Poolside Chat - parents of competitive swimmers continued

[Glittertwins]

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

Yes the Ivy League ds was chatting to wasn’t his choice for the swim team. But the coach he spoke to seemed to have big plans to change that, was actively trying to recruit national squad members, was encouraging and wanted to take athletes to worlds and Olympics if possible. Unfortunately though we don’t know why they left (rumours have it the existing team rebelled 😂) and the coach that took over was very different and didn’t seem to want to build that kind of programme.

some are very happy sticking with NCAA. We know one ex GB squad member who went, their coach is desperately trying to get them back to compete national champs etc but they aren’t interested. They like NCAA and don’t want the GB hassle and politics.

Interesting about the IG accounts, I’ve come across a couple of swimmers locally who have accounts posting about how amazing they are, they are younger than college targeting age though (12/13).

Someone mentioned US colleges are more interested in girls, why is that?

@ChessChair nearly 6 sounds very little for 2 hours a week, mine were 8 and 9 when they started with a club, and the minimum for our club is 7, but that is unusual. If she’s happier in the stage 6 class it might be better to go back to lessons for a bit until she is a bit older

My understanding is colleges must spend equal amounts on boys vs girls. Title XI or something?

boy scholarship money goes to American Football, basketball etc. Girls is more evenly spread over different sports. Girls gymnastics is huge compared to boys for example.

Ah that would make sense if most of the male sporting money goes into other sports, thank you

C&W must have a learn to swim teaching program. Our local clubs wouldn't take them that young. Must be why they have such a strong young age group in Arena League!

I think 2 hour sessions for a 6 year old is long.

Agree that 6 is too young for anything much more than lessons really - they’re little and will get cold. Where I was (Scotland) they can’t officially compete until aged 8.

Hot chocolate in a flask at the end of a session should help - protein, fat and sugar for recovery and it will be warm.

Yes, the leisure centre has its own learn to swim programme. My daughter does that once a week for half an hour and is in stage 6. She’s doing this instead of the second 1x hour club session because 2 hours per week was just too much.

C&W’s youngest squad starts at 4! I have no other club to compare it with but it does seem rather intense.

They don’t officially compete at C&W until they’re about 8 but the squads start much younger.

I’m reassured that everyone seems to agree that 2 hours per week is too much. I feel like I’m the only club parent who thinks so. The other kids seem to just get on with it. As you can imagine, the area is rife with extremely competitive and pushy parents.

I know the club's reputation from outside!

I'd never come across them until a few months ago.

Let's just say first impressions count

@ChessChair - is it a 2 hour session or 1 hour session twice a week?

If the former, the 2 hour session I feel is too long but if split into an hour session twice a week, I think that's ok

It also depends on what day / time as well - if it’s a midweek evening session then it could well be a late night by the time you get home. Not ideal for a 6 yr old.

My old club did two 1 hr sessions as a link between swimming lessons and junior coaching, but late afternoon on a Friday and on a Sunday afternoon.

It’s an hour at 5pm on Wednesday and an hour on Saturday afternoon. She’s been doing every Saturday but usually getting out after 45 mins because she’s cold and tired. We’ve only been to the Wednesday session twice. I decided to drop it and return to the regular 30 mins leisure centre class on a Tuesday instead.

If the coach is happy with you doing that I think the best you can do is stick with that system until she is older and robust enough to not feel cold.

Alternatively you could drop the club training completely and rejoin when she is older, I suppose if she enjoys the club session she does and has friends etc it might not be something you want to do.

But please please don't let the club swimming parent mentality grind you down or feel like you are doing something wrong because your 5 year old gets cold swimming for an hour with lots of stopping and waiting around because that is perfectly normal. Sometimes sitting poolside with swim parents can give you a warped sense of reality, I know cos I've been there and got the t shirt.

Thanks @Hellocatshome, that’s really good advice.

We have had the odd 6 year old in our pre-club group but they would have been in stage 7. That is an hour per week then they’d do their swimming lesson also.

I’d say if she isn’t enjoying it then there’s your answer at any age really. As others have said they can’t compete much before 9 anyway.

Just had a look at our club structure and timetable.

Our stage 6 (academy) do 2 45 minute sessions after school a week 4.30-5.15pm and age is 8-9.

Our juniors (bronze to gold) start at 8 years and have completed stage 7/8 and they do 3 x 1hr and 1 hr land training always starting at 4pm (2 weekday and 1 weekend session) and build on that.

After that they go onto competitive (junior to senior) and performance (junior to national) but don't start until 11 years usually. Those streams are dependent on ability and if county or regional (then national and British) standard. They swim anywhere between 6 and 9 sessions a week for either 1 or 2 hours. It's generally performance that do 2 but junior competitive have the odd 2 hour session as well as our junior gold.
They don't start mornings until junior gold.

We have a few odd 8yo in junior gold but it's mainly 10/11yo and a few 12/13.

So after that essay - yes 6yo at 5pm for 1 he does seem quite a lot.

Sorry our academy bronze which is stage 6 do 1x 45 min session a week and start at 7.

7yo! The lesson starts at 4.30pm!

Thanks, it’s good to have a comparison. Someone had warned me that C&W were particularly hardcore. Sadly they are our local club!

I think our youngest lot have 2 lots of one hour but they're a bit older than 5-6. I try to stay away from that area as it's more swimming teaching rather than coaching!

Our youngest ones have 3 x 1 hour sessions, but are generally 8+ when they start and often don’t attend all sessions straight away.

@itsgettingweird it sounds like some of your 8 year olds in Junior Gold do more than my regional level 11 year old who only gets 4 hours. One of my frustrations is that squad moves and criteria are really inconsistently applied in our club - he is desperate to be moved up and get a couple more hours, but there is no sign of it happening, despite there having been younger swimmers than him in that squad previously, and the supposed aim of his current squad being to get a county time!

Ours are consistently applied. Sometimes that can be really hard for swimmers who all train the same together and same amount and some progress through and others don't all based on times and rankings.

Generally our 8yo in gold are ones who are on progress to get county times. (These about 2!) Most of our junior gold swimmers are 10/11 and have swam at counties and those who move into junior competitive are reaching county finals and those who move across to junior performance are getting county medals and regional times (all 10/11 and so youngest age category).

Our 8-12yo age range are spread across about 6 squads!

Our performance squad criteria is also very strict. You must be top 50 in Britain to swim in national squad. Regional times for senior and county times and make finals for junior.

I think we are lucky is some ways because a bigger club means more squads and pathways but it also means more competitive with regards squad moves - swings and roundabouts I guess?