What if my swimmer is too slow? What if he or she
is not "good enough"?
All of our swimmers train, compete and improve regardless
of their initial skill and ability. The team has swimmers of all ages and ability levels, and they have a great
time swimming at the best level that they can achieve. The Gator Swim Team allows swimmers to strive for goals
and standards from the first-year beginner to the seasoned veteran. Each and every swimmer benefits from being
part of a structured environment that stresses important life skills like honesty, dedication, respect,
responsibility, sportsmanship, trust and pride. Each and every swimmer is accommodated at his or her ability and
the team strives to live by the philosophy that there is no bench in swimming.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the age and ability level of your child. The swimmers with the least ability pay
the least, while those that require a higher level of coaching and pool usage bear the greatest expense. Besides
the USA Swimming membership fee of $52 per swimmer per year, each swimmer's family will be responsible for a
monthly fee that varies according to the age and ability level of the swimmer (see table in the
Registration Information and Application Forms document). Other costs, mostly associated with going to
meets, include: meet entries, lodging, travel, food and similar incidental fees. The team has fixed cost and
expenses, and we strive to ensure that the monthly fee is kept as low as possible while providing our swimmers
with a professional coaching staff and access to facilities as needed.
What is the practice schedule?
Practices during the school year are usually in the evening after school. When school is not in session
there will be other practices and scheduling information will be available. Practices are held every day excluding
Sunday and each swimmer will be provided with a practice schedule. The tentative schedule
for the fall is: 4:00 - 6:00pm for older kids (Age Group 1 and Seniors) and 6:00 - 7:30pm for the younger kids (Age
Groups 2 and 3).
Does my child have to compete?
Yes, when the coach determines he or she is ready. The team highly encourages competition. Swimming
competitions (swim meets) are meant to test the swimmers and allow them to compete against others. Competition is a
great way to see if they have improved technique and fitness. Plus, swimmers get a sense of accomplishment when they
see the results of their hard work in practice. The meet schedule will be determined in advance. The coach will
discuss with you which meets would be best for your swimmer.
What is the time commitment and other expectations from parents?
Since the Gator Swim Team is parent-owned and operated, we rely on parents to help with the various aspects
of running the team. For most families, this means helping with our home meets. We host one USA Swimming meets in
the fall, two in the spring and one in the summer. These meets are also the main fund-raisers that help keep our
cost low for all of our swimmers. There is a lot for our parents to do to help in hosting meets and the team has
worked to ensure that parents with different "talents" and schedules can help the team and, thus, help their
swimmers.
Is it going to conflict with other activities such as dance, soccer, and
other sports?
Many Gator swimmers take part in other activities and benefit from our flexible schedule. That said, new
families learn quickly that in swimming, like any othe sport, practice does make perfect, so kids themselves learn
to be reasonable about everything they do, making this an invaluable lesson in time management that will last a
lifetime. The Gator Swim Team is just that: a swim team. As such we realize that the more time in the pool that the
swimmer has the better he or she will be.
What are the differences between summer league and USA Swimming in terms of
practice and competition?
Summer league is a good introduction to the sport and an opportunity to compete locally within a conference
made up of local teams. USA Swimming takes the swimmers’ interest to the next level and into the entire year.
Athletes are provided with a structured environment that allows them to improve themselves throughout the year with
the same professional supervision of licensed coaches and assistants that he or she had during the summer, but with
more focus and time spent on technique and style. Also, in USA swimming the swim meets are much less frequent with
most swimmers going to one meet a month, on average.