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.

But due to restrictions, my mums health and death and the fact I had a hysterectomy yesterday I don't think I'll be getting my practical completed in the timescale!

DH is in the same position. We’re a small club we don’t do that many level 1/2 meets and he took it in Nov then missed the counties (he was badly advised it would be stressful for his first).

The 11 months is proper harsh!

Obviously I don't know your working patterns or family commitments but you don't have officiate solely at your own club meets. Another club nearby would love extra volunteers and since they would be licensed, you'd get travel costs reimbursed usually

This is true but most people only officiate when their own kids are swimming. It’s an utterly daft rule anyway because from a J1 perspective there is zero difference between a level 2 and 3 meet. I’d done two naturally as they just fell right.

We may look at entering dd in one the club aren’t doing, him going alone is utterly daft.

It's the "quality" of swimmers that is the difference though and judges have to be able to be confident with the different standards. L2 meets have a minimum entry time and then swimmers are cut to ensure the fastest only are accepted whereas L3 does not have to have entry times.

I had to go to a few meets where I didn’t have a swimmer to get my J1 and J2 signatures, but they were all local so it wasn’t too much of a faff to go along for half a day. Also helped that I was right at the beginning of the new training system so there wasn’t much competition for mentoring places.

We also had a different licensing system to England so most meets I went to were mini meets for the 8-11s with no / slow entry times where you get to see a range of techniques and mistakes, with a few District level meets thrown in to get experience with the older swimmers.

Tickets for British champs are now on sale in British swimming website.

Just finished coaching and got mine.
Talk about a rip off, we've had to get finals tickets now in case he makes it. The way he's been swimming lately and knocking lumps off his times means he has a reasonable chance. Can't get finals tickets on the doors so will be selling them on if he doesn't make it!!

Yeah it cost me £62 for 4 heats sessions and 3 finals sessions.

That's just for 1 adult ticket.

I think they are taking the mickey big time here. There are going to be some parents who might not be able to afford to fork out on the off chance and the majority of swimmers will need hotel rooms and travel (I know that would apply wherever it was held) with a parent. We're up to £200 in hotels, £100 for our tickets, think his entries were £10 each? and that's without car fuel and food for us!

We are £330 for hotel (5 nights).

£62 for tickets.

£15 per entry iirc? He's only doing 4 of the 6 he qualified for but it was still £60.

Food. Travel and car parking at venue (although I think disabled parking may be free 🤞).

We are 4 hours from Sheffield and then staying 20 minutes (10miles away) due to cost.

It's basically going to cost us about £700 hence this will be in place of a holiday abroad.

Swimming still has a long way to go to be inclusive as far as elite level is concerned.

I came on to say I just bought heats and will wait to buy finals.

The cost of the whole week is eye-watering as was the British Champs in April.

Then you could buy all heats and finals for £200, although the British champs featured all the Olympic stars and those trying to qualify for international teams this summer.

This meet won't have all the superstars as too close to C'wealths.

Swimming is not a cheap sport. A few years ago I calculated the costs for a single swimmer - training fees, transport to training, transport to meets, hotel costs, entry fees, kit, warm weather training camp, physio etc - and it’s several thousand pounds each year. Plus all the parental input required in terms of time (and often volunteering). And food - all that additional food for growing teen swimmers.

@Dreikanter I remember when DS was invited to try out for his swimming club and I thought oh well swimming has got to be cheaper than football all you need it a pair of trunks and some goggles 🙈

Add the cost of skins and a training trip abroad, if the club does that.

I stopped counting .....

Think we were all there once.

I guess you a) don't realise all that comes with elite level and b) most of us do just assume our kids will swim and do a few galas rather than make regional and national level.

Although even a L3 meet seems to cost the earth nowadays!

I at least went into this with my eyes open as I used to swim competitively when younger but at least trips abroad were mitigated by staying with club host families. I wasn't anywhere near as good as DS has turned out so far.

Luckily DD will never get beyond Regionals. If we do them next year, we'll get an Airbnb and make a minibreak of it (there are some quite nice places not far from Plymouth).

Level 3 entries have been creeping up in price; last year they were typically £6.50 but the next one will be £8/event.

Our club is predominantly white professional parents with a good third of kids at private school.

I'd forgotten about spectators entry fees, none of the Irish galas have them thankfully. Saves a few euro in overall costs!
I swam as a teen too so also knew what i was getting into. But have met so many parents over the year who felt the early mornings and high costs were snuck up on them. As a club we try to be really clear about expenses and times of sessions from day 1, it's a big leap from 2 hours a week post swimming lessons to a competition squad.

Yeah my dad and brothers were swimmers. So I was aware there could be travel.

I just think I underestimated how good ds would be because he was always behind everyone else until he was classified!

It's also the amount of time to take them training. We used to have a fair number from our village so we had a good car rota thing going - probably also aided by not having to have seatbelts in the back so could cram 4 in! That saved parents from living at the pool

Long course meets can be L3, I've just looked back at my records over what we've done so I was wrong previously

Lots of annoyed people about British champs tickets.

Waiting for swim England to get back to a parent about if you can purchase finals tickets on the day online.

Indeed there is a L3 LC in Bristol next weekend. One of the smaller Commonwealth teams has entered their swimmers.

There used to be a Regional SC fast 5 (so 50m of everything and 100IM). It was a nice way to round off the school year.

I believe it will be possible as it was at British Champs in April. But you run the risk of not being able to get online / getting in due to the idiotic way we are forced into right now.

Yeah that's what I said. When I ordered mine it said it'll be a few weeks until we get the email tickets. I wouldn't want to purchase on the day and risk it.

However as there's only me it was £30 for tickets I may not need - obviously a lot.

But for families of 3 that's nearly £100.

I suggested perhaps ordering 1 ticket and then hoping you can get for rest of family on day if needed.