/2021 22:52

Lying in bed panicking about the early wake up. Cant wait neither (lying through her teeth)

WidowTwonky · 11/04/2021 23:04

😆 ealingwestmum
We are easing our way back in. Only 4 sessions this week and no mornings. It’s the swim family I’m excited to see again.

ealingwestmum · 12/04/2021 11:26

Seriously Widow, it is lovely to see them back in the pool, for those who make it back. I may have one of the oldest on here now, and so don't get to see the wider swim family given they're all seniors (most are 17 plus).

I am reserving judgement on how long she'll last, given the 2 year period of managing knee and shoulder injuries that no matter how much physio we throw at it, never quite gets resolved. But, her weight gain over the various lock downs may be her motivator to stick at it. And the seeing her peers give up their respective sports in L6th (especially the rowers) seems to weirdly push her on.