You all, in just five days, Summer League Swimming season is starting across Virginia and I’m so excited – and not just for myself. The swim team is the most fruitful experience of social and emotional growth for my children I could wish for. If you’re in a spot where you’re thinking about joining a Summer League swim team, if you’re on a team already but don’t know how to totally break in, or even if you’re a true pool rat and just want to understand why it’s so magical, keep reading or have a listen to today’s podcast episode on Active & Connected Families!

Even if the pool is not the best place for you or your family, in this episode I will share with you what parts of the summer magic at the pool can be useful for you to integrate into other parts of your kid’s life, what parts you want to lean into and what parts might just not be a priority for your family right now. 

“Summer League Swimming is about the relationships and the fun and the exercise and the togetherness”
– Amanda Sovik-Johnston

The third place

In this episode, I dive into several ways in which the pool offers developmental opportunities for our kids. One of them is the pool becoming our so-called ‘third place’. The third place is a concept that’s currently a hot topic for many psychologists and socialists. Why? Because with the absence of a third place we have been struggling across the board psychologically and we’re desperately missing them as a society.

The third place is a place that isn’t home, nor work/school and it’s a place where we can be together, usually unplanned, like a park or a gym. During the pandemic, a lot of third places and the routines around them were shut down and replaced with virtual third places, which can have detrimental effects on us. 

As human beings, we’re wired to be in communities and without these third places, we’re not able to access them. If you’ve listened to my episodes about making friends as an adult and developing community relationships, you know that in order to do these things in a way that feels good, we need to run into people planned and unplanned. The pool is an excellent third place for families to develop friendships and a community.

This is just one of the many reasons why Summer League Swimming is ripe with developmental opportunities for our kids. In today’s episode, I dive deeper into many others. Y’all, have a listen and get ready. It’s going to be a great summer!

In this episode on Summer League Swimming, we cover:

  • Why Summer League Swimming is ripe with developmental opportunities for our kids;
  • How the pool helps our kids develop their identity;
  • The opportunities for building community at the pool for both our kids and ourselves;
  • Strategies to help you and your kids capitalize on this magical part of your lives;
  • And so much more!

You can find our podcast Active and Connected Families wherever you listen to your podcasts, or easily click the links below to listen:

Click here to listen on Spotify!

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More about Active & Connected Family Therapy

Active & Connected Family Therapy is a mental health practice serving individuals, families, and our community. Our practice is designed to help people at all stages and from all walks of life by offering therapists and physicians with diverse backgrounds and specialties via face-to-face, walk-and-talk, and telemedicine appointments. Throughout, we are committed to developing strengths-based, authentic, and long-lasting relationships with you and your children. We hope to provide you with the support and insight you need to help your family navigate life’s hard times and joys.

Are you or your child struggling with mental health? We have a team of psychologists and psychiatrists who can help you out. You can learn more about our practice or contact us here.

Resources and links mentioned in this episode on Summer League Swimming

Disclaimer: Please remember we are real live therapists, however this is a podcast and is not considered a therapy session. Not only because there is no co-pay but also because we can’t speak to your individual experiences. We are here to help you keep raising healthy kids. And remember, if you are an imperfect parent, we are right there with you. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, please call your local crisis hotline or go to your nearest emergency room.