Barracudas Swim Team
Dive into Excellence with YWCA’s Swim Team Program! Join a community of passionate swimmers dedicated to achieving greatness. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a water enthusiast looking to make a splash, our program offers the perfect blend of skill development, friendship and fun. Make waves with us and embark on a journey to swimming success!
Summer Swim Team
Summer Season runs mid-May through mid-July with 4-5 meets and championships.
Fall Training
Two sessions to improve endurance, gain skills and have fun. Programming goes from October to late January.
Winter Warm Up
Winter Warm Up is a 10-week jump-start to summer swim team. It allows all levels of ability to strengthen stroke technique, starts, turns and race strategy in a fun and positive atmosphere.
We look forward to welcoming new and returning Barracudas that are ready to feed on the competition!
Fall Training 2026
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Max 8 Swimmers
6 & Unders must be able to swim 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke and be able to swim independently in deep water. -
Max 16 Swimmers
6 & Unders may swim “up” with approval. All swimmers should be able to swim one length of all four competitive strokes. -
8 year olds in this group should be exceptionally strong. All swimmers should be able to swim one length of all four competative strokes fully legally.
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Max 24 Swimmers
9-10 year olds may swim “up” with approval. All swimmers should be able to swim two lengths of all four competitive strokes.
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
Logistics:
October 6, 2026- January 28, 2027
No practice Thanksgiving (Nov 25-27), Winter Holiday (Dec 21-25)
Practices dates maybe adjusted due to High School Swim Meets
$250 per swimmer
Regular Session
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This session is for swimmers ages 6 & Under who can swim 1/2 length of the pool of freestyle and backstroke and are deep-water independent. Swimmers who are 4 years old may join with approval.
All swimmers new to the YWCA will be asked to complete a swim assessment. -
This session is for swimmers ages 7-8 who can swim 1 length of the pool (25 yards) of freestyle and backstroke and have been introduced to butterfly and breaststroke. All swimmers should be independent in deep water. Swimmers 6 years old may swim "up" with approval from aquatics director.
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This session is for swimmers ages 9 & Up who can swim one length of all four competitive strokes. Swimmers 8 years old may swim "up" with approval from aquatics director.
This practice is split into three working groups based on age and swim skill.
FRIDAY NIGHTS
Logistics:
Fridays
October 9-January 29
No practice 11/27, 12/25 and 1/1
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
Logistics:
October 6, 2026- October 22, 2026
$60 per swimmer
High School Pre-Season
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This is for high school swimmers gearing up for High School tryouts if their team does not have a pre-season program, or for High School age students who want to continue swimming without attending a more formal year-round program. Swimmers should be familiar with all four strokes. Technique will be taught and workouts will be geared to building endurance in preparation for high school workouts.
MONDAY/WEDNESDAY/FRIDAY
Logistics:
Mon/Wed/Fri
3:30-4:30pm
$110 per session
Ages 6-10
What is a mini session?
Mini sessions are just 12 practices, allowing for swimmers to keep up their swimming while also balancing other sports and activities. Due to limited pool space we are only able to offer one age group/one time for this new format
Who is this for?
Mini session training groups are for swimmers ages 6-10. All swimmers must be able to complete one length of all four strokes .
Mini Sessions
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October 5-30
Mon/Wed/Fri
ages 6-10
3:30-4:30pm -
November 2-Dec 4
No practice week of Thanksgiving
Mon/Wed/Fri
ages 6-10
3:30-4:30pm -
January 4-February 1
No practice MLK Monday (Jan 18)
Mon/Wed/Fri
ages 6-10
3:30-4:30pm
Summer Swim Team general info
About the Barracudas:
Ask any swimmer and they’ll tell you that summer swim team is the best time ever! We practice, we play and we compete!
Here’s a quick overview of the YWCA Barracudas 2026 summer season:
Season runs Monday, May 17th - Monday, July 19th No practice Memorial Day
Competitions include an intersquad meet, 4 dual meets, an invite-only relay meet & champs
Barracudas offer practices 5 days a week
The extra fun stuff includes a season kick off party, an end of season awards party, Friday Fun Days, Meet Themes and Much More!
Cost is $195/swimmer. Included in that fee are: participant t-shirt, swim cap, Swimmingly registration (this is the app we use for meet management), and champs registration.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BARRACUDA:
We Cheer for Everyone: All heats. All swimmers. All the time
We are on one Team: Orange or Black – same coaches, same goals, same pride
We Stay Humble: Fast swimmers lead by example, no by bragging
We Trust the Process: Hard Work + Time = Progress
Your Lane Does Not Define You: Effort, attitude and teamwork do
Bottom Line: Barracudas lift each other up. Always.
Go BARRACUDAS!
IS MY KIDDO READY FOR SWIM TEAM?
