Frequently Asked Questions

What is a swim team?
Swim team is a team sport for boys and girls ages 5-18 that provides an opportunity to learn the art of competitive swim in a fun and structured environment.

Is swim team a substitute for swim lessons?
No, but your child should be able to swim 25 yards.

Will my swimmer need to complete a skills assessment at the start of the season?

New swimmers must be able to get safely across a 25-yard pool unassisted in a reasonable amount of time. The Head Coach will conduct a swim assessment for all new swimmers on the first and/or second night of practice. Swim lessons are currently being offered indoors at Swim Atlanta, Life Time Fitness (for members only), and various Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Aquatic Centers to help swimmers prepare for the season. Optional clinics will be offered by our Head Coach in late May and June for all strokes, starts, and turns. Our Head Coach will have a sign-up sheet available for these clinics when practices begin in May. If your child is not able to get safely across a 25-yard pool unassisted, please register your child for the Junior Manta Ray Program. If your swimmer does not safely pass the swim assessment and/or are not ready to participate in their age group swim practices independently, they will be able to join the Junior Manta Ray Program if space permits.

What is the Junior Manta Ray Program?

The Junior Manta Ray program is designed to meet the needs of emerging swimmers who are water ready, but not ready to swim a full lap unassisted. The swimmers must be willing to get in the pool and get his/her face wet in order to participate in the program. Our goal is to provide a 3:1 (swimmer to instructor) ratio. As each swimmer improves and gains the necessary skills to attend their age group practice and swim in a meet unassisted, they will begin doing so. 

There are limited slots.  Training for the Mini Mantas will be 05/26 thru 06/25; M-Thu only.

Do I have to be a resident of Maple Ridge to swim on the Manta Rays?
No. The Maple Ridge Manta Rays are an open team, but we charge $30.00 per family that are non-HOA Maple Ridge families.

How many swimmers are on the team?
There are approximately 120 - 150 swimmers.

How many coaches are on the Maple Ridge staff?
Generally there is one head coach, 1 assistant coach and 2 junior coaches. This can change based on the number of swimmers on the team.

What is included in my registration fee?

10 – 12 weeks of swim instruction, a practice swim meet (Mock Meet), five dual swim meets, a team T-shirt, season end trophy/awards and a end of season team award ceremony (you just show up!).

How often do I have to practice?
Everyone is requested to attend the practices as often as possible, but practices are optional. The more you practice, the better you will swim.

Do I have to purchase a team swim suit?
For the 2026 season, we will have have a team suit.  We will expect all swimmers to have a competition style suit. Our team colors are blue and black.  

It is best to have a team suit to show team pride and to identify your child to the parent volunteers and to their teammates. With 160-200 swimmers at a meet you can see how important this is.

Will my child swim at every meet?
Yes. Nobody warms the bench. All swimmers get to participate in each of the schedule meets.

Where will the meets take place?
The Mock Meet (practice meet) is at our pool, then 2 or 3 of the 5 scheduled dual meets will take place at our home pool. The other two will be at various Gwinnett County communities in our area.

Is there a way for parents to get involved?
Yes, we are a 100% volunteer run sports team and parent participation is a must.

What is the county swim meet?
It’s a competition at the end of the season for the top boy and girl swimmers in each age group from within the Gwinnett County Swim League.

How do I know if my swimmer is qualified for the county swim meet?
You can track your swimmers ranking against other Gwinnett County Swim League swimmers at www.gwinnettswimleague.com. At the end of the season you will be notified of county qualification by our head coach. 

How much does it cost?
1st Swimmer - $225, 2nd Swimmer - $205, 3rd Swimmer+ - $185 each

Fee does not include the $28 County Swimmer Fee. This fee goes directly to the Gwinnett County Swim League to pay for league insurance for all of our swimmers plus pay the expenses that it takes to run our league.

$30.00 per family non-HOA Maple Ridge families

When does swim team start?
Preseason practice is at night the last 1.5-2 weeks of school. The regular morning /night schedule begins Tuesday after Memorial Day.

When are the meets scheduled?

For the 2026 season, we will not have the final schedule from the league until May.

How important is the county meet?
This is similar to all stars in other sports in the fact that it is an honor and very exciting to be able to go. Many kids are able to qualify their first year swimming. Swimming is a team sport, so when some of the team is "unavailable" for the county meet, it affects the rest of the team, especially on the relays. Please plan to be in town and available for this last meet.

How important is it for me to deliver a copy of my child's birth certificate and sign the waiver form that was requested?
Your child is not allowed to swim in any meets without it. The swim league prohibits this, to the point that if they are caught swimming, our team will be issued a fine.

How do I know what size suit my child should order?
For the 2026, season we will have a team suit.  We do expect all swimmers to have a competition style suit.

There will be an announcement of when the suit fitting is scheduled. One fitting is typically at end of March and one in mid-April.. Please note that the second suit fitting does not guarantee that your suit will be available for the first swim meet.

If you can not make our team swim suit fitting dates, you can get fitted at:

Reddiset, 1000 Hurricane Shoals Road NE, Building C, Suite 100

Lawrenceville, GA 30043