Everything You Need to Know About Children’s Swim Teams

by Michaela Bagwell

We may be a little biased, but we happen to think swimming is absolutely the best activity! It’s fun, and great exercise, and once kids are ready for them, children’s swim teams often deliver the many benefits of any youth sports program. In fact, if your kids have graduated from swim lessons and still crave more time in the pool, a swim team is a terrific idea.

What does that look like? What sort of prerequisites do you need to worry about? Discover how to get on a swim team, swim team tryout requirements, and everything else you need to know to prepare your young ones for children’s swim team success.

Swim Team Requirements and Expectations

Requirements and expectations vary by swim team, but they should have criteria available to review before jumping in. Those requirements should also differ based on the team's age/level. The degree of discipline required at age 6 and 12 will look pretty distinct.

That being said, you can expect these basic expectations for most children’s swim teams:

  • Basic Skills: Obviously, swimming skills are essential. Beyond the basics, it’s valuable for your children to have a couple of different strokes under their belt, even if they haven’t mastered them. Stamina will increase with practice, but swim teams at most levels will expect your child to be able to do at least a couple of laps without stopping.
  • Age Requirements: This one should be easy to figure out. Kids develop a lot from year to year, so swim teams at this level tend to be bracketed into pretty small age groups (e.g., 6–8, 9–10, 11–12, etc.).
  • Discipline Level: As with any organized sport, team swimmers need to be able to listen to the coaches, stay focused during practice, commit to regular practice sessions, and hone their skills on their own. Again, this looks different at age six than it would for a pre-teen, so just consider what an organized team setting might look like at your child’s current maturity level.

How to Prepare for Swim Team Tryouts

Do you need to worry about tryouts? That depends on the swim team and age level. Let’s look at some tips for how to train for swim team tryouts.

  1. We recommend you begin by getting as much information from the coach or organization as possible. While we gave general tips in the previous section, specific guidance on expectations and the tryout process can tell you exactly what to work on.
  2. No matter what level your child is currently performing at, they can always improve. Consider looking into some more advanced swim lessons or working with a coach to improve their skills and build confidence. Experienced teachers know how to guide your kids toward achieving their goals and may be able to offer insights into the tryouts process.
  3. If your child has only swum for fun up until now, doing some swimming challenges, mock tryouts, or practice races will build confidence so they aren’t overwhelmed by nerves when the tryout approaches.

It’s time for tryouts! How exciting. Now let’s make sure your little guy or gal is ready for success.

There are a few essentials you’ll want to bring. It’s basically the same list they would bring to swim lessons: goggles, water bottle, towel, swim cap, swim shoes. Whatever prepares them for the water should be part of their inventory that day.

Talk to the coach and find out whether the pool is available for warmups before tryouts begin. If the answer is yes, get there early and take advantage of it! You’ll want your kiddo to feel comfortable in the water before they have to prove themselves.

The other main ingredient is one we’ve already touched on: confidence. Help them get out of their head by focusing on technique and doing their best. Fixating on the other swimmers will just be a distraction.

If tryouts prove to be too anxiety-inducing for your kid, that’s okay! Do a little more searching or ask the coach if they’re aware of any less competitive teams that might not have a very strenuous process.

Commitment and Practice Requirements Once on a Team

Practice schedule commitment will vary depending on the age level and how competitive the league is. Kids’ swim teams might hold practice anywhere from 1–4 days a week during the season.

The overall commitment looks similar to any other children’s team sport. If this is a new experience for your family, it may take some adjusting to learn how to balance the swim team, schoolwork, and other activities.

Here are some tips:

  • Stick to a routine. Many kids do extremely well when they know what to expect. Get home from school at 3 pm, pool until 4 pm, homework until it’s done, dinner at 6 pm—whatever works for you.
  • Encourage open communication. Watch the amount of pressure your kid is under—from teachers, coaches, parents, etc. Initiate frank conversations and temperature checks so you’re always aware of how they’re doing with their new schedule.
  • Allow for grace and breaks. Factor in breaks! And remember that the routine should serve your child’s needs, not shackle them. Don’t be shy about making exceptions to benefit their mental and physical health. A swim team can be a great, uplifting experience with numerous benefits, but a kid needs to be able to be a kid.

The Benefits of Joining a Swim Team

As we mentioned above, a swim team offers all the usual benefits of organized sports in addition to the many health benefits inherent to swimming.

  • Physical Fitness: Swimming is an outstanding exercise. It’s a whole body workout that’s easy on the joints. It builds muscle, endurance, and cardiovascular strength. And it’s fun.
  • Mental Health: Participating in youth sports is associated with lower depression, lower anxiety, increased creativity, and fewer risky behaviors.
  • Teamwork Skills: Working with other people is a reality for most of us. From group projects in school to team projects at work and the relationships we forge with the people closest to us, the ability to be part of a team and work together is a lifelong skill.
  • Increased Discipline: Whether your kid’s swim team meets once or four times a week, the discipline of showing up when you’re supposed to, listening to the coaches, and giving it your all develops discipline your kids can use the rest of their lives.
  • Friendships: Positive relationships with teammates can prove to be a formative, integral part of your child’s development. Working alongside each other to achieve a goal is a great way to bond.

This is really just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll find all sorts of additional benefits unique to your family as you get involved.

How Big Blue Swim School Can Help Your Child Succeed

A children’s swim team offers numerous benefits and opportunities, but you can’t put the cart before the proverbial horse. Strong swimming skills are a prerequisite for all sorts of fun in the water, including participation in a swim team.

If your kid doesn’t know how to swim or needs to strengthen their skills, Big Blue Swim School is the perfect place to make that happen. Our thoroughly trained, full-time instructors and super clean warm water facilities make it easy to get used to the pool. Sign your kids up for a free trial lesson at a Big Blue near you to get the ball rolling.