Our Team Vision 

Partnering with families to run a successful season and supporting and coaching every swimmer to meet his or her potential is our goal. In addition to improving our strokes and having fun, our team will focus on good sportsmanship as it relates to our own team and those we compete against, what it means to be a successful “team,” and how we can best support each member in the 2026 season and beyond. 

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Head Coach Introduction 

​This year, Coulwood will be partnering with our friends in Overlook for the season. We are excited to join forces this year and have a great summer swimming together! Our head coach from last season, Christina Tomlinson, has asked to pause this season as head coach, but will be helping the team alongside the managers. We are lucky to continue to have her support! In addition to gaining Overlook swimmers to our team this year, we’ll gain their coaches, see our full list below for the 2026 season: 

• 6U - Jake Deering, Kristina Carlevatti, and Alessandra Spinelli (previous Coulwood asst. Coach)

• 7-8 - Niko Kruger and Chris Carlson

• 9-10 - Rebecca Sturtz and Jenna Gammons

• 11-14 - JD Kramer, John Stewart, and Amy Henty

• 15+ - Leslie and Mike Fogart

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Team Managers

Joanne Baker and her husband Gary, have lived in Coulwood since 2017. Gary is a native Charlottean, and Joanne is originally from Ohio. Joanne is a teacher at Mountain Island Charter School and swam competitively as a kid. She helped coach the 5-6 age group during the 2023 season, and last year she and Jessica stepped up to manage the team. Gary and Joanne have an 8-year-old son, Jordan, who loves the water and can’t wait for swim season! We are excited to build a strong team with Overlook and have another fun in the YBDry League this summer!
 

Jessica Siracusa and her husband Dan have lived in Coulwood since 2016, both originally from NY state. Jessica has worked in education since 2002, first at the University level and now in Early Education. Dan is in healthcare and works for Atrium. Jessica was a lifeguard as a teenager and she instructed swim for several years as a teenager. Their twins, Alexandra (Alex) and Owen are 8 and both love the Coulwood pool and the swim team! Last year was a fun first year on the management side with Jonanne, and our family looks forward to another fun season and getting to know all of the Barracuda and Overlook kids coaches and families this year! 

In addition to gaining a great team of coaches, we’ll be adding in Kelly Stone and Megan Tolan from Overlook as two more Managers for the season. 

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Kelly Stone and her husband, Derek are both from Charlotte and met in 9th grade at Alexander Middle School in Huntersville. Kelly started swimming in the summers at Coulwood Pool at the age of 10 and continued on through high school.  Kelly swam year round for NOMAD and was awarded All American in high school for swimming and went on to swim for UNCW until transferring and graduating from UNC.  She worked for 17 years in the Insurance Industry and left in 2018 to raise her 3 kids, Ansley (12) who swims for SwimMac, Reid (10) who plays football for the Couloak Steelers and Camille (7) who also swims for SwimMac.  She and Derek moved to the Overlook neighborhood in 2013 and Kelly was a coach for several years and is in her third year managing the team, along with Megan Tolan and Kristin Kruger, our team treasurer.  We are excited and grateful to the Barracudas for allowing us to join the Coulwood family this season! 

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Megan Tolan and her husband, Brent, moved to Mountain Island Lake from Florida in 2014. Both are mechanical engineers who met working for Duke Energy and love to bicker about who has the better alma mater (Wolfpack vs Gators). Brent currently works on Duke’s Nuclear Innovation Team, and Megan “retired” to care for their three children. Hunter (15) and Olivia (12) joined the Overlook team in 2018 and now swim year round for SwimMac. Evelyn (2) is eager to learn to swim this summer. Megan was asked to take over as Overlook’s computer manager in 2021 and became YbDry’s digital admin in 2022. We are excited to join forces with Coulwood to build a fantastic summer swim experience for all of the kids from both communities! 

 

Barracuda Swim Team 101:

• Coulwood Swim Team participates in the YBDry Swim League and was a founding member of this league in 2000. The league currently includes teams from:  Coulwood, Sailview, Mt. Island Harbor, Riverbend, Overlook(combined with Coulwood in 2026) and Mt. Holly. 

• Swim practices start the week of May 18th and are nightly M-Th. 

• The age brackets for practices and the events are as follows: 

  • 5 - 6, 7 - 8, 9 -10, 11 -12, 13-14, and 15-18  for boys and girls, respectively.

  • Age is determined as their age at the start of the season; if they have a birthday during the season, they stay in the same age group for the entire season. 

• Swim meets are weekly on Thursday nights and will start in early June and end with championships the week of June 29th and July 1st (Monday and Wednesday that week). The season will be over before the 4th of July holiday. Following the season, we will gather to celebrate our swimmers and their families at an end-of-season Banquet. This is currently scheduled for Sunday, July 15, exact time TBD, at the Coulwood Pool. 

