Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
View commonly asked questions on a range of topics. If you have a question that is not listed, send us corrections or comments through the "Contact Us" button on the toolbar at the top of the website.
FAQ Topics
- General Swim Team Questions
- Billing & Registration Questions
- Website Operation
- Swim Team Practices
- Swim Meets
Q: Why should my child swim?
A: Tomball Area Swim Club is the premier youth sports program in the Tomball area. There are many benefits to getting your child involved in competitive swimming, including:
- Swimming promotes physical development.
- Swimming develops aerobic endurance and is one of the most beneficial forms of cardiovascular exercise.
- Swimming enhances a child’s natural flexibility and promotes muscle development.
- Swimming develops superior coordination.
- Swimming is the most injury-free of all children’s sports.
- Swimming is a sport that will bring children fitness and enjoyment for life.
- Swimming promotes time management and is one of the top academically achieving sports.
- Swimming is an important safety skill for young children.
Q: What is the swim team and why would I want my child to participate?
A: It’s fun. It’s great exercise. It builds confidence. It’s a great way for your child to meet other kids in the neighborhood. It’s a great way for you to meet other parents.
Q: Who can answer my questions about the swim team?
A: Send your email questions to the the Contact Us button on the top of the website. Your question will be answered or direct you to the right person.
Q: What strokes do the swimmers use in competition?
A: Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
Q: What swimming strokes does my child need to know to join the team?
A: If your child is 5 to 18 and can swim a lap of the pool then they should come to swim team practice and have the coach evaluate them for the team.
Q: What is a tryout and what should I expect?
A: A tryout is an evaluation done by our coaching staff to place each swimmer in the best possible group level. We start accepting swimmers out of learn-to-swim lessons. Each swimmer is different and may or may not be ready. The tryout will last about 10 minutes. Swimmers should be ready to swim with swimsuit, goggles, and a towel. If you are a senior level swimmer, please send us an email at [email protected] before coming to a tryout.
Q: What to wear?
A: Swimmers must come to the evaluation session ready to swim. This includes:
- Proper swim training attire. Baggy shorts or ’beach wear’ are not acceptable. Call or email if you are unsure what this means.
- Goggles and a swim cap.
Q: How do I schedule a tryout?
A: We offer drop in tryouts at both locations. Please send an email to coaches or email c[email protected].
Q: I just want my child to learn how to swim better. Do they have to swim in competition?
A: You should discuss this with the coach.
Q: I see that there are different age groups for the swimmers. How does that work?
A: The age groups are 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18. Every other year your child will have an "up" year when they are the oldest in their age group and a "down" year when they are the youngest in their age group. The system generally works well.
Q: What entities regulate the sport of competitive swimming for the team?
A: Gulf Swimming (GU) and USA Swimming (USAS) are the governing bodies of competitive swimming in our area and the U.S.A. respectively.
Q: How can I join Tomball Area Swim Club?
A: Congratulations on your decision. Here are the steps to follow:
1) Contact one of the TASC Coaches and discuss with them your swimming experience. You can get a feel for which group might be right for you by visiting the Swim Groups Descriptions page. 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 Practice Schedule page.
2) After agreeing with the coach on which group is right for you register online on the team website by using the Registration link.
3) When TASC processes your registration, 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 the website to view areas not accessible to the general public. You will also receive your invitation to complete the required USA Swimming Registration. Both registrations must be completed before your athlete can participate in practices.
4) If you’ve trained/competed under a previous USA Swimming-affiliated club, you will need to login to your USA Swimming account and complete a swimmer transfer.
5) Spend some time reviewing all of the TASC 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.
Return to Top
Billing and Registration Questions:
Q: What do I do after I submit my registration?
A: Once you have registered online, you will receive an email with your password to log onto the website. Depending upon your swimmer’s start date, you may also have training fees associated with your account.
Q: When will I know that I am registered for TASC?
A: You should receive email notification within a few days of submitting your registration. This email will provide membership log-in instructions. Please log into the website to review your information.
Note to credit card users: Credit card information must be updated prior to the 1st day of the month in order to process your automatic payment. If you miss getting your card information into the system by the 1st, please update it as soon as possible and notify TASC administration so they can process your monthly payment in order to avoid late fees..
