Welcome!  This page is dedicated to parents who are new to the sport of Swimming and Diving

Being part of a swim team is an amazing experience for both swimmers and their parents. Your child will learn about dedication, sportsmanship, and teamwork while building friendships in the pool. They'll get an amazing workout too!

We recognize that joining a swim team for the first time can seem a bit overwhelming. Once you build an understanding of the basics, it is actually easy to be a the parent of a swimmer. We hope the information we've compiled below will put your mind at ease and get you excited for your first season with the CAC swim team. If you still have questions, we are here to help. Feel free to email us at any time and we will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

Important Information for New Parents

• Eligibility

  • The Centennial Aquatic Club is open to all swimmers from age 5 to 18. The only requirement to join the team is that your child can swim one lap (25 Yards) of freestyle or backstroke on their own. 

  • If they are not quite able to swim 25 yards on their own yet, no problem. We have a program for them to join the team and continue to learn and grow until they can.  Please note, safety is our top priority, they will not be able to swim in a meet until they can swim a full lap independently.  Ask a club official or coach for more info.

  • If you are not sure about their ability, bring them to a practice the first week and we will evaluate them for you. 

• Swim Practices

  • The most frequent question that new parents ask about being part of the swim team is "How many practices does my child need to attend each week?".  While this answer varies from team to team, we ask that swimmers do their best to attend at least 3 practices a week. If it is possible for them to attend more than 3, that's even better. The more practices they attend, the stronger and better they will become.

• Swim Meets

  • SAL Swim meets are typically held on weekends, beginning the end of October and go the end of January.  

• Invitational Meets

  • ​​​An invitiations is a type of swim meet in which swimmers from a number of different teams are invited to compete. Swimmers choose their own races (as opposed to dual meets in which the coaches decide who will swim each race) and pay a per race entry fee. Awards are given for the top finishers in each event after the meet.

  • For more information visit our info page HERE

• Championship Meets

  • Every swimmer will be invited to one of the Championship meets.

• Parent Volunteering

  • Anyone who has been to even one swim meet knows that it takes much effort on the part of parent volunteers to make it happen. Approximately 12 parent volunteers are needed for each away meet and at least 18 volunteers for each home meet.  The volunteer positions are timers, judges, scorers, snack bar helpers, etc. We will be looking for help from every family during the course of the season, and we are sure that every parent can find a meet job that he/she enjoys doing.

  • More information about parent responsibilities or volunteering can be found Here