Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

[Glittertwins]

Hope this works, am rubbish at this!

We have a sports psychologist attached to the club who's doing a masters at the local uni. That's quite handy!

It's a shame there isn't much at the camps. I would have thought that would be a massive bonus point for those participating to have information from those who have been to big comps and about managing that psychologically.

There was nobody else at the clinic apart from the one guy (the two we've been at) and I was in the room itself for one of them. Maybe mine were a bit too old and it's better for much younger ones, I don't know.

I have non idea as have never been - when I looked they were hundreds of pounds!!!

AP races were good this year and last. Quite relaxed really for quite a big competition. You get the impression that the swimmers are having fun. DS won an event last year, much to his surprise, and made a B final in another, but the competition was tougher this year with a bunch of international swimmers chasing olympic qualifying times. Still he got a good PB and made a final (in different events), so he was happy.

We've not tried the clinics.

Thank you for your comments. Unfortunately things have got worse not better and one of the parents now feels their only course of action is to go to the County about their concerns as the people in positions of power at the club are some of the people causing the issues. Its very draining and I think maybe we would be happier as a family not to be involved in swimming at all.

I'm glad people aren't sitting back and accepting bad behaviour.

But please don't give up on swimming entirely. Plenty of sports clubs have politics and many you can avoid it like the plague!

I'd seriously look elsewhere if you aren't happy. Without throwing yourself from the frying pan and into the fire can you hang around some clubs train8nh and galas the next few weeks and get a feel for the ethos?

I'm not sure that the county in question can do much. Any welfare issue should be reported to the club where it must remain outside of any committee members or coach bar the chair. Escalation can be made to Swim England directly too.
I'd look at changing clubs if it's really that bad, they're not all like that at all.

Can I ask how everyone else washes kneeskins between owners? DD1 has had a growth spurt necessitating a new suit, so the smaller one will be stored for DD2. It has just been rinsed in cold water between meets so far, which is fine when it's going back on the same body next time but not really when it is getting a new owner! I'm thinking hand washing in cold water with the 'Tech Wash' cleaner I use on our waterproof outdoor gear might be OK?

I just swish racesuits around in the sink in liquid detergent (so hand hot) and rinse and hang.

Rinse in cold water and hang or sometimes rinse with shower gel / shampoo and hang.

Hanging is indoors away from sunlight and radiators.

Get decent use from the suits

Will liquid detergent or shower gel not reduce some of the water repellent coating on the fabric? (Like with tents and waterproof jackets) Or have I misunderstood and the hydrophobic performance comes solely from the thread/how it is knitted?

I'm thinking shower gel less potent than liquid detergent (also noticed the swimmers stand under showers in skins and lather up!)

But yes, would probably affect the water repellent feature a bit.

I suppose it's a bit different for boys but I don't let any extra detergent near his race suits.

According to ds even handling a race suit affects the material - I'm not allowed to touch them 😂

Honestly don't know. He's always worn though race suits before outgrowing them as first he got before covid and still fitted him after but had not much shelf life and since then he's not grown!

Do you remember when the early tech suits came with a pair of gloves to help swimmers ease them on?

I don't but I have heard they still exist.

I had the conversation with British para swimming as ds can't grip well and they said about them.

Never seen them though because he's just about sliding into them currently 😂

Well they have gloves with the wetsuits but does DS wear them? No he does not. Has he put his fingernail through his wetsuit? Yes he has. 🙈

I reckon the chlorine keeps them clean.

Yeah I'm not sure how much the swimmers care!

Not the way ours will just wear each others training trunks during sessions because they've forgotten theirs or they have a hole or whatever 😂😂

Ds's just get washed with no detergent in a cold sports wash weekly. So often his leant ones aren't washed 🤷‍♀️😜 Probably same when when he borrows a pair 🤷‍♀️

@itsgettingweird we’re clearly of more slovenly tendency 🤣

Chlorine and that nothing is going to be able to live on a cossie that is dry and has been put into a dry cupboard. I've actually never washed any swim stuff with detergent, including my own and I've never had any form of infection anywhere not do I know of anyone either (and yes it is the subject of changing room chat!!!)

😂😂

Generally so, yes, but it won't remove residues like vaginal discharge properly surely? I can see how it is less of an issue with boys/jammers, but seems a bit grim for girls?

I have her backup race suit that was given to us with a small tear (which I've repaired) so I'm going to test the Tech Wash & TX Direct on that as a trial. It smells distinctly of washing powder any way, so I have little to lose. I found their technical advice phone number too, so will also call to find out how the product might react with chlorinated water once the fabric has been treated. I can report back for anyone interested.

The gloves sound interesting - were they the grippy kind to help get it on or white cotton (like you'd handle antiques with) to prevent tears?

But would you wear second hand swimwear that had only ever been washed in plain water? I just rinse and dry my own stuff too (as well as DCs') and am not adverse to second hand, but would want it cleaned more thoroughly between owners.

Nothing will survive chlorine plus being kept dry for a while. You said it was DD1 to DD2, I don't see the problem unless DD1 has had infections. We only ever rinse in cold water and fry away from any form of direct heat or air blowers.