Swim Teams at the YMCA

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.

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.

Registration

All swimmers interested in joining swim team are required to attend an assessment with the team’s coaches prior to registering. To set up an assessment, contact the team you are interested in joining. Please see below for locations/contact information.

Fee required to participate:

• Fee is determined based on the practice group, financial assistance is available

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
• Junior
• Senior

For more information on the Marlins team or how to join, contact: marlins@ymcamn.org.

Visit our website here.

Narwhals

Practices at New Hope and Ridgedale View brochure

Practice Groups Available:

• Novice
• Age Group
• Senior

For more information on the Narwhals team or how to join, contact: narwhals@ymcamn.org.

Rays

Practices at Elk River View brochure

Practice Groups Available:

• Novice
• Age Group
• Senior

For more information on the Rays team or how to join, contact: rays@ymcamn.org.

Sharks

Practices at Southdale View brochure

Practice Groups Available:

• Novice
• Age Group
• Junior

Sharks are currently not accepting any new swimmers for the spring/summer 2024 season.

For more information on the Sharks team or how to join, contact: sharks@ymcamn.org.

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.