Barracuda Mission:

At British Swim School, our mission is to ensure that every person, regardless of age or ability has the opportunity to become a safe and happy swimmer. We also believe every swimmer should have the opportunity to strengthen their stroke skills and learn to become part of a team before joining a more intense swim team program. Our pre-swim team is a noncompetitive swim team within our swim school; it is called The Barracuda Program.

Many times, when students go from swim lessons to competitive swimming, there is a huge learning curve and it could discourage our students from continuing swimming. The Barracuda program helps students bridge the gap between swim lessons and competitive swim programs. When they eventually join a more intense competitive swim team, it won’t seem as daunting, they’ll know what to expect, they’ll know how to be an excellent teammate, and they will thrive!

Pre-requisites:

• Must graduate Shark 2 or can complete the following
  • Minimum 50 yards freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly
• Must be able to tread water for a minimum of 1 minute
• Must express a strong personal interest in being a part of a swim team
• Swimmers must be prepared for workouts, remain positive, and give their best effort at each practice

Barracuda Class Details:

• Barracuda practice is twice a week for an hour (students must enroll in both days)
• Available at 24 Hour Fitness Ocean Avenue and 24 Hour Fitness San Mateo
  • Barracuda practice starts on June 1st at 24 Hour Fitness San Mateo & June 6th at 24 Hour Fitness Ocean Avenue

Common Questions:

Q: What will practice look like?

A: Practice will consist of dry land (on deck exercises and drills) and in water training. We will monitor their swim times for each stroke, work on starts and turns, and perfect the skills for each stroke (butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke)

Q: Will the swimmers ever compete?

A: Right now, no. This program is meant to get swimmers ready to swim competitively on a team. We may, though, have mock meets to practice!

Q: Why should my swimmer join?

A: There are several reasons to join the Barracuda Swim Team:

• The Barracuda program bridges the gap between lessons and a full-time swim team
• Swimmers learn the same skills, drills, and terms taught in competitive swim teams
• This program is a lower commitment than being on a full time team
• It exposes swimmers to team environment
• It is FUN!