Q: When and how do I receive my bill?
A: Invoices are system generated each month on the 1st. All activity in the system at that time will appear on your invoice which will be available to view on the website. An email reminder that your invoice is available will also be sent on the 1st. Any billing activity entered after the 1st will be on the invoice the following month, however, it may be processed via the auto pay feature if the billing information was entered after the 1st. In order to view your bill log into the website using the email address you set up your billing account with.
Q: What does it mean when I receive an invoice email notification that says I have a balance due?
A: This means your TASC account had charges posted since the previous invoice and that you need to make a payment to TASC. (If you have a balance of a zero or a credit, you don’t need to make any payments for that month.)
Q: When are payments due to TASC?
A: Invoices are available to view online the 1st of each month. Payments are due on the 1st of the month. All members are required to be enrolled in auto debit. Credit card payments are automated on the 1st. Payments made after the 21st of the month are considered late. The late fee is $10.00 per month
Q: How do I make a payment to TASC?
A: All member accounts are required to enroll in the "Auto-Debit" feature. To set up, log on and click on the ’Auto Pay’ link at the top, change payment method to automatically charge CREDIT CARD. Follow instructions to enter card information. You credit card will be billed monthly on the 1st if there is a balance due.
Q: Where can I see the detailed charges on my account?
A: After you’ve logged on, go to ’$ 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 TASC account?
A: All meet entry fees charges, session charges for all group swimmers (that haven’t paid in full for the whole season) will all be posted to your TASC billing account. Please note, that while it is unfortunate that a swimmer may become ill and unable to attend a meet, the member account is still responsible for those meet fees.
Q: How do I cancel my membership?
A: If you wish to cancel your membership, an Athlete Withdrawal Form must be completed by the 20th day of the month prior to withdrawal.
Q: What if my swimmer wants to take a break from swimming for a couple of months?
A: If you wish to become inactive from the club, an Athlete Withdrawal Form must be completed by the 20th day of the month prior to the break.
Q: Who do I talk to if I have a question on my bill?
A: If you have a question on your bill, send your inquiry to [email protected] or call 832-592-3746
Return to Top
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 Password" near the top-right corner of the home page. Then type the new password and click submit.
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 TASC 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 TASC 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 takes you to the Member Search page. Here you may look up individual members or groups. Swimmer names, parent names, street address, email address and home number are visible for all members who have not indicated a preference in the "My Account" page to not be listed. Note that if you are not listed you can not see the directory either.
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 use information at Swim Groups page to narrow down their choices, and then 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 stop by a practice location, contact a coach (see "coaches" page) by email.
Q: When and where are practices for my child?
A: The Practice Schedules page shows the practice times and locations for all training groups.
Q: How do I know what training equipment my child needs?
A: Look at the Swim Groups Descriptions for a list of workout equipment that your swimmer will need. If you have any questions, please ask the coach assigned to your swimmer.
Q: Can I stay at the pool and watch my child’s lesson?
A: While we understand a parent’s desire to see their child learn to swim, it is not encouraged that you talk to your athlete (eye contact, facial expressions or hand motions) while in the pool facility. For Developmental and beginner groups, parents may sit/stand in the spectator seating area to watch their child’s practice at our North location. However, we respectfully request that you do not interfere with the practice session being given and remain a bystander. Our highly trained coaches know the best way to instruct your child and parental guidance is not necessary during this time. Due to insurance regulations, parents are not allowed on the pool deck at either of the Tomball ISD Aquatic Centers. At levels above Age Group I, it is in everyone’s best interest (swimmers, coaches, and parents) if you remain away from the pool deck until it is time to pick your swimmer up at the end of practice.
Q: Why is there sometimes a delay in the posting of the practice schedule?
A: In the interest of ensuring every group has access, sometimes the pool schedules are late to be posted. Because TASC does not own the facilities we train at, we have to coordinate the schedule for each month with the pool operator. Sometimes there are events that are scheduled by a pool operator or TISD that will impact a training group which causes a mess with scheduling. With these challenges, please accept our apologies and know our intent is to get the schedule up as early as possible.
Return to Top
Q: What should we expect at a swim meet?
A: Swim meets are fun and exciting. The document below will answer just about everything you will need to know going into your first meet.
Work in progress!
