Training with Age Group Athlete

Former Member
Former Member
I have noticed that some (many?) of you swimmers have the opportunity to train with age-group swimmers. How did you manage to arrange that? I typically train early mornings (5:30, as soon as the pool opens). The local Masters club only trains in the evenings while I am still at work, so the majority of my sessions are solo, trained in the "public lanes". This works out fairly well; I am a fast enough swimmer that I usually end up with my own lane or sharing with other like-minded people. The problem is that, left to my own devices, my work-outs are all about the same. Same times, same strokes, same distance. I always go about 4000 to 4500 meters, one half swim, one quarter kick, one quarter pull. I do some sprints and tons of traditional short-rest interval training. Ho hummmmm... It would be nice to periodically (or routinelly) swim with the age-group swimmers of my speed calibre, but I just cannot see how to arrange that without coming across as just plain kooky (and not in a good kooky way either) Maybe it is just the very traditional, old fashioned culture in this area that makes this difficult. As an example: I once asked why the masters swimmers do not share swim meets with the age group swimmers more often to defray the costs of pool rental and increase the number of paying competitors. The major answer was that many parents do not want a bunch of "dirty old men" warming up in the same pool as their young impressionable daughters. This took me aback: at the time my daughter was a competitive swimmer and I just could not fathom that anyone could have such a dirty mind that they could imagine anything sexual happening in a crowded warm-up pool. For the swimmers that have the opportunity to swim with age group teams: was this opportunity offered-up voluntarily by the club, or did you have to campaign the club to allow you to join as a master swimmer?
Parents
  • Our masters team is under the umbrella of an organization with an age group team. Before there was a masters team, a few people worked out with the kids team - one of them had kids on the team. Now that we have a masters team, most folks work out with the masters, but sometimes the kids have a Saturday practice when masters does not, and we are welcome to join the kids practice as long as there is lane space. Many of the age group team parents are masters swimmers and we let some age group swimmers swim our workouts if they need to (have to miss an afternoon practice or want to do doubles). The key is having coaches who understand the needs of both groups and a willingness to make things work. I've swam with the kids and in general, they are pretty positive about having older swimmers in the pool with them. I also coach the age groupers and I don't think it hurts at all for them to see me apply myself in a practice. --mj
Reply
  • Our masters team is under the umbrella of an organization with an age group team. Before there was a masters team, a few people worked out with the kids team - one of them had kids on the team. Now that we have a masters team, most folks work out with the masters, but sometimes the kids have a Saturday practice when masters does not, and we are welcome to join the kids practice as long as there is lane space. Many of the age group team parents are masters swimmers and we let some age group swimmers swim our workouts if they need to (have to miss an afternoon practice or want to do doubles). The key is having coaches who understand the needs of both groups and a willingness to make things work. I've swam with the kids and in general, they are pretty positive about having older swimmers in the pool with them. I also coach the age groupers and I don't think it hurts at all for them to see me apply myself in a practice. --mj
Children
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