Swim Teams
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Feb 2013
We were considering having our kids join a swim team in Orinda or Lafayette and was
wondering if anyone knew the pros/cons/culture of any of the clubs? We are
specifically thinking about Miramonte Swim Club, Orinda Park Pool, Campolindo, and
Moraga Valley.
Fishy Mama
We have been members of OPP for 7 years, and my kids (now ages 9 and 11) have been on the team
for 3. We love, love, love OPP. It is very time intensive, but it is a team that truly
welcomes swimmers of all abilities. It is competitive for the minority of kids who really want
to excel, but it is mostly a team for kids who like to swim and run around outside all summer.
The many, many coaches are great with kids. The families are down-to-earth. Lots of families
from Berkeley and Oakland. The other pools you are considering are also ''low key'' (as opposed
to the country club swim teams in this area), but I can't really comment on their cultures
specifically. The other thing we love about OPP is the garden-like setting. Lots of grass and
trees, and a large pool that is super kid friendly (lots of shallow water for playing). We live
in Berkeley but have made many close friends through the pool and I can't wait for the season to
start!
Liz O.
The clubs you listed have some fairly significant differences from one
another. Unless you live in the Campolindo area, you would need to be
sponsored to join the Campolindo Cabana Club (CCC). As a sponsored
member, you would only have access to the facilities during the time
that you have practice - no other social activities or just hanging
out at the pool.
Miramonte would be similar but no one has extra
privileges there. It's a high school pool. The Miramonte practice
times are very working parent friendly - as opposed to all the others
that you listed.
Moraga Valley Pool (MVP) is a great pool and also
offers tennis. The membership itself isn't too costly and the annual
dues were just raised to $1800. Memberships are sold by the
individual members to interested buyers on an open-market system
rather than through a wait list. MVP is trying to accumulate funds to
make repairs and eventually renovate. A vote just failed to assess
the members for this work (thus, the dues increase instead) but the
thought is that could happen sometime in the future. So there is a
bit of uncertainty there but it is a great place. It draws most of
its membership from Del Rey and Los Perales families.
Orinda Park Pool
(OPP) is beautiful. Probably the most expensive of the ones you
mentioned - memberships are sold based on a waiting list and are
substantially more expensive than at MVP. Last I checked it was about
the cost of a year of dues for the membership itself. I know several
families there and they love it - a very tight knit club. Some people
like to join the pool that is closest to their elementary school and
others think its better to mix it up. I know I have written a novel
here, but feel free to get my e-mail address from the moderator if you
have more questions.
Swim fast!
As you check out the swim teams you are interested in, I suggest that you ask
specific questions about number of swimmers/coach, availability of individual
lessons, how much pool time is available/swimmer, number of swimmers/lane during
workouts, etc. I swim at one of the pools you mentioned. Our team has become
very large over the past few years and there have been complaints from swim team
families about ineffective coaching due to the large team size and limited pool
time available. The lanes seem to be very crowded during swim team clinics and
work outs. Also, pre-season clinics will start in April for some teams. not a
swim team parent
Sept 2012
We have just moved to Berkeley and my 15-year old daughter wants to join a
swim team. Any recommendations?
Anita
Check out our new swim team, Albany Armada Aquatics. We swim at the newly
renovated Albany Aquatic Center. Beautiful 10 lane outdoor pool! We offer 6
different ability groups and are competitively focused. For more info visit our
website: www.albanyarmada.com or contact me directly I am the Head Coach.
Helen Garcia
Does your daughter attend Berkeley High School? They have a swim team,
water polo, etc.
Local Mom
Aug 2012
We might be moving to Lafayette-Orinda-Moraga with our 5
year old girl. I would
appreciate any info anyone can send about swim clubs in the
area. Are they just in the phone book and people just pick
one? Thanks for any advice you can give.
anon
Most people in Lamorinda choose their swim clubs by going to the one closest
to
their houses. We never joined one, but if we did, it would be the one a few
blocks from here. You'll have the advantage of your kid being in the same club
as many of her classmates. Also, it is a good way to get to know other parents
in you neighborhood. The exceptions are when people belong to a local country
club (MCC or OCC), then their kids will usually swim there.
