Competition Team
Our USA Swimming Competition Team is the heart of our swim programming. We coach athletes who are successful at the local, regional, and national levels. We are always striving to provide opportunities for our athletes to develop into the best versions of themselves. Our beginner competition team group is our Prep team. Athletes must be a minimum of 7 years of age and be able to swim all 4 strokes legally. Each training group has specific requirements to enter each group as well as participation expectations. Our selectivity is for the betterment of our swimmers and staff who work hard daily to reach personal goals. Our competition team swimmers are successful both in and out of the pool and are prepared for collegiate swimming if they choose to pursue that path. Our training is year-round, with necessary scheduled breaks that conform to our team's goals. If you want to receive quality instruction in a more laid-back environment, our Recreational team is a good fit for you.
Group Descriptions
Preparatory Competition Team
The purpose of this group is just as it sounds. The focus of this group is enhancing swimming ability through constant technical focus and introduction to all the varied concepts of competitive swimming on a weekly basis. Times, distance, and intervals are introduced but not the focus. The goal is to have a well- trained efficient swimmer to move into our Junior team. Specifically, Prep Team swimmers must be able to swim all 4 strokes legally and work towards swimming a 200yd free and 200-yard IM without stopping. They are also required to compete in a minimum of 2 meets per season. Additionally, swimmers need to be willing to learn, capable of understanding terms such as pace, and interval and know the basic swim events. They also need to compete in their season ending championship meet. Decisions on moving into this group or from this group are based on physical readiness, technical readiness, and social/emotional readiness. Practice is offered 3 times per week depending on location. Practice minimum is two days per week or one day if a multi-sport athlete.
*Minimum Expectations upon moving to the next group: Swim a minimal pace Junior set without stopping, ex:.10 x 50s free on 1:00 interval. Be able to swim a 100IM legally and 200fr without stopping. Must know how to do a flip turn and must know the concepts of pace, intervals and have basic knowledge of the pace clock. Must have achieved one state time. Additionally, swimmers must be respectful to their coaches and respectful to their teammates in a group setting in that they are no discipline issues when moving to the Junior group. Swimmers must also be able to complete the entire practice on a regular basis without complaining, needing assistance or obvious signs of fatigue (sloppy strokes .etc.)
Prep Plus
Prep Plus is our newest training group and is designed for our more advanced prep team swimmers to cross over and swim with our Junior team once per week. We created this group to make the transition between groups smoother and to offer more to the athletes who are close to moving.
*Minimum expectations up moving from Prep Plus to Junior: Has at least 2 or more state qualifying times, has competed a 200fr and 200IM legally. Can swim 10 x 50fr :55 and has an IMR score of 2000 or higher.
Junior Team
Our Junior team swimmers are some of our most excited, motivated, and eager swimmers to teach. Junior swimmers have met the expectations of the Preparatory training group and are ready for more advanced swimming. Swimmers in this group continue to work on fundamentals but learn more drills, increase yardage, and focus more of practice on intervals. The training plan of a Junior swimmer is more complex than the lower levels of our team and builds upon the base created in the Swim lessons, Sea babies, and Prep team training groups. Our Junior group has a bell curve of swimmers from age 10 to age 14 and swimmers have achieved time standards of BB to AAAA. One of the main goals of this training group is to produce independent learners, swimmers, and leaders on our team. Our 11-14 swimmers in this group must see and feel success and understand what it means to lead by example before they transition onto our Senior team. Swimmers must attend a minimum of 4 meets per season (August- March/March-August) in this group. Swimmers are expected to swim a minimum of 3 days a week, with 4 recommended or 2 with involvement in another sport. Success at meets is aligned with attendance and consistency of practice.
*Minimum Expectations to be selected to Junior Plus: Swimmers selected to be a part of the Junior Plus group include factors such as which season-ending meet your child will attend as well as commitment and participation in the previous season including social and emotional development. Swimmers meet performance, age, practice commitment, practice performance, and time standards are all taken into consideration. 13-14-year-olds must have at least two state qualifying times to move up and 15 and overs must have a BB time in one or more events. Swimmers must also be able to hold an endurance pace set repeatedly for a minimum of 6 months of the following: 10 x 100fr on 1:30 and be able to complete a 400IM. In addition, to move, swimmers must know all pace intervals and all stroke drills when recalled. Social, emotional, developmentally appropriate growth and maturity are also taken into consideration as the top-level swimmers in the next group are in high school. We also take into consideration space, upcoming graduates, number of expected years in the training group and more in deciding which group to move in to. In transition from Junior to Senior groups, the child’s best interest is always a priority and the coaches’ discretion is the ultimate guide.
Junior Plus
Our Junior plus athletes have shown readiness to move on to the Senior team group. These athletes can swim with the Senior team at least once per week to ensure a smooth transition. Athletes must have a strong commitment to the sport with concrete goals for their swimming progress. Athletes must be willing to intentionally work and get faster at each practice and have knowledge of their times/pacing.
Senior Team
Our Senior team is the current top training group of the team. Swimmers must have achieved the expectations of the Junior group to move to this level. Senior swimmers must also exhibit a high level of maturity, work ethic, positive attitude, and commitment to the group, truly exemplifying a leader in all capacities. Our top swimmers are training to get accepted into College Swimming programs and also attend high-level competitions. While these are the ultimate levels of success in our Senior Team, we understand that not everyone is at the same level. Therefore, swimmers in this group MUST be respectful of all levels of athletes and not cause a disruption in training or focus during practice so all swimmers can reach their goals. During high school swim season, Senior swimmers must compete in at least 1 SLST team meet. Swimmers are expected to attend at least 4 practices a week, with 5 being recommended.
*Group expectations upon completing tenure with the program: State qualifying time, goals for swimming with a purpose, actively working to achieve highest potential in swimming for the season (State, Sectionals, Juniors, Seniors or College swimming). Upon graduating from SLST, we intend for your child to have a love of swimming that goes beyond the pool and times. And, be prepared for collegiate or professional swimming, if the swimmer chooses.
High Performance training group
This group’s goal is to have our top achieving athletes swim together to work on different skills and concepts to have them ready for out of state competition. The goal for each swimmer is to achieve a higher-level qualifying time or be competitive at the meet they attend. The practice day works in tandem with our regular practice and, if accepting enrollment, will be required to practice with their regular training group a minimum of 4 times per week and on Saturdays. This group is not exclusionary, but motivational. It is also to enhance the work already being done in daily practice.
Qualifications for being selected to the practice group are based on the season before.
- Must have achieved at least one Texas Sectional Qualifying or 3 Age Group Sectional Qualifying times
- Achieved a Zone automatic qualifying time
- Must attend the qualifying meet in the upcoming year, if aged out of the qualifying age group—goal is achieving the next age group time this season.
- Must compete in the State Championships in both Short and Long Course
- Must compete in at least one prelim/final meet each season that is not a Championship meet—if offered by our team
- Must complete and IMX score each season
Fees
USA Swimming Fee: $88/year+ Per swimmer *now registered by each family directly to USA Swimming Monthly tuition by training group.
Prep: $100, Prep Plus $105 Junior $115 Junior Plus $120 Senior $125 Senior weights: $15 additional fee.
