1. Can my child try AQUASTAR without cost to see if he/she likes it? What if we can't join AQUASTAR just right now?
We prefer that swimmers wanting to join the team be "swim ready" [see No. 9] and thus do not offer a free trial period. To begin swimming, ask a coach or board member on deck and fill out a team registration form so we have emergency contact information.  AQUASTAR understands that you may have other commitments that prevent joining as the swim seasons start [see #13 below]. We welcome new swimmers at any time of the year.

2. Do I have to be USA Swimming-registered to swim?
Yes, we require all participating swimmer to be USA-registered. The fee for each calendar year is $100. Forms are available from the coaches or registration coordinator.  USA Swimming is a non-profit organization based in Colorado Springs, CO. It is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States and selects the Olympic swimming team and its coaches. Becoming a registered member of AQUASTAR automatically makes you a member of USA Swimming. Gulf Swimming is the division of USA Swimming that is the governing body for competitive swimming in southeast Texas. All Houston-area USA Swimming teams, including AQUASTAR, are members of Gulf Swimming.

3. What are AQUASTAR's training fees? What does AQUASTAR do with the fee money?
See the Fees page for a complete rundown. AQUA uses the money to rent practice pools, pay coaches' salaries and purchase equipment for the team.

4. How do I know which training group is right for my child? What if my child doesn't know how to perform all of the strokes well?
Training intensity and duration varies by skill level, age, maturity, etc. The coaches will help make this assessment. Everyone was a beginner once. Our coaches remember that and will help your child  improve his/her technique.

5. If I have children in different groups, will I have to go to different locations for practice?
No, each group has a dedicated coach during each practice at each practice  pool.

6. Will my child be required to attend swim meets?
YES, when the swimmers are ready for competition. Red Group swimmers must attend a meet in order to be certified as eligible to move to the White Group.  Blue Group and  Aqua Group times must be earned in meets in order to qualify for those groups.  And Blue Group and above are required to attend meets as a part of the regular and championship seasons. Participating in meets is also required because of the many benefits of meet attendance.   First and foremost, most swimmers find they really enjoy the challenges, excitement and fun of competitive swimming.  They enjoy the thrill of improving their swim times from one meet to the next, the fun of socializing with their teammates between races, and the enthusiastic support they receive from their teammates during competitions.  Second, our coaches have found that swimmers who regularly attend meets improve more rapidly and get more out of swimming than those swimmers who only attend practices.  Coaches use meet performance to evaluate progress and establish plans for individual improvement as well as determining progression within the team training groups.  Finally, attending meets rewards swimmers for their hard work.  Swimmers who attend meets are recognized for their achievements on the AQUASTAR website, in the team newsletter, as well as in local and national news outlets.  There really is no better way for a swimmer to set and achieve goals than through swim meet participation. 

7. Will my child swim with others his/her own age?  What would they do during the season ?
AQUASTAR is a team of approximately 350 swimmers ages 6-18, so chances are very good they will swim against similarly-aged swimmers.  At practice sessions, they will be coached by certified coaches who strive to improve their swimming skills and endurance.  They will practice with other swimmers of similar ability. At meets, there is the opportunity to compete against swimmers from other Houston-area USA Swimming teams. The emphasis is on EACH swimmer's improvement, not on scoring points. Unlike summer league, a child's age on the date of each meet determines the age group in which he will compete for that meet.

8. My child knows how to swim, but is not experienced as a competitive swimmer. Is AQUASTAR right for him/her?
We believe so. AQUA is committed to teaching/developing talent and good technique in every swimmer, no matter what the starting point.

9. My child cannot swim currently. What can AQUASTAR do to help?
AQUA requires swimmers to be water-safe and to be able to swim the length of the pool without assistance. You and the coaches should determine if outside swimming lessons would be be a more appropriate first step before joining AQUA.. 

10. How can I get involved with AQUASTAR as a volunteer?
One of AQUA's greatest strengths is its large group of talented parent volunteers. We welcome new additions with open arms. Just ask a parent on deck.

11. Who are AQUASTAR's coaches?
AQUA has a group of coaches with a great depth of swimming experience up to and including NCAA Division I. All coaches are USA Swimming-certified and most are ASCA-certified. All have coaching experience with age-group swimmers in USA Swimming, summer leagues or both.

12. Does AQUASTAR require fundraising?
No. AQUASTAR does not require fundraising or host meets specifically to raise money. Our volunteer support and low cost structure allow AQUASTAR to thrive on modest training fees and limited external, non-intrusive fund-raising such as Randall's Good Neighbor Program and the Kroger Share Card.