May 2011
I have a 7-yr old son who loves and is great at swimming. He is in
the highest level in his swimming class. I'd like
for him to continue swimming but he does not want to do
competitive swimming. We live in El Cerrito and I am
looking for a swim club or something similar where he can
continue to develop his swimming skills but also have fun at
it too. Any recommendations?
I highly recommend BEAR swimming for all kids who are interested in
being on a swim team. They swim at the Contra Costa College pool,
which is not nearly as out-of-
the way as it might sound. The coaches are wonderful, kind, and
attentive, and the team is a very nice group of kids. They are all
very supportive of each other, and they all have fun swimming. The team
is relatively small right now, so it is a comfortable fit for younger
kids. You can even try it out for a couple of weeks for free! Their
web address is bearswimming.org.
Lauren
Check out the Richmond Sailfish swim team in the newly-
renovated Plunge in Pt Richmond. My 8-year old son loves to swim but
is not interested in competing and it's a great fit for him. Coach
John works with kids at all levels and makes the workouts fun. It's
also quite inexpensive and flexible. www.richmondswims.org/richmond-
sailfish
Susan
July 2008
We live equal distance between the King Pool in Berkeley and
the El Cerrito Pool. I'm looking into the swim-team at both
locations for my daughters ages 6 and 8. Have you (your
children) had experience with either of these teams? Thanks
for sharing your experience with us.
Swimming for Kids
The Barracudas swim team is a great program, especially if the focus is on
the child gaining swim stroke skill, strength, and stamina. We like that my
9 y.o. daughter can attend (and pay) as, and only when, she is available.
She attended Wednesdays at King during the Spring and until school ended.
She started reluctantly and gathered enthusiasm as the season progressed.
It is not known which coach will be present any given Wednesday for her
level, (middle). Some coaches were really good, none were lousy, although
one came close to it.
karen gilligan
May I also suggest the Albany Pool swim team? My child is not a member, but
I went by the pool a couple of months ago and spoke with the coach, who
seemed like a really nice guy and answered all my questions. He indicated
that the team was non-competitive, so if that is what you are looking for,
it might be a good fit.
Kim
March 2008
My 7 year old is a strong swimmer and is interested in joining a swim team.
There was a recent reommendation for the Oakland Barracudas but since we live
in Albany this is not logistically feasible. I am interested in finding out
more about the Albany Blue Dolphins but the most recent BPN info is 4 years
old. Would appreciate any recent info on the Blue Dolphins or other options in
Berkeley/Albany/EC. Albany Pool website is somewhat limited and has no Blue
Dolphins contact info.
mom of a swimmer
The El Cerrito Swim Center is home to the EC Gators a swim
team for ages 5-18. We have practices 5 days per week
year-round. Our goal is to offer a positive and fun
environment where kids can increase their skill and learn to
enjoy competitive swimming. There are groups for all skill
levels from beginners to very advanced and one of our swimmers
just qualified for Olympic Trials. Tryouts are on Mondays at
4pm. For more info check out our website
http://www.el-cerrito.org/recreation/gators.html or contact
Coach Jerry at jabee[at]ci.el-cerrito.ca.us Thanks!
Miriam
Feb 2008
Hello,
My 7-year old daughter will be graduating from a swimming program very soon
and would like to continue to swim. She eventually wants to compete, but
prefers to take things very slowly, hone her craft and enjoy the sport
without any pressure. Are there any swim teams out there that can serve as
an introduction to competitive swimming?
I found programs through the YMCA in Oakland (on Broadway) and through the
City of Oakland, Parks and Rec. Has anyone had any experience with them? If
you can recommend other places and/or programs, please let me know.
Thank you.
Cheranne
Try the Albany pool. They have a swim team (not sure if they take kids
as young as yours) that is not competitive. I spoke with the coach a
few months ago and he seemed really nice and stressed that it is not a
hard core, competitive program.
Kim
Talk to Adrienne at Aquatech swim school at Mariner Square Athletic
club in Alameda.
My kids take lessons at Aquatech and they are affordable and really
awesome at teaching kids to swim proper strokes in a fun, safe and
mostly--very professional-- manner. They have teams, too--for down the
road.
Call the director and ask about your daughter, and what you are looking
for. She will try really hard to meet you needs.
So happy to have found Aquatech mama!
