Opinions on youth swim teams (Colorado Springs, Woodmoor: home, YMCA, high school)

[5mom]

The family is moving to Colorado Springs soon and I am looking to plug our children into a swim team. We've got one competitive swimmer and 2 others just starting. I'm a bit overwhelmed with the choices in the area. Does anyone have an opinion on which team has better facilities, equipment, coaching staff?

[Charles]

There are three big ones I know of:

Colorado Springs Swim Team
Home - Colorado Springs Swim Team

Falphins
Falfin Home Page (broken link)

Woodmoor Waves
Home Page

I have researched them all.

You can get all the basics off those web pages.

Here's my subjective opinion. I live near Monument. I think a lot depends on where you live. To me (I have four girls 8,6,4 years and six months) convenience is more important than anything else.

CSST works out at good hours (like 5 pm), but they work out at Colorado College which is more than 1/2 hour from me - not factoring traffic at that time of day either. If I lived closer to Colorado College I would pick this one.

Falfins works out at horrible hours like 7 or 730 at night, but they are a little closer (20 minutes) working out at Rampart High School.

Woodmoor waves is close to me (three miles) and works out at good hours (5pm) but you have to me a member of the Woodmoor Pines Country Club to be on their team - that totally sucks. They have a great coach and have a nice facility but who wants to pay an extra $70/mo (plus $1500 initiation fee) to join a club that you don't need to use? This may change however because a new YMCA opened near Woodmoor and a lot of people may be (are) bailing from the Woodmoor Pines to join the YMCA; maybe Woodmoor will cool it on the initiation fees and mandatory memberships as now they won't be the only game in town for swimming and working out. If Woodmoor didn't have the restrictive membership policy then I'd pick this one.

I think one or two YMCAs have small swim teams.

Where will you be living? If you are near downtown, then consider CSST. If you are in the north end of town then consider Falfins, but get ready for 7PM workouts - way too late for my 3rd grader.

[Ivana Lyn]

Hi,

Where you live in the Springs may partially determine the best club for you, but I will offer info on the clubs I know.

Falfins - In my opinion they are far and away the best team in the area. The head coach Anthony Boetcher is terrific! At present they are seeking a new associate coach for the Senior Team. The Falfins offer a number of practice times during the week so it makes it easier to fit swimming into the schedule. Current info can be found at www.falfins.org.

CSST is another large team in the south end of town. They are a large club, and they do have a pretty good reputation. Also, the team offer lots of practice times. The Senior coach is Mike Doane. More info about the program can be found at Home - Colorado Springs Swim Team

The Woodmoor Waves are another area team. The head coach, Ross, is called a hard-core, dictator type coach by nearly everyone I know in the swimming community. Many top swimmers have left this team since his arrival. If you are looking for a family friendly team - this is not it. However, if you want your schedule and life dictated to you by a coach then the club may be the perfect choice for your family. You should also be aware that to swim for Woodmoor that you must be a member of the club or pay an addtional fee (per swimmer/per month) - I think it is about $70.00). With 3 swimmers it would dramatically increase the cost to swim there.

Rocky Mountain Rapids - good for lap swimming

Hope you find the team that fits your family's needs. Good Luck.

Ivana

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Ivana Lyn

You should also be aware that to swim for Woodmoor that you must be a member of the club or pay an addtional fee (per swimmer/per month) - I think it is about $70.00). With 3 swimmers it would dramatically increase the cost to swim there.

True, but they only let you swim as a non country club member for a limited time, I forgot, like three months or so, then you must join the Woodmoor Pines Country Club.

Bottom line, if you want to swim for Woodmoor, you (your family) must be a member of the Woodmoor Pines Country Club.

Also, You'll be sitting there at the club ruminating about the big initiation fee ($1500 or so) you just paid and you'll come to find out that the guy sitting next to you didn't pay any initiation fee. Wouldn't that feel good?

[COflower]

CSST is a sort of shoot off from when I was a swimmer back in the late 70s and early 80s. Once our team (Colorado Springs Country Club) lost the beloved coach, they basically disbanded and those kids went to CSST. I was in high school then and had stopped swimming due to tendonitis of my shoulder - I was a flyer and freestyler.

My brother used to coach one of the teams here but that was so long ago I don't remember which team (he went to the Olympic Trials in 1984) but I do know they practiced at Doherty High School - this was the early 90s.

Anyhow, CSST is a good jump in the pool here for the kids and then as you get to know what suits (har, har - no pun intended on that last one) you and your kids as well as getting to know the other teams, you should find it all good.

Team sports for the kids (and even the adults) are very strong here.

[bsatmorgan]

In reply to local swim teams, I would like to provide a different view of one of the teams previously discussed. I have a swimmer who participated on one of the larger teams in town (CSST). We switched to the Woodmoor Waves initially because of it being closer to our home. However, we have gained so much more. The head coach is NOT a dictator as previously suggested. He is dedicated to the sport of swimming and does expect his swimmers to give their all when they are in the pool. He takes the time to get to know each swimmer's strenths and areas that need improvement. Our swimmer has become a strong competitor thanks to Ross. Not only making silver state times but also state times after just 3 months of Ross' coaching. The waves have brought on two other coaches who work more with the developmental teams, Ross works with those swimmers who have swimming as their focus. When you get to that level, that is the type of coach who will take your swimmer to the top of their sport.

In addition, we have found that to join Woodmoor county club is not cost prohibitive as also previously discussed. You don't have to be a member, and the cost is right at $50 plus the team fee. However, to join the club is reasonable and adds a great benefit to our family. When you add in commute time and gas, we found the cost to be pretty comparable to the larger, higher priced teams such as Falfins and CSST.

[bsatmorgan]

Just a clarification on the Woodmoor membership. You do have to become a member after a 4 month grace period. However, they offer several options that make it easy to accomodate a family and their needs.