Want to Join AMFY?
Swimmers and families interested in joining the team usually join before our Fall/Winter season begins.
- Feel free to email Coach Matt ([email protected]) to get on the email list for potential swimmers. This ensures you get info as it becomes available.
- Attend ONE of the new swimmer evaluation days in August. These days and times are posted to our website once available. This evaluation is to determine if a swimmer is "swim team ready" and potentially what practice group they could be in.
- Ready to join? After you attend the evaluation and get your swimmer's practice group estimation, you can go on our website and register for the team during the New Swimmer registration timeframe.
- Once accepted to the team, plan to attend one of our Parent Fair days to get some additional info on the team. This isn't necessarily mandatory, but it's the easiest way to get info and ask questions. Also, our team vendor is usually present for you to purchase practice equipment and team suits.
- Start attending practice when it begins in September!
Below are links to pages on our website with the most common questions.
TEAM DUES (will update in August 2023)
MEET SCHEDULE (will update as meets become available)
NEW SWIMMER EVALUATIONS DATES
- August 8 at NORTH (Celina) Y: 6-7p
- August 10 at NORTH (Celina) Y: 5:30-6:30p
- August 16 at SOUTH (Minster) Y: 5:30-6:30p
Frequently asked questions:
Does my kid have to be a YMCA member to swim for AMFY?
Yes, all swimmers who want to participate in AMFY swimming must be members of OUR BRANCH. They need to be a member beginning with their first practice through their last meet. Memberships at other Y's (examples, Darke County, Wapakoneta) unfortunately do not work. This is a YMCA of the USA rule that we cannot avoid. The swimmer can have an individual membership, or can be part of a family membership. Talk to the front desk at either location (Celina or Minster) for memebership rates and options.
Does my kid have to be a good swimmer to be on the team?
Our general suggestion is swimmers have two summers of swim team experience on their local city pool team, but that's just our suggestion. Younger kids should be "legal" in three of the four strokes, older kids need to be "legal" in them all. Younger swimmers should be able to swim at least a few laps at a time, older kids a bit more.
What are swim team evaluations? Is it like a tryout? Can my kid be "cut" from the team?
We do swim team evaluations in August for anyone new to our program. Each evaluation has the kid in the water for 10-15 minutes, and they just demonstrate competancy in strokes. It is not meant to be a full evaluation of their stamina, times or racing. We are simply looking to ensure they are ready for a long swim season and that they will enjoy it rather than hate it. We only dismiss kids from the team if there are disciplinary or conduct issues that cannot be resolved. Anyone who comes routinely to practice and gives good effort is welcome to stay.
But I hear that not everyone who does an evaluation gets a spot on the team?
We cap the roster numbers on our practice groups in order to keep it safe and keep swimmer-to-coach ratios appropriate. Every year we strive to accept everyone who wants a spot. Most years we are able to take everyone who wants to join. If numbers are too high, we do a lottery system.
How often does my kid have to practice?
AMFY does NOT have minimum practice requrements. This is mainly because we have many kids involved in lots of different activities that frequently change, and trying to keep tabs on minimum attendance numbers is too difficult. That being said, we generally suggest 75-80% attendance for younger kids, and 80-90% attendance for older kids. The more you practice, the better you get!
How many meets do we have to swim?
During the fall/winter season (September to March) all swimmers must do at least 3 meets plus the Championship meet in March for which they qualify. There are usually 10-12 meets offered during the course of a season, so the minimum is easy to achieve. We recommend at least one meet per month to keep sharp, but you are welcome to participate in all of them!
Is the team suit and cap required? What about other equipment?
We have a Speedo team suit that is strongly recommended (but not required) for meets. We give out one free team cap at the start of the season that is strongly recommended for meets. All swimmers will need a pair of fins that they bring to every practice. Suits and fins, along with other equipment, can be purchased from our team vendor. If you need more team caps, see a coach.
How long is the season? Do we have to swim the whole thing?
Our first practice is in mid-September and we want everyone to swim through the championship season in March. We sure hope they enjoy the experience and want to do the whole thing, but we do occasionally have swimmers that withdraw. You would need to notify the head coach if you choose to do that. Just know, if you do decide to withdraw or not finish the season, you might not get a priority spot next season.
My kid has fall sports/other activities. Can they still be a part of AMFY?
Yes, we have many multi-sport athletes and kids with other activities than swim. Sometimes our fall-sport athletes are not able to join until October. It is difficult for swimmers who have not swam with us before to wait that long to have their first practice, but some do achieve this. Speak with the coaches at evaluations to review your kids' specific situation to get a recommendation.
What all do I have to pay to be a part of the team?
- YMCA membership (talk to the front desk of either branch to get rates)
- AMFY Team dues (these can be paid all at once or broken up over the months of the season)
- Meet fees (variable depending on the meet, average $20-30 per meet)
- Equipment (suggested to get this through our team vendor)
What do parents have to "do" as a part of the team?
- Be supportive and encouraging, avoid negativity and judgement, keep a good communication line with the coaches
- Fulfill your worker shift requirements at our November invitational, random meets during the season, and our championship meets
- Fulfill your team fundraising requirements (these keep dues reasonable)
What if I have more questions?
Ask them at evaluations or email Coach Matt ([email protected])