The Oakland Barracuas
Swim Team sounds like a good fit for your
daughter. My son began swimming with the Cudas when he turned
7 (he's currently in his third year with the team) and it has
been a very positive experience for him, and for me as a parent
too. The team swims at Live Oak Pool next to Oakland High on
MacArthur Blvd. To visit a practice or for more information,
check out the Cuda
website, www.oaklandbarracudas.com. Ask Coach John about the
Junior Swim League, which is a great way for your daughter to
swim with the team for an eight-week period and allows her to
decide if she likes it without the pressure of having to make a
huge commitment up front. And even if she decides to continue,
the time commitment is very manageable for young swimmers, just
one-hour practices, twice a week, participation in monthly
meets encouraged but not required.
Clarisse
Try checking out AquaTech Swim School in Alameda. They are an indoor, year
round program with a non-competitive team. I like it because of the
positive coaching staff and fun, low pressure environment. You can join
anytime and stop anytime, no set schedule. Check 'em out!
www.aquatechswimschool.com
Swim Mom
Oct 2005
My son is nearly 4 years old, and a good little swimmer. As he
is a true water lover, we are starting to think about swim teams.
What area swim teams (we prefer Oakland, but are willing to
travel for the right fit) take younger kids? When browsing the
website, it seemed that the Oakland Barracudas start at age 7,
but I know a lot of swim teams take kids starting at 5 or younger
(we're thinking about for age 5, but if the right team took 4
year olds, we'd be interested, too).
We're really hoping for an easy-intro kind of group, with
practices 2-3 days a week for the young kids, and a focus on
learning skills and being a part of a team.
Thanks!
Heather
Not sure of what you might find in Berkeley or Oakland, but I
do know that you could join one of the many swim clubs in the
Lamorinda area for summer swim team. I live in Orinda and we
belong to the Moraga Valley Pool (MVP) which has a great swim
team (The Marlins). I do know of families in Berkeley who
belong to pools on this side of the tunnel b/c it's warmer and
sunnier. The pools here take kids at 4 years old and usually
divide the groups by skill and age. The younger kids who cannot
swim the full length of the pool are the ''mini-marlins'' at MVP.
The downside is that you would have to buy into a membership
(ranges between $1800-2800 depending upon the pool club) and
pay the season fee (ranges from $400-700).
Maya
My 6 year daughter joined the Miramonte swim team this summer
as we were very anxious that she become water safe as we have a
pool at home. I spent a good part of my summer with this team,
so I feel I can give a fairly accurate picture of this team.
It is in Orinda, and the only public swim club(PSC) in the
Lamorinda area. As it is a public PSC, the members are very
nice and unassuming, and have none of the country club attitute
you see at the meets with the more elite, powerhouse swim
clubs. Even though it is a swim club,they emphasise enjoyment
of water over competition with the younger set.
The first time my kid competed she ended up winning her
heat.She was so ecstatic that we were concerned that she might
expect this to happen everytime.Therefore we were relieved to
see her coaches congratulating her on finishing her race and
never mentioned the winning aspect.
This summer they had a 3 year old kid competing. She got a bit
nervous with the big crowd and noise and lanes etc so her coach
got into the water and swam backward creating a sort of vacuum
for her to swim. There are many young kids who swim all summer
and never actully compete and there is no pressure to do so
until they are ready. I am sure it is more competitive for the
older swimmers as the head Coach is an Olympian who won gold
about 20 years ago.
It is a lovely club, all the junior coaches joined there as
toddlers themselves. The only danger is once you try them one
summer you may not want to leave. I live 20 minutes away, and
driving 40 minutes a day several times a week was a serious
pain, however I liked it so much I know I will return next
summer even though my kid is water safe and I dont feel the
pressure to teach her swimming any more. It has been a fabulous
confidence building activity and has resulted in my daughter
being open to try many things she previously might have not.
Good luck! They do have a web site, do check it out.
PS: Cost is very nominal, about $400 for 3 months of swimming
daily M-F. At the younger level, the commitment is not intense,
so they have no problem if you go on vacation in the middle of
the summer.
anon
Jan 2004
Does anyone know of a good after-school indoor swim program or
team for 5th grade girls? We're looking in the
Oakland/Piedmont/Berkeley area. Thanks!
