Welcome to the

DOUGLAS DOLFINS SWIM TEAM

Get involved with a great program!  The Douglas Dolfins have been swimming in Carson Valley since 1964.  We are a year-round club that competes throughout western Nevada and northern California, and sometimes beyond.  This is a multi-level age-group program, perfect for any swimmer from novice to national contender.  School buses provide transportation to practices from most Douglas County schools (when arranged with the bus driver and school) - see practice schedules for more info.  Each year we also offer a fun summer program. 

Try Us Out Free!

Prospective NEW members (only) are welcome to try us out for a free week of swim practices, during the third week of each month, before committing to membership and dues.  Swimmers should at minimum be deep-water safe, and be able to swim one length of the pool unassisted.  For more advanced swimmers, see our practice groups to determine an appropriate level to try.  See our practice schedules for available times.

Please call our Parent Liaison, Karen Sullivan (775-267-4035) to set up your tryout and get further information.  Or feel free to contact a coach before or at the beginning of a practice.

Information for New Members

See our Team Handbook for complete information on membership with the Douglas Dolfins Swim Team (printed copies available on request).  Also feel free to contact our Parent Liaison, Karen Sullivan (775-267-4035) for answers to questions, help with forms, etc.

The first step in becoming a member is to register your swimmer(s) with USA Swimming (through Pacific Swimming).  This keeps your swimmers and the team covered by insurance during practices and competitions, and makes sure swimmers are linked with the correct team and other USA Swimming subdivisions in their national databases.  The annual fee for registration is currently $55, and forms are available online.  The coaches will decide which practice group(s) your swimmer(s) should start in.

The next step is to complete a contact and emergency information form, also available from a coach, and to pay your first 3 month's dues.  Check the practice schedules to see when your swimmer's group practices, and please help them arrive promptly if they will not be using after-school bus transportation.  (Bus drop-off at the Swim Center stop requires a written note of permission on file with your school and with the driver of your child's bus.)

As a swimmer progresses and begins competing in swim meets, each family is expected to volunteer at least 30 hours per year (10 hours per meet) helping at some or all of our 3-4 home meets each year.  These weekend swim meets are your child's chance to race other swimmers from teams throughout the region, show how far they have progressed, and work toward the goals they have set for themselves.  They are where all the hard work in practice pays off!  They are also the team's primary fund-raising activity, raising about 40% of our annual budget to help cover coach salaries and other expenses, and they are run entirely by parents like you!  Everything we do is for the swimmers!  Our New Parent Liaison can help you learn more about how swim meets work, and how you can start contributing to their success.

Excellent online resources for learning more about swim meets include:

• Everything You Wanted to Know About Swim Meets But Were Afraid To Ask (from USA Swimming)
• How to Enter a Swim Meet (from Pacific Swimming)

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This page was last updated on 09 May 2008

Webmaster:  webmaster [at] ddst [dot] org