If they don't do competitive swimming, what do they do?

[raindropsonwindows]

I've just read the thread below about competitive swimming & have a slightly different question.
9yo DD has just completed stage 7 swimming. We're going to really struggle to get her into a stage 8 class due to lesson times clashing with other commitments. We could ask for a squad trial but I'm not sure she's quite good enough, fear she would find it dull and I'm not that keen on getting up ridiculously early in the mornings.
But if she doesn't carry on with stage 8 lessons and doesn't do squad, what does she do? And what will happen to all of the skills & technique she has learned? I'm not worried about losing fitness as she does lots of other sports... although am worried about those other sports causing an injury to her in which case swimming would be a great help.

Our local club does a lovely thing called Mini Olympics, they do time trials, water polo, but of life saving, races, synchronised swimming. From age 11 to 16, just having fun in the water..Swimming clubs are far too competitive and so much hard work!

Life saving?

Triathalon?
Water polo?
Life Saving ?

Moving on to something like rowing or sailing, kayaking or canoeing ?

Our council runs junior masters which sounds a bit like the mini olympics above. Also our competitive club has a non competitive pathway from 7 up to 18 (three separate squads depending on age) where there is no pressure on attendance or to compete but they still train as though competing. Some move across to the performance side but most are happy swimming once or twice a week with no early mornings! And it is a great social group across all the squads (we have three performance squads and a disability squad too). I would ask round locally at the different clubs to see what is on offer or through your council.

Do they offer synchronised swimming? Dd tried squad swimming and synchro and chose synchro, she’s been doing it for around 2 years now.

And synchro is a lot less intense - twice a week as opposed to 4 with squad

We found a non competitive club. They train a couple of times a week, but only do an internal gala once a term. It isn’t perfect but it works well for them. Now they are older they have started volunteering as poolside assistants (taking the odd lane) and doing the teaching exams.

Do they do the challenge badges?
DS went up all the levels then did the challenge badges which are a mix of skills and distance swimming
He was going to go on to lifeguard training from then but unfortunately it clashes with another activity so we are currently just doing a weekly swim session. Bit of mucking around with his brother but also I challenge him to various activities

My non competitive DS did Rookie Lifeguards and surfing.

Life saving training - there's a scale of badges to obtain and eventually she can become a qualified life guard and can get a Saturday job at the pool for extra pocket money.

Diving?

There are different levels of competitiveness and commitment in swimming clubs. DS2 (inadvertently) joined the most competitive club in our area, after being in a much less competitive dolphins club where they did life saving and other (fun) stuff as well as competitive swimming. Kids didn’t have to be amazing swimmers to be in the club, just working on a badge higher than stage 7. Amounts of training, expectations for performance and numbers of galas do definitely vary widely between clubs. So you could find one with a couple of sessions a week (at decent times) and a couple of (optional) local galas a year, rather than anything hardcore.

I officiate at local team galas and it’s definitely much more ‘have a go’ with an emphasis on fun in the lower division clubs than in division 1 where the clubs have/look to produce county and regional (and beyond) level swimmers.

DS doesn’t have early mornings even with his club - they don’t start them until they’re into their teens generally. Well, he’s got 7am on a Saturday which I think is grim. But it’s not 5am on weekdays.

There’s also water polo or synchronised swimming. As well as diving. Or surfing/kayaking/paddle boarding. Or triathlon.

This is all really helpful. I had no idea there were so many options out there. I think I need to speak to one of the coaches where she has been having her lessons and find out what is going on there & elsewhere in the area.
Thank you MN

Mine tried club swimming but here its all about county/regional times. Which is fab but mine were swimming 3x a week and didnt want to go up to 4. 9 was on the later age they'd take them too.

One of mine did a year of rookies at the poole and got all her rookie badges, but actually now theyve left the club thehy'e given it a complete break! I don't really think I thought it was an option after years of swimming, but they have fab technique and swim well so we've gained time to do other things! Mainly gym and waterpsorts.

She could just swim for fun?

Could just go to the pool and do some lengths. Some pools have a system where you can work towards challenges like "swimming the channel" and track your times. The rookie lifeguard classes at our pool look like they have fun too. DS at similar stage is doing stage 8 as he definitely didn't want to swim more often, you could see if any other pools had a slot if any near?

My DS has 'retired' from competitive swimming (at 10 ). He was doing 7 hours already, one of which was an early morning.

Now he does 2 hours a week with a small local swimming club, lifesaving and sailing.

Sailing is not for the faint-hearted btw- it requires ££££ of equipment and hours and hours and HOURS of time. It's fun though.

Can she just go swimming with friends and family? It doesn't have to be an arranged activity (if she doesn't want or it doesn't fit in)

Wild swimming?

Kids triathlon?
Lifesaving? Pool lifeguard once old enough?
All things water based/boaty - sup, canoeing, sailing windsurfing etc
Synchro?
Diving? (scuba or springboard)
Swimathon?
Just saying sod the badges and swimming for headspace? It's what most adult swimmers do after all.