Poolside-Chat-parents-of-competitive-swimmers

[Glittertwins]

Hopefully this will work as we’re at 999 on the other!

It would be silly especially as the Speedo Endurance range has a Fina label. They are more suitable for training however they can be worn for racing too and there is no reason not to. There was a heck of a lot of opposition when our county tried to impose a restriction and I think that got escalated to Swim England at the time too.

I agree, things with Fina labels on cover a massive range of prices so it wouldn’t make sense to ban them all, I guess the difficulty is though that if there is a ban and it doesn’t exclude all Fina labels, then how do you know as an official if it is allowed or not?

Open meet entry fees have definitely gone up a lot, with two swimming now an open meet costs a fortune. Our club has had to add on an extra surcharge too to cover increased fees for team managers at meets

The costs of pool hire is also rapidly increasing which in turn adds to the open meet fees. It's the pool hire that costs the hosts the most, they don't make anything off the back of the entry fees.

I don’t think banning is the answer. There is a hell of a lot of confusion amongst parents. Educate people that there is no need for Fina approved anything below national level at least and that swimwear makes no difference to kids times. That actually comfort, value and fit is what matters nothing else. If kids are showing off about swimwear than tackle it. Don’t make the poorer swimmers chuck their sensibly priced gear away as a response to idiots with more money than sense.

A lot of parents are baffled by the whole thing, I really was when dd1 started and the clubs assume you know more than you do.

To be fair when bans have been introduced in other countries, they haven't come in overnight, I think there was at least a year lead in to the bans with communications leading up to the ban.

Kids being kids, they're all influenced by what other swimmers / older swimmers have / wear - it happens outside swimming too. Certain brands find favour (North Face winter coats 🙄) and other brands out of favour.

And that leads to parents feeling under pressure to buy items (just have a look at the number of young teens sporting a particular North Face coat £300)

I was at a meet earlier this year in a country with techsuit ban in place and the 13U were racing in regular training suits - it was good to see.

it just moves the pressure to the 13th birthday and make it more of a thing potentially. I think people should be allowed to wear what they want, we’ll have to agree to disagree on this I think. A year would also still result in hand me downs having to be replaced.

North fleece coats at £300

I'm glad it's racing jammers my asks for

Same here, let them wear the silly expensive stuff if they want, it's still a placebo effect. Mine are out of this age group now at least!

Anyone at Ponds Forge this Sunday for inter-counties?

We aren't but a few of our swimmers are.

Hoping it's live streamed so we can watch though

Wrong age grouping for us but we're racing elsewhere anyway so no chance of watching anything

That would be fab! I can't remember whether it usually is or not...it's been a long time since 2019

It is.

One of the parent just sent me a link.

I'll try and copy it here

www.swimming.org/sport/swimming-live-stream/

Fantastic thanks!

Hi everyone, I’m new to this chat but have a young swimmer who’s training around 5 times a week at the moment. Would like some advice from seasoned pros if I may please:

1. can anyone recommend a good body wash and a good shampoo for swimmers, DD is getting quite dry skin. She doesn’t usually like putting creams on as find them sticky, what’s the best option?
2. any recommendations for keeping young swimmers a bit warmer in / after the pool? I think her pool has turned its temps down a degree or two!

Many thanks all

Hi!
E45 is probably the best bet if you haven't already tried that. The are brands of shampoo available on sites such as Proswimwear that have shampoos and body washes (I think) too.

I suspect lots of pools will be gradually turning down the heating and putting covers on at night now if they haven't already. If the swimmers are staying in the water during the training session, it's better to keep shoulders under the water to stay warm but heads up so they can hear the coach and so the coach can see them for safety reasons. Other than that, swimming faster will keep them warm 😉
A hot chocolate after training is also a good recovery drink so you could get a travel mug to take with you for later.

That’s great thank you! She will especially love the hot chocolate for after

During Covid, when showers weren't being used, a lot of swimmers got Dryrobes (or cheaper alternatives).

They arrived pool ready with cozzies under and after getting out of pool, quick towel, robe on and out to car.

You can get changed under the dryrobe too - track bottoms and hoodies.

Second that hot choc in a flask idea too

Our junior coach insists on a wooly hat after training from at least 1st October onwards.

It's a firm favourite.

My ds will get new thermos cup and boxes of hot choc pods for the machine for Christmas (it's a great stocking filler!)

He also has a dry robe. Well it's actually not that brand as cheaper non branded and primark do their own version nowadays.

My younger daughter always wears an oodie 😂.

How's everyone doing with swimming being back up to full programmes?

We are doing ok here - I'm quite happy I'm managing to walk 5.7k 4 mornings a week whilst he swims!

DS is absolutely fine. I am running on empty. For some reason on top of taking him to swim training and galas, working, volunteering and trying to get older DS to revise for GCSEs I have decided now would be a good time to take some professional exams!

I am away for the whole of his next gala so have had to write DH a detailed list of what he needs and what pocket of his bag to put it in because knowing DS if its not where he expects it to be it will be declared missing and he will panic.

Full weekend of racing / officiating last weekend and back for Arena League first round this weekend. Thought I'd avoided that this year but never mind!