Naperville Tennis Club Orcas Summer Swim Team
Frequently Asked Questions
We fully recognize that there is a bit of a steep learning curve for families who are new to swim team! As such, we have prepared the below frequently asked questions to help guide you on this journey. If your questions are not answered below, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Board at [email protected].
Registration & Fees
Q: How do I register my child for the team?
A: Registration is completed in two parts. First, you will need to complete and submit the Naperville Tennis Club Pool & Swim Team Membership Application. The Naperville Tennis Club processes all payments for both pool memberships and swim team fees. Once your membership fees and swim team fees have been paid, you will be directed to complete your swim team registration on our team website.
Q: Are there tryouts?
A: There are no tryouts to join the Orcas! Swimmers aged four to 18 of all abilities are welcome. Swimmers are grouped by age and skill level.
Q: What is the cost?
A: Please refer to the Naperville Tennis Club Pool & Swim Team Membership Application for information about Pool Membership fees and Swim Team fees. Children on the swim team are required to have a pool membership.
Swim team fees cover expenses such as coach salaries, fees to the Naperville Swim Conference, swim team equipment (i.e. timing equipment, diving block repair and maintenance, backstroke flags) as well as team socials.
Q: Can I get a refund if my child cannot participate?
A: Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Board at [email protected] for details.
Practice & Schedule
Q: When and where are practices?
A: Practices are held Monday through Friday at the Naperville Tennis Club Pool located at 1011 E Benton Ave in Naperville. Children aged 10 and under practice from 8:30 to 9:30 AM, and children aged 11 and up practice from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. Please refer to the Meet & Social Calendar for exceptions. And yes, practices are still held on meet days that occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Q: How long is each practice?
A: Practice for ages 10 and under is 60 minutes; for ages 11 and up is 90 minutes.
Q: What if there is inclement weather?
A: Practices are held rain or shine with some exceptions. If the air temperature is below 68℉, please bring sneakers for dry-land practice. If there is an electric storm in the vicinity, practice may move indoors to a tennis court pending court availability - again, bring sneakers for dry-land practice. If no court is available, practice will be canceled. A communication will be sent out as soon as possible from either the Head Coach or the Board.
Q: What if my child misses a practice?
A: Attendance at all practices is highly encouraged, but not mandatory. We understand that it’s summer and families go on vacations.
Q: Do you offer private lessons?
A: Swim lessons are provided through the Naperville Tennis Club. For more information, please inquire at the NTC Front Desk or email [email protected]. You will find that several of the Orca Coaches also teach lessons.
Coaching & Safety
Q: Who are the coaches?
A: Our junior and senior coaches are all high-school aged, and have been on the team for a number of years. Our Head Coach is now a middle school teacher, but swam in the Naperville Swim Conference and with Neuqua Valley High School throughout her youth and went on to a successful collegiate swimming career.
Q: How are swimmers supervised for safety?
A: To improve swimmer safety for everyone, per the Naperville Swim Conference, all coaches, regardless of age, are required to take Mandated Reporter Training. Orcas Coaches are also required to take Concussion Training. Coaches who are eligible to obtain Lifeguard Certification are strongly encouraged to do so; otherwise, they are required to take the Red Cross's Safety Training for Swim Coaches.
Q: What is the coach-to-swimmer ratio?
A: Our coach-to-swimmer ratio evolves over the summer as swimmer skills develop and improve. Optimally, for ages 4-6, we aim for one coach for up to three kids; for ages 7-8, we have one coach for up to four kids; and for ages 9-10, we have one coach for up to eight kids. As skills improve, and kids move up in age, one coach is able to oversee a larger number of kids in their group.
Meets & Competitions
Q: How do swim meets work?
A: We have a few types of swim meets - Time Trials, Dual Meets, Invites, and Championship Meets.
Time Trials - this is the first meet of the season, held at our pool, where only our team is in attendance. This meet gives all swimmers the opportunity to swim all events for their age group to get a beginning-of-season time. This time is used for seeding swimmers in future dual, invitational, and Championship meets. Not only does this meet present a great opportunity for us to test all of our equipment and work out any bugs prior to hosting another team at our facility, but it also gives new families a chance to discover what a Dual Meet is like. This is a low-pressure opportunity to try out new jobs, ask questions, and meet the other families on the team.
