Join the Owen Brown Barracudas!
Registration Opens: April 16, 2025
First Day of Practice: May 27, 2025
First Splash (Free Trial Period): May 27-May 30
About Us:
The Owen Brown Barracudas are a summer swim team located in Columbia, Maryland. We are one of 14 teams in the Columbia Neighborhood Swim League (CNSL), which is a part of the Columbia Association. Membership is obtained through CA, but the team itself is run by volunteers. We rely on swimmer's parent to fill the positions that make a meet run.
Our team includes the neighborhoods of Dasher Green, Elkhorn, and Hopewell, as well as the areas assigned to elementary schools Cradlerock Elementary, Lake Elkhorn Middle, and parts of Talbott Springs Elementary.
The Barracudas are all about teamwork, good sportsmanship, and most of all making friends and HAVING FUN!! Our primary goal is for each child to have a positive and meaningful experience and to leave us in the fall feeling like they are part of a neighborhood family. Our team welcomes all swimmers 18 and under. We can help your novice gain confidence, and your experienced swimmer improve his/her technique and efficacy.
How do I try out? -- We do not hold tryouts in the conventional sense. Everyone is welcome on the Barracudas, regardless of whether or not they are a fast swimmer or know any particular stroke or technique! However, your child must be able to swim well enough to pass our league's safety requirements. We are not a substitute for swim lessons, and we assume that those wishing to join a swim team can safely swim prior to joining us.
If you feel your child is close to meeting the requirements -- for example, if your child is new to swimming but is able to tread water or doggie paddle fairly well -- our coaches will gladly work with them during practice prior to time trials to help them meet the pool-length requirement. However, if they are not able to meet this requirement prior to time trials, they will not be able to continue participating. (In this situation, CNSL will grant a refund, minus an administration fee.) Please do not promise your child that they will be on the team until your coach has approved them to move up to Time Trials.
If you're not sure, we recommend coming to a free practice or two during our "first splash" (free trial window), noted above.
What Ages do you accept? -- All swimmers 18 and under are welcome.
What's the minimum age? -- There is no real minimum, but your child must be able to pass the safety test mentioned above. The majority of our youngest swimmers are around six years old, but we have had a few as young as four!
How much does it cost? -- The cost to join is listed at CNSL's Registration Page, located below. Please note that these costs are from our parent league, not from our team. Our team does not charge anything, but we require parent volunteers in order to run properly, and we hold occasional fund rasing activities throughout the season for things not covered by the league.
OK, I'm ready to join. What do I do?
Registration takes place through our parent league, CNSL (the Columbia Neighborhood Swim League) which is a part of CA (the Columbia Association). You can register online, through the CA App, by phone, or in person.
For detailed instructions on how to register online, as well as pricing information, discount qualifications, refund policy, and team area verification, please visit CNSL's Registration Page.
You can also reach them by phone at 410-312-6332, or in person at the Aquatics Office at 9450 Gerwig Lane. In both cases, the office is only open Monday-Friday from 9-5.
Please note that team managers are not able to register you at the pool.
What is the last day to register?
After June 2nd you must be registered before you can attend practice. However, it is possible to register later in the season. See the link to CNSL's registration page above for the registration dates required to participate in each meet. The last day to register for the season is June 22.
Live Out of Our Team's Area?
Please note that CNSL generally requires you to join the team that is allocated to your address as detailed on their registration page. However, exceptions are sometimes made for underutilized teams, or families who used to be on a particular team before moving to another area, or families joining from outside of the CA bounds. If you live outside of our registration area but wish to join our specific team, please reach out to CNSL for details about whether or not you qualify. We would love to have you!
