Sharks Summer League Swim Team
Hosted by Team Swim Academy Swimming
Serving Blue Springs, MO; Oak Grove, MO; and surrounding areas.
SUMMER 2024
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Sharks Summer League Swim Team is to provide an exciting, entry-level competitive swimming experience for swimmers of all ages; to teach new swimming skills & fitness; and to offer a foundation and love for lifelong involvement in swimming.
WELCOME
Welcome and thank you for participating in Team Swim Academy’s summer league swimming program, known as the Sharks, a recreational swim team competing as part of the Suburban Municipal Swim League. Sharks swim team is open to any swimmer age 6-18 who can swim the length of a 25-yard pool UNASSISTED. Registration takes place online at our team website. Morning practices will be held for all age groups at the Oak Grove Aquatic Center located at 1300 SE 30th Street, Oak Grove, MO and HOME meets will be held at the Oak Grove Aquatic Center as well. We will also offer some evening practices for swimmers age 12 & Over at the Blue Springs SOUTH Aquatic Center located at 1300 SE Adams Dairy Parkway, Blue Springs, MO. We look forward to a great summer swim season!
REGISTRATION
Registration for the Sharks Swim Team will take place online at www.bluespringssharks.com Wednesday, May 1st, 2024 through Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024. Registration (including payment) must be completed entirely online with credit or debit card.
Late registration will be accepted (for an additional fee of $25) from Thursday, May 23rd thru Friday, May 31st. Late Registrations must be completed online and paid by credit/debit card.
We encourage you to sign-up early to secure your swimmer’s spot on the team! For registration and practice purposes, swimmers are divided by age groups as follows: 8&Under, 9-11, and 12&Over. For competition, swimmers are divided by age groups as follows: 8&Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15&Over. Per league rules, swimmers compete all season at the age they are as of May 31, 2024.
SEASON START & END DATES
Summer swimming begins on Tuesday, May 28th. The season will end with awards presented during a pool party on the morning of Friday, July 19 at the Oak Grove Aquatic Center.
PRICING
The registration fee for the Sharks Summer League is $165 for all registrations received by Wednesday, May 22nd. Registrations received May 23rd or after will have a fee of $190. No additional registrations will be accepted after May 31st.
MULTIPLE-ATHLETE DISCOUNT
Families registering 2 swimmers will receive a $10 discount, 3 swimmers a $15 discount, 4 swimmers a $20 discount, and 5 swimmers a $25 discount off the total. To receive the discount, swimmers must be in the same family/household, and they must be registered at the same time to the same account.
TEAM SUITS AND CAPS
Team swimsuits are not required to participate on the team, but they are highly recommended for team unity. Team swimsuits can be purchased separately at Swim Things, Inc. located at 3010 SW US Highway 40, Blue Springs, MO. Contact Swim Things, Inc. for pricing on suits. Other team apparel (Swim Caps and T-shirts) may also be purchased separately through Team Swim Academy, host of Sharks Summer League Swim Team. More information on additional apparel will follow. Please note that if a swimmer wears a cap during a swim meet, that cap must be a Sharks team cap.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
It is also recommended that swimmers have a pair of goggles for practice and swim meets. (Goggles are also available at Swim Things, Inc.) Swimmers may wear their team suits at practice. However, if swimmers choose to wear different suits for practice, it is recommended that suits are fitted to the body. Swimsuits with ruffles or baggy swim trunks weigh-down swimmers, making movement through the water more challenging and exhausting. Swimmers may also want their own kickboard. There are some available for use at the pool, but they are limited. Also, don’t forget your towel! Swimmers may also want to bring their own water bottles labeled with their first and last name.
PRACTICE TIMES -- Please note that swimmers are NOT required to attend all practices.
Please note, parents are not permitted to be on the pool deck. Parents who choose to stay for practice must sit in the designated spectator area. You are welcome to drop your swimmer at the pool and be there promptly to pick him/her up at the end of his/her practice session if you prefer.
