The Manta Rays Swim Team is a competitive swim program of the Muscatine Community YMCA open to youth ages 5-21.
Over the years, the team has gone through many changes and was formerly known as the Muscatine Swim Club.
 
The Manta Rays Swim Team competes in both YMCA & USA Swimming Leagues.
The YMCA Competitive Season runs from approximately October-March.
The USA Competitive Seasons runs from approximately September-February & May-July.
 
In addition to our traditional swim team practices and meets, we occasionally will offer stroke clinics, individual or mini group practice sessions, or prep-programs for those already enrolled in swim team or those that do not meet minimum basic requirements. Details on these additional offerings vary each season, and are communicated via email and team app.
 
Our swimming program is geared toward developing great swimmers to their maximum potential as well as building great self-esteem.
 
 
The Mission of the Manta Rays Swim Team is to provide swimmers a safe, healthy and positive opportunity to realize their potential both in and out of the pool, while displaying the YMCA Core Character values of Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.
YMCA Winter Swim Team 2025-2026

YMCA Winter Season & USA Winter Season (Short Course) '25-'26

  • YMCA & USA Winter teams are open to swimmers ages 5-21 years of age.
  • To particiapte on the USA Winter team swimmers must:
    • Be a current/former Manta Rays Swim team member in Purple Junior training group or above (White group swimmers may register with coach approval).
    • Be a current/former middle school/high school swim team athletes (middle school requires coach approval).
    • Have a current USA athlete membership
  • All New swimmers (youth that have never participated on a competitive team before) must complete a New Swimmer Evaluation before registering.  Please visit the "How to Join" tab to schedule an evaluation.

Additional Requirements:

  • All Swimmers must be a current Muscatine Community YMCA members.
  • Athletes 12 & over must complete Safe Sport Training
  • All parents must complete Safe Sport Trainings

Dates: 

  • Free Skills Assessments: October 1-8, 2025 (sign up required)
  • Registration Opens: September 8th, 2025
  • USA Team Practices Begin: September 22nd, 2025
  • Informational Open House (for New & returning families): October 8th @ YMCA: 5:30-8 pm in Howe Conference Room
  • Registration Closes: October 23rd, 2025
  • Rookies start: October 20th, 2025
  • Regular Practices begin: October 27th, 2025
  • Championship Meets: State (Marshalltown): March 7th-8th, 2026 // Regionals (Des Moines): March 20-22, 2026
  • Last Day of regular practice for all swimmers is: February 16th (team fun-day & end of season awards)

Practice Days: Monday-Friday

Competitions: Saturdays (occasional Sundays).  Dates vary throughout the season

Location: Carver Swim Center (MHS)

Practice Groups & Times*: 

  • "Purple": 5:45-6:45 pm (White and Purple Jr. training groups)
  • "Gold": 6:45-8:30 pm (Purple Sr., Gold Jr. 1, Gold Jr 2 and Gold Sr training groups)

*Times and groups subject to change based on registration

Please see the "Parent Info" tab for more details on training groups.

Fees:

  • $50 Registration Fee (due at registration)
  • Monthly fees TBD.

Gear Requirements: 

Please see the Parent Info tab (Team Handbook) for gear requirments. 

  • Headsets will be maintained by the Coaching Team. 
  • Gear bags will be stored at Carver.

 

USA SWIM MEETS:

  • Meet registration deadlines are set. Meet fees are required and will be charged to your team account (automatically paid on the 1st of each month, or you can pay on demand after entries have been processed). Meet fees are non-refundable.
  • There will be NO late sign ups permitted (USA meets fill up quickly so early deadlines are required to ensure we can participate and send meet fees by the deadlines).
  • Families are responsible for reading meet announcements and selecting events at meets.  Due to the financial obligations associated with USA swimming meets (number of events, days, overnight accommodations, etc.), the coaches/team admins cannot make the final decisions for families.  Coaches can suggest events/distances/strokes, but parents are ultimately responsible for event/meet sign up.
  • A minimum of 5 swimmers per session or day will be required for a Manta Rays coach to attend meets. If this minimum number of registrations are not met, swimmers may still attend and we will arrange supervision with another teams’ coach (usually MACR(Donald Pirrie), CIA (Thad Gunther) or North Scott (Olivia Elceser) will be our main connections) for our athletes.
Summer Season 2025

USA Summer Team:

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE:

  • Any current/former Manta Rays Swim team member in Purple Junior or above (White group swimmers may register with coach approval).
  • Any current/former middle school/high school swim team athletes (middle school requires coach approval).

WHEN: TBD

DETAILS:

n addition to registering:

  • All Swimmers must have current USA Season 1 athlete memberships.
  • All Swimmers must have current YMCA memberships.
  • All parents (individually) & athletes 12 & over will be asked to complete Safe Sport trainings (linked on team website after registration opens).

USA SWIM MEETS:

  • Meet registration deadlines are set. Meet fees are required and will be charged to your team account (automatically paid on the 1st of each month, or you can pay on demand after entries have been processed). Meet fees are non-refundable.
  • There will be NO late sign ups permitted (USA meets fill up quickly so early deadlines are required to ensure we can participate and send meet fees by the deadlines).
  • Families are responsible for reading meet announcements and selecting events at meets.  Due to the financial obligations associated with USA swimming meets (number of events, days, overnight accommodations, etc.), the coaches/team admins cannot make the final decisions for families.  Coaches can suggest events/distances/strokes, but parents are ultimately responsible for event/meet sign up.
  • A minimum of 5 swimmers per session or day will be required for a Manta Rays coach to attend meets. If this minimum number of registrations are not met, swimmers may still attend and we will arrange supervision with another teams’ coach (usually MACR(Donald Pirrie), CIA (Thad Gunther) or North Scott (Olivia Elceser) will be our main connections) for our athletes.

YMCA Summer Team

WHAT: This is our “practice only” group.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE:

  • Current/former Manta Rays swimmers (must have completed at least one YMCA season)
  • Current/Former high school or middle school swimmers (21 years of age or younger).

 

DETAILS: TBD

COMPETITIVE/SWIM TEAM PREP LESSONS

WHAT: Private (One-on-one) lessons to work on specifics of competitive swimming or to prep potential new swimmers for fall season.

DETAILS: TBD