Hi,

I'm looking for a pool this summer that has a swim team my two kids can join. They swim a lot, but are just starting formal lessons. I'd like them to become more proficient swimmers. Can anyone explain how to pick a pool to join? I'm in Clifton, so I'm guessing I could do Burke, Fairfax Station, Centreville, Chantilly. I'm not looking for a competitive team. I'd like to find decent instruction, family activities, and easy going people. Please post anything helpful.

http://mynvsl.com/

Pick one. Teams are ranked by division. 1 being the best division and so on.

Clifton Hills Wrote:
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> Hi,
>
> I'm looking for a pool this summer that has a swim
> team my two kids can join. They swim a lot, but
> are just starting formal lessons. I'd like them
> to become more proficient swimmers. Can anyone
> explain how to pick a pool to join? I'm in
> Clifton, so I'm guessing I could do Burke, Fairfax
> Station, Centreville, Chantilly. I'm not looking
> for a competitive team. I'd like to find decent
> instruction, family activities, and easy going
> people. Please post anything helpful.

You need to prioritize your desired.

"Decent instruction" and "easy going people" are often mutually exclusive with NVSL summer teams. The Division 1-6 teams often have better instruction because they use paid coaches who often are not members and have no particularly affiliation with the pool. The Division 1-6 teams are often uber-competitive, trash talk their Saturday opponents, etc. The bottom feeder teams, Division 10-16, are more family oriented and often have easy going people and coaches who are often alumni of the team and also serve as summer lifeguards, etc. And the coaches often suck and have no clue what they are doing or how to really teach or coach. But they are full of energy and enthusiasm.

Oh.. and the parents. Way too many parents taking NVSL summer league WAY to seriously from Division 1 down to Division 6 or so. For any really good swimmer, those who SHOULD be taking it seriously, they generally join year round club teams and realize NVSL is just an 8 week summer season that is meaningless. So those getting all worked up are the clueless parents that you probably should stay away from anyway.

Choose your poison.

Thanks for all of this. Which clubs are year-round? Are there year-round clubs that have access to an outdoor pool in summer with fun kid activities?

there are some well known coaches in the local PVS region. Google it - lots of in depth Post articles the last couple years.

Year-round and "fun kid activities" are also mutually exclusive. The year round clubs (NCAP, Machine) are dead serious about turning out good swimmers and there is very little fun involved.

NCAP is fun.

The region has had a few convicted pedophile coaches in recent years.

Try Vienna. They have year round fun at their pools.

eat some worms Wrote:
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> Try Vienna. They have year round fun at their
> pools.


The inflatable mattress raft nights are the best!

Eat poo, worm boy. Ain't no one gonna drive from Clifton thru the horrendous FFX traffic to get to run down yet pretentious Vienna with all the Mclean wannabes.

Plenty of decent (and better) NVSL pools out towards Clifton, and some of of the AAU clubs are not all that far away.

Just check out Brookfield, or some place like that. Decent facilities, close by, Division 11 (so not as many hyperactive helicopter parents).

Then if you want to do year round, check out the Mako's who practice at GMU. Some good swimmers, but lots of lower level learners too. Or ask someone at whatever NVSL pool you join.

Pool Boy Wrote:
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> eat some worms Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Try Vienna. They have year round fun at their
> > pools.
>
>
> The inflatable mattress raft nights are the best!


Can you get one of those in Vienna?

You cannot just walk up to a NVSL team and join. You must live in the vicinity of the pool you want to join.
Depending on which end of Clifton you are on you have a couple of choices off Braddock Rd. Chase Club and Hayden Village. I know Hayden Village is more fun and relaxed than Chase. Neither are super competitive hence the laid back attitudes of the parents.
NVSL pools act like they are competing for the Olympics and their kids don't get to swim in as many events as CSL kids.
There is the country club on 123 that has summer swim...don't know anything about them.
Summer teams are for fun, unless you are NVSL.

swim parent Wrote:
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> You cannot just walk up to a NVSL team and join.
> You must live in the vicinity of the pool you want
> to join.
> Depending on which end of Clifton you are on you
> have a couple of choices off Braddock Rd. Chase
> Club and Hayden Village. I know Hayden Village is
> more fun and relaxed than Chase. Neither are
> super competitive hence the laid back attitudes of
> the parents.
> NVSL pools act like they are competing for the
> Olympics and their kids don't get to swim in as
> many events as CSL kids.
> There is the country club on 123 that has summer
> swim...don't know anything about them.
> Summer teams are for fun, unless you are NVSL.j

Also, it used to be that you could buy a membership in the Burke Centre pools (even if you lived in Clifton), and that allowed your kids to swim for the Stingers or the Penguins (there are so many kids in Burke Centre that they had to split into two teams). Not super-competitive, but fun.