Poolside Chat - parents of competitive swimmers continued

[Glittertwins]

Getting a bit close to the end of the previous one!

Boys tend to either be very good or very bad at breast stroke ime. There are very few average ones 🤣.

I think reflecting further we’ve been doing bad specialising as the 4 strokes have led to too many 50’s and 100’s. She isn’t a 50 swimmer really either as she lacks a bit of power. Her two strongest are back and free but I have honestly no idea which she is best at out of those 2.

Re the breaststroke though she’s always had a proper ugly stroke and the coaches have shuddered in horror at it and then always been amazed at the ground she covers/ her actual times. Recently her stroke has improved though so who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️. But she’ll be swimming it in the team galas coming up anyway.

Fly she’s too skinny with long arms and legs. She isn’t getting better at 100 but is quite good at 50 and often gets selected to swim that in team competitions including the county relays.

Everyone looking forwards to the next round of regionals?? Hoping the weather isn't too warm outside to keep indoor temperatures slightly more manageable!!

I'm looking forward to a weekend off and just watching the youth/open results come in from the comfort of my sofa.

I'm looking forward to sending ds off for 18 days 🤣 so no pools for me and no 4am alarms for 2 whole weeks

Although a bit of a packing rush as the kit is arriving tomorrow and he has to be at airport Friday evening!

I'm just hoping with the lacking cubes and vac pac bags I've purchased we can play suitcase Tetris to a high standard 🫣🤣🤞

18 days of no 4 am starts - it's like a holiday at home!!!

Oh yeah!

And both BH weekends so 3 day weekends to spend time chilling and meeting friends and just a 4 day week.

Can you tell I'm excited 🫣🤣

I'm not sure whether it's good or bad the teachers are on strike next Tuesday since it gives DC an extra recovery day before the final weekend of regionals

That's a good thing then - for him at least!

Nationals are tough this year as many more have got back to full training so an extra day to help is always good!

First weekend of regionals for us this weekend. Feeling a bit anxious for both of them. First time at regionals for both of them, eldest has one event so will put a lot of pressure in himself to do well. Youngest hasn’t generally improved times since counties, and I’m not sure how long course will go for him, he’s done a couple of long course meets but not since before Christmas, so worried he will end up disappointed in how he gets on.

Good luck @Eccle80
Our regional entry times are done on short course times so it really doesn't help the younger swimmers when the commentator keeps going on about whether they'll improve on their entry time or r not. The older ones now know that it is highly unlikely that their LC time will be faster than SC 200m upwards but it can be soul destroying for the younger ones when they think they haven't done well and they have.

Ours take LC or SC conversion - whatever's quicker.

Absolutely agree that the younger ones don't always get the conversion however our counties are LC so most of our younger swimmers know their LC times (and qualify on them except for distance).

Plus ours train LC twice a week from performance and once a week from gold and junior competitive (these are likely county qualifiers and a few regional) so it's not too much of a shock for them!

Best of luck minieccleses

Good luck Mini Eccleses @Eccle80 they will be fine just remind them to enjoy it, they have already had their huge achievement by qualifying, the swimming at regionals is their reward for all their hard work.

Ours accept short course conversions and long course times I always remind DS not to compare his times to the short course conversions as that generally only leads to disappointment.

Thanks both! @Glittertwins that seems harsh if their entry times are shown as unconverted SC! Ours you can enter on either but the times shown are converted as the qualifying times are LC. Eldest is fine as he is only doing a 50, has done a LC meet more recently, and I think quite likes not having the turn on the sprints. Youngest I have a feeling could end up being slower than the converted times, at least on the 100s and 200s. He’s best at fly, which I know is tough LC.

Only one county in our region has LC counties at the moment. We go to some LC meets but don’t do any training LC

@Hellocatshome yes definitely (that and the hoodies 😂)

Well...... Ds kit has arrived - with - thank goodness - a HUGE bag!

And they sent racing jammers - 2 pairs

And what's he most excited about?

His GBR swim cap. Which I might add was the easiest thing to pack 🤣

Just got to get the kit bag dry after tomorrow morning training and pack that and he's sorted

And I may I add another tip after all the coolbox talk last year?

I've brought vac pac bags with a hand held pump. It's been a godsend as his kit is all vac pac for when he goes to compete and all his clothes for camp are in packing cubes. I've sent him the vac pac bags and pump so he can put all dirty washing in there and when he gets to Germany he can open the vac packed kit bags.

It's getting real!!!

Oooh exciting @itsgettingweird

GBR cap is definitely exciting!

Please keep posting, Weird.

Such a journey! Paris?

We're excited about picking up our new (albeit ugly) Regional hoody this weekend.

The GBR swim cap is really properly exciting though. Massive good luck to him.

Our regional hoodies are always pretty good. Mail sports do ours so they are decent style and excellent quality.

This years is a lovely blue/grey colour.

Some of the other ones from other places aren't as good but regionals cost £45 and other places £30.

I guess you get what you pay for 🤣🤣

Ds has another hoody to add to his ever growing collection!!!! This one is team kit though so will be packed away safe afterwards and reserved for worlds!

Agree.

I guess for swimmers when they are in the water it's what makes them all part of that team and identifiable. Especially relays.

I hope he has a great time on the camp!

Also excited for our regionals and hoody this weekend! And really hoping for that extra bit of luck to get DS back onto the list 🙏

Fingers crossed 🤞🤞🤞🤞

It's so hard for them all being on and off and they learn such resilience. Doesn't make it any easier though.