Dual Meets - Most of our meets are dual meets, which means that we are swimming against one other team, either at their pool or ours.
Invitational Meets - Several teams hold invitational meets. Some pools hold a Boys invite, some a Girls invite. One pool hosts a High School Invite. The Naperville Tennis Club hosts an 8U Invite where we invite several pools to bring their swimmers aged eight and under to our pool. While we have standard races included, we also incorporate fun relay races, including a Coaches relay, a Parents relay, and a floatie relay, to name a few.
Championship Meets - there are two Championship Meets held at the the end of the season at one of the Naperville High Schools and include at least eight teams. Each swimmer may swim at only one of the two Championship meets. As the season progresses, your coaches can help you determine which meet your child should participate in.
- City is for swimmers age 12 and under who have met the established time standards and all swimmers 13 and over. The swimmers may only swim in the events which they have scored a city time earlier in the season. Once a child has met a city time, they can no longer swim that particular event at Classic.
- Classic is for any child 12 and under who does not qualify for a city event with a city time. City times are listed in the orientation packet. All swimmers 6 & under automatically swim Classic. Every meet prior to the championship meets is an opportunity to qualify for City.
Q: How do I sign my child up for meets?
A: Please refer to our tutorial “How to Sign Up Your Swimmer(s) for Meets”.
Q: Are meets mandatory?
A: Meets are not mandatory, but we strongly encourage participation to build experience and team spirit. While your child is not required to swim in meets, all families are required to work at meets. If you do not wish to work at swim meets, we offer a buyout option or can provide a list of high schoolers whom you can pay to work in your place.
Q: How do I know which events my child will be swimming?
A: Your child will typically find out which event(s) they are swimming the day of a meet. The coaches work hard to make sure each child is entered into events that they can handle, but also challenge kids who are ready for it.
Each child can swim a maximum of three individual events and two relays. Swimmers aged 6 & under will only swim two events (freestyle and backstroke).
Most families bring sharpies to write their child’s event number, heat number, and lane number on their hands to help everyone ensure the kids end up in the right location and don’t miss their races.
Q: How do I know when my child is supposed to swim?
A: There will be a sign at every meet that indicates what events are lining up. Please bring your children to this area, which is referred to as the bullpen. The Clerk of Course will get the kids in the right order and the junior coaches will take them to their races. Spectators are not allowed to accompany their racers to the blocks. After they swim, the kids should go over to the coaches for feedback and then return to the team waiting area. The kids can leave after they have completed their last event. Make sure to check with coaches before leaving to verify whether your child has been entered in relays (relays occur at both the beginning and the end of meets.
Q: What happens if we have a schedule conflict with one of the meets?
A: If you know you are not going to be able to attend a meet, please RSVP “not attending” on the swim team web site.
Dual meets require 1 week notice, Invitational meets require 2 weeks notice and championship meets require about a month’s notice. RSVP dates are listed on the team blog. Please DO NOT rely on verbal communication with the coach for an RSVP. It is just too hard for them to keep track of all the attendance conversations regarding all the swimmers. Please send all communications to the coach at [email protected].
Q: What should I bring to a meet?
A: The following is a list of suggestions:
- goggles and swim cap (required for long hair)
- towels
- clothing appropriate for the weather
- a blanket if it’s cold
- small tent (not required, but many of the kids like them)
- folding chairs for the adults
- games, books, cards to play with between events
- umbrella
- money for concessions
- bug spray for away meets - we’re typically seated in grassy areas
- water bottle, especially if it’s hot
LABEL EVERYTHING! Meet team areas get very crowded and items often find their way to Lost & Found.The coaches typically stay behind to ensure our Team Area is cleaned up at away meets and will put items left behind in the NTC Pool Lost & Found, along with sending out a note via Text App communication (Remind/WhatsApp/GroupMe).