Recommended:
Albany Blue Dolphins
Feb. 2002
My daughter loves to swim. She was on a swim team for a while and then the
schedule became such that she could not go to the practices. She has not
swam for a year and would like to join a swim team in the Fall. She would
also like to use the Spring and Summer months to get back in shape and work
on her strokes. Please let us know where your child swims, practices and of
swimming and strokes instructors. Thank you.
Nathalie
Recommended:
Oakland Barracudas
July 2001
I have a 14 year old son who will be starting high school in the Fall
at Arrowsmith Academy in Berkeley. He is a swimmer and very
interested in participating on a swim team or even water polo.
Unfortunately, Arrowsmith is a very small school and does not have a
pool nor any water teams. Are there resources in the Berkeley area
that I can help fill this gap? I am very interested in hearing if
there are solutions out there. Thank you.
Dave
Recommended:
Berkeley Bears (2)
July 1999
My daughter has expressed an interest in being on a swim team. We live in
Berkeley. Starting in September, she will go to school in El Cerrito. Do
any of you know of a swim team she can join in and around Berkeley and/or
El Cerrito? Trisha
Recommended:
Berkeley Bears (2)
Berkeley YMCA
Re: Afterschool swim team for 5th grade girls? (Jan 2004)
Albany Blue Dolphins is a recreational swim team that meets
every weekday 4.30-5.30pm at Albany's indoor 30 yard pool on
Portland and Key Route, just behind Albany High School. My
son, a 4th grader, really enjoys swimming with them, and I've
seen a huge improvement in his stroke techniques as a result of
the individual attention given by the friendly coaches.
Ariella
June 2007
Hi, I have a 5 1/2 year old who loves to swim and was thinking about the Berkeley
Baracuda's swim team. I'm not sure if its new, but there is nothing about it on BPN. Has
anyone had any experiences with this swim team? Especially for a kid on the younger
side? If so, I would love to hear whether your child liked it. What is the quality of
the coaching. I was thinking about the 4-5:30 classes at the West Campus Pool.
thanks
I don't have personal experience with the Baracuda's swim team (my 5-year old can't make it across
the pool quite yet), but I have swum under the head coach, Blythe, with the Berkeley Aquatic
Master's team for several years. Yes, it is a new program. Blythe worked very hard with the city
to get everything in order and is really excited about having a swim team available to kids.
Practices just started up in the late spring, with more frequent workouts scheduled for summer.
The hope is that kids have a fun time improving their stroke and working out together as a team,
without a lot of focus on competition. Blythe is great with kids and a great coach. I don't
think she will be running all the workouts this summer, but she will at least be overseeing all of
them. Give it a try!
See you in the water!
Coach Blythe is awesome. I swam with her Master's team for a bit and was so impressed with the
variety of her workouts, her insight into swimming technique, and her love for coaching. I have
swum all my life, competitively for parts of it, and wish that I had had Blythe as a coach when I
was younger. She can teach anyone to swim. I can only imagine that her kids team would be the
perfect place for a 4 1/2 year old to swim.
Bethany
Re: Winter swim lessons for 5-year-old (Oct 2004)
Winter swim lessons and more can be found at Berkeleybears.com, the web page of
the Berkeley Bears swim team. In addition to the team they offer the best swim
lessons in town and our family of three girls, then 5, 7 and 11 learned more in a few
short weeks than we did anywhere else and loved every minute of it. I have watched
them teach all ages from toddler to adult and they are magnificent. The good part
is if your child takes to swimming they can then join a team and continue swimming
year round with in a kind encouraging environment. I can't recommend the Berkeley
Bears enough. Jolie
jolie
Re: Swim team for 14-yer-old son (July 2001)
My 16-year-old BHS son swims with the Berkeley Bears and enjoys it a lot.
They swim mostly at West Campus pool in Berkeley - workouts five days a
week. You can get serious and competitive or just get to be a better
swimmer. Good coach, lots of fun. My son also swims on the team at
Berkeley High, but this team is year round and good for sustained
improvement.
Sara
Re: Swim team for 14-yer-old son (July 2001)
I highly recommend Berkeley Bears Swimming. They are a local USA
Swimming club with age group work outs at King Pool and at West
Campus Pool. Daryn Glasgow is the head coach and can be reached at
(925) 299-9411 or call the team's administrative manager Janice Price at
(510) 527-9233.
