FAQ’s
It is important that my child learn to swim…
What are the benefits of swimming?
Gators recognizes that swimmers must learn good stroke technique, especially at the early stages of their development. We find that athletes who learn proper stroke technique will inherently swim faster and smarter races as they get stronger and mature. Year-round swimming will naturally improve physical fitness, but it will also improve other aspects of an athlete’s life. Athletes tend to take the discipline, organization, work-ethic, time management, and goal setting skills they learn in our program with them to the classroom and thereafter in their place of employment. Even more, swimmers learn to handle successes and failures, positive reinforcement and instructive criticism, which in turn fosters a good work ethic and sportsmanship.
My child participates in other activities…
Is it ok if my child misses a practice?
While consistency is key to the gradual development of the swimmer, our coaches understand that things do happen and your child is bound to miss practices here and there. The best way to handle missed practices is to notify the coach, especially when you know it will be recurring, so that they are aware and can better understand your child’s situation.
Does my child need to give up other sports/activities to swim with Gators?
It is our vision to aim to build a solid swimming foundation through all of our programming, including learn-to-swim, fitness, or competitive swimming. Our goal is to instill a love of swimming so that swimmers of all ages may utilize the sport as an opportunity for lifelong enrichment. With this, Gators is dedicated to providing many different swim programs that will allow children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to pursue swimming alongside their other interests. At the high-end of the program (Senior and Senior Elite) we do anticipate that athletes have swimming as their first and only athletic priority.
My child is not very competitive by nature….
Is Gators going to be too hard for them?
Our mission is to provide the finest swim instruction in the United States, through an intentional process based on education, safety, proper technique, personal achievement, and fun. The club is tailored to allow every swimmer the opportunity to get as much out of swimming that their talent and desire will allow. Swimmers are placed into the appropriate group and program where they will find the most success and be provided the best opportunity to build their swimming skills from the foundation upward. Where swimming becomes too hard is when a child is placed into a group that is not appropriate to their developmental level. This is why our coaches are adamant about all new swimmers being evaluated and then placed into the appropriate group after attending a Gators try out. Additionally, the coaches are always evaluating the swimmers in their practice groups in order to determine when a swimmer is ready to move to the next level or to an alternate program.
Are swim meets mandatory?
Swim meets are highly recommended for all of our swimmers across the board. Meets are a great way for the child to build confidence in their abilities, as well as become physically stronger swimmers. What we have found over the years is that swimmers who do not participate in swim meets eventually lose interest in the sport. Age group meets are a great way for new and/or timid athletes to get their feet wet and test the waters in a low key swim meet environment.
Do the swimmers have fun?
Most children love swimming! While swim practice is very different than playing in the pool, young children still do love practicing swimming, especially when they are encouraged in their efforts and experience a sense of accomplishment from learning new skills or becoming stronger swimmers. Our coaches understand the importance of fun in practice and they also understand that fun looks different for the varying levels and ages of our swimmers. With over 40 years of experience teaching swimming, there have been many generations of Gators families who have all been a part of the program in one way or another. These families will tell you about the many fond memories that their swimmer had while being a part of this team. They will also tell you that swimming was a vehicle in which their child learned many life skills and built their character and drive to become the person they are today.
