About
The Highland Lakes Swim Team has been a cornerstone of the Club’s summer athletics program for over 70 years. The team is a charter member of the Lakeland Swim Conference and has competed against teams such as Packanack Lake, Erskine Lakes, Lake Mohawk and Fayson Lakes since 1960. More recently, the team has won division championships in 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024!
The team is dedicated to introducing children to the sport of competitive swimming while emphasizing the values of sportsmanship and teamwork. Generations of Highland Lakes swimmers have started their Swim Team careers in our “6 & Under” program, with some jumping in as young as age 4 or 5. Weekly dual meets allow swimmers to compete against children of comparable age, from about age 7, all the way through age 18.
What to expect
Every weekday morning, the team practices at the Clubhouse swim lanes from 9 am to noon, beginning in late June (when school gets out) through the first week of August. Practices are scheduled by age and last for about one hour. Dual meets are held every Wednesday evening, either home or away at a nearby lake community. Additionally, each Saturday during swim season, swimmers can elect to enter into conference-wide “Invitational” meets, held at various clubs. The meets are fun and generally designed to give swimmers a chance to swim in a new event or against different competition than they’d normally face in regular dual meets.
Highland Lakes hosts the Highland “B” Invitational every July, which gives the unsung heroes of the team a chance to shine and for Highland Lakes to welcome visiting squads and their parents to the great swim team facilities here at Highland Lakes.
We welcome new team members throughout the summer, at any age and nearly any ability level. There is a minimum requirement that the swimmer be able to swim a 50-meter lap unassisted, or 25-meter, assisted, for 6 & Unders. Knowledge of the freestyle, or any of the other competitive strokes, is a plus. Most swimmers come to us after a few summers in the swim lesson program offered at the Club’s beaches. The Team’s coaches work with swimmers at all levels to develop strokes, build fitness and achieve their swim goals. Above all else, the team emphasizes fun and camaraderie, with many alumni remaining friends long after they hang up their swimsuits and goggles. Stop by the Clubhouse lanes and see what all the fun is about!
