Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register my swimmer?
- Create an account
- Add a payment method: credit card and linked bank accounts are supported. A payment method must be on file to unlock registration
- Add member: a member represents a swimmer. Add a member for each swimmer you wish to register.
- Register each member in their respective group for the summer season
Which group should I register my swimmer in?
- Swim groups are typically not based on a swimmers age, but rather their ability. Our groups are set up so that swimmers can learn stroke technique and skills at their appropriate level. So while your swimmer may be with swimmers a bit older or younger than them, know and trust the coaches have made the best decision for them and their learning. If your swimmer has been with the Breakers before, please register them in the same group they were in last summer. If the coaches feel they are ready to move up a group, they will contact you after the first week of practices. If your swimmer is new to the Breakers, please email our president to arrange a time to do a swim assessment so that we can assign them to a group.
Why isn’t my swimmer progressing at the same rate as their friends?
- Success in swimming isn’t all gold medals and what their label is - it is about their individual learning and progression. Like with anything in life, children learn and grow at their own pace. Whether it takes a swimmer to learn and perfect a skill in a week, or month, or even a whole season, they are moving at the right pace for them. Do not fret parents - the learning will come as long as they have a positive attitude and enjoy the fun atmosphere!
What do swim practices look like?
- Every swimming group’s practice looks a bit different in the water, so it is hard to compare their practices to each other. In our mini ripples group, swimmers are learning the basics of freestyle and backstroke as well as dolphin kick. In the ripples group, swimmers learn the basic techniques of all four strokes: freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke. In the waves, their techniques are put to the test. Faster swimming and harder practice sets occur here to fine tune all four strokes as well as to practice starts and turns. Finally in our tsunamis group swimmers generally are working on highly advanced techniques of all their strokes, starts, and turns. Since these swimmers are typically in the teenage years, their bodies are able to handle more of a workload than other groups. This means they will be put through vigorous training sets to teach them about advanced technical skills and how to train to succeed.
Do my swimmers have to go to every practice?
- The short answer is no! You know your swimmer the best - if they are tired, take a rest! If you have family plans, skip a practice! We don’t take attendance. But if your swimmer’s goal is to see some improvements over the season or even win some races, training matters and you should aim to attend as many practices as you are able to.
Does my swimmer have to compete in the swim meets?
- Meets are optional, but we highly encourage our swimmers to attend! You will to RSVP on our website to let the coaches know which meets you plan to attend. That way coaches are able to register your swimmer in specific races. Meets take place on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer. They often begin early in the morning and can go almost until supper time. Parents are responsible for transporting their swimmer(s) to and from meets as well as supervising them while at the meet as the coaches will be busy on the pool deck with the races. For planning purposes, new swimmers (participation level) will typically have all their races completed before noon. Meet packages (all pertinent information about the meet) are approved and posted on the Friday before the meet by Swim NS and parents will receive an email with more information specific to their swimmer ahead of each meet. Swim meets will either follow template A or B; events differ through the summer. We follow Swim Nova Scotia’s Summer Swimming Competition Structure, the details of which can be found on the Swim Nova Scotia web site.
How can I help support the team?
- Our swim team runs entirely on the help of the volunteers (besides our paid coaches and staff). There are so many ways to help! Volunteer to help at our own meet. Sign up to officiate (we are always looking for timers!) Or sign up to help our parent executive committee.