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Extra-curricular activities

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

Original poster

Competitive swimming - age and stage query

53 replies

Helenjohanna · 30/07/2019 23:31

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.

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Original poster
Helenjohanna · 31/07/2019 10:29

Brilliant. Thank you for the information.

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lorisparkle · 31/07/2019 12:31

Just another thought - my ds3 has done triathlons in the past. Some don't start until they are 8yrs but a few are younger. It is a great sport and good to keep up the variety when they are younger. Whilst they are competitive to a degree the focus is on fun and challenging yourself.

onemouseplace · 31/07/2019 14:15

Competitive swimming is just one of the pathways after they complete Stages 1-7 of the Learn to Swim framework. Where my DC learn, they only offer competitive swimming for Stages 8-10 and it is just a normal lesson (albeit 45 mins rather than 30 mins). You just move up to it after completing Stage 7 if you want to carry on having lessons - it's not an elite level/ invite only or anything like that.

We've moved our DC into Stage 8 and up mainly to keep them swimming regularly for fitness, plus their technique still needs a fair amount of work.

Bunnybigears · 31/07/2019 15:08

onemouseplace competitive swimming in stages 8 to 10 is very different to actual competitive swimming. My 9 year old swims competitively and he swims at least 8 hours a week. 8 hrs is the minimum required if you cant commit to that they cant be in the club. It depends if OP just wants her DS to continue lessons or actually be competitive.

Original poster
Helenjohanna · 31/07/2019 16:46

I'm just exploring at the moment, but my skn enjoys swimming, is good and is competitive by nature. At his young age, I wouldn't commit to eight hours oer week but, from what I've read on another thread on this forum, not all clubs expect that of young children. I've sent messages to Stevenage and Bedford, and I'll find out what their expectations would be.

We will continue with the stages in the meantime. We still have 7 to do yet anyway, but he seems to be moving through them fast, so I don't think it will be long.

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Original poster
Helenjohanna · 31/07/2019 17:27

Thanks, Lori. This is all a while new world to me. I will look that up, too.

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Original poster
Helenjohanna · 02/08/2019 07:11

Update: one of the staff involved in DS's swimming lessons got back to me. It turns out that there is a Biggleswade Swimming Club, and they train at the same pool. The staff member says that I should get back in touch with him when DS is seven and a half and he will arrange a trial for him. That will be May onwards.

Perfect! In the meantime, I will continue to follow other parents' experiences of competitive swimming on here :-)

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estherfrewen · 02/08/2019 13:09

Sounds like a good plan! Glad you got sorted

QueenofLouisiana · 02/08/2019 19:41

Welcome poolside! Invest in battery operated fans, alarm clocks and much food!

Original poster
Helenjohanna · 02/08/2019 20:45

He might not even get in, Queen!

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WidowTwonky · 02/08/2019 21:52

There’s a competitive swimming thread just below this one too 👋🏻

Original poster
Helenjohanna · 03/08/2019 13:07

Yes, I've read it all :-)

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hopelesschildren · 04/08/2019 11:12

Just our experience: after dc (8 at the time) joined a swimming club she stayed with her swimming lessons for a little while longer (she was stage 10). She felt that the lessons were better at teaching her some of the techniques, while her club was good at practising it). (Plus she wanted to finish a set of badges, and I had to take her siblings to swimming lessons anyway. I also thought it would be good for her to try some other things such as swimming with clothes, waterpolo etc in case she didn't like swimming club swimming...).

Original poster
Helenjohanna · 04/08/2019 15:03

Interesting. Thanks. Depending on the demands of the swimming club lessons, I'd like to keep him in his normal lessons until he has completed everything available.

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QueenofLouisiana · 04/08/2019 18:43

We also kept DS at lessons when the first started at a club. However, the extra practice meant he jumped from stage 10 to 12 from one term to the next (I think those were the stages) and he very quickly moved into the swimming for fitness group.

We explored rookie lifeguard and water polo, but racing is his forte and his love.

Eccle80 · 04/08/2019 19:43

My son didn’t join a swimming club until a bit older than some at just turned 9, he did Bronze, silver and gold first (our leisure centre does those after stage 7), though we then found he could have joined the club after stage 7. I think it was good in building his stamina though.

Original poster
Helenjohanna · 05/08/2019 18:28

Interesting points. Thank you.

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ExpletiveDelighted · 05/08/2019 22:53

Mine joined the club in the teaching groups, having reached stage 4 at a private swim school with a very small pool. So she's come right up through the club.

WidowTwonky · 13/08/2019 08:42

Mine both continued with stages 8-10 alongside joining their swim club (DS1 was 8 DS2 was 7)

Madcats · 14/08/2019 16:57

I've just found DD's old gym and swimming certs. She joined a Junior squad of our local swim club aged 8 1/2 (swimming 7 1/2 hours over 3 sessions) after getting her stage 8 badge. I seem to remember that we often skipped one session because it finished rather late for her.

She continued with swimming lessons (45 minutes) for 2 terms because I didn't think she was getting much in the way of technique coaching at the club and the lessons included a bit of life saving and some water polo. She passed a bronze award and didn't finish stage 9.

I can't remember why we stopped - probably because she had made some good friends at swim club by then and others weren't continuing with lessons.

Original poster
Helenjohanna · 17/08/2019 21:32

Well, I asked my littlun which he'd pick out of swimming and football, because the likelihood is that in a couple of years, they will clash, and he said football. So this will probably be a dead end, but I'll start him off with the swimming club anyway (if it accepts him) and then take it as it comes. It'll be up to him.

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WidowTwonky · 18/08/2019 09:41

DS2 does both football and swimming with no issues. We have galas once per month and if it falls on a Sunday then he will miss a match. No biggy. And our club reiterated not to stop other activities for swimming at such a young age

Original poster
Helenjohanna · 18/08/2019 22:59

But football's going to be twice per week, plus Saturdays for matches, once he gets older. From what I'm reading on here, swimming would be at least that frequent.

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ExpletiveDelighted · 19/08/2019 06:55

We kept going with all DD's other hobbies until she started finding things a bit much in secondary school and has now dropped others as swimming has increased, but it's all been guided by her.

Madcats · 19/08/2019 08:56

I think it depends on the child. We continued to do A LOT after school (certainly encourages DD to knuckle down and get their school/homework done quickly). Other children want quiet evenings/weekends.

Swim training makes such a huge difference to physical fitness/endurance/health, so it is great for other sports. You don't get the same injuries that some children are plagued with during growth spurts.

Our swim club is very light on boys, primarily because we have excellent rugby, cricket and football clubs nearby. At secondary level Pathway schemes and county teams also mean children aren't training as much as they could/should. Our club IS understanding about this, but others aren't.