Fun • Teamwork • Confidence • Achievement • Friendship • Excitement
Have fun improving your swimming skills and learning new strokes with the Belchertown Stingrays. If you are not sure you are ready to join the Stingrays, come and try it!
We are happy to offer a full Fall 2024 season for our Mini, Junior, Senior, and Race Club Stingrays.
Coach Jen assigns each new participant to a practice group. Participants are expected to attend all practice times in accordance with their swim group each week in order to get the most benefit from the program. Swimmers must attend at least 4 swim meets to qualify for Championships.
Race Club is a group for swimmers with higher level competitive goals: reaching A standard or higher USA swimming times, swimming competitively at High School Level, or have aspirations of Division 3 College swimming. Ages 13-18.
General Information
- New Stingrays will receive a team swim cap courtesy of the Stingrays Boosters. Additional swim caps are available for $10.00 from the Boosters at the pool.
- Stingrays have a team swim suit which every swimmer should try to purchase. A team swim suit helps build team unity and every effort is made to select a quality suit at a reasonable price. Team suits can be purchased from http://www.swimoutlet.com/btownstingrays
- We are happy to welcome Coach Jen into the Head Coach position!
- A note from Coach Jen:
- "My name is Jennifer Sharon and I am excited to take on the Head Coach position for the Belchertown Stingrays Swim Team. After having been the Assistant Coach for the last few years, I am eager to continue to further develop the team and watch them grow. I have had much experience swimming, coaching, and teaching lessons over the last 15 years and feel lucky to be a part of such a great team!"
- Coach Jen joined the Palmer Stripers when she was young, as an 8th grader she joined the Palmer high school swim team. She furthered her swim career as a Division III swimmer at Bridgewater State. Since college she has competed with a Masters team. Coach Jen began her coaching career as a junior coach for the Palmer Stripers while in high school. In 2012, Jen Sharon became the Head Coach for the Vergennes swim team along with the Assistant Coach of the Middlebury Aquatics team. In 2017, Coach Jen joined the Palmer High School – Varsity Men’s & Women’s team as the Head Coach. That same year, she also began Assistant Coaching for the Palmer Stripers. In 2021, Coach Jen became a Stingray. Jen Sharon has been the Assistant Coach for the past 3 years, working closely with all the swimmers helping them further their skills. The Stingrays are happy to announce that Coach Jen will be the Head Coach beginning the 2024 Fall season.
- The Stingrays Parent Board is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. Parents volunteers are crucial to running meets and many other team activities throughout the season. As such, volunteers will be required to sign up for a minimum of 2 team events, along with swim meets. All new volunteers will be taught specific job duties. There will be a sign up sheet at the first Mandatory Parent Meeting of the season, on October 15, 2024, 6:00p.m. at the Rec Dept. Positions will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. If you are unable to fulfill your position, please let a Board member know as soon as possible, so a replacement can be found. Parents are the backbone of our wonderful swimming community. Without whom, our season would not be possible!
Practices
Practice times start on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
For those attending the following group practice times will be as follows:
Mini Rays: 4:45-5:30 p.m.
Junior Rays: 3:30-4:45p.m.
Senior Rays: 3:30-5:15 p.m.
Race Club: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Week Day group schedules:
Mini Rays: 3 days out of week - Monday-Friday
Junior Rays: 3 days out of week - Monday-Friday
Senior Rays: Monday-Friday
Race Club: Monday-Friday
**Practice times will change when BHS practice begins at the end of November.
Practice times beginning after Thanksgiving Break:
Mini Rays: 5:45-6:30 p.m.
Junior Rays: 4:30-5:45p.m.
Senior Rays: 4:30-6:15 p.m.
Race Club: 4:30-6:30 p.m.
No practice on:
• Thursday, October 31
• Monday, November 11
• Wednesday, November 27
• Thursday, November 28
• Friday, November 29
• Christmas break 12/21-1/1, Practice resumes January 2nd
• Monday, January 20
All new swimmers to the team are required to take the prequalifying test. This allows the coach to make sure they have the endurance and skills needed to be a part of the team.
*All Swim Meets are in person
**Swimmers must compete in 4 swim meets in order to qualify for championships.
Prequalifying test: Friday, October 11 at 5:15 p.m.
Mandatory Parent Meeting will be Tuesday, October 15 at 6:00p.m. at the Rec Center.
All late registrations for new swimmers must email Mfurnia@belchertown.org to schedule a prequalification test.
Trial Period/Refunds
Please Note the first three weeks are a trial period. If you wish to receive a refund you must contact the Recreation Department prior to 4:00pm on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. ($25.00 of the fee IS NON-REFUNDABLE)
THERE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS AFTER Wednesday November 6th.
Please note: When school is dismissed or cancelled due to inclement weather, the CHCS Pool is closed.
Levels
Mini Rays- For beginner level swimmers (swim lesson level 4 or 5) who are new to the sport. This group will focus on developing the 4 competitive strokes and beginning to build endurance. Swimmers must be able to swim a continuous 25 yrds and know the basics of Freestyle, Backstroke, and Breast stroke
Junior Rays- For higher beginner/intermediate level swimmers who have the basics of all 4 strokes down and can perform a basic start, but still may need work on short axis strokes (Butterfly and Breaststroke). Swimmers may also be new to competition. This group will focus on developing the 4 competitive strokes, race techniques, and building endurance.
Senior Rays- For intermediate/advanced swimmer who has developed all 4 strokes, can dive off blocks, perform appropriate race turns and are invested in competing. This group will build upon the Junior level and involve more intense training, race techniques, and stroke proficiency.
Race Club- For advanced swimmers who have higher level competitive goals like reaching A standard or higher USA swimming times, swimming competitively at the High School level, or have aspirations of Division 3 College Swimming.
All new swim team participants are to attend the placement test on Friday, October 11 at 5:15p.m. at Chestnut Hill Pool. Swimmers may also be moved by the Coach during the season to ensure participant is in the appropriate group according to progress. If you have questions about which group your swimmer should be placed, please contact the head coach at: stingrayswimcoaches@gmail.com . Payments will be adjusted on a case to case basis if group placement is changed after testing.