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Summer League Swimming

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What is a summer swim league?

Summer swim leagues are often the first exposure for kids to competitive swimming and can foster a lifetime love for the sport. Kids as young as 4 year old can join a summer swim team, and then they can swim until the finish high school. The goals of the summer swim team are to provide a fun and positive environment for all swimmer, for safe, healthful exercise, and an opportunity to practice social skills. The summer swim league in Northwest Houston runs from mid April through the end of June; it's been probably designed that way to enjoy the warming weather of mid Spring and avoid the heat of our Texan summer since most of the competitions take place in the community outdoor pools.

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What league is the Shockwaves affiliated to?

The Northpointe Shockwaves Swim Team is affiliated to the the Northwest Aquatic League , or NWAL, which is Texas' largest summer swimming organization and has become the second largest summer league program in the nation. NWAL has almost 100 teams and over 15,000 swimmers from ages 4 to 18. The core area of the league is located in northwest Harris County, from Cypress to Humble but stretches as far west as Giddings, north to Bryan, Huntsville and Livingston and east to Crosby.

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Are there more swim leagues in the Houston area?

Swimming is a favorite sport for kids in Houston and there are in fact other four summer swim leagues that geographically cover most of the Greater Houston area: 

   West Houston Aquatic League WHALE  
   Southwest Houston Recreational Swim League SHRSL
   Coastal Cities Aquatic Association CCAA
   Clear Creek Swim League CCSL

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How long is the swim season?

The season usually lasts about 2 and half months; it starts in mid April with the new swimmer evaluations and ends on the last week of June with the season end invitational meets and our Awards Ceremony and Banquet.

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At what time are the practices?

The swim practice usually starts around mid April and goes through the end of June on a daily basis from Tuesday to Friday. During school calendar the practice times are in the afternoon right after school; in June, when school is over, the practice times are in the morning for most of the swimmers, with some limited practice times in the evening for any exception cases. Learn more about our Practice Schedules here.   

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What is a swim meet?

A swim meet is a competition event between two or more swim teams. Most of our swim meets are outdoor at the community pools but some are indoor at school district pools. The races are organized by age group and gender, and by individual and relay events. The goal of competing is to complete the swimming event as fast as you can.

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How many swim meets are there in a typical season?

There are 10 swim meets in total during the summer league season:

  • 5 dual meets (2 or 3 at are home pool and the others are away)
  • 1 divisional meet (or playoff meet)
  • 2 mid-season invitational meets
  • 2 season-end invitational meets

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When are the swim meets?

Our dual and divisional meets are scheduled on Saturday mornings throughout the season. They usually begin around 7:00 am with the swimmer checking and finish around 2:00 after the last relay race.

The invitational meets can be as long as 3 days, starting on a Friday evening and finishing on the Sunday afternoon. A detailed schedule for the invitational meet is normally published by the meet host several weeks in advance.

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Registration

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What are the requirements to join the Shockwaves team?

  • Be residents of the Villages of Northpointe subdivision or resident of any eligible subdivisions of the Northpointe area.
  • Swimmers age must be between 4 to 18 years old
  • Swimmers must safely swim a full 25-yd pool length freestyle with side breathing
  • Maintain a good standing account 

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What subdivision residents are eligible?

Any subdivision of the Northpointe area where the community does not have an established summer league swim team affiliated to NWAL, e.g.:

  • Canyon Gate at Northpointe
  • Enclave at Northpointe
  • Hayden Lakes
  • Lakes at Northpointe
  • Lakewood Oaks Estates
  • Northpointe Forest
  • Park at Glen Arbor
  • Treeline
  • Village Creek
  • Villages of Indian Trails
  • Westbourne
  • Wildwood at Northpointe
  • Wildwood at Oakcrest

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When can I register my kids?

Registration usually opens in the middle of February and runs through the end of April. Since we have caps for the each swimmer age group, it's better register your kids early enough to avoid being waitlisted.

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What are the registration fees?

Our regular registration fees range from $125 to $200 per swimmer depending on how many kids you register. For 15 to 18 year-old swimmers the registration fee is $75. Please check our full fee schedule here

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Would I get a refund if I cancel my registration?

Yes. Registration fees may be refundable according to our Refund Policy

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What is the volunteer fee pre-approval for?

The Shockwaves team is entirely run by volunteers. Each family is required to volunteer a minimum of hours each season which are credited by doing jobs necessary for the meets to run, and for the team to exist.

A volunteer fee pre-approval of $350 will be obtained at registration checkout to encourage all families to complete the volunteer requirements. This is a conditional fee per family applied during registration but only charged to the pre-approved credit card after the season is over if your family didn't complete the volunteer requirements. When you meet your volunteer requirements by the end of the last divisional meet, we'll cancel the existing pre-approval.

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New Swimmers

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What is the minimum age to join the team?

The minimum age to participate in the summer league is four (4) years. 

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Is this a learn-to-swim program?

No. The summer league swim team is not for your kids to learn to swim. 

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What is the new swimmer evaluation for?

Any new swimmer 10 years old or younger must be evaluated by our coaching staff during one of the New Swimmer Evaluation sessions before the season starts (your kid must be already registered before the evaluation).

Our coaches will assess your kid's swimming proficiency to make sure that he or she can safely swim at least a 25-yd pool length freestyle with side breathing. 

In some cases our coaches determine that your kid is not ready to join the swim team and that is better for the kid to take additional swimming lessons until the following season. In such cases we'll refund you the registration fee. 

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What equipment will my kids need?

Your kids will need the following equipment during the summer season:

  • Swim goggles
  • Practice swim suit
  • Team swim suit (see here for more details)
  • Team swim cap
  • Towels

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