Swim Team | Coulwood Community

The Coulwood Swim Club is the home of the Coulwood Barracudas Swim Team.

OUR VISION

Improving the health of our community by strengthening individuals to thrive personally and contribute positively both in the sport of swimming and in life!

OUR MISSION

Cultivating a community-based Swim Team with an uplifting Swim Team Culture that works toward elevating every member to his or her maximum potential.

TELL ME ABOUT SWIM TEAM:

Coulwood Swim Team participates in the YBDry swim League and was a founding team of this league in 2000. The teams currently include Coulwood, Sailview, Mt. Island Harbor, Riverbend, Overlook and Mt. Holly. Swim practices start after Memorial Day and meets will start in early June and end with championships in mid-July. We also have an end-of-season Banquet for our swimmers and their families.

Our Swim Team is entirely volunteer run. We expect all parents to chip in and help with various needs throughout the season. These volunteer opportunities are easy and make our meets and practices run smoothly. If you are a new swim team parent, we will explain all of this in detail at our initial parent meeting. You will also see volunteer needs described below.

“Many hands make light work!” …and also make for an amazing Swim Team experience!

FAQs

Does my child need to know how to swim before joining the swim team?
- While your child does not need to know the strokes before joining our team, we would like each child to have basic water safety knowledge (meaning they can step or jump into water over their head and return to the surface, 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 survival skills can be easily gained through beginner swim lessons at a local aquatic center or YMCA. There is a possibility we may have a swim clinic early in the swim season if we are able to secure an instructor. If you are interested in this type of clinic for your child, please let Betsy or Steven Mauney (Team Managers) know ASAP. There may be a separate charge for this clinic. Our goal is for your child to come up-to-speed so that we can get him or her on our Swim Team this summer!
Does my child need to know all the strokes?
- No, our coaches teach strokes throughout the season, so it is not a requirement to know them before the season starts. However, please do not expect that your child will be swimming all 4 strokes by the end of the summer swim team season. We will begin with teaching one stroke and move forward as the child is ready. Each child learns at a different pace, and we want the experience to be enjoyable and appropriately challenging for everyone. At meets, your child will swim the stroke(s) that they are comfortable with.
Does my child need to have previous swim team experience?
- Definitely not! The Coulwood Barracudas Team is open to every child who has basic water safety knowledge! There are no tryouts and no cuts. Our goal is to introduce the sport to those who otherwise may not discover the benefits of swimming. We protect the dignity of young and less experienced swimmers while striving to improve their skills, and we also work to enhance the skills of more experienced swimmers! Our goal is to enable all our swimmers to reach their personal best.
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! Our pool is a wonderful place for your family to spend summer days, nights, or weekends together in our hot NC summers! We also need pool members to ensure our pool stays open for years to come! You do NOT have to be a Coulwood resident to join the Coulwood Pool! You will also enjoy a discounted Swim Team fee for your child(ren) if you are a Member of the Pool. We hope you join us for lots of fun in the sun this summer! If you decide to join the pool, please do so before registering your child for 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 have always welcomed children from surrounding areas who may not have a swim team or pool access and we are grateful to continue to do so.
How do I sign up?
- Email us at coulwoodbarracudas@gmail.com to get your links for signup and also our Band communications App.

2023 Important Information

PRICING INFO:

Fees per Swimmer:

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

Swim Team Fee includes:

*Swimmingly Membership (for automated registration, keeping up with your child at the meets, making volunteer roles easier, and real time result information!)

*Ribbons

*Awards

*Banquet Food/Entertainment

*Treats throughout the season

*Swim Meet Costs

*Swim Cap

SCHEDULE INFO:

Swim Suit Fittings (Credit/Debit only): Tuesday, May 16 4-5:30 PM @ Clubhouse

Mandatory Parent Meeting: Tuesday May 16 6:15 PM @ Clubhouse

Pre-Season Assistant Coach Meeting: Tuesday May 16 7:30 PM @ Clubhouse

Water-Based Practice Begins: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 @ Pool

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

Fourth of July Parade: Tuesday, July 4, 2022

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

Water Practices:

Ages 5-10: 6-6:45 PM, every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (No practice on Meet days)

Ages 11-18: 7-7:45 PM, every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (No practice on Meet days)

MEET INFO:

Regular Head-to-head Meets:

Thursday, June 8th *rain date 6/9

CW @ Mt. Holly AWAY MEET

Tuesday, June 13th *rain date 6/15

CW @ MIH AWAY MEET

Tuesday, June 20th *rain date 6/22

SV @ CW HOME MEET

Tuesday, June 27th *rain date 6/29

CW @ OL AWAY MEET

Thursday, July 6th *rain date 7/7

RB @ CW HOME MEET

Championship Meets:

Ages 11&Up:

@Riverbend - Monday, July 10th *rain date 7/11

Ages 10&Under:

@Riverbend - Wednesday, July 12th *rain date 7/13

The age brackets for the events are 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18 for boys and girls, respectively.

