The Starter Swim program goal is to prepare young swimmers of waitlist families for future participation with the Arbor Heights swim team through pre-competitive swim instruction and social opportunities. In Starter Swim, your swimmer will have the opportunity to learn or polish all four strokes, build endurance to swim longer distances, learn competitive swim skills such as reading the clock, circle swimming, turns, and dives, all while having fun and meeting new friends!
How is Starter Swim Different from Swim Team?
Starter swim participants attend swim team practices, clinics, and team-sponsored social events, but do not race at swim meets. Here are highlights of what is included in this program:
- Spring Practices: Weekday afternoons (5 days per week for age 7 and up, T/Th only for 6 and under)
- Red & Blue Intersquad Practice Meet (a Saturday morning)
- Team Summer Kick-off BBQ Party
- Summer Practices: Weekday mornings (5 days per week for age 7 and up, MWF for 6 and under)
- Team Picture Day & Pancake Breakfast (no practice this day)
- Start & Turn Swim Clinics (2 Saturday mornings)
- End of Season Party
For more information, review the swim team page and the club calendar. Note, it is not mandatory to attend all practices, absences due to other commitments is normal and expected.
League requirements prohibit non-members from competing for swim teams, and so Starter Swim participants cannot swim at swim meets. Starter Swim does not does not offer further opportunities for the participant or family to use club facilities outside designated team-sponsored activities and events.
Participant Requirements
Starter Swim is not a substitute for swim lessons. All participants must demonstrate swim proficiency sufficient to ensure water safety within a large group environment. For age 6 and under this means ability to kick, with kickboard, across the dive tank and demonstrate board safety in the water; for ages 7-8 this means ability to swim crawl stroke unassisted across the width of the pool, and use a kickboard. For ages 9-12, this would be the ability to proficiently swim 25 yards of crawl stroke.
Registration
Registration in Starter Swim is offered to interested families prioritized based on waitlist position, in line with the objective of our program to prepare swimmers for future full participation on the team. Families with waitlist number 300 or lower will receive an invitation to register for Starter Swim. Other waitlist families will be offered registration on a space-available basis based on their waitlist position, until the program is full. If you are interested in registering for Starter Swim, please complete this interest form.
If there is space in the program, a link for billing will be emailed separately to you. The activity fee is $250 per child for ages 7 and up, and $150 per child for age 6 and under (“Speedy Sixers”) who practice less frequently but with more supervision than older swimmers. Registration and payment must be completed before the participant begins attending practices.
Refund Policy
The provision of refunds to families who sign up for programs and activities is costly due to credit card fees and the need to pay a third-party firm to process refunds. Prorated refunds for Starter Swim fees less a $25 processing fee will be provided for requests until the Red & Blue meet, after which there are no refunds.
