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Summer is here. For most children, that means no school, no camps, and long evenings playing outside among the fireflies.
For some kids, summer also means going to the pool and swimming for a summer swim team. There are hundreds of teams in the Washington, DC area that have thousands of young swimmers.
To learn more about the summer swim scene, I spoke to Jeremy Butler, the history teacher at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland, and co-coach of the summer swim team at Glenwood Pool in nearby Silver Spring. His wife is Kelly. Glenwood has more than 300 swimmers on its team ranging in age from 5 to 18 years.
Question: At what age should children start swimming?
Answer: Around kindergarten or earlier. The best way to learn is by taking lessons from a certified lifeguard.
Q: At what age should kids start swimming on a summer team?
A: You can start as young as 6 years old or younger. Most children start around the age of 7, 8 or 9 years.
Q: What should kids learn from swimming on a summer team?
A: You should make friends, have fun, and improve as a swimmer. The great thing about swimming is that it is an individual and team sport. It’s a sport that teaches children to celebrate the success of their friends and their own.
Q: How long is the practice?
A: At Glenwood we train every weekday in June and July. The exercises last between 40 and 90 minutes depending on the age of the swimmer. Each exercise is a little different to keep it fun.
Q: Does your team do more than just swim?
A: We have team breakfasts, cheer rallies, and “fun days” on Fridays to bring all parts of the team together. Dynamics out of the water are just as important to the team as competition in the water.
Q: Why is swimming a good sport for children?
A: Swimming is an excellent total body workout. It’s a challenging sport that helps kids get tougher because they’re constantly pushing themselves to get better.
Q: Should swimmers play other sports?
A: Yes! When children are young, they should do other sports to give their bodies other types of exercise. In high school, they can choose swimming as their main sport.
Q: Why are summer swim teams good for kids?
A: Summer teams are more about having fun and making friends. When kids swim year-round, it’s more about your results and the best times. Summer swim teams are the only teams I know where a 6 year old can be a teammate of an 18 year old. The older kids put down their phones and really engage with the younger kids. And the younger swimmers can collect the same points for their team as the older swimmers. That’s pretty amazing.
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