THE BASICS
FAQ
Grapevine Gators is a summer-season competitive swim team owned by the City of Grapevine, Texas, and operated by Head Coach Jesse Barton, a local teacher and head swim coach at L.D. Bell High School.
Gators is a great place for high school swimmers to stay in shape between seasons, new swimmers looking to try out for area clubs or high school teams, young swimmers being introduced to the sport, and anyone looking for a great morning workout in the water. There are many elite USA Swimming programs in the area that offer intense training regimens and provide competitive swimmers the conditioning to compete at the next level.
Gators emphasizes skill development, technique refinement, sprint power, and maintaining conditioning. We still love to race and compete but Gators believe winning is a fun perk to hard work, not the end-all reason for swimming.
WHEN IS PRACTICE?
WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL WE NEED?
Official team swimsuit and cap, goggles, and fins are required. Equipment, suits and caps will be sold on-site at our team meeting in May. If you miss the meeting, you'll need to head over to our vendor to pick up your equipment. Caps and shirts are sold by Coach Barton and are also available before and after practice.
WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO THE COACHES HAVE?
Coach Barton has 15 years of experience as a Texas public school teacher including certifications in Math, Special Education, and Swimming.
All coaches are CPR/AED/First Aid certified and have experience as varsity swimmers and have coached Gators prior to the start of the 2023 season.
DO YOU HOLD TRYOUTS?
Not formally. The minimum requirement is that swimmers must be able to swim from one end of the pool to the other without assistance. If they can do that, we will take it from there!
WHAT IS THE ATTENDANCE POLICY?
Summer is a time for families to spend time relaxing, traveling, and keeping kids engaged in fun outdoor activities. We recognize that family comes first and have no requirements for attendance. We do encourage all swimmers to commit to the program, especially high school swimmers looking to maintain their conditioning between seasons.
IS COMPETITION MANDATORY?
Racing is FUN! We want all our swimmers to compete but it is not mandatory. Nothing is mandatory. We hope that if you join us, you'll show up to practices, behave, listen to your coaches and have fun! If you don't want to, we won't force you to race.
WE'RE NOT SURE IF OUR CHILD IS WILLING OR READY TO JOIN. CAN WE TRY IT OUR ON A TRIAL BASIS BEFORE REGISTERING?
Yes and no. Typically our roster fills up early in the year so if you wait until the season starts to try out there probably won't be a spot for you. You can always register and then if it doesn't work out, Grapevine Parks & Rec can issue a pro-rated refund.