Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What happens if it looks like rain during my swimmer's practice time?
A. Texas spring weather can shift quickly, so it is our team's standard procedure to wait until right before each age groups' scheduled practice time to announce any cancellations.
Practice will be held in the rain UNLESS there is thunder or lightning. If you haven't received notice via SwimTopia, that means practice is on. Due to the flexible nature of our practice schedule, it is always your option to come when it works for you.
Q. How well should my child be able to swim in order to join the swim team?
A. We welcome kids ages 4-18 regardless of swim experience. We offer Rookie Camp for new swimmers to gain confidence and become water safe.
Q. What is Rookie Camp?
A. Rookie camp is required for all new members to make sure they are water safe (able to cross the pool alone, with help from the lane ropes, if needed) before the season starts.
Q. Can my child still join the swim team if he/she missed Rookie Camp?
A. Swimmers who cannot attend Rookie Camp must receive approval from the Head Coach.
Q. My child can swim, but doesn't know the competitive swim strokes. Can he/she still join the team?
A. Yes! Our experienced coaches teach all strokes to any age level swimmer: freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke.
Q. What swim gear is needed/recommended for swim practice or meets?
A. Swim suit, goggles, swim cap (optional), towels, sunscreen, water to stay hydrated.
Q. Is there a specific swim suit required for practice? Required for swim meets?
A. Suits worn to practice must be appropriate for practice. No bikinis or cut offs, please. Meets require a team suit: either the chosen suit for the current Wahoos' season, a past year's team suit, or a competitive suit that is red and/or black.
Q. What are the volunteer requirements for parents/families of swimmers?
A. There are typically 8 events each season for swimmers to participate in and those events are literally run by parents/adult volunteers. Each family is required to complete a minimum of six volunteer shifts over the course of the season or pay a $351 Volunteer Free. It is actually really fun and a good way to get to know fellow swim team parents and swimmers. Thank you in advance for your help!
Q. Where can parents sit to watch practice?
A. Per the North and South Woodland Hills' HOA rules & liability restrictions: only coaches, Wahoos board members, and swimmers during their specified practices times are allowed on the pool deck of either pool during practice. Please help us uphold this policy by observing practice from outside the fence.
Q. What criteria must be met before signing up for a swim meet?
A. NWAL requires swimmers to be able to swim the length of the pool, doing the particular stroke, without assistance. (Swimmers in the 6 & under age group are allowed to use the lane rope for assistance, if necessary.) A seed time must be recorded for each event a swimmer will swim during a meet prior to the meet.
Q. What if I don't think my child is ready to participate in a swim meet?
A. Please contact the head coach to discuss your child's abilities.
Q. How do I contact the coaches?
A. Please email [email protected] with any questions or concerns.
Q. Is it mandatory for my swimmer to attend meets? How many?
A. Swimmers must participate in at least two official swim meets to be eligible for Divisionals (end of season playoffs) and they will only be eligible to swim events that they swam during the regular season meets without disqualifying (DQ).
Q. Do I have to sign my swimmer up to attend meets? What happens if we just don't show up?
A. Technically, no. If you do nothing, your swimmer(s) will automatically be signed up to swim at the meet. However, if they are entered and don't show up, they will be scratched from the meet which creates more work for coaches and volunteers on meet day.
It is important if you are unable to attend or wish not to participate in a particular meet that you indicate this by signing them out of the meet prior to the cutoff.
Q. What should we bring to a meet?
A. Swimmers need to wear their team/competition suit to all meets. They also need goggles, towel(s), swim cap (optional), sunscreen, water to stay hydrated.
Example of things some families choose to bring to meets, but are not required: pop-up tent, chairs, coolers with personal snacks/drinks (concessions are available on-site).
Q. What is a DQ?
A. It is short for "Disqualification". A swimmer can receive a DQ for many reasons. The majority of the time it is for not swimming a stroke properly. Refer to the NWAL rule book for more information. At a meet, the officials should talk to the swimmer about why there were DQed. Parents should talk to the coaches via email.
Q. What is a "seed time"?
A. Seed time refers to the time your swimmer has previously recorded as their time to finish a particular stroke. Seed times are used to place swimmers in heats/relays from slowest to fastest so the heats/relays are evenly matched.
Q. What is a "heat"?
A. A heat is the group of swimmers swimming in the pool at the same time. When there are more swimmers in an event than lanes to swim in, multiple heats (or groups) are created for that event.
If you have any other questions, please contact the Wahoos Board.
