Swimming is governed by 2 governing bodies—the YMCA and US Swimming. As Aquachiefs, we have the chance to participate in both YMCA swimming and US swimming. Because our team has both affiliations, our swimmers benefit from a variety of dual, invitational, and championship swimming opportunities.
Swimmer’s Age: There are different governing bodies for each entity and some different rules regarding age groups and championship swimming requirements. For instance, in Y swimming participants are allowed to swim the whole season at their age as of December 1. So a swimmer who turns 13 on December 20, 2004 can still swim in the 11-12 group for the Y championship meets in February and March of 2005. This is not true for participation in US swim meets, where swimmers compete based on their age on the day of the meet. If your child's birthday falls during a US meet, the coach will have specifics on what age group your child would swim for that meet.
Swim Meets: Unlike the three-day format of many US meets where several teams compete, the majority of our Y meets are dual meets and last only three to four hours. Generally, the events offered include the shorter distances of each stroke, the IM, and relays. They provide a great opportunity for novice swimmers to become familiar with the format of a swim meet in a smaller and more relaxed environment. There is usually more leniency regarding disqualifications of younger swimmers at Y meets as well.
Championship Meets: To compete in the championship YMCA meets, swimmers MUST HAVE COMPETED IN THREE Y MEETS DURING THE SEASON. Some high school swimmers have different requirements, so please check with the coach if you have questions. The meet entry form, which we complete at the beginning of the season, lists the affiliation of each meet. For instance, our Erin Block Meet and our Mid-Winter meet are US meets not Y meets, so they do not count toward the three required Y meets. Our schedule of dual meets at the Y does meet that requirement, as do other Y invitational meets the team enters. If you are unsure whether a meet fulfills your Y requirements, contact the coaching staff.