Do I have to be a good swimmer to join the team?

For the Fall/Winter season all swimmers who are 8 years of age or younger need to be able to do is swim 25 yards of

freestyle and backstroke.  If you can not swim a full 25 yards, we have pre-competitive programs available over the

Fall and Winter months.  Swimmers who are 9 and over must be able to swim 50 yards of Freestyle and Backstroke.

  Do I have to tryout?

No.  Swimmers are taken on a priority basis with the first priority being given to current HATY swimmers, second priority given to any swimmers that participated in our Spring stroke clinics, and the remainder of swimmers are then taken as space permits.  The first step in the registration process is to return the HATY Swimming Registration Forms to Pat Ryan.  The coaches will meet and place the swimmers into the proper practice groups. 

What if I’m involved in other sports?  

We have many athletes in our program that participate in other activities.  If you participate in Fall sports, and will not begin to swim on a "full time" basis until

November, you must fill out a REGISTRATION FORM and note on that form that you will not begin until November. It is important that we have your name on our

roster so that we may pass along all communication

4 Are meets held every weekend?

No, and it is up to you how many meets you enter based on your schedule.  Our team participates in the

Penn-Del Swim League during the Fall and Winter season.   Those swimmers that choose to participate

in local Summer League meets will participate in meets within the Lower Bucks Swim League.    Over the

Summer and Winter months we compete in USA Swimming meets, These meets are optional, and are not

required. Swimmers that wish to participate in USA Swimming meets, there is a $57 annual registration fee,

and this allows swimmers to participate in USA meets.  Our Season Ending meets include YMCA

Districts, States, and Nationals, as well as our High School swimmers participating in the District and State

meets representing their High School Teams.  Swimmers 9 and over that qualify for the Season Ending meets

are expected to attend these meets.  The District meet is held at LaSalle University and the State meet is held

at Penn State.  Both of these meets are in March.  Those swimmers that make the YMCA National qualifying

times will attend that meet in April in Fort Lauderdale.  Swimmers 9 and over must participate in 3

"YMCA Only" meets to be eligible for these meets.  An example would be HATY vs Ridley Area YMCA or

 HATY vs Pocono Family YMCA.  Our meet schedule will be published in September.

5Is there a lot of travel involved?

Most of our meets are in the Southeastern Pennsylvania  area and at our home pool, although we do offer the opportunity for travel trips to other areas.  At times our team will host meets at other pools such as The College of New Jersey.  One of our more popular Travel Trips is the SPY Winterfest  held at the University of Maryland.  This trip is geared for swimmers aged 9-15who meet the time qualification standard.

6Where are practices held?

Practices and home meets are held at the Hatboro Area YMCA during the Fall and Winter season. During the

Summer months we use the Hatboro Memorial Pool to host a few Summer League Meets.

7 Can I join anytime?

Yes, you may join the team anytime throughout the year as space permits. 

8 Do I have to wear a Team Suit?

Yes, although we do allow a plain Black or Navy suit to be worn in place of the team suit  All HATY swimmers are given a latex team swim caps free of charge.  There will be a charge for the silicone team caps.

   Is it required to attend ALL practice sessions available during the week?

  NO ....  however we operate with a daily workout plan, similar to your child's teachers at school.  If your practice group has practice 4 times a week, and you only attend 2 practices a week, your child will only be achieving 50% of what is being taught, so it is important for parents to understand that the benefits your child will get out of the program will be dependent upon the effort that they put into it.

   What is the cost to join the team?

   The cost is based on the group your swimmer is placed in (Fees). All payments that are done by bank draft are done on a monthly basis.  All swimmers must return

   the HATY Swimming Registration Forms to Pat Ryan.  All swimmers must be members of the YMCA.  A YMCA Full Privilege Membership is required for

   YMCA Swimming.

A Program membership is required for all clinics and Summer only - Lower Buck Swim League swimming.  Fees and information on our Fall Clinic Programs are

   here.  Fees and information on our 2009-2010 Fall and Winter Team program are here.  All HATY swimmers must be members of the YMCA.  The YMCA

   membership fee must be paid at the time of registration in the membership office at the YMCA.   At the time of registration each family will pay the family

   association fee ($35.00 / swimmer - max family contribution of $70.00) plus your first months program fee payment.

Who does the coaching and what are their certifications?

We have a staff of experienced coaches who love what they do.  They are all certified through the YMCA of the USA and are required to maintain CPR, Coaches Safety & First Aid plus other coaching certifications.  Our coaches take pride in their teaching to all swimmers.  Parents ask all of the time "Will my child fall behind if they miss a class ?"  We do operate on daily lesson plan, similar to your child's teachers at school.  If your practice group has practices 4 times a week, and you only attend 2 practices a week, your child will only be learning 50% of what is being taught, so it is important for parents to understand that the benefits your child will get out of the program will be dependent upon the effort that they put into it.