Q: What do I do when I arrive at a meet?
A: All swimmers must arrive at the meet one hour before the start. Each swimmer must check in with the Head Coach. If you do not check in, the coaches will scratch you from the meet. After checking in, find your team area, set your things up, and prepare for warmups. Stay in the team area between your swimmer’s events so the Bullpen can find your swimmer when their event is called. It is helpful if an adult accompanies children to the bathroom so they return promptly to the bullpen.
Q: What happens if it rains?
A: Meets will still go on rain or shine. Please show up to the pool unless you have been notified of a cancellation. Rain delays only occur in the event of an electrical storm in the vicinity. The rain delay is then 30 minutes from the last time the thunder or lightning occurred. Do not leave the meet until your coach has announced that the meet has been canceled.
Q: How are awards given?
A: During the meet, heat winners for each event are awarded a Heat Winner bag tag. Ribbons are awarded by heat to all swimmers aged 10 and under, and are awarded for 1st through 6th place by event for swimmers aged 11 and up.
Q: How do I know what my child’s times were?
A: Times will be on the back of their ribbons, as well as posted on the team website.
Equipment & Gear
Q: What gear do swimmers need?
A: Swimsuit, goggles, and swim caps are required. The team provides kickboards and pull buoys if recommended by the coach.
Q: Where can team swimsuits and spiritwear be purchased?
A: Team suits are ordered through Urban Tri Gear and Spiritwear is available through Deb’s Embroidery. Links to both online stores will be sent out in team newsletters throughout the spring.
Q: Should swimmers bring water or snacks?
A: Yes, we encourage bringing water and light snacks to both practices and meets.
Parent & Volunteer Involvement
Q: How can parents help?
A: It takes a team to run a team! New parents have often said that volunteering was one of the easiest ways to meet other parents and for children to quickly make new friends.
Each home meet takes up to 35 volunteer workers in order to run smoothly. All families are required to volunteer to work at meets. We do offer a buyout option for families who wish not to work at dual meets. However, the buyout is not applicable for Time Trials, Invites, and Championship meets.
The team also needs help with running various team-building social activities, which can include Sunday night socials, “Fun Fridays” activities during practice, and making Buddy Banners after/during practices. Please keep an eye out in our newsletters for a SignUp Genius to help with at least one of these activities. Families who do not sign up for at least one of these committees will be assigned to one at the Board’s discretion.
Q: How many meets/jobs am I required to work?
A: The jobs requirement is calculated based upon the number of families we have registered to the team and how many meets we have on the calendar. We anticipate the total jobs requirement per family to be anywhere from five to seven jobs. All families are required to work at Time Trials.
Q: What are the different types of volunteer jobs?
A: Please refer to the Orcas Volunteer Jobs document for information about the different volunteer jobs that are needed for all of our meets.
Please note: parents are responsible for their swimmer(s) and swimmer’s siblings during the entire meet. When choosing a job, some jobs make the parent very inaccessible to their children. Please be sure to read the job descriptions fully before committing to them. Feel free to ask another swim family if you have any questions.
Q: What happens if I can’t work one of my jobs?
A: Beginning in 2026, if you have signed up for a job that you can no longer work, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. You are welcome to trade with another family or hire a high school student. If you do not show up for your job, the first offense will result in a $100 fine, the second offense a $150 fine, and each offense onward will be $200 per occurrence.You also need to let the Board ([email protected]) know that there has been a change. Fines will be enforced.
Q: How are communications handled?
A: Important updates are shared via weekly email newsletters, the team website, and a text communication tool such as GroupMe, Remind, or WhatsApp.
Health & Illness Policies
Q: What if my child is sick?
A: If your child is sick, they should stay home. If the illness occurs on a meet day, notify the head coach at [email protected], who will forward to Computers Chairpersons as soon as possible. If you are scheduled to work, it is your responsibility to find a replacement to avoid being fined. Please notify the Board at [email protected] of your worker replacement.
Q: How are injuries handled?
A: Coaches have basic life saving and concussion training. Parents will be notified as soon as possible in the event of an injury.
