We were heartened by the strong interest in swim camp and tennis lessons, and are pleased to announce another 250+ spots! We will give priority to kids not already enrolled in camp/lessons (full details below). Our objective is not to serve as a summer-long camp for a few kids, but to provide a bit of normalcy for as many kids as possible, and that has guided decisions about how we will allocate these new slots.

Please recall that it was only three weeks ago today that PA announced that pools could open this summer. Thanks to those of you who have responded with grace and patience as we've tried to navigate a solution to the intense demand.

 

Additional Swim Team Spots 

  1. We're adding two more weeks of swim camp for 7- to 13-year olds -- now renamed as "Pool Rats" Swim Camp to distinguish it from the new offerings below. With the addition of the weeks of June 29th and July 27th, we will now be offering 7 consecutive weeks of Pool Rats camp, from June 15th to July 31st. Pool Rats Camp is a 90-minute mixture of swim and dryland workouts.
    • In addition, we anticipate adding additional capacity in weeks 2 through 7, meaning a non-trivial number of kids will come off of the waitlists. The exact number will be determined by the coaches next week, and will not exceed 36 (two groups of 18).
       
  2. We will be adding a new "Junior" Swim Camp for 6-year olds on Tuesdays and Thursday from 10:45 to 11:45 am for $25/week. Many of our younger members are strong swimmers, and Junior Camp will allow them to get to know our coaches and experience swim team practice. The smaller groups/ratios will make it easier to remind our little ones to observe the new safety protocols. (If these don't fill with 6-year-olds, we will then open up to 7-year-olds.) Coaches will not be in the water, and swimmers must still be able to meet the safety threshold described below! These are not beginner learn-to-swim lessons. We will have two coaches and cap enrollment at 12 children.
     
  3. We will be adding a new "Senior" Swimmer Camp for 9- to 17- year olds on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:45 to 8:45 am for $25/week. We've heard that many of our older swimmers are eager to see their longtime coaches. This will be like a typical morning summer swim practice, and will not have a dryland component. We will cap at 18 swimmers, and they must be able to meet the safety standard.

An overview of the new schedule is here:

How We Will Allocate Spots

  1. On Monday, June 15th at 8 *PM*, we will open:
    • registration for the Junior and Senior Camps. At this point, each child will be permitted to enter only one session of Junior or Senior Camp, and only if they aren't already entered in a week of Pool Rats Camp
    • waitlist for the two new weeks of Pool Rats Camp (TeamUnify does not charge you when you are added to the waitlist)
       
  2. On Wed, June 19th, we will know what the expanded capacity will be for Pool Rats camp, and we will begin to manually move swimmers off of the waitlists. There is nothing you need to do on this date; you'll receive an email from our TeamUnify platform as we move your child off the waitlist and enter them into camps, and your card will be charged. Our goal will be to enter every kid into at least one week of PR camp, if possible. If you later decide you don't want the week assigned to you, you can always cancel (see our refund policy below).
     
  3. On Friday, June 19th at 8 *PM*, we will open up registration for any remaining capacity of any of the camps. It will be a first-come, first-serve self-registration but there will be a limit on how many additional weeks you can register for at this point (TBD, but will be communicated in several places).

This process may seem complicated, but it is the best way to distribute the slots as evenly as possible within the constraints of our software. We will send reminder/refresher emails as these key dates approach.

At this point, we do not expect to take anyone off the waitlist for the week of 6/15 (next week), apart from last-minute cancellations.

 

How to Register

Log into the website, and go to My Account > Lessons Registration. 

 

How to Buy a Shirt

If you did not yet buy a shirt, they can be purchased anytime through the website. They are structured as "lessons" called "2020 Swim Team Shirt", and each "class" is a particular size. If there are no "spots" left, it means that we are sold out of that size. You can add yourself to the waitlist, but due to supply-chain issues from COVID-19, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to fill waitlisted orders. 

The shirt is a tie-dye pattern with a faux-vintage faded CSC Swim Team logo.

How to Review Your Family's Registrations (Including Wait Lists)

Go to My Account > Account Info, and then the "Swim Lessons" (yes, poorly named) tab to review all your registrations, including wait lists. The Status/Reg Date column makes clear whether your child is in the class or still on the waitlist for a given class:

 

Additional Tennis Capacity

We do not expect to add capacity to the already-published weeks in June and early July, but will be adding additional tennis weeks in July and August. Tracy is still determining his vacation schedule; once finalized, we will provide advance notice before registration opens. Allocations to the new spots will function similar to swim team: there will be a window in which people add themselves to the waitlists of the new weeks, and we will go through assigning and prioritizing those who are not already enrolled in any tennis. More details to come.

Diving Clinic 

We are hoping to add a diving clinic in August. Stay tuned!

Policies

Cancellation Policy: Once admitted, you can cancel for a full refund up until noon on the Thursday before the camp/lessons starts. If you cancel after that (including removal for failure to meet the safety threshold), you will only receive a full refund if your spot is filled by someone else; otherwise we will refund you half of the registration cost.

Swim Camp Safety Standard: None of the swim camps are learn-to-swim beginners program. Swim team camp contains stroke instruction and welcomes all ability levels beyond our safety threshold. Although we have low ratios and excellent staff coverage, for safety reasons it is imperative that swimmers be able to swim a 25 yard freestyle (one length) in under 50 seconds without stopping or assistance. Swimmers who cannot meet this standard will not be allowed to continue camp. We urge you not to put your child in the position of being unable to continue. CSC coaches and guards are available for private swim lessons, and are the appropriate option for swimmers who cannot meet the camp requirement. Parents who are uncertain whether their child meets the safety requirement are welcome to send a video of the child swimming a lap at CSC to swimteam@communityswimclub.com for evaluation by the coaches.

Inclement Weather Policy: Lessons/camp may be delayed and/or cancelled in the event of inclement weather. We will make up any cancellations of Tennis, Junior, or Senior Camp. The first cancelled day of Pool Rats will not be made up; any subsequent cancellations in that week will.

Other safety policies:

  • Parents/caregivers and siblings will not be allowed on the grounds unless the swimmer is 9 or under; in that case, the parent will need to wait in a designated area unless their child is upset and needs assistance. The grounds will be closed.
  • Swimmers will check in daily at the front desk, including a health screening.
  • Restrooms will be open. Swimmers are asked not to change/shower after camp unless they are headed directly to CSC tennis.
  • Swimmers should bring their own towel, water bottle, sunscreen, cap and goggles (recommended).