Assessment Information and Minimum Requirements for San Benito Aquatics
Who can join the San Benito Aquatics Swim Team?
Children between the ages of 4 and 18 who have some swimming experience are welcome to come be assessed. Placement will be determined by your swimmer's ability shown during the assessment and available openings in our swim groups. If your swimmer is not ready for swim team, a referral to our swim lesson program will be made.
What can I expect during the assesment?
Our team assessments are based upon the age of the swimmer and their swimming abilities. This brief assessment (about 10 minutes) will help the coach determine your child’s swimming ability. Upon completion a recommendation will be provided to the parent as to whether the child is ready to join our competitive swim team, or if he/she needs swim lessons prior to joining the team. Swimmers who pass this entry level assessment will be invited to join our Swim Team.
The minimum requirements for SBA swim groups are:
Dragons: Swimmer should know freestyle, backstroke, flip turn, and basic starts from the deck or starting blocks. The swimmer can swim a continuous 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke. Must be able to attend a minimum of three practices a week and be able to focus and follow instruction for 45 minutes. Swimmers are expected to swim in 1 Pacific Swim meet, our League Championships and two additional league meets.
Dragons II: This is an advanced beginner level group for swimmers who are a minimum age of 8 years old and above. The swimmer will be expected to know all four major strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) legally, racing dives and flip turns. Must be able to swim 100 yards freestyle and backstroke without stopping. The swimmer is able to count the number of laps they have swam and know the number of laps in a 100 or 200 yard swim. They are expected to swim at least 3 days a week and swim in 4 Pacific Swim meets plus League Championships and two additional league meets.
Red Group: In this intermediate/advanced group, must be sixth grade or higher. The swimmer will be expected to know all four major strokes legally (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle), the swimmer may have some Pacific Swimming B times, and should be able to swim 6 x 100 freestyle @ 1:45. They are expected to swim at least 5-6 days a week and swim in 4 Pacific Swim meets plus League Championships and two additional league meets. They should be able to use a pace clock for start intervals and swim times.
Children who can demonstrate this during a tryout will be invited to join this group.
Senior Group : Swimmers in these advanced groups must have previous swim team experience. Seniors must have a verified Pacific Swimming Senior time. Swimmer must be in Middle School or above, must have Pacific Swimming BB time or greater, and be able to swim an 8 x 100 @ 1:30 (Juniors) 10 X 100 @1:15 (Seniors). Swimmers who meet these minimums will first be invited to meet with our coaching staff to discuss their previous swim experience. If they’ve not been absent from swimming for more than two months, they will be invited to participate in a Senior Group practice to tryout for the team. After practice, the Senior Coach will determine if they are a good fit for our Senior Group. They will be invited to join SBA at the appropriate level. They are expected to swim at least 5-6 days a week and swim in 6 Pacific Swimming meets plus League Championships and two additional league meets.
What are league meets?
SBA is part of Coast Valley Aquatic League (CVAL) which is a summer league with dual/tri meets and a league championship meet in August.
What are practice hours?
Practices vary from 4:00-7:00 PM Monday through Friday based on the scheduled group time. We also may conduct morning practices during the summer and double practices during the winter break. After the tryout our swim coach will be able to give you exact times that your child will practice.
Where do I go to be assessed?
Tryouts are held at the Baler Aquatic Center, located at San Benito High School (San Benito Street and River Parkway).
How should I be prepared for the assessment?
Girls need to wear a 1-piece swim suit, and boys can wear either jammer or brief styled suits. Bring goggles and a towel. Please have a latex, silicone, or spandex swim cap if you have long hair.
What if my child is unable to meet minimum requirements for the beginning groups?
San Benito Aquatics offers year-round swimming lessons. The goal of our lesson program is to give your child the skills necessary to be safe in the water and to be able to swim competitively. Even if your child has NO previous swim experience, we invite you to come out and see what SBA has to offer.
