Frequently asked questions
If you don’t see your question here, feel free to contact us!
Teaching swimming and life...
What will my child learn?
At Tidal Waves, we recognize that swimmers must learn good stroke technique, especially at the early stages of their development. We find that athletes who learn proper stroke technique will inherently swim faster and smarter races as they get stronger and mature.
Year-round swimming will naturally improve physical fitness, but it will also improve other aspects of your child's life. Athletes tend to take the discipline, organization, work-ethic, time management, and goal setting skills they learn in our program with them to the classroom and other areas of their lives. Even more, swimmers learn to handle successes and failures, positive reinforcement and instructive criticism, which in turn fosters a good work ethic and sportsmanship. We like to say we're not just teaching swimming....we're teaching life!
Commitment and costs...
What is the commitment level for the team?
Depending on the program that your child is placed in, the commitment level for Tidal Waves varies quite a bit. Tidal Waves is very careful about not overcommitting athletes too early on in their progress. With this, all of our swim programs are setup in a unique way that steadily increases as the child ages, grows, and matures. Whatever the interest level and availability of a child, Tidal Waves has a place for every type of swimmer.
What is the cost to be on tidal waves?
Costs vary by group and hours per week in the pool, but all groups are less than $100 a month.
Can my child participate with Tidal Waves seasonally?
Tidal Waves has many opportunities and groups for the multi-sport athlete and those who are busy with school or other activities throughout the year. Your child can swim in one or more seasons throughout the year. Tidal Waves also offers clinics at various times throughout the year, where new swimmers can try the team and current swimmers can work on new skills.
Does my child need to give up other sports/activities to swim with TIDAL WAVES?
Tidal Waves is dedicated to providing many different swim programs that will allow children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to pursue swimming alongside their other interests.
Practice and meets….
WHAT GROUP WILL MY CHILD BE IN?
Swimmers are placed into the appropriate group where they will find the most success and be provided the best opportunity to build their swimming skills from the foundation upward. Our coaches take the time to evaluate new swimmers before placing them in a group. Additionally, the coaches are always evaluating the swimmers in their practice groups in order to determine when a swimmer is ready to move to the next level.
Are swim meets mandatory?
Swim meets are highly recommended for all of our swimmers across the board. Meets are a great way for the child to build confidence in their abilities, as well as become physically stronger swimmers. Our RIMA League dual meets are a great low pressure way for new and/or timid athletes to get their feet wet and test the waters in a low key swim meet environment. Conversely, Tidal Waves realizes the importance of quality competition for our high level athletes, and we offer the option of a USA Swimming membership with more competitive meets.
Does Tidal Waves offer learn-to-swim and/or non-competitive Lesson programs?
The East Providence Boys and Girls Club offers learn-to-swim lessons programs throughout the year. Our lessons program builds confidence in the water and also focuses on good stroke technique from the start.
Do the swimmers have fun?
Yes! While swim practice is very different than playing in the pool, young children still do love practicing swimming, especially when they are encouraged in their efforts and experience a sense of accomplishment from learning new skills or becoming stronger swimmers. Our coaches understand the importance of fun in practice and they also understand that fun looks different for the varying levels and ages of our swimmers.
