Competitive swimming - age and stage query

[Helenjohanna]

I’ve tried searching, but I think it might take some time to find my specific topic! Please do link me if my query has been covered, though.

My son is six and has nearly finished Stage 6 at our local swimming pool, which uses the Learn to Swim framework. I’ve checked the website, and after Stage 7, it becomes advanced skills, broken down into three more stages, before the child learns lifeguarding.

I think my son would be up for competitive swimming. He seems rather young, though, and I wouldn’t say he’s a fast swimmer. But how does it work? Would he be automatically eligible for competitive swimming after Stage 7? Would the swimming teacher direct me towards next steps, or do parents have to ask? I’m planning to contact the person in charge once he’s in Stage 7, but I’m curious as to other parents’ experiences with this. Where we go, we literally drop off and collect; there is no time for discussion with the teachers.

He seems a little young to swim competitively, but I wouldn’t want him to stop progressing just because of his age. I had thought that there were more swimming stages after Stage 7 - I only realised tonight that he was nearly at the end, hence I’m suddenly quite curious about how it works.

Hello! Depends on the area really. Are your lessons taken in a swimming club, or are they in a learn to swim school? If the former then the progression to competitive swimming should follow naturally bout if the latter then you need to check out your local clubs.

Some clubs will take from six but others may have an older minimum age. He won't be able to do external galas until at least 8, more usually 9 but can do competitive club championships at 6.

He will need to do a trial for a club, ours are held four times a year and currently involve 45mins swimming and drills on 4 strikes. They are definitely not looking for speed. They want technique and the ability to listen and follow instructions. Also to be able to read the time clock. I mean strokes and not strikes! Cant go back on phone...

My son started in club at six and still going nine years later. It is a big commitment but he loves it. Six will be fine for some and too young for others. Can he swim more or less fully for at least an hour twice a week?

Have a look ay competitive swimming thread just below. And welcome to the crazy world of 5am swimming 🏊 - don't worry - that won't be for a few years yet!

My son didn't do those stages. He passed something called goldfish 2 at a local school and was spotted by a coach at our club when swimming with my husband. He was then asked for a trial. We are a council club and most join from the council learn to swim scheme or through being spotted at school galas. Plenty though just email club for a trial. Have a google as to what clubs are local to you.

Hello you two. He is at Saxon Pool and Leisure, which is part of Stevenage Leisure Ltd. It calls itself a Swim School. I'm probably just not looking properly, but I can't find anything on the website about competitive swimming and how the process works. No one has said anything to me, so I assume he hasn't been "spotted" yet...

I've been told that he listens well during lessons, and I would say he has good technique, so perhaps he would be suitable. Now that I've read your comments, I will enquire further to find out how it all works, I think.

Thank you!

Find a swimming club, go along for a trial. Our club is a competitive club but generally doesn't enter anyone into galas below the age of 8 so he wouldnt necessarily be competing at a young age but swim club training is very different to swimming lessons and doesnt suit everybody.

Okay, I've emailed the centre to ask. On re-reading through the website, there is mention of "pre-competitive" swimming, so that suggests that there will be more available beyond the stages. I've asked about that in my enquiry.

Thank you, Bunnybigears. I will find out if it is a swimming club. I will also do some googling!

Have a look at the Swim England website, there is a search for affiliated clubs. If your sports centre is anything like ours they will not be in a hurry to refer you to a swimming club as they then lose your business for lessons. They are completely separate, the club simply hires the pool.

www.swimming.org/sport/how-to-become-a-competitive-swimmer/

Google your local swimming club. These are usually independent of the pool and just hire it out.
My children joined our club at about aged 5. Never received any levels before hand.
Go along, have a trial, but if he's good it does get a big commitment. Suddenly turns from once a week to twice to 4 times!

I found our swimming club cheaper than pool lessons at first! But as above the council won't want to lose you from
Their lessons. The swim clubs are totally separate.

Thank you. I looked up the local swimming club and, yes, I see that it is separate. I had no idea about it all before.

I think I will let him complete stages 8-10 first.

I'm noticing a problem already - he loves football too, and that is one weekday evening and Saturday mornings, during season. I assume that the two would clash. I've asked him which he would pick but he said he likes both. So perhaps it's best that I don't rush into the swimming club just yet!

I haven't worked out how to quote posts, but I am grateful to all who have contributed information!

Stage 8, 9 and 10 are pre-competitive levels teaching starts, turns, lane ettiquette, individual medleys and longer distances. You local leisure centre may also offer stage 8,9 and 10 in synchro, diving and water polo and rookies although not all centres offer them.

Dd had a trial for the local swimming club when she was 9 and in stage 8. She went into their club squad where they build stamina, swimming pretty much for an hour at a time they don’t worry too much about technique at this stage. She was swimming twice a week and could take part in the clubs own galas and other clubs development galas (I think your son will be too young to do other club galas at,).

She then moved up to the development squad and because she was still swimming at grade 9 at the leisure centre she was able to miss 3 squads and go straight into development 3 (there are 4 altogether). She is expected to swim in at least 3/5 hour sessions a week and there is the option of a land session too, she takes part in development galas as before and invited to bigger galas too. We pay £8 a week plus swim England membership and then race fees on top this has so far ranged from £3 to £5 per race.

