Season: Summer (March -June)
SOMO Sharks Swim Team
Registration opens the first Sunday in February
Email: srswim@somdmontgomery.org
New Swimmers will have an in the water assessment after the coaches share information about our season.
Overview: Swimming is one of the most popular sports in the world. Unlike other sports, swimming is a life skill that is taught, first, to ensure safety and, secondly, for sports and competition purposes. Aquatics covers a great variety of swimming skills, from short sprints to longer events and relays.
The SOMO Swim Team is a competitive swim program with a focus on improving swimming speed, endurance, and technique. It is not a recreational or “learn to swim program”. Healthy athletes with current medicals on file who have passed their 15th birthday are invited to try out for the swim team. Athletes are required to have a comfort level with the water and be able to get into the pool and swim two lengths (in some “free-style” fashion). There are usually 6 swimmers in each lane and the pool depth ranges from 3 feet to 12 feet. Dry land exercise sessions on the pool deck increase swimmer strength, flexibility and coordination.
| Coaches | Margie Young – Head Coach Jean Eisenhaur – Coach and Volunteer Team Manager Barb Baker – Assistant Coach Mike Boyle – On Deck Coach Jill Rogers – Athlete Team Manager |
| Season Dates & Times | Mandatory Parent/Swimmer Meeting – March 2, 2024, 2-4 PM Practices: 2-4 PM, Starting March 2, 2024 Qualifiers: SOMO Meet at Stone Ridge May 11, 2024 Additional meets TBD State Games: SOMD Summer Games June 21 to 23, 2024 |
| Medical & Volunteer Expiration Date | Sport’s State Games competition date: June 23, 2024 The expiration date on an athlete’s Medical form, or a Volunteer’s certification, must be after the above date to participate in the upcoming season. Check athlete status here. Check volunteer status here. |
Special Olympics Resources for Swimming (Aquatics)
Equipment: SOMO provides athletes with all equipment required for swimming.
Uniform Requirements: Athletes must purchase team swimsuits from SOMO. Athletes can keep their swimsuits after the end of the season and use them again in subsequent seasons so long as they fit and remain in good condition. All athletes should have a “practice swimsuit” to wear to weekly practices. Athletes need to provide their own googles and towels. A team t-shirt and shorts will be provided.
Practice Overview:
Location: Stone Ridge School, Bethesda (9101 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814) next to Bethesda Naval Hospital and across from NIH), the pool is near the back of the property.
Timing: Practice occurs every Saturday afternoon from 2PM to 4 PM. Swimmers should arrive at the pool so they are ready to swim at 2 pm with prompt transportation pickup at 4 pm.
Mandatory Parent Kickoff Meeting: Parents and swimmers must attend the kickoff meeting held on the first day of practice to learn about our season’s details. After the meeting, swimmers will begin practicing.
Activities: The first two practice sessions are used as team tryout sessions. Athletes must attend the first two tryout/assessment and orientation training sessions. Details about the swim team program will be shared at the mandatory kickoff meeting. Regular practices combine in-water training with dryland training.
Qualifiers: The Swim Team will participate in at least two Qualifiers swimming against teams from other Maryland counties.
- SOMO Sharks Home Qualifier: Held at the Stone Ridge Pool
- Other Qualifiers TBD
State Competition: The State Competition for Swimming is held at Special Olympics Maryland’s Summer Games at Towson University near Baltimore in mid-June.
Eligibility for State Competition: Athletes must attend at least 80% of provided practices and participate in both qualifiers to be eligible to compete in Summer Games.
Participation in Other SOMO Sports: Spaces on the team are limited due to facility and coaching staff limitations. Due to the limited number of team spaces available, athletes who wish to join the swim team must commit to Swimming as their only Spring sport and to attend Summer Gamses. Swimmers may also participate in Friday Evening Conditioning.
Athlete Commitments to their Teammates: Swimming is both an individual sport and a team sport. Athletes commit to attend all practices, and at least two sanctioned qualifying events (to include our home swim meet in May). Athletes also commit to work with the coaching staff to increase stamina, increase event distances and increase/improve stroke techniques.
Housing Requirements for State Competition (Summer Games): Our Summer Games Swimming delegation will be a mix of “In-House” athletes and “day-of” athletes. Housed athletes stay with coaches and chaperones in a Towson University dorm. “Day-of” athletes travel to Towson with their chaperone for each day of competition.
Some “day-of” athletes only participate in 1 day of competition. If you are a “day-of”athlete, please tell the Head Coach if you wish to only participate in 1 day of competition.
Details about selection to the Summer Games Delegation will be presented by Coach Margie. SOMO has an “In-house Delegation” (athletes and volunteers who stay in the Towson dorms during the Summer Games) and a “Day of Delegation” (athletes and volunteers who compete in Summer Games and travel to Towson on Summer Games event days.
The “In-house” Delegation slots are very limited and have specific requirements for qualification. First, athletes must have a level of independence, appropriate behaviors, and a level of responsibility to be able to follow a schedule consistent with dorm requirements to be considered for housing. In addition, a strong record of attending practice, and arriving on-time, improves an athlete’s chance of being selected for the In-House Delegation.
Our ability to house male athletes overnight in the dorms depends on having male chaperones. At this time, we are very limited in the number of male athletes we can house. All dads/male guardians please consider volunteering as a chaperon. Questions, please contact either Coach Margie or Coach Jean.