Dominion Hills Swim Team

Our Philosophy

The philosophy of the Dominion Hills swim team is that having fun is the most important thing we can do. Most of the kids don’t care if we’re in a top division or a bottom division. We’d all like to be division champions, which usually means going undefeated, but only one team out of six can usually claim this honor. In addition to having fun, personal development is also an important goal, and, for a swimmer, that usually means improving their times. We believe that by establishing a healthy environment that encourages kids to do their best, recognizes their contributions, and is fun for the entire family, we will have met our goals.

We’ve all taken our kids to soccer, baseball, or other sports and probably stood by as two or three parents ran the team. Swimming isn’t like that. You can’t run a swim program without parental help. In fact, it takes over 40 parents to time, officiate, and score a typical swim meet, and that doesn’t include pool set up and tear down, or running concessions or other behind-the-scenes team activities.

Swimming is unique in that there’s a place on the team for anyone eighteen or younger who can swim across the pool (25 meters) without assistance. How many other sports have kids five years old to eighteen years old on the same team participating in the same competition?

Expectations

Although swimming is considered an individual sport, our summer league is structured with an emphasis on the team. Any team is only as good as the people on it. In keeping with our philosophy articulated above, our expectations are simple:

1. The Dominion Hills Swim Team is not a swim lesson program. A swimmer should be able to tread water for one minute and swim one length of the pool to join the team. We don’t necessarily care how fast, or how ugly, or how legal the stroke is, or even how long it takes to swim that length. We’ll help your swimmer become a better swimmer, but in fairness to the other 230+ swimmers on the team, and especially for the safety of your swimmer during practices, we must insist that all swim team members be competent and comfortable in the water. Your child will feel better about his/her being on the team if he/she is competitive with most of the other kids of the same age.

2. Keep your commitments: We’re planning on you being available for all swim meets, unless you tell us you’re not available, preferably at sign up, but, at least three days in advance.

3. Pay attention to the coaches: With nearly 250 swimmers, disruptions aren’t fair to the other swimmers.

4. Do your best - it’s a lot more important than being the best.

5. Have fun!