• Our Swim Team is entirely volunteer-run.  When signing your child up to be part of the team, this also means that as a parent, we will be counting on you to chip in and help with various needs throughout the season.  There is a wide range of volunteer opportunities to choose from. 

• Having a strong team of parent volunteers strengthens our team and makes our meets and practices run smoothly. 

• If you are a new Barracuda swim team parent, we will explain all of this in detail at our initial parent meeting. ​

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FAQs

• ​Does my child need to know how to swim before joining the swim team?  

  • While your child does not need to know any formal strokes before joining our team, children should  have basic water safety knowledge (meaning they can step or jump into water over their head and return to the surface without swimmies, turn around in the water and orient themselves to safety, float or tread water, put their face in the water, combine breathing with forward movement in the water). 

  • These basic skills can be gained through beginner swim lessons at a local aquatic center or YMCA.  

• Does my child need to know all the strokes to be on the team? 

  • No, our coaches will teach strokes throughout the season, so it is not a requirement to know them before the season starts.  

• What can I expect for the meets? 

  • Swim Meets are weekly, Thursdays in June this summer. The meets are long, starting at 6pm and sometimes going until 11pm or later. There is an initiative this year to move towards a split meet line up where the youngest go first and the older swimmers events start later. Stay tuned. 

  • Typically for our youngest competitors, their first race will be the freestyle. Heats are arranged by level, so they will be competing against similar swimmers from other leagues (boys and girls are not split at this level).

  • Families are encouraged to bring golf chairs and coolers and find their space at the meets to enjoy the evening. We also encourage you to support the concession stands, bringing cash is encouraged but most now accept other forms of payment. 

• My child is just starting out, will they actually compete at the meets? 

  • For our newest swimmers, the expectation to compete is that they need to be able to get down the lane without holding onto the lane line and in about 1 minute or less. We will work on preparing all swimmers so that they can compete when they are ready. If they are not placed in a race, we would love to still see them at the meet so they can mentally prepare for the future and cheer on their teammates! 

• Does my child need to have previous swim team experience to be on the team? 

  • No. There are no tryouts and no cuts assuming the basics are in place as referenced above. 

  • For our newest team members, they can expect to learn a lot and grow in confidence through participation on the team. We will begin with teaching one stroke and move forward as the child is ready to learn others. 

  • For our returning members, and/or new and more experienced swimmers, our goal will be to similarly improve their skills and create a positive competitive team culture. 

• Do I have to be a Coulwood Swim Club Member for my child to swim on the team?

  • No, you do not have to be a member.  However, we highly recommend that you consider membership as your child will get $50 off their swim team dues!    You do NOT have to be a Coulwood resident to join the Coulwood Pool, we welcome you to join our newly renovated facility!   If you decide to join the pool, please do so before registering your child for the swim team so that we can give you the coupon code to use at swim team registration for your $50 (per child) discount!

• Do I have to live in Coulwood for my child to be on the team?

  • No.  We are proud to welcome children from surrounding areas to join our team! 

• How do I sign up?

  • Email us at coulwoodbarracudas@gmail.com to get your links for signup and also our Swimmingly communication  App.​

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Swim Team Fee Information 

• Coulwood Pool Members $70 (***You MUST have the Coupon Code at registration to get the Pool Member Pricing.  Please be sure you have this code before registering)

• Non-Member $120  (a portion of this fee goes toward the upkeep of the Coulwood pool) 

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​Swim Team Fee includes:

• Swim Meet Expenses

• Barracuda Swim Cap 

• Swimmingly Membership (for automated registration, team communication and updates, tracking your child at the meets, selecting volunteer roles, and real time result information!)

• Treats throughout the season

• Race Ribbons

• End-of-Season Awards

• End-of-Season Banquet Food/Etc..

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2026 Season Dates & Details

• Sunday, May 3, 1-3 PM @ clubhouse: Swim Suit Fittings (Credit/Debit only): 

• Sunday, May 17, 4-6 PM Kick off Party: Meet the Coaches, fellow swimmers, and families on the team! The team will provide popsicles, and we’ll have a meal deal for purchase–join us! 

• Monday, May 18 @ Pool: Water-Based Practice Begins: 

• June TBD @ Pool: Swim Team Picture Night

• Saturday, July 4: Fourth of July Parade (The swim team has a float!)

• Sunday, July 15  TBD @ Clubhouse and Pool: End of Year Banquet

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Water Practices, starting the week of May 18th:

Practices are every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday  (No practice on Meet days) 

• Ages 8 and under: 6-6:45 PM:

• Ages 9-10: 6:30-7:15 

• Ages 11+: 7:15-8:00

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2026 Season Head-to-head Meets:

May 28th Bye week, Practice M-Th

June 4th Coulwood/Overlook @ Sailview 

June 11th Coulwood/Overlook @ Mt. Holly 

June 18th Coulwood/Overlook@ Mt. Island Harbor

June 25th Home Meet Riverbend @ Coulwood/Overlook

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Championship Meets:
Monday June 29th: Ages 10&Under: @ Riverbend (rain date 6/30)
Wednesday July 2nd: Ages 11&Up: @ Riverbend  (rain date 7/3)

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Required Swim Meet Attire: 

• Suits: The Barracudas will be Purple this year! 

