Build strength, stamina, and spirit as we perfect our strokes as a team. Through the Y’s swimming programs, kids have the opportunity to make friends, get active and discover what they can achieve. The goal of our swim teams is to create a strong team spirit, foster personal growth, and improve each participant’s swimming skills. Please contact your preferred branch to register for swim team. You must be a Y member to join a swim team.
Benton Harbor-St. Joseph Dolphins
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Benton Harbor-St. Joseph Dolphins 
Join us for Summer Swim Team as we travel around Michiana to outdoor pools as part of the MAPSC League! Practice will begin in June on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays in the morning with meets on Wednesday mornings. Swimmers aged 8 and under must be able to swim 1 length of backstroke and freestyle. Swimmers aged 9 and over must be able to swim 2 lengths of backstroke and freestyle. Please contact coach Kendra Gray, kgray@ymcaswm.com, for additional information. Visit the Dolphins website for parent information & meet schedule.
| Ages 5-8 | $250 ($50/month) |
| Ages 9-12 | $300 ($60/month) |
| Ages 13-18 | $350 ($70/month) |
| High School Girl Swimmer | $210 ($70/month) December 2020-February 2021 |
| High School Boy Swimmer | $110 ($55/month) (October & November 2020) |
Junior Dolphins
The Junior Dolphin swim class is designed for swimmers who want to learn the strokes and experience the practice of a swim team without attending meets and a rigorous practice schedule. This program is designed to teach all four strokes, starts, turns, and all other skills taught on a swim team. To participate in this class all swimmers must be able to swim one length of the pool without a flotation device or other aid practicing both freestyle and backstroke. The Jr. Dolphins practice twice a week. Please make sure to bring a pair of goggles to your lesson. For ages 6-12.
| Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA | Check back for class times! | Member: $84 Non-Member: $168 |
Niles-Buchanan Mariners
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Niles-Buchanan Mariners
The Mariners Swim Team is made up of 4 different training groups that are based on both age and ability/performance. Ages 5–8 must be able to complete one length of both freestyle and backstroke and ages 9–18 must be able to complete two lengths of both freestyle and backstroke. The expectations for each group are different and become greater at higher levels in order to achieve personal and team goals. Swimmers may join at any time throughout the season. Season runs September-August. For ages 4-18. Visit the Mariners website for parent information & meet schedule.
The Mariners offer a 2-week trial for $20 for anyone interested in seeing if swim team is a good fit. Please contact the coach Stephanie Hill, shill@ymcagm.org, and complete an evaluation prior to paying for a 2-week trial.
| Ages 5-18 | Red Group: $48/month Yellow Group: $54/month Blue Group: $60/month Green Group: $66/month |
Swim Team Levels
Red Group
- Skill requirements: 8 & under: swim 25 yards of backstroke and freestyle unassisted; 9 & overs: swim 50 yards of backstroke and freestyle unassisted
- Practices: 2-3 times per week, 1 hour each
- Equipment: kickboard (provided at pool), fins, pull buoy (check with coaches on sizing and availability before purchasing)
- Basic goals: foundation in all 4 strokes, legal turns for all 4 strokes, knowledge of a racing start (diving), increased endurance
- How to move to Yellow: complete a 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 IM, 50 butterfly, 50 breaststroke, legal racing starts and turns, demonstrate maturity and desire to move up
| Red Group | $48 /month $75 one-time registration /season |
Yellow Group
- Skill requirements: proficient in all 4 strokes, legal racing starts, and turns
- Practices: 3-5 times per week, 1-hour &15 minutes each
- Equipment: kickboard (provided at pool), fins, pull buoy, paddles (check with coaches on sizing and availability before purchasing)
- Basic goals: introduction to pace clock and formal practice sets; a strong foundation in all 4 strokes; legal turns for all 4 strokes; increased endurance, strong racing starts and turns; introduction to racing mindset
- How to move to Blue: at least 1 YMCA state qualifying time, ability and maturity to handle increased practice load
| Yellow | $54 /month $75 one-time registration /season |
Blue Group
- Skill requirements: proficient in all 4 strokes, legal racing starts, and turns; at least 1 YMCA state qualifying time; ability to read pace clock for formal practice set structure
- Practices: 3-5 times per week, 1.5 hours each + dryland workouts
- Equipment: kickboard (provided at pool), fins, pull buoy, paddles (check with coaches on sizing and availability before purchasing)
- Basic goals: introduction to dryland and strengthening exercises; understand connection between effort put in and results; proficiency in pace clock math and formal practice sets; continued development of stroke, turn, and start mechanics; increased endurance (aerobic and anaerobic)
- How to move to Green: at least 4 YMCA state qualifying times or at least 1 YMCA zone qualifying time, ability and maturity to handle increased practice load
| Blue | $60 /month $75 one-time registration /season |
Green Group
- Skill requirements: proficient in all 4 strokes, legal racing starts, and turns; at least 3 YMCA state qualifying times or 1 YMCA zone qualifying time; ability to read pace clock for formal practice set structure; championship attitude
- Practices: 3-5 times per week, 2 hours each + dryland workouts
- Equipment: kickboard (provided at pool), fins, pull buoy, paddles, snorkel (check with coaches on sizing and availability before purchasing)
- Basic goals: understanding of race planning and strategy; proficiency in dryland and strengthening exercises; understand connection between effort put in and results; proficiency in pace clock math and formal practice sets; continued development of stroke, turn, and start mechanics; increased endurance (aerobic and anaerobic); championship attitude
| Green | $66 /month $75 one-time registration /season |
