Tuckahoe Tigers Swim Team

* For practice FAQ's, see practice information page.

When does swim season start and end?

Practices begin mid May and go through mid to late July (this depends on Divisionals and All Stars schedules). The full season calendar is available on our Meet and Practices Page. 

Are there "Try Outs" for the swim team?

There are no tryouts, however, the general requirements for joining the Tuckahoe Swim Team are that you are:

• a FULL member of Tuckahoe Recreation Club in good standing
• are at least 5 years of age as of June 1 (exceptions made at Coaches discretion)
• are able to swim the length of the pool and back (50 meters) in either freestyle or backstroke unassisted
• are able to maintain attention and energy for a 60-minute practice

New swimmers will be required to attend an evaluation. Evaluations help the coaches confirm before practice begins that new swimmers can complete the basic skills.  All Tuckahoe Members between the ages of 5 and 18 are eligible to join the swim team. 

What if my child cannot meet the minimum team requirements?

What suit should swimmers wear?

For practice, girls should wear a snug-fitting one-piece suit, and boys should wear a Speedo-style suit or jammers. No swim shirts or wetsuits should be worn during practices.

For meets, athletes may wear any suit that makes them feel fast, ideally the team suit. You may not wear a suit with another team (club/hs/etc) name or logo, or you will be disqualified. Anyone under the age of 12, MUST get their tech suit approved by the coaching staff due to new rules from the NVSL - please reach out for help. Back-tie suits are not allowed for girls in swim meets.

Do all swimmers need a swim cap?

Swimmers must wear Tuckahoe caps during meets. Exceptions will be made at the discretion of the coaches. All swimmers will need to purchase two caps as part of their swim team registration. If they register before the cap order deadline, the caps will be personalized with their last name. 

What equipment does my swimmer need?

Swimmers must bring zoomer style fins and an in-line training snorkel in a mesh gear bag with their name on it to EVERY practice. Equipment can be purchased at Sport Fair, Amazon, SwimOutlet or any other swim gear outlet. Tuckahoe Swim Team gear link is located under Practice Information, scroll down to Equipment link. Sizing can be a little tricky so it may be helpful to visit a local retailer. Please avoid scuba or snorkeling fins. 

Are Coaches available for Private Lessons?

Yes. Most of our coaching staff do make themselves available for private lessons. Please feel free to approach any of our coaches and discuss availability and pricing. Coaches are available for Private Lessons after 11:00 am during the week. Private and semi - private lesson information can also be found at https://tuckahoe.net/private-semi-private-swim-les...

When is an appropriate time to speak to Coaches?

Our coaches and swimmers work best together when they are able to concentrate on each other during practice. While our coaches like to be available to parents, please do not disturb a coach during practice to ask questions and please avoid "hovering" over practice. Anyone not participating in an ongoing practice is asked to stay a reasonable distance away from our practice lanes so as to not disturb the coaching staff or distract the swimmers. Coaches and Team Reps reserve the right to ask people to leave the practice area if this becomes an issue. Questions can be addressed after practice or at other times around the pool. Potlucks are a good time to address questions with our coaching staff. Coaches are also available to answer questions via email but please recognize that their jobs do not allow them the ability to check email routinely throughout the day. Feel free to communicate with Team Reps regarding ancillary team issues, not related to coaching or stroke development. Team Reps can be reached at [email protected]. 

Which swimmers swim in Monday meets?

We have five Monday Night (developmental) meets and all registered swimmers are eligible and encouraged to swim. Parents will receive an email the week preceding a Monday Night Meet asking you to register your swimmer for events. You must register your swimmer for events prior to the registration deadline. Each swimmer may participate in two events plus the Individual Medley. Parents should register their swimmers for events that their swimmer can swim "legally". You may discuss event selections with your child's coach. Swimmers that swim an event during a Saturday Meet are excluded from swimming the same event in the following Monday Night. Exceptions to this rule may only be made with the Head Coach approval prior to the meet sign up deadline. 

Monday night meet results and times will be available to parents via the Swimtopia account. 

How are swimmers selected to participate in Saturday Meets?

