Swim team help - link to scandal (station, rain)

[flipco]

I would appreciate help in finding a new swim team in the area. My child currently swims on the Falfins but the atmosphere has recently become negative. The out of control parent run Board fired the popular senior coach and most of the senior swimmers followed him to his new team. They were the swimmers my child looked up to - those making junior national, sectional, and zone cuts. We are left with a coach who was conveniently available and who has not been a good role model when he fills in at our practices. The new senior team is comprised of young age group swimmers who can't even make state cuts. That's not the model for that level I have seen at other clubs. The board members' kid have encouraged a negative attitude towards their former teammates and openly bad mouth them. We have even joined with CSST to try to save the team's financial situation. And the final straw is that supposedly Falfins has a tie to the recent Outside magazine article documenting the molestation scandals in the sport. I know it's not ideal to switch teams in the middle of the season but my gut is telling me we are on a sinking ship. We just want a positive experience for our swimmer. A small team would even be fine. We are centrally located so we are interested in feedback about any teams in the area. Thank you.

[Bmlove]

We swim for CMA, most practices are held at CHeyenne Mtn HS, some at the OTC or CM Country Club. Our new coach is great and the kids really respond to him, very positive environment and while the senior group is small (20 or so in each gender) there are several making sectional cut times.

[flipco]

Thank you for the feedback about CMA. I have also heard great things about that team. I've spent the past few weeks asking parents about their teams and trying to get enough information to make an informed and lasting decision. Changing teams is so hard. I have also heard positive input about PPA (Pikes Peak Athletics). I'm convinced the smaller teams are the way to go.
What struck me most is that many of the parents I spoke with have also had to change teams (most had been through Falfins or CSST and not liked them for various reasons). They wished there had been more information available before they joined as that would have saved time and heartbreak. I encouraged them to contribute to this site. Parent input helps describe the culture, training philosophies, coaching competency, hidden costs, etc. of the many teams.
Thanks again!