Make friends, learn team skills, and compete with our Duluth Area Family YMCA Northerns Swim Team!
NORTHERNS PROGRAM PREQUISITES
- Ages: 5 - 18 years (kindergarten - 12th grade)
- Requirements: Swimmers must:
- Have a YMCA membership (Competition Season October - February)
- Be able to demonstrate the following skills:
- 8 yrs & under - Swim 25 yds of freestyle & backstroke
- 9 yrs & up - Swim 50 yds of freestyle & backstroke
- Be comfortable in water where they cannot touch
- Able to comfortably submerge entire face and demonstrate breath control
Mastery of all strokes is NOT required to join!
At practices, swimmers are divided into skill-groups to help ensure all swimmers are appropriately challenged and can find success this season. Explore the best skill-group for a swimmer using our tool:
Q: I want to register, what skill-group should I register my swimmer(s) for?
A: You should select the skill-group for which your swimmer can currently meet all of the prerequisite required skills AND all prerequisite required skills for any preceding groups. Example: to join the Senior B skill group, a swimmer must be able to demonstrate all prerequisite skills for Novice, Age-Group A, Age-Group B and Senior. Please check out our Northerns Group Requirements below to help guide you in determining the correct skill-group for your swimmer. If your swimmer falls between two skill-groups, please register for the skill-group the most closely matches their current skill level. If you are not sure which to join, please contact us at ymcanortherns@duluthymca.org and we will be happy to help!
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Q: What are the fees and payment schedule for these program?
A: Fees and payment schedule is as follows
Competitive Season
Oct. 7th - Late-Feb
| Skill-Group | Registration Fee | Payment Due | Monthly Rate | Payment Due |
| Novice (2 Practices/Week) | $100 | At Registration | $50 | Oct 1st, Nov 1st, Dec 1st Jan 1st, and Feb 1st |
| Age-Group A (3 Practices/Week) | $100 | At Registration | $80 | Oct 1st, Nov 1st, Dec 1st Jan 1st, and Feb 1st |
| Age-Group B (3 Practices/Week) | $100 | At Registration | $80 | Oct 1st, Nov 1st, Dec 1st Jan 1st, and Feb 1st |
| Senior (4 Practice/Week) | $100 | At Registration | $95 | Oct 1st, Nov 1st, Dec 1st Jan 1st, and Feb 1st |
| If you prefer to pay all fees upfront, please contact us at ymcanortherns@duluthymca.org. | ||||
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Q: There are no practice times listed on the registration or website, when will my child's skill-group meet?
A: Practice times will be determined after registration is mostly complete. By delaying the assignment of practice times, our coaching team will be able to best balance each group to ensure adequate pool space is available for all swimmers this season. All practice will fall from 6 PM - 8:30 PM Monday - Thursday at the Downtown and Essentia Wellness Center branches, 5 PM - 7 PM Friday at the Downtown branch and 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM at the Cook County branch. In general, newer and beginner swimmers will practice earlier with more advanced swimmers practicing during later time slots.
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Q: Why are the Downtown and Essentia Wellness Center registrations combined?
A: In order to ensure that all swimmers have the opportunity to use the different resources available at each pool, Duluth area swimmers will be practicing at both branches interchangeably. Although Fridays are a practice option to choose from, this new model will alleviate the capacity congestion we experienced on that day in previous seasons. If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact us at ymcanortherns@duluthymca.org.
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Q: What happens if my swimmer ends up enrolled in the wrong skill group?
A: All swimmers will be assessed during the first practice to ensure they have been signed up for the correct skill-group. In the event a swimmer is registered for the wrong group, we will move that swimmer to the correct skill-group and adjust the fees accordingly for the remainder of the season.
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Q: What happens if my swimmer is ready to move up to the next skill-group during the season?
A: In general, most swimmers are unlikely to need change skill-groups during the season as each skill-group tends to progress together as the season goes on. In the event a swimmer does need to change groups due to dramatic increase in skills, we will work to move them up to the next skill-group and adjust all future season fees accordingly.
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Q: My swimmer is anxious about attending swim meets, do they have to participate?
A: We highly encourage all swimmers to participate in swim meets during the season. These are a great opportunity to show off all they have learned during the season and to support their fellow team mates. If your swimmer feel anxious about swim meets, please reach out at ymcanortherns@duluthymca.org and we will be happy to help.
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Q: My child participated in swim lessons, what level should they have completed prior to swim team?
A: Children that have participate in Stage 5 YMCA swim lessons are usually ready for swim team.
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Q: Can my child swim only part of the season?
A: Partial season registration is available only to middle and high school students who were participating in Middle School, Junior Varsity or Varsity level fall sports.
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Q: Does my swimmer need to have a YMCA membership to participate?
A: Yes, according to the YUSA all swim team participants must have a YMCA membership to participate on swim team. Swimmers that are part of 1-Adult Family and 2-Adult Family Memberships can register online. Swimmers with Youth Memberships will need to contact the membership team at any of our 3 branches by calling or stopping in or can register by emailing ymcanortherns@duluthymca.org.
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Q: Does my child need to wear a team suit, swim cap, and goggles at swim meets?
