Eligibility & Participation
Minimum Skills Requirements
The BCW Barracudas is a competitive swim team and not a "learn to swim" program. For safety, swimmers are expected to be able to swim the length of the pool (25 yards) unassisted in approximately 1 minute 15 seconds. If a swimmer cannot meet this requirement, there is a safety risk, as we are not staffed to provide one-on-one instruction. We are happy to recommend local learn-to-swim programs upon request.
Swimmers are not expected to know formal stroke technique at registration. Occasional stopping, doggy-paddling, or using the lane line or wall is acceptable early in the season, as long as swimmers are willing to be coached and improve over time. See the Initial Skills Requirement for the full standard, evaluation timing, and refund details.
Age Group Determination
AHSL determines age groups based on a swimmer's age as of May 1. This is the age group they will compete in during meets.
For practices, we can often adjust group placement so swimmers are with friends in their grade when appropriate. However, at swim meets, swimmers are required to compete in their official age group regardless of practice group placement.
Please note: AHSL is a youth league. A swimmer who turns 18 at any point during the season becomes ineligible to compete from that date forward, regardless of their May 1 age.
Meet Participation
This is a swim team, and we ask that families plan to attend as many meets as possible. To qualify for the Championship Meet, swimmers must participate in at least two regular season meets and have valid times in their individual events.
Because most volunteer opportunities are tied to meets, at least one parent should plan to be available to volunteer at the meets their swimmer attends — the Board may ask families to help beyond the minimum when jobs must be filled.
Volunteer Requirements
We are a volunteer-run organization, and our parent volunteers are essential to running safe and successful meets. Each family is required to complete four (4) volunteer points during the season; each job's point value is shown when you sign up.
A $150 conditional fee is pre-approved at registration and is charged only if the requirement is not met — this is not a charge and not a hold on your card. Families who do not meet the requirement may also be denied registration, or lose registration priority, in future seasons. Full details are on our Policies page.
For additional information on volunteer expectations and opportunities, please visit the Volunteer Overview page.
