Forrester Woods Swim Team

Forrester Woods Swim Team offers recreational, competitive swimming for swimmers up to age 18 with six individual events backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, long freestyle, short freestyle, and individual medley (all four strokes in one event). There is also a medley relay and freestyle relay. There are five age groups: 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18. Besides offering swimmers the opportunity to develop their skills in competition, the Waverunners swim team provides a great way for kids to make friends and build self confidence! Our goal is to promote physical fitness and teach our swimmers teamwork, team spirit and sportsmanship - and we hope our swimmers learn to love the sport too!

1. What is the swim team and why would I want my child to participate? It's fun. It's great exercise. It builds confidence. It's a great way for your child to meet other kids in the neighborhood. It's a great way for you to meet other parents.
2. Who can answer my questions about the swim team? Hopefully, most questions are answered in this FAQ, our Team Handbook, or elsewhere on our website. If not, please feel free to ask any of the board members or seasoned Waverunner parents, or you can email us at [email protected].
3. When does registration open for the swim team? Registration for the 2025 season will open on March 1st. Check the website for more details at that time.
4. If I do not live in Forrester Woods, can my child swim on the swim team? If you currently live in Forrester Woods Estates, your child can join the swim team with no additional membership needed. If you do not live in Forrester Woods or Forrester Woods Estates, you will need to apply for a non-resident pool membership in order to join the swim team.
5. When does the season start? The season will run from May through early to mid-July. See the website calendar for more details.
6. What are the registration fees? See the team handbook under Registration Fees
7. What strokes do the swimmers use in competition? Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
8. What swimming strokes does my child need to know to join the team? Your child does not need to know any strokes to join the swim team. They do however, need to be able to swim the length of the pool (25 meters), without assistance. Swimmers under 10 years old who are new to the team are required to attend the swimming evaluation.
9. What is SAIL? SAIL is the Swim Association Invitational League. This is the league that the Forrester Woods Waverunners participate in. The website is https://sail.swimtopia.com
10. What are the words to the team cheer? The team cheer can be found here.

1. How often and when is practice? The practice schedule is available on the website.
2. What happens if we have a conflict and my child is not able to attend practice? Practice is not mandatory – if you miss a practice, there’s no penalty. However, your swimmer will get as much out of it as they put into it, so try to attend as much as possible! 
3. Does my child need to wear the team swim suit during practice? During a meet? What brand, and where do I buy it? No special swim suits are needed during practice, except that girls must wear a one piece swimsuit. Boys are encouraged to wear jammers or briefs. There is a team suit for swim meets. These can be purchased at the beginning of the season at Alpine Ski Center, or online (see the team SwimOutlet store on our website).

1. When are the meets, and where are they held? The meets are on Thursday evenings - the schedule is posted on our website. 
2. How long does a meet last? Meets usually last about 4 hours. The first event is at 5:30 PM. If it's a home meet, swimmers should be prepared to arrive at 4:00 for warm-ups.
3. Do swimmers have to attend every swim meet/practice? We know things come up, so we try to make swim team as flexible as you need it to be. Attending all meets and practices is beneficial, but please do not rearrange schedules or move vacation plans. Summer swim team should be a fun, supplemental summer activity, not a burden for your family.
4. What if I signed up for a Swim Meet but can no longer attend? If entries have already closed (noon on the Saturday prior to the meet), please contact the coach AND the TCO to let them know your swimmer can no longer attend. If entries have not yet closed, you can go back into SwimTopia just as you did when you registered, and change your response to swimmer is unavailable for the meet.
5. What is a dual meet? A dual meet is held between two swim teams. One swim club is the host team and the other is the visiting team.
6. How can I check if I have RSVPd for an event? Read the Signup Instructions to learn how to check RSVPs.
7. What are those swimmers writing on their arms? In order for everyone to remember, swimmers should write their events on their arms or legs, etc. See the 'Marking Your Swimmer' section here: https://forresterwoodswaverunners.swimtopia.com/preparing-for-meet

1. Are there any parent volunteer requirements? Yes, each swim family must meet their volunteer commitment as agreed at registration. The swim meets are entirely volunteer run.
2. How can I help the team? It's an all-volunteer effort, and there is always something more that can be done. Consider becoming a Starter, Referee, or Stroke and Turn official. The officiating is all volunteer, and it always helps to have more people trained to step in when others have scheduling conflicts for a meet. You may also enjoy the meet more when you know the rules well, in addition to being able to help in your child's swimming development. Some positions such as Timers and Stroke & Turn Officials have a front row seat to the swimming events and will have an unlimited supply of cold water brought to them throughout the meet. For a list of roles and descriptions, see https://forresterwoodswaverunners.swimtopia.com/volunteer-job-descriptions.
3. How do I know what volunteer jobs I signed up for? If something changes we ask though that you find a replacement and advise the Volunteer Coordinator of this change should you need to cancel, they will help you with a replacement if you cannot find one on your own. To view your assignments, log into the website, then click on My Account under your name (upper right side of the website). You will see all of the jobs you are signed up for on the next screen.