Frequently Asked Questions

Before sending us an email, take a quick look to see if the answers you need are here. If not, feel free to reach out!

It is the intention of the Summerland ORCA Swim Club to offer age and developmentally specific training for all our athletes by challenging each individual to develop to the best of THEIR abilities. We hope that all our swimmers will develop a lifelong love for swimming and being active, and that they will grow as both athletes and people in our program.

As a staff team, we believe that our job is not only to assist the swimmers in becoming the best swimmers and athletes that they can be, but also encouraging, guiding, and sometimes stretching them into becoming the best young people they can be. Key attributes we hope to foster the growth of include: respect, resiliency, intrinsic motivation, the values of teamwork, hard work, and a lifelong appreciation for movement. We will work hard to make ORCA a place of safety, fun, and growth for each swimmer.

Absolutely! Last year we added our "Junior Orca Pods", intended for kids 5-7 years of age who are just not quite ready for Development 1. You can learn more about these groups here. We run a couple "tryouts" throughout the year to welcome new swimmers and to best place them with the most appropriate group for their development level.

We also offer Multisport for High Schoolers looking to add swimming for fitness or cross-training for other sports, as well as a great Masters Swimming Program for those 18+, regardless of swimming experience, who would like to join.

If your swimmer has experience swimming with another swim club, or have swam for ORCA in the past, please reach out to orcaswimcoach@gmail.com to set up a time to meet/discuss which group will suit them best.

If your prospective swimmer hasn't been a part of a swim club before, we ask that they go through a "Try-Out". This isn't as intimidating as it sounds - our Coaches simply want to place new kids in the group that will best support their development. (See the "Minimum Age / Group Requirements" section for more information on what we are looking for.)

We host tryouts for new swimmers at the beginning of September each year, as well as a smaller one in January. If neither of these times work for you, however, please don't hesitate to reach out as, space permitting, we sometimes will run a bonus tryout mid-season.

  • Junior Orca Pods
    • Minimum Age: 5
    • Requirements: Tryout - Ability to submerge fully, blow bubbles for 5+ seconds, float, and swim 10m unaided, without touching the bottom.
  • Development Program (4 Stages)
    • Minimum Age: 5
    • Requirements: Tryout - Ability to swim 25m unaided and in deep end.
  • Regional+ Program
    • Minimum Age: 8
    • Requirements: Has met their 4:00 qualification time for the 200 IM, either in a workout or competition, allowing them to swim in Regional Meets.
  • Multisport Program
    • Minimum Age: 12
    • Intention: This program is geared towards High School Multisport athletes looking for swim cross-training. They need to be able to follow direction and be self-starters, and will join either our Regional or Age Group swimmers, depending on ability.

ORCA is a Year-Round competitive swim club, however we do have non-competitive (Multisport) members, as well as families who join later in the season some years. Our one caution with this is that late-season additions will always be space-dependant, as we limit all of our Development groups sizes in order to maximize effectiveness.

We do offer Summer Camps, which are open to both current ORCA Members and Non-Members alike.

This question depends on the group! Please head over to our Team Registration page for more information on specific groups, their schedules, and their costs.

Yes! There are a number of organizations that help with grants for low-income families and those just needing help keeping their kids active in sports. We don't directly deal with these, however we are working on building a page with contact information for the organizations we are aware of, so stay tuned!


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Your role is to support, not to coach.

  • Be their cheerleader. Celebrate effort and personal bests.

  • Leave the coaching to the coaches. Resist the urge to correct technique or critique races.

  • Focus on the positives. After practice or a meet, ask what they enjoyed or learned.

  • Model balance. Encourage rest, good nutrition, consistent sleep habits, and committed schoolwork alongside swimming.

The family provides direct support and nurturing to the swimmers. This includes everything from ensuring the swimmer can attend all practices and as many meets or jamborees as possible once they’ve reached Development 2, to payment of all fees, demonstrating respect of coaches and in all public relations, and participating in fundraising ventures. 

Upon registration of swimmers each year, the parent/guardian is given the option to accept/decline consent to allow publishing pictures &/or information about their swimmer. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to respectively ensure privacy is maintained.

Parent Involvement: No non-profit kids sport programs can succeed without the positive support of a united organization. All duties / positions, other than those of the paid coaching staff, are managed by parent volunteers. We would not have a viable swim club organization without parent volunteers. 

Some areas requiring parental involvement: 

  • Club administration: Considering a role on the club board or a committee. Commitments range from monthly meetings to seasonal opportunities.
  • Club fundraising: Bottle drives, volunteering at community events, supporting our annual Swim-a-Thon, and supporting our other fundraisers that come up throughout the year.
  • Officiating at swim meets: Taking the timing course necessary to start volunteering at meets once kids reach Regional level.
  • Supporting club social activities: By hosting, driving, planning, sponsoring, or even just coming up with ideas - it is all welcome and helpful.

When parents provide encouragement and trust the staff, swimmers stay motivated and confident. If any of the above options sound like areas you could see yourself in, we’d love to hear from you.

The equipment necessary depends on your swimmer's level. If they are new, our suggestion is to wait until they have completed tryouts to assess what equipment (besides the basics) they will need. If tryouts are complete, or your swimmer is returning for another season, please follow the below guidelines for equipment:


Junior Pods ~ Goggles, One Piece Suit (girls) / Jammers (boys).

Development 1, 2, 3, & 4 ~ Goggles, Cap, One Piece Suit (girls) / Jammers (boys), Water Bottle.

Regional 1 / Multisport ~ 2x Goggles, 2x Caps, 2x Suits, 2x Water Bottles. (One good and one well-used backup of each is totally acceptable)

Regional 2 ~ 2x Goggles, 2x Caps, 2x Suits, 2x Water Bottles, Swimmer Snorkel, Mesh Gear Bag.

Age Group 1, 2, & 3 ~ 2x Goggles, 2x Caps, 2x Suits, 2x Water Bottles, Running Shoes, Flippers (Finis Edge Fins or equivalent), Swimmer Snorkel, Mesh Gear Bag. Recommended: Breathe Way Unit.


**Please note: We have connections with swim suit, gear, and other suppliers, so before purchasing, feel free to reach out for more information on discount codes or upcoming team orders. Each swimmer will also receive 1x swim cap per season with their registration.

Please check out our newly updated "Parent Handbook"! It is full of answers to many popular questions, and more!

If you have specific questions about the programming, day to day swimming with ORCA, or need more information on an upcoming meet, please contact our Head Coach at orcaswimcoach@gmail.com.

If you would like to volunteer, or have a question for a board member, please email orcaswimpresident@gmail.com.

YES!! There are a number of volunteer positions available, from smaller roles for busy parents to larger roles for those who would like to give back a little bit more to the Orca community, or for those who would like to have a hand in shaping that community for the future. Please contact: orcaswimpresident@gmail.com