Frequently Asked Questions
|
Who can participate? |
Any child ages 3 to 18 may participate. |
| Does my child need to know how to swim to be on the team? | Swim team is an opportunity to improve/ strengthen swimming skills. It is not a time to learn to swim. Children who participate should have some proficiency in the water. Children who cannot swim across the pool independently may be placed in our "ducklings" program. |
Is there a try-out? |
No. For first-time team members there is a safety swim to show the coaches that the child can swim across the pool independently. Swimmers who cannot swim across the pool independently may be placed in our "ducklings" program. |
| What is the difference between a "duck" and a "duckling"? | Ducks are our swimmers that are able to swim completely independently. They compete during meets and their times count toward the team points that determine the "winners" at meets. Ducklings are our less experienced swimmers. They are not able to swim across the pool independently and are required to have a family member/adult in the water with them during practice and meets. They participate in both practice and meets, but their times are not counted toward the team points. The goal of the program is to have swimmers be independent by the end of the season and qualify to move up the next season. Some swimmers are able to achieve this goal mid-season and can be moved up to be a duck. |
| When is registration? | Registration generally occurs mid to late April every year. Follow us on social media or watch for our banners in the neighborhood for dates. |
| What if I do not live in Spanos Park East? | Families who do not reside in SPE can still join. You may either: 1. Pay a $100 HOA Family Sponsor Fee (requires that you know an HOA member) OR 2. If you live in a particular area, you may purchase a full access annual membership directly from the HOA. The price for this membership changes yearly. Contact Common Interest Management @ 209-507-7850 for more details. BOTH Sponsorships and Memberships can be paid for prior to or at the time of registration. These must be paid by check or cashiers check made out to Spanos Park East Owners' Association. If you pay prior to registration, receipts must be presented at registration to allow the swimmer to be registered. |
| How long is the season? |
The swim season runs from mid May until the beginning of July |
| Where & when are the meets? | Meets are all within the local area. Teams we compete against change slightly every year, but most occur within Stockton city limits. Meets are generally Tuesdays & Thursdays in June. Our season ends with a 3-day Championship Meet at St. Mary's High School in July |
| What kind of commitment is required of parents? | There are a lot of people needed to make swim meets happen. All parents are required to volunteer at all home meets and most away meets. There are a number of different jobs for those families who have small children and/or single parents. You can get more detailed information on volunteer positions at registration. |
| How much does it cost to be on swim team? |
Spanos Park East Residents: $145 for first swimmer; $135 for sibling swimmers Non-residents of Spanos Park East: $145 for first swimmer; $135 for sibling swimmers. $100 non-resident fee will be added to your registration. |
| How long is practice and how often? | Practices are 30 minutes for ducklings and 1 hour for ducks. While schools are still in session for the month of May, practices are in the evenings everyday, Monday through Friday. Once schools let out for the summer in June, practices will be held everyday, Monday through Friday, in the mornings. An evening practice alternative will be offered for those in need due to childcare/work obligations; however it is only offered to a limited number of participants prioritized to those in need. A sign-up will be required for those evening practices. *Practice times will be released and communicated through the Team Reach App after registration has closed |
| Can I drop off my child for practice or meets? |
No, Swimmers under 14 years of age must have a caregiver 18 yrs or older present at all times on the pool deck. This is an HOA rule at the pool for safety reasons. |
| Can we still be on swim team if we are planning a vacation? | Yes, we just ask families to mark their swimmer as not participating on those meet days so their child can be taken off the meet roster and you are not assigned a volunteer position. |
| What should my child wear to practice? | Swimmers should wear a swimsuit, swim cap, and goggles to practices. Team swim caps will be provided to each swimmer after registration at no additional cost. |
| What should my child wear to swim meets? | While we do have a storefront selling our team suits for an additional cost, we do not require that you purchase these. If you choose to purchase our team swimsuit, you can purchase here (ENTER LINK). If you choose not to purchase a team swimsuit, please have a black or green swimsuit for swim meets. Additionally, they must wear their goggles and the team swim cap for meets. |
| I'd like to show my team spirit for our Ducks! | Yes! Sport our team colors of green and black. You can also check out our spirit wear on our storefront (ENTER LINK HERE). |
| How do I know what size suit to order for my swimmer? | We have suits in every size and style for your swimmer to try-on to ensure proper fit prior to you placing your order. Just ask one of the Reps! |
| When are swim meets? | Swim Meets occur on Tuesday & Thursday evenings from 5:30-8:30. Swimmers will be asked to arrive early to prepare and warm-up. Coaches and Reps will provide more information on specific time to arrive. |
| Will there be an opportunity for my child to build specific swim skills? | Yes! There are a few Saturday clinics offered for an additional fee of $8 per swimmer or $15 per family. As a reminder-Swim team is an opportunity to improve/ strengthen swimming skills. It is not a time to learn to swim. Children who participate should have some proficiency in the water. |
Policies & Agreements
Below are the links to the waivers and agreements our families sign at registration.
If you have questions, please reach out through the contact us link or email directly:
Swimmer Agreement/ Code of Conduct
Contact Us