Senior School Swimming

List of 7 items.

• Trials and Assessments

  Assessments occur for new boys to the school or the team only. The purpose is mainly for the coaches to meet the boys and get a sense of their swimming skills. There will also be a swim test to ensure the boys have a base level of skill. Returning boys are exempt. Otherwise all boys who wish to participate on the team will have a spot, assuming they commit to the basic practice/competition attendance requirements.  

• Competition Categories

  Swimming at the Senior School is unique in that competitions include all swimmers from the various local and provincial governing bodies. However, swimmers are grouped according to their training/racing commitments and background into two main competition categories:
  
  

  • "B" – swimmers in this category are usually school-only or BCSSA enrolled swimmers. The restriction in this category is the number of weekly trained hours in the current and past year, limited to "2" total coached hours outside of the Fall high school season and the Summer BCSSA season. If you are or had been a SwimBC/SNC swimmer anytime during the current season or previous full school year, then you are automatically an "Open" category swimmer.
  •  "Open" – anyone may compete in the Open category; however, it usually includes all swimmers currently registered with a SwimBC or Swimming Canada team during the current high school season and/or the previous full school year.

  
  Disclosing your competitive background in full to the coaches will help ensure you are registered in the correct competitive category.

• Team Selection

  All boys are eligible for the various after-school competitions as designated by the coaches, as well as the ISA and Sea-to-Sky Zone Championships. For the BCSS Provincial Championships, boys must either qualify in an individual event at the Zone Championships, or be named to the team’s relay squads by the coaching staff following the Zone meet. All boys are expected to commit to attending the three championship meets.

• Practice Format

  In-water practices are offered up to five days per week, both after school from 3:30–5:00 pm and select mornings before school from 7:00–8:30 am. A full practice schedule will be available closer to the start of the season. Some practices will be open to the full team, others will be for JV aged (Grade 8–9 or 10) or SV aged (Grade 10 or 11–12) boys only.

   

  Additional fitness and dryland practices may also be scheduled from time to time. Additionally, we will offer extra sessions and clinics on School Pro-D days.

• Seasonal Snapshot

  While each swimming season presents new opportunities for training sessions and competitive events, a typical season generally proceeds as follows:

  • 11–12 weeks — last week of August to the third week of November 
  • A 4–5 day training Tour, usually every second or third year
  • 5–7 competitions, including after-school time trials, intersquads, dual meets, and championships etc.
  • All swim team members are eligible for all competitions, except the season-ending BCSS Provincial Championships, which requires direct qualification from the Sea-to-Sky Zone Championships.

• Tours

  Tours generally occur every 2–3 years during Thanksgiving weekend and have taken place in the following locations:

  • Los Angeles
  • San Diego
  • Maui 
  • San Francisco

• Key Events

  • Red/White/Black Intersquad
  • Various after-school dual/quad meets or Time Trials 
  • Independent Schools Association (ISAs) Championships — full school day
  • Sea-to-Sky Zone Championships — full school day
  • BCSS Provincial Championships — two full days, usually a Friday & Saturday