Competitive Swim Team
Age Group 12 & Under
Senior 12+

Waterskills has two major groups that establish our competitive swimming program. Our Age Group Junior & Senior Programs. Together, these programs represent Waterskills at highest level locally and nationally. Waterskills focuses on skill development and age appropriate training within each of our competitive swimming groups.

What competitive group does the swimmer fall into?

Waterskills Swimming Competition

Why Waterskills Host or Run Swim Meets?
Swimmers need swim meets
Parents can benefit from swim meets
Waterskills benefit from swim meets

Understanding why we host, or run, swim meets can help give both motivation and direction to swimmers, parents and coaches. Our aim is simple, to create positive change in the sport of swimming through creation of age group swimming meets on a local, national and global scale.

Understanding why we host, or run, swim meets

Competitive swimmers need times to measure their personal progress and compete at higher level meets. At meets, swimmers not only get times, they also get to have fun, to compete, gauge progress, gain meet experience, interact with teammates and other swimmers. Meet specific feedback from coaches, feedback from officials (Granted, this is usually in the form of disqualifications, but remember, no experience is wasted if we learn from it). The opportunity to learn a variety of life lessons, like the joy that comes from accomplishing goals after working hard and resilience in the face of adversity.
When parents attend meets they can get to know their swimmer’s teammates, other parents, and coaches. They also get to know the sport better. When they volunteer as meet workers they learn even more. Additionally, they set a good example for their child(ren) by giving back. Volunteering also helps to keep costs down. Parent volunteering often begins with helping at a swim meet. When parents are more involved they become, more knowledgeable about the sport, better able to support their swimmer, more capable as a volunteer, connected to other swim parents, and more invested in the organization.
Our aim is simple, to create positive change in the sport of swimming through creation of age group swimming meets on a local, national and global scale. Meets are mandatory to develop competitive swimmers. Hosting quality local meets increases team unity and participation. Well-planned and produced swim meets benefit all.

MEET EVENTS INFO Boys and girls generally swim each event separately.

The first event of every meet is the 100 meter Individual Medley, aka the 100 IM. We use abbreviations for everything! It’s like learning a new language. In the 100 IM, one swimmer swims one lap, one length of the pool, of each stroke in a specific order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
All age groups swim the Medley Relay, including 8 and under. It is a relay consisting of 4 swimmers. The Medley Relay has a specific stroke order: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. Since the younger children only swim one lap each, those swimmers swimming the breaststroke and freestyle portion of the relay must be at the opposite end of the pool, not the starting block end. Those swimmers will start in the water.
After the Medley Relays come the freestyle events. These progress as the events above, from youngest to oldest, with the girls swimming before the boys in each age category.
Backstroke events follow the freestyle events.
Breaststroke events follow the backstroke events.
Butterfly events follow the breaststroke events.
The freestyle relays are the last events of the meet. The children love relays and get a real sense of being part of a team by competing in them. Unforeseen circumstances may result in a child being placed in the relay at last minute, so never leave meets early! The relay team has 4 swimmers. Ages 10 and under swim a 100 meter relay, which means each swimmer swims one lap of freestyle. Ages 11-12 and up all swim a 200 meter relay, which means each swimmer swims two laps of freestyle.