Q: How can I join Swim Tampa Aquatics Team (STA)?
A: Congratulations on your decision. Here are the steps to follow:
1) Contact Coach Scott and discuss what your swimming experience. The coach may ask you to attend a practice session to be evaluated. The practice times and locations for all groups can be found on the Team Info tab.
2) After agreeing with the coach on which group is right for you, go to the Documents tab on the website. Print out the Swimmer Registration Form along with the USA Swimming Registration Form.
3) On the Forms/Documents page, you can review the session fees.
4) Fill out the Swimmer Registration forms and bring to practice with your payment and a copy of your birth certificate.
5) When the administrator processes your paperwork, your family account will be made ’Active’ and you will receive an email with your login password. Use your primary account email address as your login id to sign in to sign-in to the website to view areas not accessible to the general public.
6) If you’ve trained/competed under a previous USA Swimming-affiliated club, complete a Florida Swimming Transfer Form . Send this form directly to Helen Kelley at Florida Swimming using the address on the form.
7) Spend some time reviewing all of the STA website – there is a lot of information available to you. If you have more questions, always feel free to ask one of the Coaches. We are all available to help.
Billing Questions
Q: How am I billed for my STA charges?
A: On the 1st of each month, an invoice is generated for each swimming family. A link is emailed to you that allows you to see your specific charges and payments received. You must first sign-in to the STA website to be allowed to see your account.
Q: What does it mean when I receive an invoice email notification that says I have a balance due?
A. This means your STA account had charges posted since the previous invoice and that you need to make a payment to STA (if you have a balance of a zero or a credit, you don’t need make any payments for that month).
Q: How do I make a payment to STA?
A: You may bring your fees to practice or mail them to:
Swim Tampa Aquatics
3005 Cale Ln
Tampa FL, 33614
Q: Where can I see the detailed charges on my account ?
A: After you’ve logged on, go to ’$ My Invoice/Payment’ tab. Under this tab, you can see current and past invoices and all payments you’ve made. You also can see any currently posted charges that haven’t yet been invoiced by going to the ’My Account’ tab as well.
Q: What kind of charges are posted to my STA account ?
A: All meet entry fees charges, session charges for all swimmers, and any fees for caps or other equipment will all be posted to your STA billing account.
Q: When are my payments due and who do I contact if I have questions about my invoice?
A: All payments must be received by the 15th of the month after you receive your invoice. A $15.00 late fee will be charged after the 15th of the month. Failure to pay in a timely manner may result in email reminders or the removal of your swimmer(s) from practice until the balance is paid. Please contact one of the coaches with questions.
Website Operation / Member Directory
Q: I forgot my password! What do I do?
A: On the "Sign-In" page, click the link and your password will be emailed to you. Your password will be auto-emailed to the email address on file with your members-only account.
Q: Can I change my password?
A: Yes. After you sign in, click on "Change Pswd" near the top-right corner of the home page.
Q: How can I change my email address or other contact information?
A: After signing in, Click on "My Account" and change your personal information. Make sure to click "Save" at the bottom when you are done.
Q: Why require username/password to use the STA website?
A: Members-only login protects private information. Because our website draws traffic from all over the country and around the world, each family’s username and password allows access to their specific family account. Some portions of the website are activated by signing-in and are viewable only by registered Club STA families.
Q: Do I need a username/password for each family member?
A: No. Membership is set up as ONE ACCOUNT PER FAMILY. A family account can cover multiple swimmers in that family.
Q: Sometimes, some of the choices on the top navigation bar of the website are missing. How do I see them?
A: Some parts of the website are visible only after you sign-in.
Q: How can I get a Member Directory?
A: First, you must sign-in with your member name and password. Then, click the "Members" tab under the main navigation bar. This will take you to the Member Search page. Here you can look up individual members or groups. Swimmer names, parent names, street address, email address and home phone number are visible for all members who have not indicated a preference under "My Account" to not be in the directory. To be removed from the directory, select "No, I do not want to participate" in the "Member Search" box. Note that if you are not in the directory you also can not see a directory of others.
Entering Swim Meets
Q: How do I sign up to swim in a meet?
A: You will receive an email from STA when a meet becomes available for sign-up. Remember that there is a deadline for sign-up that is listed on the email and on the registration information on the website.
After signing-in on the STA website, click on the “Attend this Event" box under the meet of interest in the “Upcoming Events" section at the lower-right corner of the homepage.
Q: Which events should I sign up for?
A: Discuss with your coach which events are appropriate.
Q: Where do entry times come from?/Can I submit alternate entry times?
A: Entry times are generally a swimmer’s fastest legal time in an event recorded in our database. For some meets, such as the state championships, only the fastest times achieved in the last year are considered. A swimmer who does not have a time in an event may be entered by the coach with no-time or a time estimate from a similar event or a practice. If you have alternate times for the coach to consider such as times from a country club or high school meet, include them in the "Notes" section when you are signing-up for a meet.
Q: How do I know that my meet entries are accepted?
A: When you select your child’s desired events at a meet, they will have a status of “committed". Coaches will review, update and finalize all entries after the entry deadline. Once this process is completed, each swimmer’s status will change to "approved", typically within a few days of the entry deadline.
Q: How do I pay my meet fees?
A: Meet entry fees are automatically added to your account. Meet fees are due prior to the meet.
Program Information
Q: How do I know which training group is right for my child?
A: Returning swimmers must have coach’s approval before changing practice groups. New swimmers should may attend trial practices and work with coaches to find the best fit. Coaches will always make the final group placement decisions. For a coach-to-parent discussion of your child’s needs please send an email to the coach.
Q: What are STA fees?
A: The fees are listed on the current Member Application located under the "Documents" tab found on the right side of the homepage.
Q: What about refunds?
A: Typically there are no refunds. Please see one of the coaches with any questions.
Swim Tampa Equipment
Q: Am I required to have specific team equipment?
A: No. We encourage our swimmers to wear a STA cap to show their affiliation, but all other equipment (suits, goggles, etc) is your personal preference.
Q: What STA apparel can I buy? Are there deadlines for orders that I should be aware of?
A: Team suits are available from Total Team Wears. Other opportunities are available through the year. Notifications are sent to active members.
Q: Who do I contact with questions about equipment?
A: Please contact Coach Scott.
Parent Meetings
Q: How often are parent meetings scheduled?
A: Each parent meeting is posted as an Event at least 7 days prior to the meeting.
Social Events
Q: How do I find out about social events?
A: All events are announced on the website. Also, check out the calendar on the website. Some social events will require advance sign-up in the “Events" area of the webpage.
Q: What kinds of social activities can I expect will be available to my child?
A: The club tries to offer varied social activities for groups of all ages. These include family nights out; car washes; and holiday break activities. Poolside social activities and summertime picnics are also coordinated during the year.
Q: How do I volunteer to help organize social events or offer ideas?
A: Please contact one of the coaches with any ideas you may have. We hope each family will help coordinate a social activity throughout the year.
Q: Who do I contact with fundraising ideas and opportunities?
A: Please see our website for advertising opportunities. This is a great opportunity to help the team and reach many local families with your companies information.
