Hello Swan Lake,

Summer is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to register for swim team! We hope your swimmers will join us for another summer of fun with the Swan Lake Stingrays!

REGISTRATION

Swim team registration is OPEN! Please pay your 2026 Swan Lake dues before you register.

Swim team is for member children who can safely swim the width of the shallow end (approximately 15 yards) without touching the bottom of the pool. When you register, you will select either Stingrays or Junior Stingrays. Swimmers who can swim a full lap (25 yards) of both freestyle and backstroke should register for the Stingrays, and swimmers who cannot yet swim a full lap of both freestyle and backstroke should register for the Junior Stingrays. We will hold evaluations for new swimmers to confirm group placement. Your choice at registration will tell us how many swimmers to expect in each group.

The cost of registration is $80 per swimmer. This includes practices, dual meet participation, team t-shirt, and swim cap. If the cost of swim team registration is a hardship, financial assistance is available. Please reach out to us at [email protected].

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We are in desperate need of more stroke and turn judges, as we are losing at least two of our most committed officials this year. To become a certified official, you just need to take a short, online course and test. It can be completed in a few hours. Officials have a front row seat to all of the races, and they rotate throughout swim meets so they get plenty of breaks. The more officials we have, the more the work load can be shared. Please consider joining our amazing team of officials, even if you can only work one or two meets! For more information, email [email protected].

NEW TEAM SUIT

Our team suit for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons will be the Dolfin Reliance Tsunami in navy and gold. Wearing a team suit is entirely optional and not required for competition. A representative from Metro Swim Shop will be at Swan Lake on Saturday, May 2, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm for suit fittings and purchase. If you already know your swimmer’s size, you can also purchase the team suit through this link.

VIRTUAL FAMILY MEETING (REQUIRED)

Our family meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 pm. Please bookmark this date and make sure that at least one adult from your family attends the meeting. Swimmers do not need to attend.

EVALUATIONS

All NEW swimmers will participate in a swimming evaluation to determine their best-fit group. Evaluations are only for swimmers who are new to the team or who are hoping to move from Junior Stingrays to Stingrays. Please note the evaluation dates, and email us if you have a question or conflict.

Stingrays Evaluations – Tuesday, May 26, 5:00 – 7:30 pm

Junior Stingrays Evaluations – Thursday, June 11, 5:00 - 6:00 pm

COACHES

We are happy to share that our full coaching staff is returning this year! Welcome back, Coach Owen, Coach Hannah, and Coach Kyle! Soon, we will be hiring Junior Coaches. Junior Coaches are current Stingrays who serve as mentors and assistant coaches for our youngest swimmers, the Junior Stingrays. Stingrays who are at least 13 years old and able to swim all four competitive strokes are eligible to volunteer as a Junior Coach. Junior Coaches must commit to missing no more than four junior practices over the course of the summer season, and they will receive community service hours. To express interest, potential junior coaches should fill out this form.

PRACTICE TIMES

Tentative Spring Schedule (5/26-6/16)

Tuesday/Thursday PM:

5:00 - 5:45 Ages 9 and under (no Junior Stingrays)

5:45 - 6:45 Ages 10 - 12

6:45 - 8:00 Ages 13 and up

Tentative Summer Schedule (6/17 – 7/24)

Tuesday - Friday AM:

8:00 - 9:15 Ages 13 and up

9:15 - 10:00 Ages 8 and under (and all Junior Stingrays)

10:00 - 11:00 Ages 9 - 12

Tuesday/Thursday PM:

5:30 – 6:30 Ages 10 and under (and Junior Stingrays Plus)

6:30 -7:30 Ages 11 and up

SWIM MEETS

We have moved up to CMSL Division 4! Our meet schedule is below. Swim meets start at 8:30 am, unless otherwise specified, and home meets are listed in bold:

6/13 - Time Trial (warm-ups at 8:00, start time 8:30)

6/20 - Away @ Piney Orchard

6/27 - Home v Roland Run

7/5 (Sunday) - Away @ Jewish Community Center

7/11 - Away @ Summer Hill

7/18 - Home v West Howard

7/22 - Straehle @ Padonia Swim Club

7/25 - Divisionals @ West Howard

BUSINESS SPONSORSHIPS

We love our Stingrays Sponsors!! The funds we raise from our generous sponsors cover meet fees for Straehle and Divisionals, keep our swim team equipment up to date, and allow us to keep our registration costs low for families. We thank our sponsors by sharing their logos on our banner and website, by inviting sponsors to hold vendor “pop-ups” at our swim meets, and by hosting “team nights” at sponsor businesses. If you know a local business that wants to sponsor our team, please contact [email protected].

We can’t wait to see you at the pool very soon! Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

Sincerely,

Linn Thorburn (Swim Team Parent Representative)