Banquet:

Saturday, July 15 @ Coulwood Clubhouse TIME TBD

SWIMSUIT INFO:

Suits: We will have the same solid blue suits that we have had previously. Cost around $30. 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 (Amazon.com has great options) - please plan to spend $10-20 for a decent pair as the cheap ones do not hold up or keep the water out. This can make or break your child’s swim experience.)

Fittings: There will be a fitting Tuesday May 16, 2022 from 4-5:30 PM at the Coulwood Clubhouse. 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). Please call the store beforehand to make sure they are open during the hours you’d like to go. (980-339-8960) When purchasing from them, just let them know you are with the Coulwood Barracudas Swim Team.

VOLUNTEER INFO:

Our Swim Team is entirely volunteer run. We expect each family to volunteer for the swim meets and also for other needs throughout the season. These volunteer opportunities are easy and make our meets and practices run smoothly. If you are a new swim team parent, we will explain all of this in detail at our initial parent meeting. We would like to secure all volunteers before the beginning of the season. We ask that you sign up for your Meet Volunteer duties ASAP via our Band app signup (once you have completed your registration and added the Band app to your phone). By signing up for your volunteer role early in the season, you get to choose the area where you enjoy serving the most and it also helps our season to run smoothly! We will fill our Season Volunteer Positions via Band signup and also at our Initial Parent meeting.

NOTE: One parent from each family MUST Volunteer for a Meet Volunteer Position for at least 3 meets during the season

(If a parent is serving at most practices as a committed Assistant Coach throughout the season, your family is exempted from this requirement.)

Volunteer Categories:

Meet Volunteer Positions: (*at least one parent from each family MUST Sign-up for one of these roles for at least 3 meets during the season)

Timers: The keeper of time for each lane and the best seat in the house!

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).

Clerk-Of-Course: Assembles and lines up the swimmers for their respective event/heat/lane and prepares swimmers to take the blocks at the Starter's command.

Announcer/Emcee (Home Meets): Announces each event to the deck, calls for events in advance, and announces score updates. A great announcer/emcee adds a lot of excitement for the crowd and provides informative updates. This role works in conjunction with the Starter to appropriately address the crowd and keeps the swim meet moving efficiently. Pro Tip: This volunteer position is perfect for a parent who is accustomed to public speaking, broadcasting, or being in front of a camera!

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.

“The competition occurs in the water between athletes, and the cooperation happens on the pool deck!”

Season-Wide Volunteer Positions:

Assistant Coach (assist at daily practices by coaching a small group of kiddos throughout the season; this is a big commitment but a fabulous way to impact our kids in a positive way!)
Meet Volunteer Coordinator (make sure all volunteer roles are filled for each meet, coordinate volunteers at meets and make sure everyone knows where they need to go once they arrive)
Community Sponsor Liaison (reach out to Pool Sponsor businesses to get swag to give at meets)
4th of July Parade Coordinator (secure trailers for floats, coordinate decorating floats, inform parents of details surrounding float decoration and day-of needs.)
Concessions Coordinator for Home Meets (Coordinate concession volunteers, make sure we have all necessary food, condiment, and paper product items, and work with Team Manager to get petty cash and cash box for event)
End-of-Season Banquet Coordinator (Coordinate banquet details, including food and fun activities, and work with Team Manager to plan schedule for event.)
Ribbon Helper (Attend Ribbon event on Friday, July 15 to create ribbons for Banquet)

COMMUNICATIONS INFO:

We will communicate via the BAND App to registered families regarding details of meetings, practices, etc. Please add this App to your phone and make sure you are added to the Coulwood Barracudas group.

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

If you are on Facebook, Please like our Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Coulwoodbarracudasswimteam/

We hope you are as excited about Swim Season 2023 as we are!

Coulwood Barracudas Team Management

Betsy and Steven Mauney