Wellesley Swim Assoc. to Host Summer Clinic, Team Tryouts

The Wellesley Swim Association will host a specialized swim-stroke clinic and tryouts for the upcoming 2014-2015 season next month, the WSA announced.

Stroke Clinic

The clinic will focus on all four stroke techniques and be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 at Babson College in Wellesley. The clinic costs $50 per swimmer, will be open to the public and is intended for non-WSA swimmers, WSA said.

The first session will be for swimmers aged 10 years and younger, and will run from 3:30-5 p.m. The second session will be for swimmers 11 years and older, and run from 5:30-7 p.m. Those who take part in the clinic and want to try out for the team can have their $25 tryout fee waived. (More on tryouts can be found below.)

Online registration is currently open for the clinic; the sessions will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, visit wellesleyswim.org.

Members of the WSA team draw from several towns in the area, including Dedham, Medfield, Needham, Dover and Sherborn, among other nearby communities.

“When my children started swimming with WSA, the first thing I noticed and appreciated about the team was the coaches,” Jessica Benson, a Medfield resident, parent and WSA Board President said in a statement. “I was searching for a team with excellent technique instruction, but what I found was so much more. As team members, the children feel like a part of something special, where teamwork, team spirit, discipline and sportsmanship are core values, and the coaches are mentors who inspire and set the tone for everyone to follow.”

The team practices at Dana Hall School, Wellesley College and Babson College.

2014-2015 Tryouts

Last year, the WSA team comprised about 180 swimmers. The team’s coaches anticipate 40 new openings for this year, and those interested in trying out can do so on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Pre-registration is now open and will remain open until Sept. 11. It is not necessary to do the stroke clinic in order to try out for the team, and current WSA swimmers do not need to try out. The cost to try out is $25 per swimmer. To register, visit wellesleyswim.org.

The specific tryout times on Sept. 14 are as follows:

3:30-4:30 p.m. -- ages 6-8 only (arrive by 3 p.m.)
4:30-5:30 p.m. -- ages 9 & 10 only (arrive by 4 p.m.)
5:30-6:30 p.m. -- ages 11 and older (arrive by 5 p.m)

Coaches will assess speed and stroke quality and look at swimmers’ experience and maturity, according to WSA.

“WSA has a great winning record,” Benson said. “But for me, far more important is that WSA is a team where people support each other and their children. The young swimmers fundamentally learn the value of a team while at the same time are encouraged to succeed to the best of their ability. It’s truly been a wonderful team to be apart of, and I feel humbled to be leading such a great group. I encourage anyone considering WSA to come to the stroke clinic and/or tryout to see what WSA is all about.”