All About Competitive Swimming

[workingmom]

Hi 3kiddos


The evaluation didn’t go so well - dd was quite scared of the unfamiliar surroundings - but my hubby thought the Elite lady coach was quite good. Apparently for many kids, the eldest kid can find it hard to get used to the training as it is all new to them - their younger siblings find it a lot easier when they follow their older sister/brother.

Also, as Elite is at Keppel - bit far for us - transport will be an issue as my dd is still very young. I understand that they also train at Simei so you may want to check and consider them then.

My hubby then tried Swimfast - they are a lot closer to us and they start later so easier to send and pick up as we both work. My dd has been swimming there for 3-4 weeks now. Initially I think the training was very tough on her as she was not used to the pace and amt of laps covered. Now, it is better but she has a lot to catch up on. Basically they have a beginners group for competitors and it suits her as the grp is aged from as young as 5-6 all the way to P3/4s. We started her 3 times a wk and hope to increase it to 4 eventually - many kids there swim at least 5 times a wk !

One problem I noticed, the lanes are quite crowded ! I don’t know if it is the same everywhere else. It is a bit worrying for the younger kids when they get bumped by paddles n flippers !

How old is your dd ? No harm trying out the training but be prepared for the time committment required. It is quite tiring having to balance school work and training … and my dd is only in P2 !

[3kiddos]

hi workingmum


Thanks for sharing. I also think that my dd won’t perform in unfamiliar surroundings. She’s only in P1. So far she hasnt had any chance to compete (no school team / school meet in her pri sch) so i’m not sure if she’ll like it. From her progress in once a week training so far, we just think she has potential, she does enjoy the sport and we do encourage our kids to take up a competitive sport each for the exposure, discipline and more.

I am prepared for the time commitment as my P3 boy also trains (not swimming) 3-4 times a week since P2 for his sport. Swimming, however, can be quite monotonous so I’m not sure if she’s too young to ‘enjoy’ and commit or if I should wait a year or two more.

[3kiddos]

tree nymph:

The Chinese Swimming Club and the Singapore Swimming Club has got quite good swimming coaches and facilities. They also produced some very good swimmers too. Only set back is that you have to buy membership. CSC is cheaper than SSC. and there's subscriptions to be paid too!

Thanks for your suggestion. Am not keen to join CSC or SSC at the moment as we're not sure if dd will take to competitive training. And we don't have any need for club membership.

[ruohoo97]

[quote]My hubby then tried Swimfast - they are a lot closer to us and they start later so easier to send and pick up as we both work[/quote]
hi, working mother, how is your kid's training at swimming fast? My dd is also there. just for two months.

[workingmom]

ruohoo97:

[quote]My hubby then tried Swimfast - they are a lot closer to us and they start later so easier to send and pick up as we both work

hi, working mother, how is your kid's training at swimming fast? My dd is also there. just for two months.[/quote]Ok, my daughter is getting used to the training sessions - which group is your dd with ? Mine is with coach wei.

[ruohoo97]

workingmom:

ruohoo97:

[quote]My hubby then tried Swimfast - they are a lot closer to us and they start later so easier to send and pick up as we both work

hi, working mother, how is your kid's training at swimming fast? My dd is also there. just for two months.

Ok, my daughter is getting used to the training sessions - which group is your dd with ? Mine is with coach wei.[/quote]hi, working mum,
my dd is with coach Meng Sing. my younger son is just asked to join in training for midget relay. He is with Wei Jiao Lian :lol:

[workingmom]

Hi


Have sent you a pm

[fattysuperfamily]

tree nymph:

3kiddos:

Hi workingmom, i'm also considering letting dd try competitive training. Can share how the evaluation for your dd went and do you know the criteria for selection? Has she started training and does she enjoy it? Appreciate any sharing. Thanks.


Also, does anyone have a club to recommend in the East? TIA

The Chinese Swimming Club and the Singapore Swimming Club has got quite good swimming coaches and facilities. They also produced some very good swimmers too. Only set back is that you have to buy membership. CSC is cheaper than SSC. and there's subscriptions to be paid too!

CSC membership is about $11k to $12k in the open market as CSC has stopped issuing new memberships...

Monthly subscription fees as follows:
Principal Member S$40.00 + 7% GST
Spouse Member S$10.00 + 7% GST
*Child Member S$10.00 + 7% GST (Applicable to Children ages 12 – 21 years old only).

[3kiddos]

fattysuperfamily:

CSC membership is about $11k to $12k in the open market as CSC has stopped issuing new memberships...

