Hello everyone,

For those of you interested in swimming during the Fall/Winter season, which is really the main competition swim season, I've put together some options to consider.

Teams vs Clubs - What's the difference?

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

Clubs - Much more individualized. 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.

There are two main nationwide age group swimming organizations, but they are NOT mutually exclusive:

USA Swimming - Primary regional organization in the area 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 promotes.
• YMCA provides a smoother "on ramp" for new swimmers.
• YMCA provides more leveled competitions for swimmers as they increase in ability.
• USA is made up of clubs, individualized achievement, and less leveled jumps in competitions.

Please don't get me wrong, I definitely support USA Swimming. Actually, USA Swimming is more prolific because any decent coach can start a small club. Plus, it's the official national governing body of the sport. In the end though, YMCA swimmers can be USA swimmers too, but USA swimmers are just USA.

1. Nazareth/Easton YMCA Swim Team (Blue Fins) - I'm the head coach there and would love to see many of you join. Coach Carlton from the Easton summer team is the primary assistant coach too, and a great coach. We are in both YMCA & USA national organizations, and compete in both YMCA and USA meets. We pride ourselves at being able to successfully train 5 to 21 year olds, from new swimmers to national qualifiers. Actually, many swimmers from all of the local summer teams join together at the Nazareth/Easton "Y" team. In fact, if you look at the best swimmers from each summer team, many are current YMCA swimmers. 😊

Check out our website, https://neys.swimtopia.com/; registration opens in mid to late August. YMCA starts in September at the Nazareth YMCA pool. Like GPS, we are flexible and all types of family/swimmer schedules are accommodated. The heart of the season is November - March so swimmers can be on a Fall sport, join the YMCA team, but start attending practice more often in late October/early November.

2. Two Rivers Aquatics: They are a USA only club, with a summer component whom GPS competes against.

3. BLUE Aquatic Club - 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 team. They offer a "Swim-for-your-School" program that may be at your school pool, be but beyond October, swimmers MUST swim at the Nazareth middle school. So, please be aware, the convenience of swimming at a school pool is only temporary. Blue's "Swim-for-your-School" program is good marketing, but you don't actually swim for your school. There's no sanctioned school competitions, like playing for your middle school basketball team, it's just practice for beginner swimmers at the school pool. Also, GPS competes against them in the summer.

4. Hunterdon County YMCA (HCY): For those that live further east in NJ, there's also the Hunterdon County YMCA. GPS competes against them too in the summer.

5. If you'd rather not join a team or club, and your swimmer is 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.)

7. If in HS, join your high school team (but don't forget about joining the YMCA as well if you like, you can do both or just HS).

8. Next Spring, pre-GPS, 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 GPS swimmers help out there.

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

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

Coach Drake