Winter Swim Options

Winte swim is a great option for keeping skills gained over the summer, continuing friendships and making new ones, and having a lot of fun. At the same time, winter swim is a much longer season, generally September – March and has a more competitive focus. There are many options in central Ohio, and we encourage you to check out and see if one is right for you.

School Programs

Most schools in our area, including Canal Winchester, Pickerington, Bloom Carroll, and Lancaster, have programs at the high school level, and often at the Junior High level, too. Bloom Carroll just added a Junior High team this past year. Coach Claire will be an Assistant Coach for the Canal Winchester High School team this year! Check with your school administration to find out more about your school’s program.

Non-School Programs

All of the teams listed below will have options for swimmers age 5 – 18 years old.

Lancaster YMCA’s swim team (LYST)

https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/ohlys/page/home

LYST has coached Olympic Trial qualifiers, Ohio High School Swimming State qualifiers and finalists, as well as Great Lake Zone Swimming Champions and numerous top three finishers. LYST competes both in the Y league and USA Swimming meets. Practices are at the Lancaster YMCA, and swimmers may join between September and November (for those in autumn sports). Coach Holly will be returning to LYST this winter!

Central Ohio Aquatics (COA)
https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/ohcoa/page/home

A USA Swimming club practices out of Bexley/St. Charles. Coach Claire has worked closely with their head coach/coaching staff over the past three years and believes it’s an outstanding program.

Hydra Aquatics
https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/ohhao/page/swim-team

Hydra is another strong USA Swimming club that practices in Blacklick and Gahanna. They recently purchased another swim team and may soon offer practices at the Groveport Rec Center. The team consistently develops outstanding swimmers.

Greater Columbus Swim Team of Ohio (GCSTO)

https://www.gcsto.net/page/home.

GCSTO is a competitive swim team that offers comprehensive training on a year-round or seasonal basis. Their focus is to develop athletes with a technique-first mindset to ensure solid fundamentals.