Frequently Asked Questions

Do swimmers need to be Wellsley Residents?

Yes, the swim team is only open to children who are residents of the Wellsley Community.

How is my child's age group determined?

A swimmer’s age group is defined by his or her age on June 1 of the current swim season. For example: a child who turns 7 on July 3rd would swim with the 6 and unders for the whole summer.

My child isn't a fast swimmer, but they are eager to be on the swim team. What should I do?

Being a fast swimmer is not a requirement to be on the swim team! For safety reasons, Wave swimmers should be able to safely swim 25 yards (one length of the pool), unassisted and without hanging on the lane lines in order to participate in swim meets. For our youngest swimmers (6 and under), we have less strict requirements; we require that they are able to jump in the water and get themselves safely back to the wall. They must be able to listen to the coach's instructions and have basic water saftety knowlege. We highly recommend having prior swim lessons to prepare them for the swim team. 6 and unders swim 15 yards at the swim meets. If you are uncertain whether your child is ready, please reach out to a swim team board member. The first two weeks of practices will be an evaluation period. After that, the parents will be contacted if the coaches have any concerns about the ability of a child to safely participate as a member on swim team. At the coaches’ discretion, swimmers unable to safely practice yet with their age group may be asked to get private lessons to achieve competency quickly, or wait another year. Swim lessons outside of swim practice are encouraged for new swimmers and those learning new strokes.

Do coaches want to be notified if a child will miss practice?

The coaches do not need to know if your child will miss one day, but if you are going on vacation or the child is attending a camp or attending evening practice for a week when he/she usually attends the morning, we would appreciate knowing this. Big changes could affect how practice is run if enough kids have changes.

Do swimmers swim all 4 strokes and 2 relays at a meet?

Each swimmer usually swims 3 individual events (or only 2 for 6 and unders). Relays are assigned by the Head Coaches. In some age groups with more than 12 swimmers, there are not enough lanes for all swimmers to swim in the relays. In many age groups, there are not even multiples of 4 swimmers. Over the course of the season, the coaches make an attempt to give all swimmers chances to swim in relays.

If a swimmer cannot make it to the mock meet, what happens?

These swimmers will be placed in last heats of their first meet, without any times. However, the times from the meet will then be used for future placement in events.

Who will assign swimmers the strokes they will swim at a meet?

The head coaches decide, with input from the assistant coaches and the swimmers. Especially at the early meets, we may let the kids pick the ones that they most want to swim because we haven’t been practicing long enough and want the kids to swim the strokes that they feel most comfortable in. By the end of the year, we will be assigning the kids the strokes we feel will allow them to get best times and the ones that will show their improvement.

Do the swimmers get ribbons?

Yes! Swimmers in main heats will receive an official place ribbon. Secondary heats of children age 10 and under will receive heat winner/participation ribbons immediately after they swim. Relays and individual ribbons will be distributed at practice a few days after the swim meet.

Will swimmers be notified if their swim is disqualified during a meet?

The official disqualifications are not available until the following day. Our Head Coaches prefer the swimmers come see them immediately after they swim a race for feedback, where they can point out any problems observed and help your child learn.

Where can I get swim lessons for my child?

• Check out the bulletin board at the Wellsley pool! Many coaches, swimmers, and lifeguards offer swim lessons over the summer.
• Morrisville Community Center
• YMCA
• TAC
• Aqua-Tots

What are some of the year-round swim teams?

• Raleigh Swimming Association RSA Wahoos
• Wave New Wave Swim Team
• YMCA Swim Teams YOTA
• MOR Marlins of Raleigh
• TAC Titans

Where can I get prescription swim goggles?

One option is to check out this web site: aquagoggles.com

What are the links for other associated organizations?

• Tarheel Swim Association , better known as TSA, is the member organization for our neighborhood swim team. Visit the website to find information and forms about TSA and all it's member swim teams, summer schedules, standings, and more. One of the goals of TSA is to encourage kids to swim year-round; listed above are some of the year-round swim clubs in our area. Click here to see the TSA summer swim teams schedules for meets and also for clinics (required for some key swim meet positions).
• Wellsley Homeowners Association
• Wellsley HOA Pool Committee external website - This page lists the Wellsley neighborhood pool committee members along with the contact information for an external organization (our pool management company, contracted by the Home Owners Association) that hires the lifeguards and maintains the Wellsley neighborhood pool.
• Swim Club Management Group, Inc. - Raleigh 919.589.2525. 2016-Present.
• Pool Professionals Inc. 919.787.7878. Managed our pool from 2011-2015.
• Carolina Pool Management (CPM) managed our pool prior to 2011.