Huntsville Swim Association Group Structure
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When did the group structure change, and why did it change? What was the strategy behind its development?
A. HSA underwent a group structure overhaul in the Fall of 2024. In listening to feedback from parents, athletes, and coaches, both the Board and Staff felt there was change needed within our overall group structure that had not been revamped in over 15 years. The changes have been very intentional in putting athletes of the same age together as much as possible in the practice pool to encourage camaraderie and improvement, while maintaining an outlet for athletes and parents that are looking for a less demanding commitment level.
Q. Will tuition rates ever change?
A. Yes. With organizational needs evolving to meet the demands of our growing swimmer population, tuition rates will occasionally rise. The Board reviews current needs, data from clubs of our size and across the region, and future capital improvements to determine these increases. The changes allow us to generate the necessary revenue to adequately support our swimmers and coaches while remaining below the market average for monthly tuition.
Q. What is the intent of the Seasonal groups?
A. For each age band, we offer a group that runs in multi-week sessions with breaks aligned to school calendars and the summer. As part of the analysis done to formulate the new group structure, meet and practice data was reviewed, as well as feedback from coaches and families (via a Membership Survey), to formulate this offering. There was a clear need for an offering that was of a lower level of commitment and that aligned to the desire of many families to have the freedom to pursue activities outside of HSA. Swimmers in this group register ahead of each session, thus giving them the freedom to skip a session during a particularly busy time or during the summer when Rocket City Swim League is offered. Expected 2025/2026 session dates are noted below:
Session 1: September 2nd- December 4th (off October 6th-October 11th for Fall Break and November 24th-November 29th for Thanksgiving Break)
Session 2: January 5th- March 27th (off March 16th-March 21st for Spring Break)
Session 3: March 30th- May 23rd
Q. Can a swimmer in the seasonal swim group move to a non-seasonal swim group?
A. Yes. If a swimmer chooses to make a bigger commitment to the sport, works hard at practice, and can meet that age group’s suggested minimum requirements, a move is possible. Requirements are inclusive of attendance requirements at both practices and offered meets. Your coach is always the right person to talk to about your swimmer’s goals, aspirations, and their progress.
Q. Does a swimmer have to meet all minimum expectations for entrance to a group?
A. While the minimum expectations for group entrance are heavily used for decision making, the coaching staff will use their best discretion to prioritize what is best for the swimmer.
Q. If a swimmer meets the criteria for placement in Voyager 4, but does not yet know if they plan to swim in college, does that eliminate them from consideration for the Voyager 4 group?
A. No, this does not eliminate them from consideration. In giving descriptions of groups, we wanted to be clear and transparent that the group will operate under the assumption that swimmers in the group have that as one of their potential goals.
Q. Did Voyager 1 and Apollo 1 have A & B groups last year?
A. Yes, last year we had the group split into two distinct groups. However, this year we have given athletes in these groups freedom to come to whichever days work best for them Monday through Thursday. They can come as much or as little as they like.
Q. What does it mean to be “within range” of a SES qualifying time?
A. While coach discretion will play a role, generally speaking “within range” means within 1 second of a 50 yard/meter race, 2 seconds of a 100 yard/meter race, 4 seconds within a 200 yard/meter race, and so on.
Q. How is SES qualifying time defined? Is this referring to a hard cut or bonus cut?
A. Southeastern Swimming (SES) qualifying times are defined each season by the governing body of SES. As it is referenced in the group minimum expectations, it refers to any combination of hard and bonus qualifying times for current SES standards.
Q. Why are SES qualifying times important?
A. As a team, one of our largest goals on a yearly basis is to win the Southeastern Swimming championships. Having that as a common goal for all swimmers in a group makes seasonal planning more efficient for coaches.
Q. What is IMR and IMX? What is an IMX score and where do I find that score for my swimmer(s)?
A. IMR and IMX refer to the IMReady and IMXtreme programs that allow USA Swimming members to track their times against swimmers across the nation. Information on the program, including events that contribute to a score can be found at USA Swimming’s website. Scores are compiled for both short course and long course seasons.
Q. For each group, are the meets noted required or optional?
A. These are general recommendations and swimmers are highly encouraged to attend the meets noted.
Q. What are ROCKET meets?
A. ROCKET meets are small, less formal, internal meets for HSA. The meets are a low-pressure environment that the coaching staff uses to provide competitive opportunities, evaluate progress of younger swimmers in a racing environment, and introduce basic meet protocol concepts to swimmers and parents.
Q. When will group changes occur throughout the year? Will changes be allowed within a given age band throughout the season?
A. Age group moves take place primarily two times in a calendar year – in August (the beginning of the short course season) and in March (at the beginning of the long course season). Group moves are based on the swimmers age at the next championship meet for the group. The August move will be determined by their age at the Winter/Spring Short Course Championship meet. March moves will be based on their age as of the Summer Long Course Championship meet. Please note that in certain circumstances, a swimmer with a Winter birthday (i.e., December - February) may move groups in December (rather than August) after the December short course mid-season championship meet. This is up to coaches’ discretion based on other group criteria. Coaches also have the discretion to move swimmers within groups, within a given age band, off-cycle.
Q. What happens if my swimmer does not consistently meet the attendance requirements for their group?
A. A swimmer not meeting attendance requirements creates the possibility that a coach will request a discussion with the swimmer and their guardian(s) to determine whether a group change is required that aligns better with a swimmer’s schedule.
Q. What is the American Development Model (ADM) and how will HSA use it?
A. Coaches can reference USA Swimming’s American Development Model (ADM) as a tool to create their team’s long-term athlete development plan, design the practice group structure, and evaluate the overall development and progress of their swimmers. In the USA Swimming ADM, there are six levels of development focusing on the four critical athlete-centered outcomes with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Quality Coaching Framework. To learn more about the ADM, please visit USA Swimming’s website.
