Competitive team
Train. Compete. Improve.
USA Swimming–registered training groups for committed athletes — Pre-Competitive through Senior Elite.
Training groups
Find your training group
Seven groups, calibrated by age and ability — every swimmer placed by coach evaluation.
At a glance
Compare the groups
Every group side by side — ages, schedule load, and cost per pool hour.
| Group | Ages | Size | Practices | Hrs / mo | Monthly | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Competitive Developmental | 5–8 yrs | 30 | 2×/week | 11 | $170 | $18.57/hr |
| Novice Age Group Developmental | 7–12 yrs | 30 | 2×/week | 12.75 | $200 | $15.68/hr |
| Advanced Age Group Competitive | 9–14 yrs | 30 | 2–3×/week | 15.5 | $220 | $14.19/hr |
| Junior Olympic Competitive | 9–14 yrs | 27 | 2–5×/week | 25 | $250 | $10/hr |
| Pre-Senior Competitive | 11–14 yrs | 27 | 4–6×/week | 40.75 | $280 | $6.87/hr |
| High School Prep Competitive | 14–18 yrs | 27 | 3–6×/week | 40.75 | $280 | $6.87/hr |
| Senior Elite Elite | 13–18 yrs | 15 | 6–8×/week | 59 | $325 | $5.50/hr |
Why C26
Coached by professionals. Built for the long run.
Every group is led by a USA Swimming–registered coach. We chase consistency over hype — measured progress, season after season.
Join the team
Evaluations & registration
New swimmers are placed by a coach evaluation — no traditional cut-day tryouts. Here's how membership works and what to bring.
- 2–3 coaches on deck for every group, for a smaller coach-to-swimmer ratio.
- $100 annual administrative / group placement fee per swimmer.
- Monthly fees include onsite functional strength, plyometrics, and injury-prevention training at the Bluhawk facility.
- No fundraising fees or required parent hours.
Evaluations
Evaluation week August 22–26
Standards by group — expand to see what each evaluation covers:
Pre-Competitive
- Demonstrate streamlining, proper breathing, and stroke coordination.
- Perform freestyle and backstroke for 15–25 yards.
Novice Age Group
- All four strokes correctly for 25 yards.
- Basic stroke drills with instruction.
- Freestyle flip turn.
- Finishes for all four strokes.
Advanced Age Group
- All Novice Age Group skills.
- 100 IM with correct turns and finishes.
- 200 freestyle with flip turns.
- 4×50 @ 1:00.
- 100 kick under 2:30.
Junior Olympic
- 200 IM.
- 400 freestyle with flip turns and streamlining.
- 3×100 @ 2:00.
- 200 kick under 4:30.
Pre-Senior
- 400 IM.
- 6×100 @ :10 rest (under 1:30).
- 6×50 @ 1:00 (under 35 seconds).
- 300 kick under 6:00.
High School Prep
- 200 IM.
- 400 freestyle.
- 6×50 @ 1:00.
- 200 kick under 4:30.
Senior Elite
- Complete all pre-season evaluations.
- Set up a meeting with the Performance and Program Directors.
Required equipment
Base kit
Pre-Competitive · Novice Age Group · Advanced Age Group
- Short fins
- Cap
- Goggles
- Kickboard
Full kit
Junior Olympic · Pre-Senior · High School Prep · Senior Elite
- Short fins
- Cap
- Goggles
- Kickboard
- Pull buoy
- Snorkel
- Hand paddles
Preferred products
| Item | Preferred product |
|---|---|
| Short fins | Arena Training Fins / Arena Powerfin-style short fins |
| Kickboard | Arena Kickboard |
| Pull buoy | Arena Freeflow Pull Buoy II |
| Snorkel | Arena Swim Snorkel III |
| Hand paddles | Strokemakers Hand Paddles |
Goggles and cap are personal preference. Make sure fins and paddles are sized correctly — if your swimmer is between sizes, ask a coach before purchasing.
Proposed meet schedule
- September (early) Dual or Tri with local teams
- September (late) NLU Sprint Decathlon — North KC
- October (early) Drury University / Tsunami Fall Round-up — Springfield, MO
- October (late) University of Missouri — Columbia, MO
- November Club North — North KC · Arkansas or Oklahoma meet
- December Midwest Winter Classic · Possible Dual or Tri · 10 & Under Future Stars — North KC
- January Midwest All Stars · Topeka True Blue · Arkansas or Oklahoma meet
- February District Champs · Senior Champs · Age Champs
- March Sectional Champs
- April–May Dual or Tri · Long-course meets
Proposed schedule — meets and dates may shift as the season firms up.
Questions
Team FAQs
How do tryouts work for the competitive team?
We don’t run traditional cut-day tryouts. Instead, every new family books a free water evaluation with one of our coaches. Your swimmer swims a short set of skills — usually 25s of each stroke they know, a streamline, and a few laps for endurance — and the coach recommends a starting training group with clear next-step goals. Most evaluations take about 20 minutes.
What's the time commitment for the team?
It depends on the training group:
- Bronze (developmental): 2 practices per week, 60 minutes each.
- Silver (competitive age group): 3 practices per week, 90 minutes each.
- Gold (championship age group): 5 practices per week plus optional Saturday long course.
- Platinum (senior elite): 9 sessions per week including AM practices, plus dryland.
We expect consistency at every level — but we also work with families on school sports, music, and academic schedules. Talk to a coach about how your swimmer’s calendar fits.
Do you compete in USA Swimming meets?
Yes. C26 is a USA Swimming-registered club, and our swimmers compete on the Missouri Valley LSC meet circuit. Bronze swimmers attend developmental and intra-squad meets; Silver, Gold, and Platinum swimmers race on the full age group and championship calendar — including Sectionals, Speedo Sectionals, and Futures for qualifying athletes.