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 2025 season and beyond. 

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Head Coach Introduction 

Christina Lappin was born and raised in Coulwood, where she began her successful swimming career starting with the Coulwood swim team at age 6. After setting multiple records at Coulwood as a youth, Nomad and SwimMac as a club swimmer, she went on to set records at the collegiate level while swimming with SEC Division 1 South Carolina Gamecocks. Christina graduated from USC in 2020, and is grateful for all the memories/ things she learned.  Christina treasures her memories growing up in Coulwood, and has invested in the neighborhood by buying a home here, where she and her husband, Justin Tomlinson of Circle T Ranch, hope to keep the community as special as it was for them growing up. 

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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 is ready to help bring back the Coulwood Barracudas. Gary and Joanne have a 7-year-old son, Jordan who loves the water and can’t wait to be back on the team. We are excited to build a strong team and have 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 7 and both love the Coulwood pool and the swim team! Our family looks forward to a fun season and getting to know all of the Barracuda kids and families this year. 

 

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 and Mt. Holly. 

• Swim practices start the week of May 12th and are nightly M-Th. The first week, practice starts Tuesday, May 13th.

• 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 and will start in early June and end with championships the week of June 30th (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 20th (Time TBD) at the Coulwood clubhouse.  

• 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 are 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, Tuesdays 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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2025 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 (required swimsuit is purchased by the parent separately)

• 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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2025 Season Dates & Details

• Sunday April 27, 5-7PM @ clubhouse: Swim Suit Fittings (Credit/Debit only): 

  • Mandatory Parent Meeting: also Sunday April 27 at 5:45-6:15pm (choose to do your fitting before or after meeting): 

• Tuesday May 16 7:30 PM @ Clubhouse  Pre-Season Assistant Coach Meeting–Christina? 

• Tuesday , May 13, 2025 @ Pool: Water-Based Practice Begins: 

• Wednesday, June 14, 2023 @ Pool: Swim Team Picture Night

• Friday, July 4, 2025 (The swim team participates, details to come): Fourth of July Parade

• Sunday, July 20 TBD @ Clubhouse and Pool: End of Year Banquet 

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Water Practices, starting the week of May 12th:

• Ages 5-8: 6-6:30 PM: every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday  (No practice Monday, May 12th & on Meet days)

• Ages 9-18: 6:45-7:30PM: every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (No practice Monday, May 12th & on Meet days)​

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2025 Season Head-to-head Meets:

• Tuesday, June 3 *rain date 6/5 - Coulwood  @ Mt. Holly AWAY MEET

• Tuesday, June 10th  *rain date 6/12 - Coulwood  @ Mt Island Harbor  AWAY MEET

• Tuesday, June 17th *rain date 6/19 - Sailview @ Coulwood  HOME MEET

• Tuesday, June 24th  *rain date 6/26 - Overlook at Coulwood HOME MEET 

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Championship Meets:

• Monday June 30th  *rain date 7/1

  • Ages 10&Under: @ Riverbend 

• Wednesday July 2nd  *rain date 7/3

  • Ages 11&Up: @ Riverbend

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Required Swim Meet Attire: 

• Suits: The Barracudas wear a solid blue suit. Cost $30 for girls and $23 for boys suits. 

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

• 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 Sunday April 27, from 5-7PM at the Coulwood Clubhouse.  You may purchase your child’s suit at the fitting. 

  • *For returning families who may have suits that no longer fit their child, please consider donating your chid’s suit back to the team! Parents can share gently used and in good repair previously used suits to the managers for other swimmers to use. 

• 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).  

• 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 explain all of this in detail at our initial parent meeting. 

• The expectation for parent volunteers is that each family must volunteer for a role during our Meets at least 3X 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 verifying 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.

 

 Season-Wide Volunteer Positions:

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 signing up for. 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 some days of the week, we’d love to have you join us.  

• Community Sponsor Liaison: We are in search of a volunteer to reach 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 2025 summer pool season. 

• 4th of July Parade Coordinator: Coordinate trailers for floats, the decorating of floats, and inform parents of details surrounding float decoration and day-of needs.

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

• End-of-Season Banquet Support: Help coordinate banquet details, including food and fun activities, and work with Team Managers to plan for the event.

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

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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 Swimmingly App and or our team gmail account. 

 

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

 

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

 

We hope you are as excited about Swim Season 2025 as we are!  

 

Your Coulwood Barracudas Team Management,  

Joanne Baker & Jessica Siracusa 

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

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