About

Background

Harlan Swim Club was started in 2017.  The team consists of youth swimmers in age groups from 8 and under to high school.  The team season generally runs from late October or early November to late February or early March, but can extend into late March and April for swimmers qualifying for the state and regional meets.  The Harlan Swim Club is a winter swim team and a separate entity from the Harlan Summer Swim Team.  However, we hope to work closely with the summer team to advance swimming in the Harlan area and offer more opportunities for participation. See the information below for answers to frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Harlan Swim Club participate in a league?

Yes, Harlan Swim Club is a member of the Greater Iowa Swim League, or GISL.  This is a competitive league composed of teams from: 

What age groups can participate in the Harlan Swim Club?

The team consists of youth swimmers in age groups from 8 and under (no younger than five) through high school (no older than 18 on December 1st).  For safety reasons, all swimmers MUST be able to swim across the pool unassisted to be part of the team.  The club is not intended to teach swimmers that do not know how to swim and should not be viewed as swim lessons.  However, swimmers that are able to swim across the pool will learn and receive coaching on freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly.

When and where are practices?

The Harlan swim team generally practices twice a week throughout the season at the Petersen Family Wellness Center / Lewis Family Aquatic Center in the late afternoon and early evening. Additional practices or clinics may be held at the coaches discretion.  Team members are encouraged to make all practices, but are expected to attend at least one practice a week.  See the schedule link for more details.

How much will I have to swim?

In a meet, ages 8 & under will swim one width of the pool (25 yards or meters) in each race at a minimum. Ages 9 & up swim 2 lengths or 50 yards. In order to be on the swim team, a swimmer must be able to make it across the pool unassisted before sign up - NO EXCEPTIONS! During a typical practice, swimmers will swim across the pool dozens of times. 

Do I have to participate in meets?

Swimmers can choose what meets they wish to participate in.  In order to qualify for the state meet, swimmers must swim in at least 3 meets. If you are a member of a high school team or another swim team, you must participate in 3 total meets during the season and at least one of those meets must be a GISL meet.

There is no additional cost for regular season meets. Meets typically start at 10 AM on Saturdays, but start times may vary

Who are the coaches?

The current coaches of the Harlan Swim Club can be found under the coaches link.

How do I register?

You can find all resources to register under the registration link.

What equipment does my swimmer need?

Swimming is challenging, but even more so when swimmers don't have the right equipment.  Please come to practices and meets prepared to help them succeed!

Examples of proper swimwear

Additional Information