A: Yes, a team swimsuit for swim meets is required. Information about the team suit will be given the first week of practice. Team suits are ordered in bulk at the start of the season; each family is responsible for the cost of the suit. Team swimsuits should be saved and worn at all meets. A team suit makes a child feel like part of the Northerns Swim Team. One swim cap will be provided to each swimmer at the start of the season.
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Q: What if my child wants to join the team, but our family can't afford it?
A: Financial assistance is available for swimmers. Please contact us at ymcanortherns@duluthymca.org with questions.
Competitive Season
October 7, 2024 - Late-February 2025
This competitive program offers children and teens the opportunity to improve swimming skills and endurance in a competitive setting. We promote a healthy lifestyle and embrace our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Caring, and Honesty.
Registration for the competitive season will open on August 19th. Feel free to contact the Head Coach with any questions prior to registering.
Swimmers are assessed by our coaches using the Northerns Swim Team assessment rubric during their first practice to ensure they are enrolled in the correct skill-group that best fits their current skill level. This assessment ensures a successful season by having participants swimming with peers their skill level.
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
Practice Schedule
Below are the times that practices are available at each location. Each swimmer is pre-assigned to specific days of the week at the start of the season. Each swimmer's schedule is sent out via email at the start of the season.
Friday, March 14th- Sunday, March 16th
REGIONALS SWIM MEET - Des Moines, IA
Team Attending: Regional Qualifiers
Location:
Wellmark YMCA
501 Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309
Notes: Swimmers must qualify at the state swim meet on Sunday, February 23rd or by achieving a qualifying time during the regular season in order to attend this swim meet.
Declarations Due By: Closed
Declaration link sent directly via email to guardians of swimmers eligible to attend this swim meet
Summer 2025
AAU JUNIOR OLYMIPCS
Team Attending: Qualifiers
Location:
Houston, TX
Notes: Swimmers must qualify by achieving a qualifying time during the regular season in order to attend this swim meet. Age for competition at this meet is determined as the age of the swimmer on the first day of the swim meet which will be on or after July 23rd of 2025 (specific dates for each sport will be announced later). Time standards for this meet are listed in 'Long Course Meters'. To determine if your swimmer has a qualifying time, please use this tool to convert your swimmer's times from 'Short Course Yards' (SCY) to 'Long Course Meters' (LCM).
AAU membership fees and entry fees will apply for this meet and are the responsibility of the participant.
Info
Volunteer Opportunities
All hours completed for the Northerns Swim Team or other volunteer opportunities within the Duluth Area Family YMCA during the period of October 1, 2024 - March 16, 2025, will count towards the team volunteer hours. Final fees for uncompleted volunteer hours will be processed on April 1, 2025. Please use the link below to submit your hours completed. Please complete a separate form for each date which you volunteered.
Multiple Dates Available
Volunteers Needed to Assist with Family Nights at the Y
Fun Days are for kids ages 5-11 during the school breaks. We’re looking for volunteers who enjoy hanging out with kids and like keeping them engaged. Activities include gym games, board games, outdoor activities, swimming along with arts & crafts. Minimum age to volunteer is 16. Volunteer shifts are available between 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Thursdays
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Recurring Opportunity
Meal Packing & Distribution
Food for good! The Duluth Y is assisting with community food distribution through Family Meal Kits. Each meal kit includes two healthy recipes, and all the ingredients need for a family of 4 to make 2 complete meals. We need help packing, distributing food and breaking down boxes. We can take a max of 2 volunteers for this opportunity each week. There isn't a minimum age to volunteer but youth under age 12 must have an adult present.
Location:
YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center
4289 Ugstad Rd,
Hermantown, MN 55811
2nd Tuesday of the Month
8:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Recurring Opportunity
Laundry Love Program
Imagine how hard it is for people who are experiencing homelessness, to wash clothes and bedding. As a special project, the Duluth YMCA is partnering with the Laundry Love program to help recruit volunteers. Laundry Love is a national organization dedicated to providing laundry services to people with no and low income. Volunteers staff a Spirit Valley laundromat for three hours at a time, offering people the chance to wash up to two loads of laundry per week. Laundry Love volunteers provide snacks, check people in, plug quarters in the machines & visit with customers. This opportunity is more than just providing a place to help people clean clothes, but an opportunity to build and celebrate community. There is no minimum age to volunteer, however, we ask that youth under 12 have adult supervision.
Location:
Spin City Laundry
232 N Central Ave,
Duluth, MN 55807
3rd Wednesday of the Month
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Recurring Opportunity
Reading Buddies
Volunteer to read to kids in our preschool childcare center. Books will be available to read, or you can bring you own!
Location:
YMCA at the Essentia Wellness Center
4289 Ugstad Rd,
Hermantown, MN 55811
NORTHERNS TEAM RESOURCES
COMPETITIVE SWIMMING ONLINE RESOURCES
National YMCA Competitive Swimming & Diving
MN YMCA Competitive Swim League
QUALIFYING TIMES
Regional Qualifying Times 2025 - NEW!
National Qualifying Times - 2025 - NEW!
AAU Junior Olympics Qualifying Times - 2025 - NEW!
UPCOMING CLINICS & CAMPS
