• Swimmers range in age from 5-18.  But any swimmer capable of entering the water in the deep end and swimming (in any form) to the shallow end without touching the sides or bottom of the pool is encouraged to join. 

• Our team will focus on teaching all four strokes. Those swimmers 6U will only be able to swim Freestyle and Backstroke at meets, and will focus on those strokes during the season at practice. If you have a swimmer that is 6U and can swim Breaststroke or Butterfly, they will be entered in 8U events for those strokes at meets.

Savannah Coastal Summer Swim League 2023 Parent Q&A

Q. What are the league dues for the 2024 swim season?

A: There will be a per swimmer fee of $30. This covers Swimtopia, insurance, heat winner theme awards, ribbons, championship meet facility rental, and both of the championship meets awards.

Q: What time will meets start?

A: Meet start time is projected for 6 PM. Warm-ups for the HOME team will begin at 5:00 and AWAY team at 5:30. The goal is for meets to be completed by 8:00/8:30.

Q: What volunteer jobs will be needed to make each meet run effectively and efficiently?

A: Timers, Runners, and Bullpen are the primary 3 jobs that will be needed from BOTH teams at every meet. We cannot start the meet without 6 timers from each team for each half of the meet (12 timers for the first half, and 12 for the second half). Each lane will have 2 timers (one from each team). We cannot score meets correctly without two recorded times per swim. This is important that there is an average time for each swimmer. Additionally, SwimTopia will not accept the swim without 2 imported times. The first half of the meet is the Freestyle and Backstroke events. A 5 minute break will happen after backstroke to allow the relays to assemble and timers to trade out. The second half of the meet will be from the relays through Breaststroke and Butterfly.

1 runner per half will be needed to bring timing slips to the data entry table. This can be from either team.

Bullpen volunteers are needed to help the meet run efficiently. The highest number of bullpen volunteers will be needed for the first half of the meet through relays, due to high volume of young swimmers. The best bullpens run with a minimum of 4-6 volunteers through relays, and then that number reduces to 2-3 for the second half of the meet.

Q: What are the guidelines for 6U swimmers?

A: For the 6U swimmers, they will ONLY have Freestyle & Backstroke offered. If you have a 6U swimmer who wishes to compete in Breaststroke or Butterfly in the 7-8 age group, they can do so, but they will also have to swim UP their Freestyle and Backstroke events as well. Simply put, you can not cross age groups with individual strokes (you can with relays). If your 6U would like to swim exhibition swims to give Breaststroke and Butterfly a try, they absolutely can do so, and your coaching staff can help make this happen. Finally, relays will start with 8U and go up from there. There will not be designated relays for the 6&U group, but many 6&U swimmers will be asked to swim on 8&U relays!

Q: How many regular season dual meets does my swimmer(s) have to attend to be eligible for Rising Star or City Meet?

A: Your swimmer(s) must ATTEND 3 of 6 meets to be eligible for either championship meet.

Q: How many individual swims are allowed per swimmer at regular season Dual Meets?

A: Your swimmer can swim 2 individual swims per meet. They can swim in their age group for relays AND they can swim UP 1 time in a relay as well. The absolute maximum amount of times a swimmer can swim per dual meet is 4x (2 individual, 1 age group relay, and 1 swim up relay).

Q: Will we do both Freestyle and Medley Relays this summer?

A: Yes! We will start the season with only Freestyle relays. For the first 3 meets of the season, we will do Freestyle relays. For the remaining 3 meets of the season, we will do Medley relays. At Rising Star and City Meet, BOTH relays will take place.

Q: Will there be Rising Star and City Meets this Summer?

A: Yes! There BOTH meets will be offered this year. Rising Star is Tuesday, July 9th and City Meet is Friday 7/12 or Saturday 7/13t at The Chatham County Aquatic Center.

Q: Will there be cut/benchmark times for either of the meets?

A: ONLY City Meet will have cut/benchmark times. These times will be released BEFORE the first meet, and are based upon last season’s age group time data. Your child must have 1 recorded time and/or qualifying time per stroke to swim in these meets.

Q: How do I know which meet to select for my swimmer(s)?

A: Please use the following scenarios to help make the best decision(s), and please read carefully:

-If your swimmer has 1 City Meet Qualifying time, they can CHOOSE to swim the 1 qualifying time at City Meet. They will NOT have bonus swims and can only swim the 1 qualifying stroke. They can go to Rising Star and swim the 1 qualifying time PLUS 2 other stroke swims.

-If your swimmer(s) have 2 City Meet Qualifying times, they MUST go to City Meet. They can swim the 2 qualifying times PLUS 1 Bonus Swim.

-If your swimmer(s) have 3 or more City Meet Qualifying times, they MUST go to City Meet. They can ONLY swim a MAXIMUM of 3 individual events at City Meet, even if they have 4 qualifying times.

Q: How will relays work at Rising Star and City Meet?

A: There will be Freestyle AND Medley relays at BOTH MEETS. Swimmers can participate in relays IN their age group PLUS they can swim up 1 TIME. For example, a 7-8 year old girl could swim in the freestyle relay in her age group AND swim freestyle in the 9-10 freestyle relay as well. Also, Rising Star swimmers can swim in City Meet Relays! Coaches and team staff will work on educating parents about these scenarios throughout the season.

Q: I have a swimmer who is 14 this Summer. Last year they automatically went to City Meet. Will this be the case again this year?

A: YES! If your swimmer(s) are 13 and UP, they are all welcome to attend City Meet! All swimmers in the 13-14 and 15 & Over group have this opportunity. The “cut times” will only apply to the following groups: 6&U, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12.

iohsharks@yahoo.com Facebook:  @iohsharks          IG: @iohsharks

Pool location:  407 Parkersburg Road

Head Coach - Dan Willoughby

Dan returns to the IOH Sharks for his second season! We are excited for him to return and coach the Sharks through another incredible Summer! He brings decades of experience and knowledge to our team, and he is also a USA Certified Swim Coach and Lifeguard. He is a member of the IOH Community with a deep love and appreciation for the area, and all the history that comes with it. He lives with his wife Catherine on Bluff Drive. They have 3 children, and you may see the whole family on the pool deck this Summer helping Coach! Dan is commited to every swimmer learning to love swimming, developing their skills, and also having FUN! 

Assistant Coaches- Maggie Weeks, Emily Semones, and More!

We are always in need of additional support to help defray the costs of additional supplies and events.  If you would like to support swim team with a business sponsorship, please e-mail iohsharks@yahoo.com for a sponsorship informational packet! Thank you SO much for your support!