Waves Program
NYAC Waves is a pre-competitive program that introduces swimmers between 6 and 12 (Teen Waves 13-18) to competitive swimming.
All new members must attend a tryout before registering. Click here for the Link to Tryout Information and registration.
Waves 2025 - 2026 Waves Registration Link
* Note for first-time members: Do not set up a Sports Engine Account before registering; this can cause issues during the registration process.
Waves 2025 - 2026 Waves Schedule Link
***New Groups at York Mills Just Added**
Waves 15 - York Mills - Tuesday/Thursday 6:45 - 7:45 pm
Waves 16 - York Mills - Wednesday/ Friday 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Waves 29 - York Mils - Monday 7:00 - 8:00 pm
If you would like to transfer your swimmer to one of these new groups, please email [email protected]
Waves Registration Instructions
Waves Registration Information
- The price for a one-day program is $390, and for a two-day program is $600.
- The cancellation fee is $85.00 and is non-refundable.
- Coaches encourage all swimmers interested in entering the competitive program to register for a two-day program.
- If your preferred Waves Group is full, you may add your swimmer to the waiting list, and we will contact you if a spot becomes available for your swimmer.
- If your swimmer is on a waiting list, we recommend placing your swimmer in a second-favourite group to start the season on time
- This will not affect your placement on the waitlist.
- Parents are not allowed on deck at any practices - if you would like to watch your swimmers' practices, there are viewing galleries available at the following pool locations: Holland Bloorview, Glendon College, Forest Hill CI and Cummer Community Centre
2025-2026 Waves Schedule
- Fall practices begin the week of September 28, 2025, and Spring practices start the week of February 8th.
- The last week of Fall practices is the week of January 25 - 30, and Spring practices are May 24 - 29.
- Splash N' Dash Dates are TBA
- Fall Holidays: No Practices
- Thanksgiving: October 12 - 13, 2025
- Halloween: October 31, 2025
- Winter Break: December 22, 2025 - January 3, 2026
- Spring Holidays: No practices
- Family Day Weekend: February 15, 2026 and February 16, 2026
- March Break: No practices March 15 - 21, 2026.
- Easter: April 3, 2026 & April 5 - 6, 2026
- Victoria Day Weekend: May 17 - 18, 2026 (all Friday practices will run for Victoria Day weekend).
Groups that don't have practices scheduled holidays have been prorated.
Fees have been prorated for groups with practices that fall on statutory holidays.
Drop off and pick up.
- This is a gentle reminder to be at the pool 15 minutes before practices begin; arriving late is disruptive for the group.
- Be on time for pick-up. Coaches cannot wait for those who are late, as supervision cannot be guaranteed.
- Do not pull your vehicle in front of any facility's doors.
- Doing so creates a safety hazard for swimmers and parents walking outside.
- Please park your vehicle in the parking lot and walk to the door at the drop-off and pickup time.
Equipment Needed
All Waves Swimmers should have the following on the first day of practice:
- Goggles
- Kick Board
- Training Fins (not scuba)
- Cap (a NYAC cap will be given out on the first day of practice)
- Swimsuit - a training suit is highly recommended (bikinis, halter tops, ruffles, and baggy trunks can make it difficult to learn in)
- NYAC's official Team Wear Supplier is below. All NYAC swimmers receive a 25% discount.
Splashables
Lost Items:
Please remind your swimmers to always double-check their items before leaving the pool. Teaching swimmers to be responsible for their items is a great habit and life lesson for our athletes.
NYAC will do its best to assist you in finding any lost items, but with over 700 swimmers in the club, it is not always possible to recover everything.
- Please label all items with your swimmer's name and NYAC!
- Labelling your swimmer's items is the #1 way to ensure lost items are returned. Putting NYAC on allows a facility to know which organization it belongs to.
- Coaches cannot bring left-behind items home; many are students or commuting and cannot carry extra items.
- Also, we ask parents never to contact a facility directly for a lost item. As you can appreciate, hundreds of children use school or community centers, and their staff does not have the capacity to help find multiple lost items. Parents contacting a facility for any reason puts our permit at risk.
Special Note - Pool Closures:
Facility Closures: We always do our best to provide a make-up practice when a facility closure is the least disruptive for everyone. The sad reality is that there are not enough pools in Toronto to meet the population demands, and most pools are completely booked, leaving us with very few options available when providing make-up practices. We understand that no matter where or when we schedule make-up practices, it can inconvenience parents, but we always try our best to run a practice that will deliver a good workout for our Waves swimmers.
Make-up practices for personal reasons: No make-up practices exist for personal reasons. This is to accommodate the lifeguarding laws and insurance policies. Also, with over 300 swimmers in the Waves program, it would affect the quality of our programming to allow visiting swimmers to attend different swim groups on an ongoing basis. We thank you for your understanding.
The following pools are closed for repairs; we will contact you if they reopen in time for us to open new Waves programs.
- Lawrence Park CI (Lawrence & Avenue)
- Don Mills CI (Lawrence & Don Mills)
No Photos on Deck:
We ask parents not to take photos at practices. Some parents are uncomfortable with others taking pictures of their children, and we ask you to respect their wishes. Everyone signs a waiver at registration giving photography and video consent, but that is only with NYAC staff, not with members. Please remind your swimmers who carry a phone that the same rule applies to them, especially in the changing rooms.
Learn to Swim - Learn to Train - Learn to Race
Hear from our swimmers about why they love Waves!
Each Waves session ends with the Splash N Dash. This experience is meant to be fun and is the first step for a swimmer to walk out onto a pool deck, independent of their parent and perform to the best of their ability in the pool.
This event will conclude your child’s Fall/Spring Session with Waves.
Click here to see photos from the 2025 Splash n Dash!
