Hampton Ridge Swim Team

Is My Child Ready for the Junior Otters?

The Junior Otters Team is designed for swimmers who are still developing their stroke technique and endurance, but who can swim independently without hands-on assistance from coaches.

This program is not a swim lesson program and is not intended for children who are learning basic water safety or beginner swimming skills.

To participate safely, swimmers should be able to:

• Enter and exit the pool independently.
• Follow coach instructions in a group setting.
• Move through the water without physical assistance from a coach or volunteer.
• Swim at least 12.5 yards independently using any stroke or combination of strokes.
• Comfortably place their face in the water and recover independently if they become tired.

For safety reasons, coaches and volunteers cannot provide one-on-one instruction or continuous physical support during practice.

If your child is not yet able to meet these requirements, we encourage participation in swim lessons or private instruction before joining the swim team. Once they can swim independently, we would love to welcome them to the Junior Otters.

Once your child can swim the full 25 yards they are eligible to move up to the regular Otters Swim Team!