Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

[Glittertwins]

Hope this works, am rubbish at this!

It is a tough sport, so much focus on times and so easy to miss out on something on tiny margins, I always try and instill in them that whether or not you make a time isn’t the defining feature of if you are a good swimmer or not. I think it is a really underestimated sport too, my DS says he regularly gets people at school telling him they could beat him in a swimming race (and I think some have got a shock when he’s gone swimming with them 😂)

I hope that the discipline of swimming will do them well in later life, and having seen the masters swimmers in our club too know that they can always carry on or come back to swimming in some form when they are older.

my DS says he regularly gets people at school telling him they could beat him in a swimming race

😂😂😂

Dd2 got the same before Y6 swimming lessons. They soon shut up. And as competitive swimmers go she is distinctly average.

Someone tried the "I can beat you" line on DS in year 7 or 8. The claims of club and times were quite the work of fiction!

Ds had the "I can beat you" too.

They usually could 😂😂😂

However, those club swimmers in secondary that said this (from various clubs and at school together and saw each other at meets) do not swim anymore. Ds is still going and still loving it.

They could probably still beat him though 🤷‍♀️🤣

I hope that people come back to swimming for fitness and pleasure after they 'retire' from competition at whatever thier level of competition is

They are: Masters is the fastest growing area of membership. It is the youngest end that swimming is struggling to recruit/capture. (I learnt this earlier in the week on my coaching course!)

I've quit masters for the time being!

We have a comparatively hefty Masters group in our club, about a dozen of whom compete a few times a year. Numbers do seem to be increasing, which is great. Not least because it normalises the idea for the teenagers (some of whom do switch squad when they turn 18 to swim alongside a parent).

We're a Uni town, but I think we pick up a few students each year who would rather train at a non-Uni club where most people are just getting a bit of exercise and having fun.

Da has got his first race today. 100m free. His weakest free event so a good one to start with as a practice!

Good luck to him!

Good luck. Its always nice to start with a low pressure event.

Good luck to mini weird. Update us.

DD's training mate came 3rd in the fly last night

That's amazing a 3rd place. Well done them.

I have to say DS smashed it more than expected. Another Pb and finally a sub 58 AND has made the final tonight!!!! Way beyond expectations so he's buzzing!

✨✨✨✨

Fingers and toes crossed for Miniweird!

Well .... just when you think he's peaked he goes even faster! 57.70 another pb! (Went 57.87 in the heats).

And came 5th!!!!

He's having the time of his life and it's just such a great experience for him.

Amazing well done Mini Weird!

Well done to him!!

400 free heats this morning.

He's desperate to go sub 4:30.00.

The way he's been swimming lately anything is possible!

Good luck, miniweird! Amazing swims yesterday.

Great swimmingminiweird ! I hope the 400 went well too! 🤞🏼

Well done to him, and hope the 400 went as he hoped

Not quite 🫣😂🤦‍♀️ his leg went after 250m but he powered through to finish on pb pace and has made the final. So he gets another crack at the whip!

When is the final? Does he get a good rest?

Not the best rest and his leg was still quite tight during final. But he managed to hit his pb time and go 2 secs quicker than heat and came 4th.

So pretty damn good all in all

Home on Sunday and regionals next weekend.

What a great results for a first-timer. You must be so proud of what he's achieved since moving club.