Introducing SwimStrongSwimStrong is a member of USA Swimming, which is the governing body of club swimming in the United States and the group responsible for selecting members of the US Olympic swimming team. USA Swimming is organized into 52 regional groups, called Local Swim Committees, or LSCs. Our LSC is Lake Erie Swimming and it covers the northern half of Ohio. For competitive swimming purposes, the year is split into two seasons, called short course and long course. Short course season takes place in the fall and winter and is so named because most events take place in a 25-yard (short) pool. Long course season takes place in spring and summer. Events usually take place in a 50-meter (long) pool, although some events are in short pools. Open water events (think Lake Erie) are becoming a popular part of long course season. SwimStrong is a year-round program, divided into two sessions, based upon where we are swimming. Indoor Session is roughly from Labor Day through Memorial Day, and Outdoor Session runs from Memorial Day until mid-August. Indoor sessions are currently available in two locations. Residents of Strongsville swim at Ehrnfelt Recreation Center, while residents of the Berea City School District swim at Berea/Midpark high schools. Residents of other communities may chose their location, but may not switch mid-session. All swimmers joining the Strongsville location are also required by the City of Strongsville to join the Rec Center. Outdoor sessions are held at a number of short and long outdoor pools in Strongsville and Berea. Swimmers are organized into 4 levels, or Practice Groups, based upon age and ability. Generally swimmers will practice with other swimmers of similar age and ability. The head coach has final say on all placement of swimmers. Click to view the practice schedule for Strongsville or Berea/Midpark. SwimStrong and USA Swimming are competitive programs. We regularly attend Swim Meets sanctioned by USA Swimming at various locations in Northern Ohio. Swimmers are expected to attend and participate in certain meets during the season. We try to host at least one meet each season. Every swimmer is expected to participate in such a “home meet” and all parents are required to volunteer their time to work before, during or after the meet. Hosting a meet is hard work, but is rewarding. In November, 2011 SwimStrong's third annual Splash Out Cancer meet was another huge success, thanks to everyone who contributed! Swimmers once again did Chores for Charity and sold baked goods. The team donated a portion of every swimmer's entry fee, sold raffle tickets, t-shirts and more to net a total donation of $8,578.86 to the Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals, keeping all the money local. Our three year total is now $23,314.41! Many thanks to Kelly Farmer and Liz Jones who coordinated all the efforts for this wonderful fundraiser. Once again, many local businesses graciously sponsored our home meet by placing an ad in the meet program or donating food or goods. We ask you to patronize them when possible and be sure to say "Thanks from SwimStrong" when you visit them. Click here for the list of sponsors. If you read our Vision and our Mission Statement on our About Us page, you will learn that our goals for these children extend well beyond swimming. We have a variety of Goal Setting and Motivational Programs in place. To help build team spirit, we have plenty of Team Apparel, including swimsuits, caps and clothes available. Finally, here are a few articles for New Swimmers, including information about swim meets.
For more information, please feel free to contact us at info@swimstrongsville.org |
Indoor Session: Berea/MidPark Outdoor Session: |
