Swimmer Readiness and Sign-Up Information

*If I am not a current Peninsula Club Member, can my child swim on swim team? If I am on the waitlist for the Peninsula Club, can I be on the swim team?

Unfortunately, you must be an active member of the Peninsula Club in order to participate in swim or tennis as well as any other social activities at Peninsula Club. We apologize, but we have many families on our current waitlist, so please contact our Membership Chair for more information if you are interested in joining our Club.

* How do I know if my child is ready for swim team or if he/she will be able to do it?

If you have a swimmer who can swim the entire length of the 25 yard pool (without stopping, holding onto the side, the lane rope, or standing on the bottom), is comfortable in the deep end, and has basic freestyle and backstroke knowledge, they would be a great addition to our swim team. Coaches will work on stroke techniques and build endurance throughout the season.

If your swimmer is not yet able to swim the full length of the pool but can swim a portion of the pool unassisted, is comfortable in the water and can listen to coaches and follow instructions, the Neverlands is a great option.

Our coaches will partner with parents to advise when a child is ready to graduate out of the Neverlands program and attend regular swim practices.

* When is swim team registration?

Registration typically starts in March and closes in May. Members will be emailed when registration opens.

Practices

*How many practices do they need to attend?

There is no requirement but the more practices your swimmer attends, the more he/she will improve. We also know that it’s summer with lots of camps and vacations planned so do your best to attend but don’t worry about having perfect attendance. We also have quite a few swimmers who attend both morning and evening practices.

* Parent Participation and Spectating:

Whether or not you stay for practice totally up to you, some stay and some don’t. In the morning, lots of parents drop off and then go for a walk or play tennis or run to the grocery store. However, this is not a babysitting service. If you have a younger child who may need more assistance, please plan to stay to assist or have someone look after them.

The greatest contribution you can make to your swimmer’s progress is to be a supportive parent and allow them independence during the practice sessions. Our goal is for the swimmers to focus their attention on their coach during the practice session. Please assist the coaches by not talking with or motioning to swimmers during practice. Coaches and parents are on the same team in regard to wanting to see a child thrive in their learning environment and with the skills being taught, but the coaches must be allowed to regulate a swimmer’s swimming speed or lane order on a given length and address behavioral issues. Self-regulation to pay attention to the task at hand, successes and failures, and adapting to the learning environment are all part of the process.

If urgent questions or concerns arise, you may approach the head coach during practice to allow our age-group coaches to continue giving their attention to all of our swimmers. Otherwise, feel free to chat with any of the coaches before or after practice! If you're new to the swim team, come introduce yourself!

Private Swim Lessons

* What about swim lessons?

If your child is currently on the swim team and you would like additional lessons or technique work beyond daily practices, please contact one of the swim coaches! Additionally, if you have a child who is not on the swim team, some of our life guards offer lessons for new swimmers as well!

Swim Meets

* Are swim meets required?

The swim meets are honestly the best part of swim team! The kids have so much fun and everyone has the opportunity to swim. We strongly encourage all swimmers to participate in as many meets as possible!! And remember, all kids are nervous about their first meet but competing helps build confidence and allows kids to take pride in their efforts!

* What do parents do at swim meets?

Besides cheering really loud for the Pirates, parents are required to work one session per meet. There are a TON of different jobs you can do, and lots of them don’t even have anything to do with swimming! We rely COMPLETELY on parents to run swim meets, and we are required to provide workers at away meets too.  Volunteer emails will roll out as the season gets going; make sure you sign-up!

*What should i bring?

Bring your child a towel, cap, and goggles. You may want to pack a chair for you or your child, dinner, snacks and bring cash for the concession stands.

*What time should i get there and how long do meets last?

Home Team warm-up is at 5:00

Visiting Team warm-up is at 5:30

Meets start at 6:00 pm and end around 9:00 pm

What is the Smoky Mountain Invitational Meet?

The Smoky Mountain Invitational Meet (SMI) is a Saturday-Sunday, regional meet with teams from Knox and surrounding counties competing. This meet is for summer league swimmers only - year-round swimmers who have competed in a USA sanctioned meet after Aug 1 of the previous year meet are ineligible to swim in this meet. SMI is held at Maryville-Alcoa Flying Dolphins pool. Swimmers 11 & up swim on Saturday, and Swimmers 10 & under swim on Sunday. There is a fun award ceremony at the end with medals given to the top 3 swimmers in each event.

What is the GKAISA City Championship Meet?

The GKAISA City Championship Meet (City Meet) is Thursday-Saturday for summer league AND year-round swimmers who are part of a summer league team. This meet is the finale of our summer season. The meet is at Allan Jones Aquatic Center on UT campus. Swimmers 10 & under swim prelims on Thursday and swimmers 11 & older swim prelims on Friday. The top 16 in each event swim finals on Saturday.

Cost

* What are the required costs for swim team?

Registration is $175 for the first athlete and each additional athlete is $150 with registration being capped at $600 per family. This includes a tshirt per swimmer and covers the cost of team caps, coach salaries, meet entries, team parties, ribbons and awards, etc. 

* What about equipment and attire?

We require jammers or briefs for boys, and racing suits for girls as traditional suits are prohibitive to learning and growth. The excess drag created by traditional trunks or girl’s suits with skirts or other unnecessary fabric can make it harder to practice, learn, and build skills and confidence. Team suits can be ordered through our website or at Swim N Tri in Bearden. Keep in mind there is a 2-3 week turn around time for ordering online and in store.

Goggles are a NECESSARY part of developmental swimming and are expected at practices. They provide visibility which allows swimmers to circle swim and learn the proper head position in the water. 

How do I commit my swimmer and RSVP to a swim meet on the Swimtopia site?

In order for coaching staff to enter swimmers into a meet, they need to know who is going to attend. As the parent, you need to confirm your child’s attendance to a meet. We will open the rsvp capability for parents about a week or so before each meet. Please keep in mind that it will close several days before the meet so that our coaches can properly plan each meet.

To RSVP…

Click on the Meets & Events tab, find the meet you wish to sign up for.

Click the green MEET ENTRY box. There, you will see your swimmers listed.

Click Edit.

Using the drop down boxes, change your child from undeclared to either Attending this meet or Not attending this meet.

Please make sure to click SAVE or else your RSVP will not go through.