There are many factors determining a swimmer’s readiness for swim team. Summer swim team is a great place to develop swim skills, make friends and have fun. However, in order for all swimmers to have an awesome experience we do have minimum swim requirements as well as age-appropriate requirements for non-swimming skills such as listening and following directions. Click HERE for a detailed guide by age group.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Below is the practice schedule from 2026.
2027 practice schedule is TBA.
Practice Monday – Friday (except swim meet days & Memorial Day (5/25))
In addition to age, there are some swim skill requirements for each group. Please click HERE for detailed information regarding these practice groups!
3:30-4:15pm Ages 8 & Under
4:30-5:15pm Ages 10 & Under
5:30-6:20pm Ages 8-12
6:30-7:30pm Middle School & Rising Middle School
7:30-8:30pm High School & Rising High School
SWIM UP REQUIREMENTS
Swimmers may swim up into other groups, although we anticipate less of a need to do so with this new practice format. Swimmers swimming up will need to schedule an assessment (email Aileen) & meet the swim up requirements.
ORANGE & BLACK - 2 TEAM FORMAT
For the purposes of the dual meets, YWCA Barracudas will swim as two separate teams. YWCA Black and YWCA Orange.
This split is not a reflection of effort, commitment or overall ability. It is simply a meet-management solution due to limited deck space and size of our team. This format helps us have faster and smaller meets. We practice together and complete at Champs as one.
Remember! We are the same team - same coaches - same practices - same fun & friends!
For detailed information on this format, view THIS document.
Teams are decided based on time with siblings getting a bye.
FRIDAY FUN DAYS
Fridays during summer swim team is all about the fun! Each week we will have a theme and fun activities. Don’t worry - we’ll get a good swim workout in too! Keep an eye on social media to know what is coming up each Friday!
Barracudas Instagram
Barracudas Facebook
TEAM APPAREL & TEAM SWIM SUITS
A team swim suit is NOT required for participation in summer swim team. All swimmers receive a YWCA orange team tshirt and as silicon team swim cap as part of their registration.
We have several options for purchasing YWCA gear. Go Barracudas!
Check out the options HERE.
SWIM MEET SCHEDULE
Summer 2027 Schedule is TBA!
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
For a detailed printout about volunteering (including training dates & job descriptions), click HERE.
All families must volunteer at least 3 times each season.
Like all other youth sports – volunteers are the engine that makes our competition days possible. If a family is unable to volunteer due to extenuating circumstances, please reach out to Aileen so we can work together to find a way to meet this requirement.
Older siblings who are not swimming are able to volunteer! Ages 16 & up. This is a great way to keep your teen engaged while also earning some much-needed service hours.
Volunteer Jobs -
Timing
Stroke & Turn Official
Head Timer
Starter
Heat Ribbon
Concession Sales
with additional opportunities at kick of party, end of season awards and during swim practice
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Registration opens mid-March 2026.
To register by phone please call 910-799-6820 x1. Leave a message with your child’s name. We will call back registrants in the order we receive the voicemail. Please do not continue to call the YWCA as this holds up available phone lines - making it difficult to return calls.
To register online, please do to this link. If you are a nonmember, you will need to create a membership account. You can select any Aquatics membership type noting that membership alone does not include use of the pool outside of swim team practices. If you have any questions about YWCA membership please call the YWCA pool front desk.
If you are a current or past YWCA member please login. Do not create a new member account. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in, you can email pool@ywca-lowercapefear.org anytime and we will submit a password reset on your behalf.
Swim Team FAQs
What is the goal of YWCA Barracudas Swim Team?
The goal of Swim Team is to improve swim knowledge and ability, and to encourage an atmosphere that promotes fun, teamwork and friendship!
Does Swim Team run all year?
YWCA Barracudas have the opportunity to train all year. Fall Training has two sessions that teach endurance and build skills. Winter Warm Up enables swimmers to keep up with the skills they’ve learned and get a jumpstart to the summer swim meets. It allows all levels of ability to strengthen their stroke technique, starts, turns, muscle strength, endurance and race strategy. The goal of Winter Warm Up is to promote the sport of swimming in a fun, healthy and positive atmosphere. Summer Swim Team is the competitive season with 5-6 swim meets from mid-May through mid-July.
How do I register for Swim Team if I am currently or have been a YWCA Member?
Registration can be done online here. If you are currently or have been a YWCA Member do not create a new membership account; instead try to access your old account. If you have difficulties please email pool@ywca-lowercapefear.org and we will assist with retrieving your password.
How do I register for Swim Team if I am not a YWCA Member ?
If you are not currently a member, please select a membership option. If you are unsure of the best membership option for your household, contact the YWCA Pool Front Desk (910-799-6820 ext. 109 or pool@ywca-lowercapefear.org)