Swim Team
This developmental program offers kids and teens an opportunity to work with trained coaches to improve swimming skills, endurance, and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Fun, Fitness, and Teamwork
YMCA Swim Team is a developmental program run by trained coaches focusing on improving swimmers' competitive skills and endurance. The Swim Team embraces the Y core values of respect, responsibility, caring, and honesty, promotes progression at an individual level, and encourages commitment, self-discipline, sportsmanship, time management, and leadership.
Team Groups
YMCA Swim Team offers several training groups for swimmers of varying abilities and experience. Development of technical skills, training abilities, maturity, competitive levels, and time standards are considered when determining the appropriate group for individuals. The Y's progressive structure provides a setting in which swimmers are continually challenged and able to experience both individual and team successes.
Bronze Age Group 1
The Bronze program is for swimmers beginning their competitive journey. Participants will learn the fundamentals while having fun and what it takes to be a competitive swimmer, both in and out of the water. This program focuses on goal setting, nutrition, and training with an emphasis on form rather than yardage. Semi-regular participation in swim meets is encouraged to provide the opportunity to use, evaluate, and improve skills.
Ages: 8-13 years old
Practices: One hour, 3-5 times per week
Requirements: Ability to swim the 4x50 freestyle, 4x50 backstroke, 4x50 breaststroke, 4x50 butterfly, 4x50 kick, and 4x100 individual medley practice sets legally.
Silver Age Group 2
The Silver program is for more advanced swimmers who need a more challenging practice environment. It emphasizes aerobic training, swimming intervals, and race strategy while continuing to refine stroke technique. Swimmers are encouraged to regularly attend meets to use and continue developing the skills and conditioning learned during practice. Periodic test sets to determine conditioning are a part of this program.
Ages: 12-18 years old
Practices: One hour, 3-5 times per week
Requirements: Ability to swim freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly strokes, pace and interval training using a pace clock, and commitment to a rigorous training program.
Advanced Age Elite
The Elite program is for more experienced and dedicated swimmers who have mastered most of the fundamentals of technique. This program emphasizes aerobic, anaerobic, and strength training while continuing to refine strokes, starts, and turns to a high level. Swimmers are encouraged to regularly attend meets to use and continue developing the skills and conditioning learned during practice.
Ages: 12-18 years old
Practices: 90 minutes, 3-5 times per week
Requirements: Ability to swim freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly strokes, pace and interval training using a pace clock, and commitment to a rigorous training program.
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Swim Teams
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are tryouts required to join a team?
A tryout is required for new participants to assess skill and endurance levels. Register to attend an upcoming tryout.
Once your tryout is complete, you can register for a swim team!
How do I prepare to join swim team?
Our swim strokes and aquatics conditioning group swim lessons are ideal ways to enhance your technique and improve your endurance.
How long is the swim season?
YMCA swim team has two seasons:
- Regular Season: September - April
- Summer Season: May - August
Do I have to commit to the entire swim season?
No, we know kids and teens participate in multiple activities, and we want our swim team to work for you. Register for the months you're available and skip the ones you're not.
Who can join swim team?
Any kid or teen, ages 8-18, who can swim a lap of front crawl unassisted is eligible for the swim team.
What if my child doesn’t know all the strokes?
Many of our first-time swim team participants don’t know all the strokes. Our coaches teach the techniques for each stroke throughout the season.
What if I don’t know which practice group to sign up for?
Please contact the Aquatics Lead at your local Y with questions:
- Auburn Valley Y - Ryan Cohron, Aquatics Director
- Dale Turner Family Y - Zach Holm, Aquatics Director
- Northshore Y - Rylee Downs, Aquatics Supervisor
- West Seattle Family Y -Jenna Gill, Aquatics Director:
Do you have to be a Y member to participate in swim team?
Yes, you must be a Y member to join the swim team. The cost for membership is separate from swim team fees and swim meet fees. Financial assistance is available for memberships.
I cannot afford the full cost of swim team, is financial assistance available?
Yes! The Y is committed to ensuring all families have access to quality and enriching youth programs. If the fee for this program presents a challenge for your family, financial assistance is available.
For Y members, your program scholarship is already attached to your YMCA account and available upon registration. Learn more about financial assistance here.
How much does swim team cost?
Monthly swim team fees vary based on your practice group. Swim meets have separate fees and vary based on the hosting group. Swim team participants are also required to be Y members.
What happened to Junior Developmental and Developmental teams?
We recommend that swimmers interested in our non-competitive swim team programs consider our swim strokes or aquatics conditioning group swim lessons.
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Stay Engaged with the Y
Swim Lessons
As the largest provider of swim lessons in the country, we strive to help all ages learn how to swim, so they can stay safe around water and learn the skills needed to make swimming a lifelong pursuit for healthy living.
Join the Y!
With a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, improving health and well-being, and supporting our neighbors, your membership will not just bring about meaningful change in yourself, but also in your community.
Camp & Outdoor Leadership
The YMCA has been the leader in Summer Camp for over 130 years. Over this time, we’ve fine-tuned our programs to meet youth and their families wherever they are in their journey with the outdoors.
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