NEW SWIMMERS

Welcome to the virtual home of the Oyster River Otters Swim Team. We are always excited when new families are interested in joining our team. Our team consists of over 100 swimmers from 19 different communities throughout the seacoast of New Hampshire and Maine. 

New Swimmer Expectations

Each new swimmer will be assigned an assessment appointment at the beginning of the season they are looking to join the team. The assessment will be asking the the new swimmer to demonstrate the following skills,

• at minimum of a 25 meter freestyle stroke with some rotary breathing
• a minimum of a 25 meter of backstroke 
• Swimmers should be knowledgeable with breaststroke and butterfly as well - full swim is ideal but not required. 

Our registration for fall is currently open.  We do ask that everyone register with the team before we assess your swimmers. You can register here - Oyster River Otters Home

Trial Window

New swimmers can experience our supportive team environment, coaching, and engaging practices to see if our swim team is the perfect fit for them. Whether you're just starting out or looking to improve your skills, we offer a great opportunity to dive in, build confidence, and find your child's new passion. We will not bill families prior to the two week trial window.  

Seasons of the Otters

• Fall/Winter typically begins mid September and runs through March. 
  • Practices are typically held at the UNH Indoor Swasey Pool.
• Spring typically begins in Early May and runs through mid June. 
  • Practices are typically held at
    • UNH Indoor Swasey Pool
    • UNH Outdoor Pool 
    • Jenny Thompson Pool in Dover, NH
  •  
• Summer typically begins at the end of June and runs through July. 
  • UNH Indoor Swasey Pool
  • UNH Outdoor Pool 
  • Jenny Thompson Pool in Dover, NH
• The Otters typically takes the months of April and August as a season of rest.

Practice Schedule

We ask swimmers to commit up to four hours of swim time each week. The schedule varies dependent on the season. Our current summer schedule is typically:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday at UNH Outdoor Pool 7pm-9pm
• Wednesday at Jenny Thompson Pool in Dover, NH 6:00-7:30pm 

Color Groups

After new swimmers are assessed they are assigned a color group to ensure that their swim development will be appropriate and challenging for each new swimmer. 

• Red Group
• Yellow Group
• Gold Group

Meets 

We host several meets (competitions) with other local swim teams to offer chances to compete against other swimmers our home meets are included in your dues.

Contact Us:

We hope this helped answer you iniatal questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us through our contact us page on this site or by emailing our team administrator Leane Redden at [email protected]. 

Register Here: 

Register for the Fall Season 2025