Stone Creek Swim Team, Inc.

NWAL Summer League is the biggest youth swimming league in the USA, and the season comprises the following types of Swim Meets. A Time Trial (In-House), Dual Meets with each Team in your respective Division, a Divisional Championship Meet with all Teams in your respective Division, and Invitationals both Mid Season & Postseason with all Teams in NWAL..

These Invitationals are not restricted to any Division, or individual Team, since the only way a Team, or swimmer can participate or be entered, is to meet the required time standard for your swimmer’s age group. Hence participants that make them are able to see and experience their true growth in the water as their entry in the meet isn't handed to them like in Dual Meets, and swimmers have to meet a predetermined time standard in order to participate.

Mid Season Invitationals are like its name implies, they are usually in the middle of the NWAL season. It officially kicks off with the In-house Time Trial, and it ends with the Divisional Championship Meet. Our STC Stingray Swim Team usually goes to three Mid Season and two Postseason Invitational Meets every Season where going to these meets offers a variety of opportunities to compete with the best swimmers across NWAL, and this helps grow our champions into top notch swimmers.

These Invitationals have an additional fee per event including Relays, with most having qualifying times depending on your age group. With these meets having time standards, the swimmers are able to put their skills to the test without the limitations of a maximum number of events, like with Dual meets. Since their participation can only be guaranteed by meeting the standard for each event. These are the meets where swimmers drop serious time as they compete with the best of the best.

To take advantage of this opportunity, the first thing a swimmer will want to do is pay attention to the qualifying times and then set a goal to make them early on in the dual meets. Check out some of the qualifying times from the 2023 season below, including the pinnacle Postseason Ponderosa Invitational which is called “The Best Of The Best Meet”, and it occurs on the last weekend in June.

Mid Season Qualifying Times-Please be advised that alternate invitationals may be picked if entry caps are reached. The earlier we can confirm your attendance, the better chance we have of not being locked out of an invitational.

End of Season Qualifying Times

Some Invitationals have what is called a *Bonus* which means usually if you can qualify for 3 events you can swim for all. Some, like the Pentathlon, are structured differently with each swimmer swimming every stroke and the ribbon winners determined by a combined score. Our coaching staff picks out the best series of invitationals to provide the greatest growth for the team.

Signing Up

Just like in Dual Meets, Coaching staff will choose the events for swimmers. The only difference is that swimmers are entered in all events they qualify for, and hence they will need to pay for those events or opt out of the invitational. While every athlete has a favorite stroke, we believe in well rounded athletes, which will allow them growth in all their strokes and therefore choosing to opt out of individual strokes isn’t allowed. If there is an injury that a coach needs to be aware of that could be exacerbated by performing, please discuss it with them. Coaching staff has the final authority on what events are signed up for. For more information on this policy and its rationale, please see Practice and Meet Expectations. Payment for invitationals can be processed at the front desk.

Mid Season Invitational Protocols

Because we are a team, we sit together as a team. If the invitational is set up outside, bring your canopy’s for cover, tarps for the ground to keep your athlete dry, coolers with snacks and beverages to keep everyone hydrated and energized, blankets, camping cots, chairs to rest between races etc… If the setup is indoors, the canopy may not be needed, and spacing may be tight but the same niceties apply.

We collect any awards at the end of the meet so that we get them all, but also so that we have an opportunity to celebrate your athlete as a team at a later ceremony. Please do not go collect your ribbon and take it home as your athlete will miss out on this.

Please also keep an ear open for any team building, social activities we may pull together around invitationals. We may spontaneously organize to go hang out at a restaurant afterwards to catch a bite to eat together so keep an eye on Remind.

End of Season Invitational Protocols

The last week of practice is reserved for all who have qualified and are registered for the end of season invitationals. We have a tradition on one of the last mornings of practice to hold a send off breakfast for our athletes as well.

Some of our athletes will achieve times to qualify for Ponderosa, and Red, White & Blue. We put up the timelines for the end of season invitationals so that our athletes can coordinate and not have to sacrifice their races at one of the other invitationals to compete at Ponderosa. Our head coach and many of our veteran parents have experience with this and can strategize with you.

We again sit together as a team, but because this may be the last time we see each other, you can go ahead and pick up your ribbons and medals. Rest assured, if any are left behind we will still have someone to collect them and they will be available at StoneCreek.

Invitational Swag

Most invitationals have t-shirts and other merchandise available for purchase at the meets. Some also have pre-order options available. Watch this website for more information on how to pre order as the season progresses.

Results

Results will become available in Swimtopia sometime after the meet is held, but they are also posted on location.