This competitive program offers children and teens an opportunity to work with trained coaches to improve swimming skills, endurance and promote a healthy lifestyle.
- Ages: Five to 18 years
- Requirements: Swimmers must:
- Have a YMCA membership
- Be able to demonstrate the following skills:
- Can swim 25 yards freestyle demonstrating breathing to the side and good body position
- Can swim 25 yards backstroke demonstrating good body position
- Can demonstrate the fundamental knowledge of what breaststroke and butterfly should look like
- Can demonstrate the fundamentals of a forward dive from the edge of the pool
- Mastery of strokes is NOT required to join!
Swim Team Basics
Becoming a member of the YMCA Swim Team means fun, fitness and teamwork. The YMCA swim team is a developmental swim program run by trained coaches to improve swimmers' competitive skills and endurance through progression rather than intense competition. The YMCA swim team promotes healthy lifestyles while embracing the five core values of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and equity.
Our trained coaches work to improve swimmers' skill level, endurance and to promote a healthy lifestyle. Our program embraces the YMCA core values and promotes progression at an individual level.
The YMCA Swim Team offers up to three practice times a week for beginning swimmers and more for advanced groups. Swimmers are encouraged to attend at least 2-3 practices a week.
There are also several volunteer opportunities to help support the YMCA Swim Team.
Online Registration
Registration for swim team will open soon! Please see below for locations/availability.
Fee required to participate:
- Fee is determined based on the practice group, financial assistance is available
For general swim team questions, contact: swim.team@ymcanorth.org
YMCA Swim Teams
We will have swim team at several YMCA locations. Check our team brochures for more information about practice locations and times.
Mariners
Practices at White Bear and Maplewood Community Center View brochure
Practice Groups Available:
- Novice
- Age Group
- Senior
For more information on the Mariners team or how to join, contact: mariners@ymcamn.org.
Marlins
Practices at Shoreview View brochure
Practice Groups Available:
- Novice
- Age Group
- Senior
For more information on the Mariners team or how to join, contact: marlins@ymcamn.org.
Narwhals
Practices at New Hope and Ridgedale View brochure
Practice Groups Available:
- Novice
- Age Group
- Senior
For more information on the Mariners team or how to join, contact: narwhals@ymcamn.org.
Rays
Practices at Elk River and Emma B. Howe View brochure
Practice Groups Available:
- Novice
- Age Group
- Senior
For more information on the Mariners team or how to join, contact: rays@ymcamn.org.
Sharks
Practices at Southdale View brochure
Practice Groups Available:
- Novice
- Age Group
For more information on the Mariners team or how to join, contact: sharks@ymcamn.org.
Storm
Practices at Hudson View brochure
Practice Groups Available:
- Novice
- Age Group
- Senior
For more information on the Mariners team or how to join, contact: storm@ymcamn.org.
As of Fall 2022 our Lakers and Orcas teams have been put on indefinite hold with no re-start date.
Team Groups
The Y Swim Team is divided into several training groups, done with the consideration of the swimmers’ development of technical skills, training abilities, maturity, competitive levels, time standards and group availability. The progressive structure of these groups provides a setting in which swimmers are continually challenged yet are able to experience individual and team successes. All group placement decisions are made by the entire coaching staff and done so in the best interest of the swimmers and their long term development.
The Novice Group provides younger swimmers with the opportunities to develop the fundamental skills of the four competitive strokes, turns and starts, plus to learn basic racing skills. Generally, swimmers will be placed in training groups based upon their age and ability.
Placement into Novice
- 5 – 11 years of age
- Can swim in deep water
- Can swim 25 yards freestyle demonstrating breathing to the side and good body position
- Can swim 25 yards backstroke demonstrating good body position
- Can swim 25 yards breaststroke or butterfly is a plus
- Can demonstrate a forward dive from the edge of the pool
The Age Group I group focuses on continued development in stroke technique and efficiency plus the introduction of aerobic training.
Placement into Age Group I
- 8 – 12 years of age
- Has demonstrated legal technique in all four strokes
Age Group II continues to refine stroke technique and efficiency, plus sets a strong foundation for aerobic training with longer freestyle sets and IM sets as the staples for the workouts.
Placement into Age Group II
- 10 – 13 years of age.
- Has demonstrated legal technique in all four strokes
- Has coaches’ recommendations
The Senior I group is for those swimmers who are dedicated to improving their skills in swimming with an eye to either becoming more competitive in the sport, or to continue their competitive swimming career. Stroke technique and aerobic training are emphasized at every workout.
Placement into Senior I
- 11 years of age
- Can demonstrate legally the following strokes and distances: 200-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Backstroke, 100-yard Breaststroke and 50-yard Butterfly.
- Can demonstrate a forward dive from the edge of the pool
- Has coaches’ recommendations
The Senior II group provides a rigorous training regimen plus continued efficient stroke technique for swimmers who have made a strong commitment to the sport of swimming. Members in this group are looking at the regional competition with strong qualifying standards.
Placement into Senior II
- 13 years of age
- Can demonstrate legally the following strokes and distances: 200-yard Freestyle, 100-yard Backstroke, 100-yard Breaststroke and 50-yard Butterfly.
- Can demonstrate a forward dive from the edge of the pool
- Coaches’ recommendations