Swimming - Conneaut,OH

Yes, they can join a team. My kids had lessons at the Y, and my husband asked me to sign them up for a swim team. I was shocked and told him that I didn't think that they could swim well enough. He told me they would learn to swim well enough by being on a team. He was a swimmer in school, and he knew about this stuff. He was spot on with my kids, too.

Being a swim mom is a lot of work. But my kids had natural talent and they really excelled. The thing I liked so much is that swimming is a team sport, but you are really competing with yourself. People love to watch the younger kids swim because they are so "brave" - quite a feeling for the little kids for everyone to clap and ooh and ahh over them. And the bigger good swimmers are great mentors to the up and comers.

Go to a few practices. Watch how the coaches act. If you have several different teams, don't choose the most competitive. Don't choose one where the coach is a jerk. That doesn't mean choose an ineffective coach, though. That will do your kids no favors.

I was organized with my kids "stuff" but made them be part of the organizational process. I watched them swim at the practices (I didn't leave like some of the other moms, who had no clue what was going on), made it perfectly clear to them that they couldn't run around the shower and locker rooms (in fact, when they were just taking TOO long, which meant they were playing instead of showering and dressing, I no longer allowed them to shower. I took them home for that instead.)

My younger son is still swimming and this week was awarded MVP of his high school swim team. I am very proud of him. More than that, I'm glad that he has a lifelong love for being in water and being able to navigate in it. I am a terrible swimmer and didn't want that for my children. A swim team will make a big difference in 'your kids' ability to swim, and will make them decent athletes.

Good luck.

I would talk to the local swim teams in your area.
My children were quite proficient swimmers from the time they were very, very little. I taught them and had them in swimming lessons.
My son was very young when he was actually on an advanced team because of his abilities. He was the youngest child on his swim team and won many medals. My kids were like born little fish.

I know that when my son was on the swim team, they had different levels and it didn't have anything to do with age. You might find a team with a coach that will do better at teaching certain strokes, etc. They have practices before meets so it might be a good learning experience for them.

Talk to the local swim team coach and ask what they recommend. If swimming lessons haven't really advanced the kids, being on a swim team might give them more structured lessons, etc.

I think that kids learning to swim and be proficient at it is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. They need to know how to be safe in the water and how to get out of trouble if they get in over their heads.

That's always been my philosophy. But, I'm an avid swimmer myself so it pretty much had to come naturally for my kids.

Best wishes.

Several of the kids on our gymnastics team are on the YMCA swim team. Not all those kids are great either. One is pretty overweight. One is shy and doesn't get involved....she's not assertive at all so she isn't very competitive. Then the other one is a skinny little girl and she and her dad both swimming.

I think that you need to be assertive and tell the Y that you expect them to teach your kids at the level they need or you're not going to be a member anymore. That's not fair to them or to you.

See if the YMCA or your city or municipality offer a swim team-these are more likely to offer a swim team that is not so competitive and that your kids might benefit from. If there is not an organized swim team in your area but you have access to a pool, you could set up your own incentive for them. Have them make a log book and record the number of laps they swim and time some of them. You may have to get creative to keep them interested! There are some swim teams that are very competitive and require a lot of travel - I would stay away from them when your purpose is to build stamina, and not to be competitive.