New Athlete Assessment 

Before Registering for an Assessment

WGB is a competitive swim club, rather than a learn-to-swim program. Athletes must already have basic swimming ability, water confidence, and water-safety skills before being considered for membership. WGB programs are not designed to teach foundational swimming or lifesaving skills.

General Information:

When space becomes available in our programs, WGB may offer New Athlete Assessment sessions for swimmers interested in joining the club.

Assessments give swimmers an opportunity to meet our coaching team, get in the water, and demonstrate their current swimming skills. Our coaches use the assessment to determine which WGB roster group, if any, is the best fit for each athlete based on their age, swimming ability, readiness, and stage of development.

Important Considerations:

• Assessments take place in the Main Lap Pool.

• Life jackets and other flotation devices are not used during assessments.

• Swimmers must be comfortable participating in the water independently with a coach.

• All new athletes must complete an assessment before registering with WGB.

• An assessment does not guarantee placement or registration. Placement is dependent on the swimmer's readiness as well as available space within the appropriate roster group.

WGB programs have limited capacity, and we often receive more interest than we have available spaces. We appreciate families' understanding as we work to provide a safe, positive, and appropriate training environment for every athlete.

What to Expect:

Assessments are approximately 15 minutes and are completed in small groups. Swimmers are grouped by age, with a WGB coach assigned to assess and support each group. Our goal is to create a comfortable and encouraging environment where swimmers can simply show us what they can do. Athletes do not need to be proficient in every skill listed below.

• Ages 5 – 7: up to 3 athletes assessed per group – Shallow End Only

• Ages 8+: up to 3 athletes assessed per group – Deep End

What Will Coaches Look For?

Our coaches will consider each swimmer's overall comfort and confidence in the water, body position, coordination, and current swimming skills. Athletes may be asked to demonstrate:

• Streamlines on their front and back

• Kicking on their front, back, and side

• Freestyle (front crawl)

• Backstroke

• Breaststroke kick and/or swim (if capable)

• Dolphin kick (if capable)

What Happens After the Assessment?

Following the assessment, families will be advised of their swimmer's recommended roster placement and whether space is currently available in that group. If a suitable space is available, families will receive information about the next steps for registration.

If space is not available, or if our coaches feel that an athlete would benefit from developing additional swimming skills before joining WGB, families will be advised accordingly.

Is My Child Ready for an Assessment?

Your child may be ready for a WGB assessment if they are comfortable and confident swimming independently without a flotation device, able to follow a coach’s instructions in the pool, and have some familiarity with freestyle and backstroke.

Families are encouraged to review the program details for each WGB roster group before registering for an assessment. These descriptions provide additional information about the skills, abilities, and expectations for each group and can help you determine where your swimmer may be in their development.

Pre-Competitive Roster Group

**WGB is a competitive swim club, rather than a learn-to-swim program. Athletes must already have basic swimming ability, water confidence, and water-safety skills before being considered for membership. WGB programs are not designed to teach foundational swimming or lifesaving skills.**

**All new athletes must complete an Athlete Assessment prior to their first registration.**

**Life jackets are not used in WGB programming.**

The Pre-Competitive Roster Group is where young swimmers at the Whitehorse Glacier Bears Swim Club begin developing the skills and confidence needed for competitive swimming. Designed for athletes transitioning into structured, skill-based training, this roster group provides a positive, developmentally appropriate environment focused on strong technique, confidence, and a love of the sport.

Swimmers develop the fundamentals of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly while learning essential competitive swimming skills such as streamlines, starts, turns, and underwater skills. Each group builds progressively on the skills and expectations of the previous level:

• Gummy Bears introduces young swimmers to the foundational movements and skills of the four competitive strokes through fun, engaging, and age-appropriate activities.

• Teddy Bears builds on foundational stroke skills while introducing more advanced competitive techniques, greater independence, and structured training in the main lap pool.

• Cubs prepares swimmers for the transition to the Junior Competitive Roster through more advanced skill development, increased training expectations, and introductory racing experiences.

