Mission

We believe that there is much to be learned by not only dedicating yourself to excellence but by pursuing that excellence daily. The goal of our staff is to help develop every athlete on the team to their highest potential. We are going to set challenging team goals and encourage our athletes to set challenging individual goals. We will set a high standard of excellence and expect everyone on our team to work together towards that end. In our experience, athletes who simply participate do not set high goals, do not commit, and do not stick with the sport.

We expect this commitment to grow over time. when an athlete joins our team at age 5 - 8, our coaching staff has three goals for that young athlete at every practice: to teach the kids something new, to have fun, and to help the kids be excited to come back to the next practice. as their development continues, the goals become: to help the athlete become the primary decision maker in their training and career; to teach the athlete to take accountability for their actions and decisions; and to encourage the athletes to do everything in their power to reach their potential.

We will not, however, push athletes to win for the sake of winning, or for the attention that it brings. although seemingly important at the time, the awards and medals that they win as a young swimmer will soon be forgotten; the qualities and values that are learned through the disciplined pursuit of excellence, however, will last them a lifetime. we want our athletes to learn that winning and personal success are the byproducts of fun, enthusiasm, and effort. we want to teach them that having a dream or a goal and pursuing that with everything you have is a worthy endeavor. winning can be defined as finishing in first place, but it can also be defined as having the willpower to give everything you have in pursuit of achieving your best…again and again.

Vision

AS PART OF THE MINNETONKA SWIM CLUB, WE ARE GOING TO:

• Teach your children to embrace a mindset centered on growth
• Place high value and emphasis on effort as the path to mastery
• Encourage your young athlete to set high standards and embrace challenges
• Place importance on embracing and learning from failures

We are going to create a positive yet challenging environment for our athletes. We are going to set high standards of excellence. We are going to expect our athletes to give their best effort in the pursuit of that excellence and to make an increasingly higher commitment as they progress. We need you, as parents, to support your young athlete and back up the standards and lessons that we help teach.

Outlook

The Minnetonka Swim Club consistently nurtures passionate athletes through the guidance of dedicated and highly skilled coaches. Supported by the steadfast administration of the Minnetonka School District, we have cultivated a robust program that promises a promising future.

Residing in the aquatic-centric Minnetonka community, we firmly uphold our responsibility to promote water safety by fostering swimming proficiency. Our aquatics community, of which our Club plays a pivotal role, is deeply committed to providing inclusive opportunities for learning, personal growth, and well-being, not just for competitive purposes. We are dedicated to expanding the reach of this sport in Minnetonka and throughout Minnesota, with the ultimate aim of setting a national benchmark for Club programs and swimming excellence.