Who can tryout and what does the swimmer have to do?
Aulea actively recruits year-round. We welcome swimmers age 7 to 18. Good freestyle and basic knowledge of breast and back strokes are expected. Basic butterfly is desirable. The Beginner group regularly swims 800-1000 yards a day. A swimmer should be able to do sets in lengths of 25, 50 and sometimes 100 yards. Swimmers without this ability often receive private lessons from an outside instructor and then come to join Aulea.
Is there a beginning group for younger swimmers?
No. Aulea does not have a Learn to Swim class. Our youngest group has the minimum skill discussed above.
When are tryouts?
Please call 263-SWIM (7946) for an appointment. Please avoid coming without appointments. For other information you can e-mail join@aulea.org.
Where are tryouts?
Tryouts are at the Kailua District Park Pool. See the Pool Location Page
A branch team will be starting at the main pool at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH).
How often are practices and meets?
The team conducts daily swim workouts between 5pm and 7pm, Monday through Friday except Furlough Fridays. The younger swimmers finish earlier. They do not need to swim all five days but a minimum of three days a week is recommended to progress.
Meets vary from Saturday only to Invitational meets starting Friday nights and lasting several days. The number of meets a swimmer attends depends on their ability. Faster swimmers have more meets to choose from. There are meets year-round with more occurring during Fall and Spring months and fewer during high school swim season (Nov through mid-Feb). A beginning swimmer can expect to qualify for one meet per month.
Who does my child compete against?
The beauty of the US Swimming format is they have swimmers compete against others of similar ability. To do this they have divided swimmers into divisions. There are separate times by age; the age groups are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18. You will hear about them at meets and potlucks. In brief, a 'C' swimmer has no time. There are time levels for each age group, they increase in their competitiveness in the following order: 'B', 'A', 'AA' (can go to an Invitational), 'Qual' (can go to the State Meet), 'Zone' (can go the the regional US Zone Meet). After that it does not matter how old you are, you are fast and can go to 'Sectionals' or further. So at a meet the swimmer with an 'A' time in the 50 breast competes for ribbons with other 'A' swimmers, even if there are 'AA' swimmers in the same heat. The perception of the swimmer is they move up a ladder. You can look forward to them proudly proclaiming: I got my 'A' time!
How will I find out about meets?
The volunteer parent doing entries or a coach will send out an email. There are also 'meet notices' that explain some of the details of the meet. These will be posted on the Aulea website under the "Schedules" tab and also on the LSC (Local Swim Committee, see the links) website.
Is there play time during practice?
In general, no. There is both conditioning and stroke technique work that occupies most of the practice time. On some Fridays there are some 'games'. Keep in mind that there is camaraderie, and team spirit that should be experienced with practice. And for the children that stick with swimming, there is a lot of gratification when they see their times improve. It takes time to see that improvement. I would recommend to a new swimmer that they commit to a 6 month trial. That will give them enough time to get through the initial learning curve and be rewarded for their efforts!
How much does the team cost?
Dues are paid on a monthly basis. Presently the dues are $72 for the first swimmer and $55 for each additional swimmer from the same family. In addition there is a $64 annual registration fee for the United States Swimming organization ($34 for Seasonal membership - May through August). There are also entry fees for swim meets.
What supplies will the swimmer need?
For the tryout, wear a suit and bring a towel. Goggles are good if the child is accustomed to wearing them.
Who do I contact for more information?
Call 263-SWIM.
Also, look over the documents below beginning with "Read First..."
What form do I fill out?
Click here for the Tryout Form or get one at the pool. Note that other forms will be required for joining.
