Welcome to the 2007-2008 WESTLAKE WAVES SWIM CLUB!
We are starting another year of focusing on fast swimming, fitness, and fun. The Westlake Waves Swim Club, (WEST is our USA Swimming desigination), is a year round, family and community based USA Swimming team for boys and girls ages 6 to college. Our goal is to provide a friendly, challenging, engaging environment for all swimming abilities, from beginning racers to some of the best swimmers in the district. We practice at the Westlake Recreation Center, which was opened in 1998, in a 25 yard pool. Our team also practices triathlons to provide cross-training and other competition opportunities.
Please take a look around our web pages, there is a lot of information, forms, schedules, meet info, results, fees, and fun stuff about our team. There is also an e-mail link to swimwaves@westlakewaves.com if you have any questions or need to contact us.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
AM I GOOD ENOUGH TO SWIM WITH THE WAVES?
Probably, come give the team a try and let the coaches evaluate where you are at with your swimming progress. Measure your abilities and progress with yourself not anyone else. We don't expect anyone to start as an expert swimmer in all strokes, but you do have to know how to swim. If you have had summer team experience, finished level 5 lessons, a good athlete with some swimming skills, or want to give it a try just because. Stop by practice and let the Waves coaches watch you swim. Everyone starts sometime, then they come to practice, work hard and then everyone gets better. It can be that simple. It is all up to you. If you ask a student how long did it take them to learn how to read, most will say a year or two, or second grade etc. Then why do they have language arts in high school?, because you learn to read your whole life. Swimming, like any skill, takes time, takes hard work, takes brains, takes patience, takes discipline, takes heart. Try the Waves, you will like what it does for you.
HOW MANY PRACTICES DO I HAVE TO GO TO EVERY WEEK?
That's up to you. The Waves have up to 6 practices each week to allow you to fit your swimming work outs in to your schedule. Like everyone's, your schedule is crazy, busy with homework, piano, dancing, cross country, vacation to Mount Rushmore, walking your turtle, chores (ha-ha) rock climbing, baby sitting, volleyball, choir, and of course you can't miss SpongeBob. The more you practice the better swimmers you can be, the more physically fit you can be, and the faster you climb the ladder of competition. Generally, 3-4 times a week is reasonable for most, high school and other determined swimmers 5-6 times a week, younger, newer, busier swimmers 2-3 times a week.
Make a plan, stick to it, and it works great.
WHERE & WHEN ARE THE MEETS, & HOW DO THEY WORK?
The meets are held on the weekends, one or two per month, at various pools around the area. The meets are highly encouraged, as a good test for what you are learning. In swimming, there is the most fun and excitement in the good friendly competition. The swim meets build the desire to push for higher goals and feed swimmers self-esteem. We encourage and strive to have every swimmer swim fast enough to win races but more importantly, to improve themselves. The swimmer who comes in last but knocks 3 seconds off their time or finally really nailed that dive or turn can feel good about their efforts. There are additional costs to enter meets, generally around $3 per event and 3-5 events per day. Teams in northeast Ohio host meets as fundraisers for their clubs, they are a great deal of work. The meets are well run and enjoyable for the swimmers and the spectators with the proper preparation.
The more you know about swimming, the more exciting the meets. 
WHEN CAN I JOIN THE WAVES?
Any time, especially today! We have two competition seasons, Short course - September to March in 25 yard pools and Long course April to August in 50 meter pools. While the beginning of each season is the best to receive the full lesson/training plan, we have people starting all the time. Many times throughout the year are the right time for different swimmers; when people are new to the area, after fall sports, after finishing a swim lesson program, a friend tells you how much fun they have with the Waves, or you decide to work hard making yourself better, these are all good times to start. We have had 5 and 6 year olds start, even a high school senior start and everyone in between. They have all gotten better. We can prorate the fees depending on the situation. Give it a try.
WHY - WHAT ARE THE BIG TIME WESTLAKE WAVE BENEFITS?
- It is a lot of fun working hard and competing with friends.
- Everyone is usually smiling after practice, tired but it feels good.
- Great physical shape and a skill you can use to stay that way. It is the start of a healthy lifestyle.
- Great self esteem growth (it does not come from winning, it comes from getting better!)
- Learn time management skills (time for your meets, practice, dryland, homework,
friends, activities and free time).
- You will be one of the best swimmers of your school.
- You will have a strong lifelong skill that never goes away and can save your life.
- Learning how to win, learning how to lose, how to grow and get better from either.
- Being part of a growing swimming community in youe city, county, state and the USA.
- Being big time swimmers in high school or on our awesome middle school team.
(If you talk to any one who swam in high school they will all say swimming was the best
part of school.)
How do I register? Here is what you need to do:
A) RETURNING WAVES
On our Club Forms web page print out the following:
1) Waves registration form
2) Waves medical information form
3) the USA Swimming registration form
THEN
Fill them all out and bring or send the forms and your payment to:
1. The registration meeting at the beginning of the season
2. Get them to the
3. Bring them to the pool and hand them to a coach.
B) NEW WAVES THAT HAVE NEVER SWAM FOR ANOTHER USA TEAM BEFORE
Same as A above plus a copy of the swimmers birth certificate.
C) NEW WAVES THAT HAVE SWAM FOR ANOTHER USA TEAM BEFORE
Same as A above plus a USA Swimming transfer form (please see Coach John Bailey)
Our main page will keep you up to date of the latest team info, especially practice and meet info, so be sure to visit often.
The Westlake Waves also use e-mail to communicate almost everything, check your
e-mail regularly. Updated team information, schedules, meet info, practice changes, etc. all come to you on a regular basis in e-mail. The team sends out lots of Waves info on an almost daily basis to everyone's e-mail so don't be left out.
See you at the pool!