• Swimcap: comes w/ team membership, will be issued by the first meet to swimmers.

• Goggles: You will also need to purchase high-quality goggles. We recommend purchasing at the fitting, or you can get them at local swim supply sources.  Properly fitting goggles can make or break your child’s swim experience.

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Fittings: 

• There will be a fitting on Sunday, May 3, from 1-3 PM at the Coulwood Poolhouse.  You may purchase your child’s suit at the fitting. 

• If you aren’t able to make the fitting, your child may be fitted for their suit at Keifer Athletics at HFFA in Huntersville.  (You may also purchase from the online webstore, which will be sent to parents after registration, but it’s important to know what size you need, so we recommend having them fitted in person. Alternatively, you may purchase your own suit (black/purple) or wear your black or blue suit from last year. Every swimmer will have a team cap to wear for meets. 

• Please call the store beforehand (980-339-8960) to ensure they are open. When purchasing from them, just let them know you are with the Coulwood Barracudas Swim Team.

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Volunteer Information & Expectations 

• Our Swim Team is entirely volunteer-run. In order to run a successful season for all, we need your help! We expect each family to volunteer for the swim meets and also for other needs throughout the season. If you are a new swim team parent, we will find time to talk with you at the fitting or the initial week of practice to explain all of this in detail. 

• The expectation for parent volunteers is that each family must volunteer for a role during our Meets 2-3 times during the season. See roles for meets below.

 

Swim Meet Volunteer Opportunities (filled by Parent Volunteers from all teams):

• Timers: The keeper of time for each lane and the best seat in the house! You will need your cell phone and the Swimmingly app to complete this role. 

• Scorekeeper: Works with the Officials and the opposing team's Scorekeeper to review, revise, and confirm results, as well as verify scores. This volunteer position is perfect for a parent who is open/excited to learn the Swimmingly® app and is a great way to introduce new volunteers who enjoy and understand working with technology.

• Starter (Home Meets): Notifies swimmers of the event distance and stroke; initiates the start signal.

• Stroke/Turn Judge: Reports any disqualification infractions during each race (requires swim stroke knowledge).

• Concession Volunteers (Home Meets): Prepare/sell food and drink items and assist with set up/break down of concessions area. Working concessions is important in creating a fun atmosphere for our meets, and this is a way our swim team can raise money for new equipment and other important needs!

• Meet Set-Up/Clean-Up (Home Meets): Provides Set-up and Clean-Up assistance before, during, and after the meet.

 

Other ways to get involved:

In addition to the volunteer roles listed above for meets, we have several other season-long volunteer roles that we would love for parents to consider helping us with.. In particular, as we work to assemble our coaching team, we encourage parents with competitive and/or recreational swim experience, former lifeguards, etc…  to help the team and partner with the head coach and managers in having a successful season. No swim experience? That’s okay, we have a few other needs if you are able to volunteer in other capacities throughout the season. Thank you in advance! 

• Assistant Coaches: The more coaches we have, the better! Assistant coaches assist at daily practices by coaching a small group of children throughout the season. Even if you are only available on some days of the week, we’d love to have you join us.  

• Community Sponsorships: We are already  reaching out to area businesses who can sponsor our meets, the concessions, swag or otherwise in exchange for increased visibility with our extended community at meets and season-long visibility through a banner display at the pool for the length of the 2026 summer pool season. If you are a business owner or have connections in the community to help us in this regard, please reach out to the management team!

• 4th of July Parade: Help us to coordinate trailers for floats, the decorating of floats, and help on the day of with the festivities.

• Concessions @ Home Meets: Support  concessions volunteers/sponsors, make sure they have all necessary items, and work with the Team Manager to get supplies for payment and change for transactions. 

• Ribbon Helper (fills out ribbons after each meet and hands them out at a following practice)  

• Volunteer for Swim Meet Set up at 4 pm (6 people) w/ Team Managers. We will need to clear the deck of all furniture, put in lane lines and turn flags along with assigning lanes. 

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Communication Info:

We ask parents to reference/bookmark this website for needed information throughout the season. Any additional communication, changes/updates/etc will be sent via the Swimtopia app and/or team Gmail account. 

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Please add this App to your phone and make sure you are added to the Coulwood Barracudas group. When setting up the app, allow for notifications so you can be made aware of any last-minute changes, like weather-related cancellations or otherwise. 

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If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us: CoulwoodBarracudas@gmail.com

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We hope you are as excited about Swim Season 2026 as we are!  

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Your Coulwood Barracudas Team Management,  

Joanne Baker, Jessica Siracusa & Kelly Stone 

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Please like our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Coulwoodbarracudasswimteam/