Mon to Thu, 4:00 to 4:45 PM
Stroke evaluation: how every swimmer joins the Dolphins
Membership is accepted all year. A swimmer joins by completing an evaluation of their strokes, and the results place them in the team structure.
Chapter 01
Booking a time with the coaches
The team accepts new members throughout the year, so there is no season to wait for. The coaching staff evaluate strokes Monday through Thursday from 4:00 to 4:45 PM, ahead of the evening practice blocks.
To make an appointment, call Alicia Mckissick at Adamsville Natatorium on (404) 505-3189, or email Head Coach Tommy Jackson at coachjackson@swimcad.com. Either one gets a swimmer onto the evaluation calendar.
The team takes swimmers at every level. It offers a guided Novice program for ages 5 and older and a competitive age-group program for ages 7 and up, from the beginning swimmer to the most competitive and skilled one.
The warm-down pool at the end of an Atlanta natatorium
What the coaches look at
Any swim coach watching a new swimmer is reading the basics: how each stroke is built, how and when the swimmer breathes, how they push off the wall, and how comfortable they are in deep water. Expect the Dolphins' coaches to be doing the same kind of reading, in a short session of about 45 minutes.
The point of the session is placement, not a pass or fail. The team says the results are used to place the swimmer into the team structure, which runs from the Baby Dolphins and Age Group 2 at 5:00 to 6:00 PM, through Age Group 1 at 6:00 to 7:30 PM, to the Senior group at 6:00 to 8:30 PM.
Every group trains Monday through Friday, so a swimmer and parent can plan the week once the coaches say where the swimmer lands. The full hours sit on the practice schedule page.
Chapter 03
After placement: fees and registration
The program registration fee is $225.00 a year for City of Atlanta residents and $425.00 a year for non-residents. Payment is by debit or credit card, payable to the City of Atlanta Dolphins Swim Team, and each athlete submits the team's Personal Data Form. The team states that an unpaid fee means no practice and no swim meets.
Swimmers also register with USA Swimming through the unique link the team provides. The team's procedures page lists $68 for USA Swimming and $18 for the Georgia LSC under the 2023 registration, so confirm the current amounts when you register.
The procedures page walks through the rest of the paperwork, including how meet entries and entry fees work once a swimmer is ready to race.
Membership is accepted throughout the year. Call Alicia Mckissick at Adamsville Natatorium, (404) 505-3189, or email coachjackson@swimcad.com.