Welcome to the Norfolk Hammerheads!
We would like to welcome all new and returning age group swimmers and their parents to the Norfolk Hammerheads Aquatic Club. We have definitely started the year off with a splash!! The swimmers and coaches are very excited. They are having fun and working hard. We are already seeing progress in our swimmers and are anxious to see their performance in upcoming meets. It takes time to build skills. We encourage swimmers and parents to be patient.
Coaching Staff – 2023/2024
Trent McNicol - Head Coach
Kristina Steins- Assistant Coach
Equipment and Apparel
We are currently looking for someone to be in charge of equipment and apparel. If you are interested please contact us at [email protected]
In order for your child to participate fully in our program the following apparel and equipment will be necessary:
black ‘Speedo’ type bathing suits - Racing back suits for the girls and jammers for the boys. (Speedo Endurance suits are what we find work well.)
Goggles- It is important that your child wears goggles. Not only is it difficult for them to see where they are going without the goggles, but their eyes can become very irritated after an hour or more in the pool.
Team swim caps – It is recommended that all swimmers wear a swim cap, particularly if they have long hair. It is a good idea to have a cap for both training and swim meets. Wearing a team cap at swim meets helps coaches identify swimmers both in warm-ups and while racing. Please only wear the team swim caps. They are $15 and can be purchased through the team.
Team tshirt - This changes from year to year and can be ordered from the team early in the season.
Other apparel: Each year the team offers team apparel which is usually black sweat shirts/hoodies, sweat pants and parkas with the swimmer's name and our team logo embroidered on them. It is important that the swimmer stay warm on deck during swim meets but team wear is not required.
Back packs are convenient to keep the swimmers items together, especially at swim meets. These come from Team Aquatics or other sources. We usually order either Speedo Teamster Backpack (35 litre) or the Arena Fastpack Backpack (45 litre), both in black with the team logo and swimmer's name embroidered on it.
Equipment list:
Intro to Stroke: no equipment is required
Stroke Development: fins, kick board, pull buoy, mesh bag
Train to Compete: fins, kick board, paddles, pull buoy, cords, mesh bag
Gold/Gold Development: fins, kick board, paddles, pull buoy, snorkel, dryland cords, mesh bag
Items can be purchased through Team Aquatics or other sources (Fitness Depot). Use the code NOR051 for 20% off online purchases at Team Aquatics (team-acquatic.com) or our Shark Card when in person (see yearly issue of Shark Card sent out by the team).
Important information about Swim Meets
We encourage our swimmers to attend as many of the meets recommended for their group as they can. It is at these meets that the swimmers really learn to race, see the progress they are making, build friendships and promote team spirit.
Signing up
Signing up for swim meets is always done on the Hammerheads website by going to the Team Events tab. If you need assitance, we would be happy to help you with this.
Aqua 7 Meets
The Aqua 7 meets provide an excellent opportunity to introduce our athletes into the world of competitive swimming. This offers a smaller environment for our first-time competitors. Swimmers are limited to 3 individual events and possibly 1 relay. A final Aqua 7 Championship meet, with all participating teams competing, will be held in the spring. In order to attend the championship meet, swimmers must have attended 3 of the 4 scheduled Aqua 7 meets.
A typical Aqua 7 meet would run as follows:
8:00 a.m. warm-up
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 swim meet
There is a $30 per swimmer at Aqua 7 meets. It’s a great opportunity to meet other NHAC parents and become an active member of the team. Thank you in advance for helping out.
Other Meets
Please note that swim meets other than the Aqua 7 require payment for each individual event your child swims.
There may be a small entry fee for Aqua 7 Meets.
The cost varies slightly from one meet to another but is usually $12.00 per event.
We will release a tentative meet schedule when information becomes available.
See you at the pool!!
Our team is a September to June (regular season) swim team offering high quality professional coaching and technique instruction for all ages and abilities. The goal of our team is to provide every member an opportunity to improve swimming skills and achieve success at his or her level of ability, from novice to international competitor. All of our coaches have access to the most comprehensive training and certification program for youth coaches of any sport. They provide assurances that the time children spend in swimming will be quality time. We are a not for profit club, run by its elected Board of Directors which meets each month. All members are welcome at each meeting and encouraged to be involved in team activities and fundraisers.
Norfolk Hammerheads Aquatic Club. Not-for-Profit Corporation # 408833-6-M
