aquatics
Swim Club
Our Team
We welcome swimmers ages 6 to 18 and understand that each individual has different goals and reasons for joining a swim team. From the swimmer who just wants to stay in shape for SAIL to the one who desires to compete in the State Championship, Sectional Meet or beyond, we will do our best to meet each individual’s goals. All practices are held at Sportsclub Five Forks. For more information, please visit the team website or contact Coach Paul via the form below.
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Swim Club Interest Form
Swim Club FAQ’s
- How much does it cost to be a part of the swim team?
- Click HERE for registration forms. The cost for registration, USA Swimming membership, and program fees are outlined in the registration forms. The cost varies depending on how many days per week you swim and on whether you pay by the month or whether you pay the semester in advance.
- Do I have to register for USA Swimming to be on the team?
- Yes. All swimmers on a USA Swim Team must be registered as members of USA Swimming.
- Click HERE for all Sportsclub and USA Swimming registration forms.
- What’s the difference between a USA Swimming flex membership and premium membership?
- USA Swimming offers two levels of membership. The Flex Membership allows swimmers to participate in two non-championship meets per year. The Premium Membership allows swimmers full participation in all meets for which they qualify.
- Click HERE for more information and registration forms for both membership levels.
- When does swim team start and end?
- We break our season into two semesters. The first semester runs from September through December. The second semester runs from January through April.
- We do offer a two week extra session the first two weeks of May (Maymester).
- Specific dates will be posted on the website.
- Holidays will be posted on the website and emailed as they draw near.
- How do I know which swim group is best for my swimmer? Is there some kind of an evaluation process?
- Click HERE for the general requirements of each swim group.
- Most of the time your swimmer can be evaluated by having a conversation with Coach Paul. You may speak with him over the phone (864-787-7031) or at the pool.
- In some instances, he may recommend an in-water evaluation. Simply let Coach Paul know a convenient day for you during the season M-F between 4:30 and 6:00 PM.
- What equipment is required for practice?
- Click HERE for a list of required and recommended practice equipment.
- What are the rules for drop-off and pick-up at swim practice?
- Children 10 & Under must be walked back to the pool and picked up from the pool.
- It seems I am not getting the emails others are. What’s going on?
- Most likely Coach Paul made a mistake entering your email address. Please email him to double check. [email protected].
- Do we have swim meets?
- We have approximately one meet per month from October to March. Most meets are open to all swimmers, though some are championship meets for which swimmers must achieve qualifying time standards.
- Do we have to participate in swim meets?
- Participation in swim meets is strictly optional. Most meets are three day meets (Friday-Sunday). You may compete on as many or as few days as you like. You may also swim the maximum number of events allowed for a particular session or just one. The number of days the meet runs and the number of allowed events per session will be in the meet information for that meet.
- How do I access meet information?
- Meet information will be sent to you a week or so before the entry deadline for each meet.
- How do I sign up for swim meets?
- You must activate your account through our website. You will receive an email to do so once your completed registration packet is processed. Follow the link in the email to complete your account activation. Please email Coach Paul if you cannot find the email. [email protected].
- Once you receive an email regarding an upcoming meet and sign-up deadline (this is a separate email from the account activation email), to sign up for a swim meet, log into the website and go to the Meets Tab where available meets are listed. Select the upcoming meet that was referenced in the email, and follow the instructions to select the events for your swimmer.
- Note: you will not be able to sign up for a meet until you receive the upcoming meet deadline email and registration has been opened on the website for that particular email.
- Note: You must have a credit card on file at the Sportsclub to participate in meets.
- What if I missed the meet deadline?
- If you miss a meet deadline, you will not be able to participate in that particular meet. The entry process on our part and then on the part of the host team is time consuming. It’s not as simple as adding another swimmer. New files have to be created. While Sportsclub may be able to submit a new entry file on rare occasions, most host teams are unwilling to accept entries past the deadline.
- If I enter my swimmer in a meet, will I get further information about arrival times, warm-up times, or what to do when I arrive, etc.?
- Yes. You will receive an email with all the details the Thursday before the meet for which you are signed up.
- Are team suits and caps required for the meets?
- Team suits are not required for the meets, but we do have them. Click HERE if you would like to order.
- Team caps are required for the meets. They may be purchased at the Snack Bar for $15.
- Where are the swim meets?
- Most of the meets are fairly close. We swim at Westside in Greenville, Spartaquatics in Duncan, and Clemson. We will participate in some meets in Rock Hill, Columbia, and Charleston. Some will qualify for postseason meets in Atlanta, Raleigh, and beyond.
- Is there a swim meet schedule?
- Yes. The meet schedule will be posted by mid-September. Click HERE for the updated schedule.
- How much do swim meets cost?
- The cost of each meet varies depending upon the meet, the number of events you enter, etc.
- The average cost for a two-day meet of six entries is around $65 per swimmer.
- How do I pay for swim meets?
- Your account will be billed the month after the meet is completed. Most meets are at the end of the month, so your account will usually be charged within a week or two after the meet.
- What happens if I need to back out of a meet?
- You may back out of a meet for any reason. However, once entries have been turned in to the host team, your account will be charged. Some host teams will give a refund depending upon the circumstances. Others will not. Part of the total for meet fees for any given meet is a charge by Sportsclub to pay the coach who is required by USA Swimming to be on deck. If you back out of a meet, you will not be charged the Sportsclub portion of the fees due.
- It seems as if I’m not allowed to register for a meet. What’s going on?
- Most likely you have not activated your account. You should have received an email to do so once your completed registration packet was processed. Please email Coach Paul if you cannot find the email. [email protected].
- Your registration may not have been processed. The most common reason for that is that we do not have your swimmer’s birth certificate which is required by USA Swimming. Please take a picture of it and email it to Coach Paul.
- How do the swim meets differ from SAIL swim meets?
- USA Swim Meets are different from SAIL meets in a number of ways. In USA Swim Meets:
- You pick your events and sign up online;
- We generally have one or two lanes for warm-up; other teams will have other lanes; we generally have 30 to 45 minutes for warm-up; warm-up lane assignments will be in the meet information emailed to you;
- There is no Clerk-of-Course in USA Swim Meets; swimmers are responsible to report directly behind the block for each race; swimmers are responsible to keep up with their own events; there are no tent parents to tell them when their event is up; nor will the coaches do so; it’s a good idea to arrive behind your block 2 to 3 heats ahead of your heat; (Coaches will assist new swimmers in their first meet);
- Parents are not allowed on deck unless they are volunteering at the meet in some way;
- Swimmers are allowed to sit with the team or their parents;
- Swimmers are free to go upon completion of their events;
- The entire team does not participate in meets; there may be anywhere from 2 to 20 swimmers from our team at a given meet session;
- We generally do not swim the relays at meets because we rarely have enough swimmers in a given age group in the same session, though there are exceptions.
- USA Swim Meets are multi-day meets with multiple teams competing from all over the state or region.
- USA Swim Meets are different from SAIL meets in a number of ways. In USA Swim Meets:
- Are parents required to volunteer for the meets?
- No, Sportsclub parents are not required to volunteer for meets.
- Are there tips and suggestions for meet preparation or what to bring to the meet, etc.?
- Yes. Click HERE for a detailed list.
- Should I even bother with participating in meets?
- It’s up to you. But, HERE are some things to think about.
- How can my 18 & over swimmer access the USA Swimming required Athlete Protection Training?
- Click HERE for access to the Athlete Protection Training.
- My swimmer is coming from another USA Swim Team. How do I transfer his/her membership?
- Click HERE for an Athlete Transfer Form.