We have five Saturday (competitive or dual) Meets against other NVSL Division 1 pools this season. The Head Coach selects three swimmers per event to swim in NVSL Dual Meets. Additionally, each swimmer is limited to swimming only two individual events, plus relays. Generally, the swimmers with the top three posted times for each event are selected, however the Head Coach has complete discretion when making the team's roster for Saturday Meets.

How are participants in Relay Teams selected?

The Head Coach selects the relay participants before each Saturday Meet and Divisional Relays. Four relay members and at least one alternate will be selected for each relay team. All participants and alternates must attend relay specific practices and the event itself. The Head Coach has discretion to select participants based on numerous factors, including the ladder, most current performances, health, split times and training habits.

How is the Saturday Meet Roster announced?

The Head Coach makes the preliminary Saturday meet roster and selects Saturday swimmers on Wednesdays after practice. Parents are generally notified Wednesday evening and are asked to confirm availability as soon as possible. Should a selected swimmer not be available another swimmer will be notified by the Head Coach or Team Reps. On Thursday evenings, Team Reps and the Data Coordinator meet with the representatives of the opposing team to exchange our list of swimmers. Meet sheets will be emailed to parents following the data exchange. 

What is a DQ?

Trained Volunteer Officials help us run all of our meets and help ensure that all participants are following the rules, including the coaches, fans and swimmers. Stroke and Turn officials and others are monitoring swimmers' strokes during events and will disqualify a swimmer if they do not perform a stroke "legally." This disqualification is called a DQ. Your swimmer's time will not be recorded on the ladder and is listed as a DQ in the results. A DQ slip will be provided to our team by the official that explains the reason for the disqualification. While a DQ may be frustrating to the swimmer, it is an effective way to identify a flaw in a swimmer's stroke, turn or take-off and can help our coaching staff correct the issue with the swimmer in future practices. Please feel free to ask the team reps or coaches at an appropriate time about a DQ and how the issue can be fixed.

How many hours am I required to volunteer?

Each swim team family is required to volunteer 15 hours during the swim season (5 hours for Little Tigers). We need your help at meets and social events. Almost all of our events are volunteer organized so please be generous with your time. If you are unable or unwilling to volunteer you must pay a non-volunteer fee of $500 per family at the beginning of the season. If you fail to volunteer or pay the fee, your family account with the swim team will be automatically charged the fee and you will receive an emailed billed through Swimtopia.com. Families with outstanding statements will be unable to register for subsequent swim seasons until balances are paid in full.

When should my swimmer report for a meet?

For Monday night home meets, swimmers should arrive by 4:45 pm for a 5:00 pm warm-up. For Monday night away meets, swimmers should report to the host pool by 5:00 pm for a 5:20 pm warm-up. For Saturday home meets, the time to report will be announced in advance.

What is the Tuckahoe Ball?

At the end of July, we celebrate the end of our season with a semi-formal event with food, drinks, an award ceremony and dancing for all swim team kids. Dive and tennis teams are also invited to participate.

How is a team record set?

Tuckahoe TEAM records can be broken at any meet that has the required number of officials and timers to sanction a time. This includes Saturday Meets, Monday night meets, intrasquad meets, and relay carnivals. NVSL Records may only be broken at Saturday Dual Meets, at Divisionals or All-Star events.

What are Potluck Dinners?

Each swim team family is invited to bring a dish to share for potluck dinners every Friday before meets. You will be given a food assignment based on your family name. All potluck dinners are held at the lower level next to the snack bar and begin at 6:00 pm. 

How will I receive news and information?

We communicate mostly through email and the website. We also enjoy posting updates, news, fun facts, and team pictures to Instagram site (@tuckahoeswimteam). You can contact a Swim Team Rep at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. 

What is the weather policy?

Practice is generally always 'ON' rain or shine. If inclement weather is forecasted during practice times, parents are asked to remain at the pool during practice. In the event of thunder or lightening, everyone must clear the pool deck. Meets are also held rain or shine. In the event of thunder or lightening at a meet, swimmers must exit the outdoor pool immediately and report to their car to await further instructions. We generally must wait 30 minutes after thunder and 45 minutes after lightening in order to resume swimming. Please do not leave a meet that has been delayed as all attempts will be made to wait out a storm and complete the meet. Every effort will be made to post updates on practice cancelations via Facebook/Instagram or by sending an email/text update.