Swimmers Age 12 & Over
8:00 AM—9:00 AM Monday through Friday at Oak Grove Aquatic Center
5:30 PM—7:00 PM Monday/Wednesday at Blue Springs SOUTH Aquatic Center
Swimmers Age 9-11
9:00 AM--10:00 AM Monday through Friday at Oak Grove Aquatic Center
Swimmers Age 8 & Under
10:00 AM--11:00 AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (3 days) at Oak Grove Aquatic Center
(*Note: Due to swim lessons scheduled at the Oak Grove Aquatic Center from 10:00 AM-11:00 AM during some weeks of the season, the 8 & Under practice group will practice at an earlier time those weeks, combining with one of the other practice groups. Specific dates of practice changes and practice time will be determined after swim lesson dates are set and after team registration when numbers for each group are established.)
Practice times are subject to change within the practice window based on team enrollment.
SWIM MEETS
We will have 5 swim meets this season: 4 regular-season swim meets and a Championship swim meet that will be divided into 2 separate evenings by age groups. Meets will take place primarily on Thursday or Friday evenings, but a Saturday morning meet is also scheduled. Championships will be divided between a Wednesday and Thursday evening.
To sign-up to participate in a swim meet, you must submit a swim meet entry via the online sign-up program by the entry deadline. Entry deadlines will be provided at a future date.
Swimmers are NOT required to participate in swim meets. However, if swimmers want to participate in the Championship meet for their age group, they must have competed in at least ONE regular season meet AND earned a legal time (not a disqualification) in the event(s) they wish to swim at Championships. Legal times must be swum in the 2024 season. Previous season’s times will NOT qualify.
Meet disqualifications will be enforced at meets. Every effort will be made to inform swimmers of the infraction so they can learn and coaches can help them prepare for their next race.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Running a successful summer league swim team requires the assistance of parent volunteers. All parents are expected to help! Parent help is needed with the set-up, running, and clean-up of the home swim meets and team functions. We also are required to provide parent volunteers at away meets as well. Volunteer positions include, but are not limited to, the following jobs: Timing, Awards, Stroke-and-Turn Judge, Clerk of the Course (organizing swimmers for their races), meet set-up, meet clean-up, etc. Please note there will be a Stroke-and-Turn training clinic on a date and time to be determined. We NEED anyone interested in serving as a Stroke-and-Turn Judge at swim meets to attend this training. It is IMPERATIVE that we have some parents trained in Stroke-and-Turn. Without the judges (like with all volunteer positions) we cannot have the swim meets! No one may serve as a Stroke-and-Turn Judge unless he/she has attended this training. You do not have to be skilled/knowledgeable in swimming strokes to attend this training. You will learn what you need to know during the training!
SWIM MEET SCHEDULE & OTHER IMPORTANT DATES – This is a TENTATIVE meet schedule. Home (hosted) meets will take place at the Oak Grove Aquatic Center. Meet start times are To Be Determined.
Tuesday, May 28th First Practice: See practice schedule above.
Thursday, June 13 Sharks vs. Warrensburg @ HOME (evening meet – Time TBA)
Friday, June 21 Sharks vs. Lee’s Summit @ Lee’s Summit (Away -- evening meet – Time TBA)
Saturday, June 29 Sharks vs. Pleasant Hill @ HOME (morning meet -- Time TBA)
Thursday, July 11 Sharks vs. Pleasant Hill @ Pleasant Hill (Away – evening meet – Time TBA)
Wednesday, July 17 11&Over Championships @ Warrensburg (Away – evening meet – Time TBA)
Thursday, July 18 10&Under Championships @ Lee’s Summit (Away – evening meet – Time TBA)
Friday, July 19 End of Season Awards/Pool Party @ HOME 8:00-11:00 AM
END OF SEASON AWARDS
End-of-season awards will be presented to swimmers on Friday morning, July 19 during a pool party at the Oak Grove Aquatic Center.
PRACTICE CANCELLATIONS
Should the need arise to cancel practice due to summer storms, pool maintenance issues, etc., the information will be e-mailed prior to the scheduled practice (if time permits).
KEEPING UP TO SPEED / TEAM COMMUNICATION
The team website is www.bluespringssharks.com. We will frequently send out e-mails with announcements and important information, so make sure your e-mail address is accurately typed in the online registration form so you can be included. If you want additional family members copied in the emails, be sure to include those emails in your online registration. Also, be sure you include our team in your address book so that your email service does not send your emails to your JUNK file. You may update your account online as necessary.
REGISTER ONLINE AT www.bluespringssharks.com
BEGINNING May 1, 2024.