My daughter's (ages 11 and 14) have been swimming with this team for
several years and my husband, Rick Arnason, is also a volunteer coach for
the younger kids. The team is open to all abilities - really! The high
school group is a great bunch. They come from Berkeley High, St. Mary's,
etc. and some of the kids are home schooled. The head coach, Daryn, is a
remarkable young women. She is very serious about swimming and also
about encouraging healthy habits.
My kids swim up to six days a week and sometimes twice a day. They
attend a lot of swim meets. However, many kids on the team only workout
a few days a week and only compete periodically. Either way works. The
kids really encourage each other no matter what their level. The focus is
on improving your skills and not on beating each other. The team is
offering swim clinics (one or two week programs I think) this summer,
which might be a good way for your son to "try it out". Swimmers are a
pretty wholesome lot. The high school kids seem to do very well in school
because they have learned to organize and balance their time.
Nancy
Re: Swim team for daughter in Berkeley/El Cerrito (July 1999)
The Bear Swim Team works out at King Pool and has different levels from
grade school to high school. There are no try outs. It's set up for kids
who like to swim and compete if they like. It's every weekday, but
swimmers can go as often as they want. Participating in competitions is
optional. The team is a private group that works out at King. I don't
have the phone number for them but if you inquire at King Pool, they should
be able to give you a contact number. My daughter was in it for several
years and it was great as an afterschool activity as well as for exercise.
Lisa
Re: Swim team for daughter in Berkeley/El Cerrito (July 1999)
Re: a Berkeley swim team. Both my kids were on the Berkeley Bears swim team and
loved it. I think it's a wonderful activity---in addition to all its other benefits,
swimming builds a comfort with your body that is lacking is other "less revealing"
sports. For more info., call Brian Nabeta, h. 243-1625 He usually returns calls
about the Bears swim team between 7 and 9PM at night so be sure to leave a number
where he can reach you then. Sally
Sept-Oct 1999
the Berkeley Bears have several levels--it sounds as though your daughter
would be at the Gold level which practices every afternoon at the pool at
West Campus (off University Ave). YOu can get the Bears coaches' number
from King Pool 644-8518 -- Albany also has some kind of swim team. So does
El Cerrito.
Kathy
I highly recommend the Berkeley Bears USS swim team. My 15 yr, daughter,
Sallie Oto has been with them for 5 years. I think they are the only USS team
on this side of the hill. Albany Blue Dolphins has just joined the Bears.
There are several USS teams in Contra Costa. Mary
The Berkeley Bears Swimming is a USS swim team. The workout at King is for
the younger kids. The high-school kids swim at West Campus every day after
school (from 4 to 6:45 pm) - as well as some early morning workouts. We
think the team is great. You can get more info from the head coach, Daryn
Glasgow,
925-299-9411, or the office manager Janice Price, 510-724-0529. There is a
website (which is partially under construction) http://www.isbest.com/bears
Re: Racially mixed swim club around Oakland (Sept 2004)
Both the Baracudas and Undercurrents swim teams are a lot more
racially diverse and more affordable than the private clubs. I
would recommend checking out both and deciding which is more
convenient and feels more welcoming. We ended up with
Undercurrents because my daughter has friends from the summer
swim teams that operate at the Oakland public pools. (They're
the best deal in town: $20 for daily practice all summer long!)
Undercurrents practice during the school year at Laney
College's pool and can be reached at 594-4309 or
undercurrentswimming AT yahoo.com.
Oct 2003
The richmond swim center
has a swim team for kids- the Richmond Silver Dolphins.
The contact # is 510-525-1221 I've been taking our 10
month old for swim lessons and am very impressed with
the facility and staff.
Joe
July 2002
Interested in being on a competitive swim team? The Richmond
Silver Dolphins, a USA swimming team, practices Monday
through Saturday in a new, Olympic-sized indoor pool at the
Richmond Swim Center at 45th and Cutting Blvd. in Richmond.
Training for beginning to advanced, ages 5-18; learn stroke
technique, build endurance and speed; USA swim meets, splash
days, water polo & more. Monthly dues from $65 to $83. For
information call 510-528-8227, 503-830-1667, or
503-703-2400, or visit the Richmond Swim Center, 4:00-7:00
Mon. thru Fri. Beginning swimmers must be able to swim one
lap of freestyle with side breathing.
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