Swimming for a club and going for an hour at a time is really, really hard work most people really struggle with it especially as young as your DS is who is too young to compete properlyyet. Swimming clubs are cheaper though. I would explore the other 30 min lessons at your leisure centre first, rookies etc and then join the swim squad. He’ll still develop his swimming but will be that much older to do the full hour and then have the option of competing. Dd does both, swimming at the local leisure centre once a week finishing stage 10 and rookies (she has already completed stage 10 in diving and synchro) she was able to build up her stamina as these lessons run one after the other. She then does 3 x swim club sessions as well.

Clashes are a big problem - both my DCs do a lot of extra-curricular stuff and it is a constant juggle. Also our club uses several pools in several towns (you can't get enough pool time to run enough sessions at all levels in any one of the pools) so there is a lot of driving about.

I found our local swimming club and I've sent a message asking whether I should be doing something or whether my son's swimming teachers will be automatically assessing him for suitability for a swimming club.

Since sending it, I realise that I probably could ask for him to be assessed off my own bat, but now that I've been hasty, I might as well wait for their response.

Just had a look at Stevenage swimming club. Their development squad 1 is age 7 but they have a pre-development squad too. May he worth a phone call. It probably wouldn't clash with his football at this age.

Having just looked at Stevenage swimming clubs website (there are several in your area so this may not be the closest) it says there is a 15 month waiting list for lessons and development squad so you may want to get his name down sooner rather than later.

Esther, I checked our local swimming clubs and Bedford is the one for Cebtral Bedfordshire (which is where we are), although Stevenage is easy for us to get to.

I've sent a message to Bedford now, but should I contact Stevenage as well?

Singleandproud, your points are interesting too! So you think it might be best to let my son complete stages 8-10 before doing anything to do with swimming clubs? I mean, I'd be happy with that plan too. I'm still a little confused over it all, probably because I only started looking into it last night!

Sorry, cross-posting!

Please will you link me to Stevenage Swimming Club/s. I just googled and I don't know what I'm looking at! I will send a message to them too.

Stevenage swimming club Club info at the top.

Yes, I would carry on not in the swimming club and expand his experiences a bits he is so young. There are other swimming related sports water polo and diving etc that you may have the option of. I live on the coast and we only have the normal swimming club.

However, if there is a waiting list I would get put. On that as you can always decline it if you are no longer interested. Our club didn’t have a waiting list.

I will contact them - thank you. That will then be two swimming clubs I've made contact with, so I hope things will become clear very soon!

Stages 8-10 include water polo. Rookie Lifeguard seems to come after all that. It sounds like he will be prepared for competitive swimming within those advanced stages, so they will be good for him!

Thank you so much for all this help. It is very appreciated!

Please let him explore all his interests at this stage, to be a good competitive swimmer means doing it pretty much exclusively, and he's only 6. Good swimmers also need to be taller than average, so is that likely (based on his parents heights). Let him be a kid and see where he is drawn.

Oh, I will. He does tennis and football at school, both of which he enjoys, and he also does football outside of school and swimming.

The only reason I started checking on what happens next with swimming was that he enjoys it, is good, and is suddenly approaching the end of his stages. I wouldn't push him to do it multiple times a week at this age. I will see what the swimming clubs say and take it from there. I've been reading through the other thread on competitive swimming, and it sounds like at his age, it might be just an hour's training per week, which would be great!

I'm not a pushy Mum - my main concern is that he's happy. I think sport is a very good pursuit for a youngster, though. I want him to thrive and have healthy interests.

My son has loved it from the age of six and it has made him super fit for all other sports. He has made his best friends through swimming. It is a sport of tall kids and my son is very small, but he has been a regional medallist and swum Home Nations so it is possible. At 15 he is 5ft6 swimming against 6ft3 . Because he started young he was successful at a young age. Now his height is against him he is philosophical but still loves the sport despite the medals drying up. He competes against his own times!

I would go on the waiting list and just see what happens

Thank you. Will do. My son is 7 in November, and is 122cm. He's the upper end of average, I think, and is likely to be a little tall as an adult. His dad is 6' and I'm 5'7".

What I like about swimming as a sport is that it is one that is likely to stay with you for life. It’s low impact, DD has to avoid high impact and had to give up other activities because of this due to a problem with her feet.

In competitions they swim in mixed age and sex heats so individuals of a similar speed can race together. The results are then reported in boy / girl age groups so even if you don’t win your age group you might win your heat which gives them a boost and they are competing against themselves to better their own time and also accumulating points for their club. Whilst it is quite a solo sport, the team support on poolside during races is brilliant and becomes quite social.

But there isn’t any real rush, DD didn’t even start swimming lessons until she was 7 and was in the club and competing by 9. She regularly places top 3 in development galas and top 10 in wider galas / meets (not county level yet). So exploring your options for a few years will be fine. When he does join the first year or two is likely to only be once or twice a week commitment and the occasional weekend. Beginner galas are only a few hours long as they move up they can last all day / all weekend but you needn’t worry about commitment conflict to begin with.