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Ever since YMCAs began offering competitive swimming and diving
in the early 1920’s, these sports have proved to b excellent
opportunities for putting into action the YMCA mission. Over 1000
YMCAs offer competitive swimming and/or diving with over 50 000
youth participating. Over 1400 YMCA swimmers annually compete at
the YMCA National Championships, making it the largest youth swim
meet in the country. YMCA Competitive Swimming and Diving programs
are for the beginning swimmer to the most competitive and skilled
swimmer and helps to train individuals of all ages to compete in
League, State, Area and National Championships.
LEAGUES
The Eastern Mass. YMCA Swim League is composed of
twenty-five teams separated into five divisions:
Division IV: Charles River, North Suburban, Oak
Square, Roxbury, Waltham, West Suburban.
Division III: Cambridge, Greendale, Malden, Metro West, MIddleboro,
Old Colony.
Division II: Danvers, Dorchester, Lowell, Montachusett, Somerville,
West Roxbury.
Division I: Attleboro, Burbank, Hockomock, Melrose.
Division IA: Andover, North Shore, South
Shore.
New England YMCA Swim League is composed of swim teams from
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and
Vermont.
National YMCA Swim LEague is composed of teams from all fifty
states.
MEETS
YMCA meets are sanctioned by the YMCA and officiated by YMCA
officials. Competition is divided by age and gender.
Class "E" is 8 & under.
Class "D" is 9-10.
Class "C" is 11-12.
Class "B" is 13-14.
Class "A" is 15-18.
A swimmer’s age is determined by his/her age
as of December 1st.
Swimmers are expected to
compete in both the YMCA meets for which they are eligible and the
meets targeted by the SSYS coaching staff.
REGULAR SEASON
The Short Course YMCA regular season (October -
January) is composed primarily of dual meets, one team competing
against another team. Occasionally, there will be three swim teams
at one meet, which is called a tri-meet. Meets are typically held
on Saturdays with warm-ups starting at 12:30pm and lasting around
four hours. All swimmers are eligible to swim in our regular season
and are allowed to compete in either: a) two individual and one
relay or b) one individual and two relays.
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
i) District (Eastern Mass.).
ii) New England.
iii) National.
To be eligible for the Short Course YMCA Championship season
(February - April), a swimmer must have competed in
three regular season YMCA meets prior to the
beginning of Regional Championships and have achieved the
event’s qualifying time standard during the regular season.
An exception to this qualifying standard is YMCA Nationals whose
times are valid for one year.
To be eligible for the Long Course Championship
season (July - August), a swimmer must have achieved the
event’s qualifying time standard within one year of
championships.
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