13. How long does AQUASTAR's season last?
AQUA practices year-round. The swim season is divided into two parts. "Short Course," where the meets are held in indoor 25-yard pools, runs from September through March. Practice sessions are held after school. "Long Course" meets are held in 50-meter Olympic-size pools and the season runs from April through July. Practice sessions are held in the mornings and also early evening.

14. Where does AQUASTAR practice?
AQUA practices at various high schools within the Clear Creek Independent School District and also at La Porte High School, the city pool in Pearland and the Strawberry Park pool in Pasadena. Practice times and locations may change from season to season.  See directions page for maps.

15. How often does my child have to practice?
No one ever has to come to practice, nor do they need to attend every practice. However, very few swimmers improve their times if they don't come to practice. For beginners, it is probably enough to swim two or three days a week. As your skills and endurance improve, you may want to swim more often.

16. Who manages AQUASTAR?
AQUA is managed by a Board of Directors consisting of swimmers' parents. The board hires the team's coaches and takes care of the administration of the team.

17. Can my child be a member of AQUASTAR and still swim for a summer league team?
Absolutely! Like your child, most AQUA swimmers began swimming competitively in summer league. Many of them still swim for their summer league team. Most summer league coaches are happy to have USA Swimming athletes as part of their team.

18. Can my child swim for AQUASTAR and still play soccer and basketball, do dance or gymnastics and play piano?
Yes, he/she can!  Many AQUA swimmers are active in other sports and activities. How much you decide to practice is your decision. And because most swim meets have events on both Saturday and Sunday, you can even swim one day of the weekend and do another activity the other day.

19. Does AQUASTAR issue PE Waivers for use at school? 
Yes. Beginning with intermediate school, when a grade is needed to be sent to the school, the parent must request that the head coach send that grade.  That request should include the name of the counselor receiving the grade and the fax number of the school.  In addition, the parent's request must include the practice attendance record of the swimmer. 

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 Questions About MEETS
For more meet entry information, see our Meet entry information page.
 

19.  Where are meets held?
Most meets are in the Houston area.  Occasionally, the club travels to an out of town meet.  The best way to get an idea of exactly where meets are held during a typical season is to look over the schedules via the News page.

20.  When are the meets held and how long do they last? 
There are on average about two meets a month. They are usually scheduled for Friday night (6:30-9), Saturday and Sunday (9am-1pm). These times are approximate. Sometimes the meets are only Saturday and Sunday. The events scheduled for Friday night are usually longer distances for older kids (500 Free, 400 IM, etc.).  Although the start times are pretty consistent, the finish times vary widely depending on the number of swimmers entered. Like summer league, swimmers are usually allowed to swim only three to four events per day. You do not have to swim all three days.

21.  Can I use my best summer league times when I enter a meet?
No, you can only use times from a sanctioned USA Swimming meet or meets utilizing protocols conforming to USA Swimming rules.  You are generally  allowed to enter a meet without an entry time if you've never swum the event.  It's referred to as entering with a "no time" (NT).

22.  How much does it cost to enter a meet?  
Typical costs for a Gulf Swimming-hosted meet is about $3.75 per individual event and $7.00 for relay events (relay fees are paid by the team) if you enter ahead of time.  If you wait until the day of the meet and "enter on deck" you will be charged double.   Fees are typically higher for championship meets (TAGS, Nationals, etc.)   Also, prices for heat sheets [meet programs] are usually about $5  ($10 for championships and big invitationals).

23.  Where do my seed times come from that are on the heat sheet? 
The team keeps a database of all times swum by each swimmer.  When the events you've chosen for a meet are entered into the computer, it selects your best time for that stroke and distance to use as your seed time.  If you've joined AQUA but have USA Swimming times from another team, you can note them on your entry form and they can be manually entered.  AQUA's meet entry director  will be responsible for proof of that time if required by the meet host.

24.  What's the difference between a pre-seeded meet and a deck-seeded meet? 
In a pre-seeded meet, all of the swimmers will swim their events in a lane and heat determined by their entry time as submitted prior to the meet.  If a swimmer doesn't show up for his/her event then the lane they were assigned to will be empty.   That is allowable.  In a deck-seeded meet, the heats and lanes are not determined until about 45 minutes before the event.  This allows swimmers to enter and scratch from events on the day of the meet.  The main purpose of this is to prevent having empty lanes in a heat which slows the meet down.  It can also be a disadvantage to swimmers who have to swim next to empty lanes.  Most Gulf Swimming meets are deck-seeded meets, so don't forget to "circle in"  (see next question).

