Poolside Chat: parents of competitive swimmers

[2ducksandI]

Seems I managed to fill the other thread with talk of taking fridges to away galas! And I didnt even mean a fridge I meant an electric cool box So I've started another thread. Hope you all find it.

Thanks, that's what I was trying to do before I totally messed up and reported my post!

I don't have the programmes kept. Although they were highlighted annotated works of art

Although most of the past few years are on meet mobile anyway!

This is his biggest comp yet as only classified last October.

I have printed and laminated his regional records when they've emailed the certificates to us!

The 2 new pairs of jammers I ordered yesterday have both arrived today. So now he has 3 pairs that fit for training. 2 pairs a day as he swims twice a day and a spare! He's been wearing his spares for training but he isn't keen on them as they aren't the matt material ones (iyswim?!)

Ah thanks - spotted an omission! Coach sorting it

One pair of new jammers success to training this evening - yay

Training itself a success too really when it was 200m race pace set. S9s don't swim 200's so they aren't ds strong point 🤣🤣

@itsgettingweird one of DS friends has just been classified as S9 and I'm sure he was swimming a 200 at the weekend do the rules abiut what they can/cant swim come in as they get older or at certain level galas?

It's at galas that are specific para swimming events.

So you can compete against able bodied swimmers in meets and galas in whatever you want.

Then each classification swims certain events as multi class at para events. S9s swim 50/100/400 free, 100 back/fly/breast and 200IM.

Is his friend at junior para nationals in a few weeks?

@itsgettingweird ah thank you thats very interesting I hadn't realised how it all works. No he won't be he's only 11 and not long been swimming but is loving it.

Each region has para swimming training days and they are worth attending.

Ds still attends ours because it's handy for accessing skills coaches who have a lot of experience in adapting technique for disability.

Also the national engagement days are fantastic. Ds can't attend these now as he's in a programme but attended everyone before that!

A lot of the para swimming events such as junior nationals have generous entry times and they are age and classification adapted. They are called national because they bring together para swimmers from all over the country to make a bigger meet (like a level 3 meet) where you're competing equally.

@itsgettingweird ooh fab I will have a chat with his Mum next time I see her and make sure she knows what's available for him although I'm sure Coach will be making sure he gets all the opportunities the last para swimmer we had through the club reached the paralympics.

Sounds like he's in good hands then!

So for all you Sheffield veterans what advice can you give me?

I'm wondering if there's places on the doorstop we can go for lunch if we are staying around for any finals (possible for his free sprint events).

I'm thinking swim morning, get dressed. Then walk into somewhere if it's close by and find somewhere for a pasta lunch. Then can spread out in back of car and watch iPad until warm up.

Baring in mind ds can't walk far and walking isn't great for his legs or recovery.

I have no idea how close everything is and as we have a BB I'm hoping we can park quite easily at ponds forge itself?

The pool is pretty central so most things are close by but I haven't been there for a while now and we are able to walk. We are out of city centre on the first weekend so any parking tips also welcome here too

If he's doing a morning heats swim rather than an afternoon heats swim, would there be enough time for you to head back to your hotel for lunch and rest and come back for finals?

I had considered this. He's morning heats which I understand means being at pool 6.30/7 for pre pool and warm up looking at heat start times and length of warm up!

We maybe finished by 11. Hotel is half hour away. Finals are at 5 so I'm assuming that requires being back at 3ish.

That would give us 3 hours at the hotel minimum I think. There isn't a restaurant there though.

I'm trying to look at alternative hotels nearer and with more facilities but they are so much more expensive

Have your lunches pre-planned - buy them in the morning while he's at warm up and he can eat them in car on way back to hotel or at hotel, rest and then come back for finals. 1/2 an hour isn't too bad.

Yes hotels in Sheffield for that week are eye-watering - have been for months.

Yeah that's a good idea. I'm assuming there's plenty nearby I could get a pasta pot from?

The rest he eats is Pepperami, chicken and apples which I can keep in hotel in electric coolbox and take for his snacks.

By the magic of godless maps there's a Tesco express 6 minutes walk away.

Easily get him a sandwich or pasta for lunch - thanks for that suggestion. So simple - I don't know why it didn't dawn on me 🤦‍♀️🤣

we generally pick some food up in the centre, there is a sainsburys, greggs, subway, really close by then head back to hotel. To be honest Sheffield centre next to the pool is quite run down and can be a bit intimidating.
you can park underground at ponds forge, there is lots of spaces, it’s fairly reasonable price and you get a free coffee in the cafe. The food is okay in the cafe as well.
meadowhall is quite close by as well loads of places to eat there as well

Looking at the leisure centre website it's free to park with a BB. Hope so - that'll be a bonus

Not anymore! Parking has changed at Ponds Forge and it's now very confusing, more expensive and no vouchers to use in the cafe now either!

Doctor what's the disabled parking like? Is there quite a number of spaces? I find it's really hit and miss wherever we go from between 2-3 spaces to about 20!

There’s probably half a dozen disabled spots, 3 on each level

Not many then.

I may have to do what I hate and kick ds out of the car before parking!

I know a lot of parents on this thread have younger swimmers but are there any parents with swimmers who are at university and continuing to swim?

I'm just looking for some insight into how DC are managing training and university, do they have an insider's perspective into the swimming training at specific universities, would they recommend it, do universities offer quiet accommodation for swimmers who have early morning training sessions etc?

Thanks

I imagine that the "serious" swimmers head to Uni at Loughborough/Bath/Stirling

This is the link to Bath's set up for students (albeit a few years out of date):
www.teambath.com/sport/swimming/student-swimming/

Tom Dean went through it (and still trains at Bath). I seem to remember an interview in which he said he was unsuccessful in getting a US Scholarship, but his siblings did.