Post-Season Competition
- Swimmers will be required to attend Districts and States if they qualify for those meets.
- Little summary chart: Click HERE.
YMCA League Championships
The Penn Del YMCA League Championships are held at the end of the YMCA Dual Meet season in early-February. Our league championships include all of the teams in our division of the Penn Del League.
A swimmer must have participated in THREE DUAL YMCA Meets in order to compete in the League Championships. The championship information will be distributed via email and on the website. This information will include the date, time and place of the championships. and the Meet Entry through Team Unify to select the individual events he or she wishes to swim. These events do not have to be the events that he or she will swim at Districts, States or Nationals. Each swimmer may swim a maximum of three individual events and two relay events. The coaching staff will determine which swimmers will swim in the relays.
YMCA Eastern Districts
The YMCA Eastern Districts are held in March. The YMCA Eastern Districts are divided into sessions based on the age groups. Each session is either a morning session or afternoon session.
To qualify for YMCA Districts, a swimmer must achieve a District qualifying time. A swimmer may swim a maximum of three events in his or her age group, of which one event must be a relay (relays will be determined by the coaching staff). The YMCA Eastern District meet entries must be completed by the due date.
In addition to swimming a qualifying time, a swimmer must also meet the following criteria:
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Swim a certified qualifying time in the current season in open, league, dual, or high school competitions before three official timers or electronic timing.
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Be an annual member of the Brandywine Coatesville YMCA or Lionville Community YMCA for a minimum of ninety days prior to the YMCA Eastern Districts.
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Represented only BCLY, excluding school swimming, in any open or closed competition during the current season, September 1 through April 30.
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Has represented BCLY Swim Team at three separate meets during the current season.
YMCA Pennsylvania State Championships
The YMCA Pennsylvania State Championship Meet is held usually one or two weeks after the YMCA Eastern Districts. This meet is divided into sessions by age group usually from Saturday through Sunday. Medals are awarded for the 1st through 6th place and ribbons for 7th through 12th place.
Any swimmer finishing in the top nine at the YMCA Eastern Districts is automatically qualified for the State Meet; however, participating on a relay team at YMCA Eastern Districts does not guarantee a spot on the relay at the YMCA Pennsylvania States, the coaching staff will determine who will swim on the relays. .
Because of the time of the sessions, families usually stay overnight at a hotel. Information regarding hotel reservations will be distributed to potential state qualifiers.
YMCA Nationals
The YMCA holds a Short Course National Meet in April and a Long Course National Meet in late July - August of each year. These meets consist of swimmers from around the United States that have made a national qualifying time. The qualifying times for these meets will be posted under its event on Team Unify.
To qualify for the YMCA Short Course National meet, the swimmer must meet the following criteria:
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Make a YMCA Short Course National qualifying time.
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Provide a proof of time for any qualifying time made at a High School or USA Swimming meet. The proof of time must have a meet official’s signature. Proof of time is an official copy of the meet, signed by one of the officials at the meet. The name and time must be clearly visible.
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Swimmers who make National cuts are responsible for getting their proof of times to the Head Coach.
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Compete in at least three dual meets.
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Compete in at least one nationally sanctioned meet (YMCA Eastern Districts or YMCA Pennsylvania States).
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Be a full annual member of the Brandywine Coatesville YMCA or Lionville Community YMCA for a minimum of ninety (90) days prior to the National meet.
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Represented only BCLY Swimming, excluding school swimming, in any open or closed competition during the current season, September 1st through April 30th.
- Be at least twelve (12) years of age on the first day of the meet.
To qualify for the YMCA Long Course National meet, the swimmer must meet the following criteria:
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Make a YMCA Long Course National qualifying time from September 1st until the meet entry submission date.
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Provide a proof of time for any qualifying time made at a High School or USA Swimming meet. The proof of time must have a meet official’s signature. Proof of time is an official copy of the meet, signed by one of the officials at the meet. The name and time must be clearly visible.
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Swimmers who make National cuts are responsible for getting their proof of times to the Head Coach.
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Be a full annual member of the member of the Brandywine Coatesville YMCA or Lionville Community YMCA by May 1st.
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Represented only member of the BCLY Swimming in any open competition during the current season, May 1st to August 31st.
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Represented BCLY in at least three swim meets including YMCA Eastern Districts or YMCA Pennsylvania States from September 1st.
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Participate in at least two long course meets during the current summer season.
Relay Policy
Deciding who swims on a relay is certainly not easy. There are several factors which are involved in the decision making process. Relays for YMCA Dual Meets, YMCA League Championships, YMCA Eastern Districts, YMCA State Championships, and YMCA Nationals will be decided by the following:
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Individual times
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Past performance in meets
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Practice habits and positive attitude
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The coaches’ decision is final.
~Update JULY 11, 2023~
