Important Questions To Ask Before Signing Your Child Up For A Swim Club

Enrolling your child in a swim club can be a great way to develop his or her swimming skills and allow your child to be part of a team. Being in a swim club can be an excellent experience, but you'll want to make sure you do your fair share of research before choosing one for your child. Specifically, there are some questions you'll need to ask the swim club staff or coach before you decide on one.

What Are the Financial Obligations?

Swim clubs can be expensive because most clubs have to pay to rent out pool time. Furthermore, many prestigious swim clubs hire professional coaches, so the costs associated with that may very well be passed on to members. You'll want to find out exactly how much you'll need to pay and how the payments will be broken down. For example, some clubs may charge on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, whereas others may charge per session or meet. Of course, you'll also need to factor in the costs of equipment and transportation, especially if your child will be competing in meets across the state or region.

What to Expect From Meets?

Some swim clubs handle meets differently than others, so you should find out what to expect from a particular swim club when speaking to the coach. Specifically, you may want to find out how often your child will be expected to compete, where they're going to be held, and who is responsible for providing transportation to the meets. If you want to help out, you might also want to inquire as to what parents can do at meets or in preparation for them, such as making sure all swimmers are registered on time.

Who Will Be the Coach?

Last but not least, getting to know the coach or coaches of your child's swim club is a must. Start by finding out what kind of experience the coaches have in working with children of different age groups, along with any accolades the coach may have received in his or her career (awards, championships, etc.). Don't hesitate to ask parents of children already in the swim club for their opinions on the coach, including his or her communication abilities, coaching style, and training principles. By taking the time to do your research as a parent, you'll ultimately be able to select the right swim club for your child.

Some swim clubs, like the Jersey Wahoos Swim Club, provide general membership for adults that allows them to swim laps at various times during the day as long as the pool isn't being used for the swim teams.

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