NEW SWIMMER QUESTIONS

"Is my child good enough?" "How do I know if my child is good enough?"
Before registering with our team, each swimmer is evaluated by our coaching staff to determine if they are prepared for competitive swimming and if so, which group they will be placed in. A good indicator to determine whether your child is ready: have they passed through level 5 of Red Cross swim lessons and/or are they able to swim 1 length of the pool in each of the four competitive strokes.

Do I have to live in Hudson to join the team?
No. We welcome swimmers from all communities!
 
I have heard HEAT is very competitive, is that true?
HEAT is a USA competitive team so we do strive for our swimmers to improve their technique and compete in various meets during the season.  Our team structure is so that swimmers have the opportunity to improve over their swimming career.  Our youngest swimmers will only swim a few days a week for an hour and they will gradually move up in groups where practices are more frequent and longer period of time.  We do not move our swimmers up in group until we feel they are capable. 

How many practices per week? How long are practices?
For our younger swimmers there is no required number of practices each week but we do suggest at least 3 practices a week in order to consistently show improvement.  Our older swimmers 4-5 Practice per week.  There are incentives for the swimmers to attend practice often.

Please look at the practice times and locations tab on the main page for that information.

What happens if my child misses a practice (is there any penalty)?
There is no penalty for missing a practice. If your swimmer misses several practices due to illness or injury, we ask for a doctor’s note.

School comes first, my child has a lot of homework, is it ok if we only come to 1-2 practices a week (on a regular basis?)
We understand homework comes first. Yes, it is ok if your swimmer can only manage 1-2 practices a week due to homework. In this case, we would suggest 1-2 practices during the weekday and possibly attending Sunday practice as well.

Are there any weekend practices?
Sunday practices are offered at the Hudson location only. Please see the practice times and locations tab on the main page for information.

I live in Hudson, do I have to practice at Kent Roosevelt, or I live in Kent do I have to practice at East Woods in Hudson?
We run practices out of East Woods Elementary in Hudson and Kent Roosevelt HS. Our program has grown over the years and we added the Kent Roosevelt pool. This gives us ample pool time/space to give as many practice opportunities to our swimmers as possible.

How long is the season?
HEAT has a short course season that beings after Labor Day and runs through Memorial Day.  Our summer season begins after Memorial Day and runs through the middle of August.  During the summer HEAT participates in the Mid-Ohio Summer League (MOSL) with weekly dual meets vs. other local summer league teams. 

How often are the meets?
There are meets almost every weekend, but we have required meets for each group that are about once a month.

Where are the meets?
 Meets are located mostly in NE Ohio within a 30-45 minute drive of Summit County. We generally attend one optional "travel meet" per year that requires an overnight stay.

How long are the meets?
Each meet session runs about 4 hours in length (an AM session and a PM session). Some meets are one day and several meets are 2 days in length (attendance both days are not required).

Are the meets just like the summer league meets?
The meet formats are not the same as summer leagues. Fall and winter meets are more individualized, swimmers/parents are responsible for choosing events.

Are the meets mandatory?
There are mandatory meets assigned to each group – the higher the group/level the more meets required. Usually 3-4 per group during the winter season.

Do we pay for meet entries? How much are the meet entry fees?
Swimmers/parents pay for each event for USA meets, the team pays for relays and coaches assign swimmers to relays. Meet entry fees are dependent on each individual meet. The individual events are usually range from $3-$5, plus a LE surcharge (usually about $2.00). In the beginning of the season each swimmer is given money towards their individual escrow accounts with their registration.

Who decides what events the swimmers will be entered in--coach or parents?
Coaches choose the events for mandatory meets, parents/swimmers choose events for all other optional meets. Coaches are always willing to make suggestions if needed.

Will anything happen if my child doesn't want to participate in the meets?
Your registration fee includes a NON-REFUNDABLE credit to your escrow account. We base this credit on the swimmers practice group, the MANDATORY meets for that group and our expectations on the events we want each group to swim. These policies are in place because we want all swimmers to participate in meets. If you feel there are valid reasons for your swimmer not attending meets please talk to the head coach.

How much does it cost to sign up? What is included in that cost?
The cost differentiates based on group. The beginning level groups do not cost as much because there are not as many required meets and practices are not as often or as long. Prices include the basic fee (which covers pool rental, professional coaching instruction, etc.), a team shirt, a team swim cap, an escrow fee, a family administration fee, and a USA swim membership. For all pricing information, please go to the main page on the website.

Are there any additional costs (i.e. equipment, meet admission, etc) not included in the registration fee?
Not included in the fee is equipment (snorkel and fins and other optional items – need is based on group). Also not included is the team suit, all swimmers are required to have a team suit that is in new condition to wear to swim meets. As mentioned previously, each swimmer has a beginning escrow balance used towards meets – when the account is low or at $0, more funds will be needed to sign up for meets. At the meets, spectators may want to purchase a heat sheet or food or swim attire.

Does the registration fee have to be paid all at once or can it be paid in installments?
You may pay all at once or, we offer a split payment option (with credit card only). The payment is due upon registration, with the first half being processed between Sept 1st and Sept 15th and the second half processed between Nov 1st and Nov 15th. With the split payment option there is an additional $10 processing fee.

If my child wants to drop out, can I get some of my money refunded?
If a swimmer decides within the first 2 weeks of practice they do not wish to continue to participate HEAT will refund all but a $50 non-refundable fee.