Monthly subscription fees as follows:
Principal Member S$40.00 + 7% GST
Spouse Member S$10.00 + 7% GST
*Child Member S$10.00 + 7% GST (Applicable to Children ages 12 – 21 years old only).

Thanks for the info but we won't be spending on club membership at this stage. P1 dd has started swimming under the SSC comp swim programme at Bedok-Tamp sports complexes. Less commitment and more affordable while she's still young Will see where she goes from here.

[strokes]

2ppaamm:

Competitive swimming is not for everybody. It is about you against yourself. There is no opponent in the pool. Your aim is to move your body faster and faster with every practise or competition. Your opponent? The clock.


What I like about Singapore competitive swimming:
1. It is an established sport, and the funding is good. So if your kid becomes really good and has a chance the represent Singapore, he gets a lot of goodies and support.

2. There are abundant good coaches all over Singapore, you can pick and choose who you want.

3. Singapore promotes Swimming, and therefore, there are many competitions for swimmers to hone their skills.

4. Disciplines the mind. At the highest level in Singapore, swimmers train 11 to 13 times a week, including Upper Primary kids.

no one trains so much. 10 is the usual maximum

5. The sport that will cause the least injury. Well, looks like it to me!

false again. competitive swimming brings about lots of muscle/joint-related injuries which may last for very long time

6. Many good IP secondary schools take good swimmers for DSA, but you have to be really good, just like any other sports.

7. With a good competitive swimming background, you can excel in many other sports, like water polo, synchronized swimming, triathlon, biathlon. Many ex-swimmers go on and become state representatives in these sports.

What I do not like:

1. There's no team. Your kid will not get to learn how synergy works.

there is a team. just lesser teamwork involved.

a relay is a team. dependent on the combined effort of 4 people. effort is not put in on the spot, but during daily trainings. any mistakes, misjudgments could lead to a DQ.

2. Very competitive parents. Who like to compare and compare their kids. Like any sport, you win some and lose some. If you are the kind of parent who want to win all the time.... er you will not like swimming. Also, please don't brag. Tak boleh tahan!

that may be purely because of your small perspective that lacks scope?
comparisons = active involvement in sport with child
winning = which parent actually wins? the child is the one. besides, who goes into a competition, not wanting to win? winning may not be important, but wanting to win, is.

3. The long, long hours. Kids get very tired. I believe our swimmers burn out too early. In overseas competitions, our Under12 shine. After than, it's a downhill.

sweeping statement. fallacious.

4. Over pushy training. If your kid is below 10, please don't push them to do 7 km a day. It will cause injury. Unfortunately, many parents push their kids to join the older kids in the hope of reaching a faster time. Coaches have told me that they are causing injuries to their own kids. But the coaches will always oblige, because they know that if they don't another coach in another club will. So let your head be on your shoulders, and not your pride.

first, tell me where do you get your ideas from? dont you think your list is contradicting? first you say theres many good coach around. now you say many coach act against the good of the swimmer's welfare.

sweeping/contradicting statements all over.

swimming 7km is a lot of distance. but then you claim that swimmers train 11-13 times a week. that will be about 2 sessions a day. 3.5km each session.

if you do not realise,
3.5km per session will not hurt your kid.

3.5km of wrong techniques/methods will.


goes to show how you relate distance = injury, when in actual fact, there's a more predominant factor.

5. Your child will grow at least 7 shades darker, and have broader shoulders and become really sporty.

what is bad about being sporty?

another sweeping statement. \"will grow at least 7 shades darker\", false.
\"will\" suggest definite, yet, this statement is largely untrue.

6. Good swimmers are mostly wimps on land. But you will likely see this only after the kid is well into his/her teens.

another sweeping statement.

7. They retire too early. As early as 18, they will want to retire. Seems to be the trend in Singapore, and I think it is strange.

this is true.

So, not only must you hone your skills, in swimming, you have to make sure the body is in good shape as well. If you allow it to slag, you will be dragging a burden across the pool. Discipline, diet, sleep and habit becomes part and parcel of the game.

Hope this helps you make a informed decision. :celebrate:

I wouldn't pay much attention to his/her list, where sweeping statements are rampant, downplaying on the actual benefits of competitive swimming, providing a skin-deep opinion on the topic. The content is judged mostly with his/her eyes rather than mind.

If i were to decide where to swim competitively, I would choose to neglect most of his views and focus more on the things I need to know, that the things that he/she thinks he/she knows.