Barracudas

Build your strength, stamina and spirit as we perfect our strokes as a team. Through the Y’s swimming programs, kids have the opportunity to make friends, get active and discover what they can achieve. The goal of the Barracudas Swim Club is to create a strong team spirit, foster personal growth and improve each participant’s swimming skills.  Register here: $115 for YMCA members, $160 for Community members (registration includes a team t-shirt)

  • Practices will start January 7 and go through February 21 for kids ages 5–18.  Come to as many practices per week as you can, but they are not mandatory.

  • If your child has never been on a Y swim team before, please join us any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night from 5:30-6:00 p.m. for a preliminary swim test.

  • Parent meeting, Monday, January 14 at 7:30 p.m.
  • We will have one swim meet with another YMCA (date: TBA), multiple inter-squad meets, and an end-of-season party for all swim team families. Each swimmer will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the season. 

Barracudas History
The Barracudas Swim Club started in the spring of 2002 with eight children from our YMCA Shark swim level and has continued to grow ever since. In this short period of time we have successfully introduced many swimmers to competitive swimming skills.  We are proud to note that several of our swimmers have gone on to swim for their respective high school teams.

 

Barracudas Philosophy, Mission and Primary Objective
The Barracudas Swim Club is concerned with having all kids have fun and participate with the team, rather than  on producing elite athletes. Therefore, our program teaches fundamental swimming skills and encourages lifetime involvement in physical activity while also emphasizing  the values of fitness, healthy living, self-respect, and respect for others. These are central themes in the YMCA sports philosophy. The following are the essential elements of the YMCA competitive aquatic philosophy to which we adhere:

  • support and instruct every swimmer on the team
  • work on basic skills and teach good physical habits
  • teach fair play and mutual respect
  • help swimmers set and evaluate individual and team goals
  • foster a winning attitude, in both victory and defeat
  • encourage lifetime involvement in sports an physical activity
  • work with the whole person -- spirit, mind and body 

 Coaching Staff Responsibilities

  • Run practice
  • Set and pursue individual and team goals by working closely with the swimmers
  • Set policies, establishing practice, and meet schedules
  • Work in cooperation with the Parents in promoting and developing the team
  • Teach the YMCA core values - respect, responsibility, caring, and honesty

 Swimmer Responsibilities

  • Attend practice on a regular basis
  • Communicate effectively with the coaching staff
  • Support his/her teammates
  • Demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times
  • Appreciate your parents
  • Attend all meets in which you have entered
  • Act responsibly in the locker rooms
  • Make new friends
  • HAVE FUN

 Parent Responsibilities

  • Drop and collect your swimmer(s) to and from swim practices/meets on time.
  • Support the team as a whole by volunteering your time
  • Obtain and read a copy of the quarterly Barracudas newsletter
  • Fulfill all financial obligations related to the team (for example, swim meet fees) in a timely manner
  • Keep communications with the coaching staff frequent and open