Hello everyone,

For those of you interested in swimming during the winter season, which is really the main competition swim season, I've put together some options and descriptions of your choices to consider beyond which coaches or social friend groups each swimmer prefers, although that's probably a primary driver in a lot of decisions.

Teams - Similar to what we do at Lopatcong; they train together, cheer together, and compete for the team together across age groups and ability levels at dual meets and championship meets. They also provide opportunities for individual competitions at invitationals. These are YMCAs and high schools, and you CAN be on both at the same time.

Clubs - Much more individualized competitions. There are rarely, if ever, team competitions. However, since it's more individualized there's potentially more flexibility on which meets swimmers choose to attend and how often. As a result, some families prefer this option. 

Two main nation wide age group swimming organizations, but they are NOT mutually exclusive:

USA Swimming - primary regional organization is the Mid-Atlantic (MA) Local Swimming Committee (LSC). USA Swimming is the much larger organization compared to YMCA with more swimmers both regionally and nationally.

YCMA Swimming - primary regional organizations are YMCA of PA, and the PennDel League. Although USA is larger, many YMCA swimmers are USA swimmers too.

Why am I a YMCA coach? I was a USA swimmer when I was a teenager, but I like the team focus and core character values that the YMCA obviously and overtly promotes. Just as importantly, the YMCA provides a smoother "on ramp" for new swimmers, and more leveled competitions for swimmers as they increase in ability and speed. Whereas USA is predominantly made up of clubs, individualized achievement, and less leveled jumps in competitions. Please don't get me wrong, I definitely support USA swimming. Actually, since USA is made of clubs, they are more prolific because any decent coach can start one and can be more flexible in the "swimming" market. YMCAs tend to be older and bureaucratic, but I've been in the army and a teacher since 1992, so I'm used to moving through bureaucratic systems and getting things done for our swimmers. In YMCA there is a hard cap of 21 years of age for swimmers, in USA there is no age cap. In the end though, YMCA swimmers can be USA too (and HS), but USA swimmers are just USA (and HS). 

1. Nazareth/Easton YMCA Swim Team (Blue Fins) - I'm the head coach there and would love to see many of you join. We are in both YMCA & USA national organizations, and compete in both YMCA and USA meets, plus we are a member of the PennDel Swim League. You may attend any YMCA or USA meets we attend (dual meets, invitationals, championship meets). We pride ourselves at being able to successfully train 5 year olds to 21 years olds, from new swimmers to national qualifiers. Actually, swimmers from many of the summer teams all join together at the Nazareth/Easton "Y" team. Plus, we rotate our coaches, so that every swimmer no matter their ability level has access to each coach's strengths, and each coach gets to know each swimmer.

Check out our website, https://neys.swimtopia.com/, pre-registration is now open.

2. BLUE - USA only club, based out of the Nazareth middle school pool. They are the Blue Eagles, the YMCA is the Blue Fins, they are NOT the same teams. The BLUE head coach is Mike Rinde, who is a very nice guy and a good coach. They offer a "Swim-for-your-School" program and are offering that at Phillipsburg elementary school this year too (as well as at other schools), but any swimmer that advances beyond a certain level has to swim with one of their main training groups at Nazareth middle school. "Swim-for-your-School" is good marketing, but you don't actually swim for your school. There's no sanctioned school competitions, like playing for your middle school soccer team, it's just practice for beginner swimmers at the school pool with intramural type meets. Having said that, I'd much rather see our Lopatcong swimmers improve somewhere than nowhere over the winter. So, for our less experienced or younger swimmers it's a viable option. I do not know though, which of their assistant coaches leads each school program, nor the quality of the coaching they offer. In summary, they are a USA year-round club with a PJSL summer team component (which Lopatcong competes against) and a "Swim-for-Your-School" component. They are primarily based out of the Nazareth middle school pool.

3. Two Rivers Aquatics: Their head coach is Sean Patterson, who also is a very nice guy and good coach, not to mention one of the best swimmers in this area when he was high school. :) They are a USA only club, with a summer component whom Lopatcong competes against. Normally, they practice out of the Wilson School District pool (the township right next to Easton proper).

5. HCY: For those that live further east in NJ, there's also the Hunterdon County YMCA.

6. If you'd rather not join a team or club, and your swimmer is young with less experience, you can take lessons at a YMCA (Easton, Bethlehem, or Nazareth).

7. If you'd rather not join a team or club, and your swimmer is older but not in HS, there are a variety of pools you can join as a member to swim on your own (Lafayette College, Lehigh University, YMCA, Health Quest, etc.)

8. If in HS, join your high school team (but don't forget about joining the YMCA as well).

9. Join Coach Herdlein's Little Liners, which I think usually runs from March to May. Coach Herdlein is the Phillipsburg Boys HS coach, and many of our Lopatcong swimmers help out there, and some of them started their swimming careers there too.

What ever you choose, I hope you have a successful school year.., AND of course, come back to Lopatcong in the Spring!!

Feel free to call or email if you have specific questions,

Coach Drake