25.  What does it mean to "circle in" ?  
At a deck-seeded meet, the host team will post a list of all swimmers who have entered each event.  You must find your name on the list for each event that you intend to swim and circle the number next to it.  This tells the host team that you are there and you still intend to swim the event.  If you do not want to swim a particular event, then do NOT circle in for that event.  The list for each event will be taken to the scoring computer about 45 minutes prior to the expected start time.  If the number next to your name is not circled, then you will be scratched from the event.  If you DO circle in and then do NOT show up when your heat is called to the blocks, AQUA will be assessed a $5 fine by Gulf Swimming, which must be paid by the offending swimmer's account.   

26.  What is meant by "Short Course" and "Long Course"?
These terms generally refer to the length of a pool.  Short Course is a 25-yard (or meter) pool and Long Course is a 50-meter pool. The names are also used for the two "seasons" in USA Swimming.  September to March is the Short Course season when meets are held in (indoor) 25-yard pools.  April to August is the Long Course season as meets are held in 50-meter pools - some indoors, some outdoors.  Some 50-meter pools can be configured as either long course or short course by running lane ropes length-wise or width-wise or by inserting a bulkhead in the middle of the pool.

27.  What is TAGS?
TAGS is the acronym for Texas Age Group Swimming (i.e., for athletes up through age 14), but the term is usually used to refer to the TAGS meet or its qualifying times ("TAGS times").  The Texas Swimming Association organizes two end-of-season TAGS Championship meets each year, one for Short Course in early March and the other for Long Course in late July.  These meets are the top championships for age 14-under swimmers in the state.  Time standards are published annually for the TAGS meets.   Swimmers must achieve the qualifying times for each event during the season in order to enter that event at TAGS.  The location of each meet varies.  Short Course TAGS meets have recently been held in Midland, Dallas, the Woodlands, and at Texas A&M.   Long Course TAGS meets are usually held at the University of Texas in Austin.

28.  What is the meet called "Last Chance TAGS"?
That just tells you that it is the last meet of that season where you can get a TAGS qualifying time prior to the TAGS meet entry deadline.   Entries then have to be sent to the team hosting the TAGS meet.   It's exciting to watch swimmers trying their hardest to earn their way to the state championship meet.

29.  What is an "unattached" swimmer?
No, it doesn't just mean that they're single.  According to Gulf Swimming rules, if a swimmer switches from one USA Swimming club to another, he or she must enter meets as unattached for a period of 120 days since they last competed for (not practiced with) their old club.   That means that they cannot score points for their new club or swim on relay teams.  The main purpose of this rule is to prevent swimmers from switching clubs just before an important meet so they can add to the new team's point total.

30.  I've heard people refer to "B & Under" and "A & Up" meets.  What does that mean? Are there "reserve" and "champ" times as in summer league?
USA Swimming publishes a whole series of time standards for boys and girls by age group that can be used as a scale to gauge a swimmer's level of achievement in each event.  They are, from slowest to fastest, B, BB, A, AA, AAA & AAAA.  Trying to reach the next level in a particular event can be motivational to swimmers.  Meets are sometimes  restricted to swimmers above or below a certain level to limit the number of entries.   For example, to enter an event at an "A & Up" meet, you must have an A time or better in that event.  At other meets, age is used to limit entries to a manageable number  [11 & Up, 10 & Under, etc.]. The USA Swimming equivalent of the summer league's Novice and Reserve meets is called the A/BB/B Champs Meet. The equivalent of the summer league's Champ Meet  are the Gulf Champs and the Texas Age Group Swimming [TAGS] Championship. At TAGS, swimmers from all over Texas compete against each other.

31. What is the "up/down rule"?  What is the "three event rule"?
Gulf Swimming rules are established to promote competition and meet participation. The "up/down rule" means that a swimmer entering an "A & up" meet, for example, with an "A" time in only the 100-yard freestyle, can swim the next shortest distance event and the next longest distance event of the same stroke even if that swimmer does not have "A" times at those distances; in this case, the swimmer would be allowed to swim the 50-yd. and 200-yd. freestyle events even though he did not have an "A" time at those distances and it is an "A & up" meet.

The "three event rule" means that a swimmer who qualifies in three or more events for a meet, can swim any event offered at that meet in that age group (even if he does not have a qualifying time for that event). 

32. How are meets structured with regard to age groups?
Unlike summer league - where a child's age can change during the summer and he still may compete in the younger age bracket which covers what his age was on May 1 - in USA Swimming, a child's age on the date of each meet determines the age group in which he will compete for that meet. Meet age brackets are 10-under [sometimes subdivided into 8-under], 11-12, 13-14 and 15-over.

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For more meet entry information, see our  Meet entry information page.