Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)What is Alamo Area Aquatics Association (AAAA)?Alamo Area Aquatics Association (AAAA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of swimming in the San Antonio area. We offer competitive swimming programs for all ages and skill levels, from novice to elite. Our mission is to provide a positive and safe environment for athletes to develop their skills and reach their full potential. Our philosophy focuses on long-term development. We prioritize decisions that benefit the swimmer's growth and success both in and out of the pool. Our goal is to help each athlete improve every day, whether it’s through refining their swim technique or building character. Beyond physical skills, we teach important life lessons such as discipline, self-reliance, hard work, sportsmanship, and how to navigate both victories and setbacks. In the water, we emphasize the importance of stroke efficiency, focusing on correct technique and form at every practice. Our coaching style is hands-on and purposeful, ensuring that each swimmer receives personalized attention and support. AAAA organizes athletes into age-based groups that align with USA Swimming standards. Our programs cater to athletes as young as 6 years old, through high school-aged athletes and beyond. Age groups typically include 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15 & over, but swimmers may be placed based on skill level as well. Yes, swimmers must have a basic understanding of swimming and be able to complete at least one lap (25 yards) without stopping. For beginners, we offer evaluations to assess readiness for the program and determine the appropriate group placement. We recommend those who are brand new to the sport of swimming attend one of the local Learn-to-Swim schools, such as FloatFirstTX. You can join AAAA by visiting our website and completing the team registration. New athletes are required to attend an evaluation with one of our USA Swimming-certified coaches to ensure they are placed in the appropriate training group. Once per year, prior to your swimmer beginning practicing with us. Our calendar year is September through the end of August, with each September being the beginning of a new season and year with us. To clarify, if you are new to AAAA, and you register sometime other than the start of the school year, your registration will be valid with us until Aug 31st. At that time, we re-register ALL Alamo Area Aquatics athletes for the upcoming year, which will carry them to the following Aug 31st. Our practice groups are organized to best match kids with similar ability, age, physical and emotional maturity, level of commitment, practice habits, and experience. We offer several options for most of our groups, especially with our developmental/younger age groups. We have groups ranging from once a week to multiple times per week including AM/PM for our elite level swimmers. If new to our program, we ask that you bring your athlete to get evaluated by one of our USA Swimming coaches during an open evaluation time and we will determine the best swim group that properly matches what you are looking for. Group advancement at AAAA-NE is not governed by rigid rules or specific criteria. Instead, our coaching staff monitors each swimmer's progress and determines when they’re ready for a more advanced group. This decision can happen at any point in the season, and when we believe an athlete is ready to move up, we will communicate with the parents to initiate the next steps. We aim to give swimmers ample time to master the skills within their current group before advancing. Our goal is for athletes to "graduate" from one group by fully developing the necessary skills, both physically and mentally, for the next level. If you feel there’s a misalignment with your swimmer’s placement or if they seek new challenges, please speak with our coaches so we can ensure we’re all working together. Ultimately, group placement is just one factor in a swimmer’s growth. Continuous improvement happens throughout the season, regardless of group, and we’re always open to discussing any concerns or adjustments. Our coaches have a busy schedule, often moving from one group to the next on the pool deck. To ensure that our attention stays focused on the athletes during practice, we ask that you contact your coach via email. Coaches will typically respond within 24 hours during the week. If you do not receive a reply within that time, please reach out to Lauren Nutt ([email protected]) for further assistance. Selections for competitions are based on qualifying times, group level, and the type of meet. Coaches will consider the swimmer's ability, practice attendance, and overall readiness when determining if an athlete should compete. For higher-level meets, such as state or regional championships, swimmers must meet specific time standards set by USA Swimming or Texas Swimming Association. Time Standards are event performance times set by either USA Swimming or the Texas Swim Association (TSA) that establish benchmarks for tracking progress in meets, qualifying for Championship type meets, and basically allowing an athlete to see how they "stack up" in the field of competitive swimming. Short Course is defined as the season where the meets are held in 25 yard pools. It typically correlates with the school year, from September through the spring. Long Course is defined as the season where meets are held in pools with the 50 meter configuration. It typically correlates with the summer season, May-August. TAGS stands for Texas Age Group Swimming Championships. It is the premiere 14 and under state championship meet in the country. It is one of our team goals each season to compete for this team title. The Short Course TAGS meet takes place in early March each year, while the Long Course TAGS meet is in mid-July typically. All athletes participating in AAAA programs are required to be registered with USA Swimming. This ensures that our athletes are covered under USA Swimming’s insurance policies during practices and competitions. It also allows swimmers to participate in sanctioned meets and track their progress on a national level through the USA Swimming database. Arena is a proud sponsor of AAAA, providing our team with high-quality gear and equipment at discounted rates. As a AAAA member, you can purchase swimsuits, training gear, and other swimming accessories through Arena at a reduced cost. The partnership helps our athletes access top-tier products that enhance performance and comfort. You can get in touch by visiting the contact page on our website. Whether you need help with registration, program details, or have questions about competitions, we are here to assist you. |
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