Each group within the Pre-Competitive Roster is offered in two sessions per season, providing families with flexibility to participate in one or more sessions throughout the year. Whether swimmers ultimately progress to the Junior Competitive or Competitive Rosters or simply build skills and confidence for lifelong participation in aquatics, the Pre-Competitive Roster provides a strong foundation for their development.

Junior Competitive Roster Group

The Junior Competitive Roster Group is the transitional stream for swimmers who have progressed beyond foundational pre-competitive skills and are ready to begin structured training in a more focused, team-oriented environment.This group serves as a bridge between skill development and competitive performance, supporting swimmers as they build the habits, technique, and mindset needed for long-term success in the sport.

Swimmers in the Junior Competitive Roster Group refine their technique across all four strokes, improve their starts, turns, and underwater skills, and begin training with purpose, consistency, and goal-setting. Practices emphasize proper mechanics, aerobic development, and race readiness, while continuing to foster a love for the sport.

The Junior Competitive stream includes:

• Panda Bears: Our entry-level junior competitive group for swimmers transitioning from Pre-Competitive. Focus is on mastering stroke technique and introducing structured interval-based training.

• Black Bears: Swimmers in this group begin to train more regularly and with increased intensity. They develop endurance and learn stroke-specific sets, with a goal of working toward qualifying times in the North & Interior Division.

• Brown Bears: The most advanced group within Junior Competitive. These athletes train at a higher volume and intensity, preparing for North & Interior Divisionals and transitioning into the Competitive Roster pathway.

The Junior Competitive program provides a crucial development phase where swimmers learn to balance fun, focus, and foundational training. Athletes are expected to demonstrate growing independence and commitment as they progress. Entry into each group is based on skill level, training readiness, and coach assessment.

Whether a swimmer is just beginning to train like a competitor or preparing to enter full-time competitive programming, the Junior Competitive stream nurtures their growth with age-appropriate challenges in a positive, team-focused setting.

Competitive Roster Groups

The Competitive Roster Group is designed for athletes who are ready to pursue the sport of swimming with commitment, consistency, and a competitive mindset. Spanning a broad age and skill range, this group provides a structured pathway for swimmers to develop from foundational racing skills to advanced performance at the North and Interior Divisional, BC provincial, Canadian Age-Group National and Canadian National levels.

Each roster within the Competitive Group supports athletes in progressing through age-appropriate stages of Appriate Athlete Development Model, from Learn to Train through Train to Compete. Technical excellence, physical literacy, mental focus, and leadership are cultivated at every level.

Swimmers train multiple times per week, learn to race across all strokes and distances, and are supported in setting and reaching performance goals. Emphasis is placed on developing strong technique, race strategies, and an understanding of energy systems, stroke mechanics, and competitive preparation. Athletes are expected to participate in sanctioned swim meets throughout the season.

This roster group includes:

• Polar Bears

• Kodiaks

• Silvertips (highest-level performance group)

Whether beginning their competitive journey or racing toward national qualifying times, swimmers in the Competitive Roster Group are coached to meet their full potential in a challenging, supportive, and team-driven environment.

Non-Competitive Roster Group

The Non-Competitive Roster Group is designed for swimmers who wish to stay active and engaged in the sport of swimming without the expectations of formal racing. This pathway supports athletes who value swimming for fitness, technique, enjoyment, and personal challenge, rather than competition.

Athletes in this stream, such as those in the Grizzlies group, have typically developed strong foundational skills and may meet or exceed the technical and aerobic benchmarks of the club’s competitive groups. While they do not train for swim meets, they continue to refine technique, maintain conditioning, and participate in challenging and rewarding practices.

This roster is ideal for swimmers who:

• Have transitioned out of competitive swimming but want to stay in the water.

• Are focused on school, other sports, or life commitments but still enjoy swimming.

• Value being part of a swim community and want to train in a team environment.

• See swimming as a lifelong activity and want to maintain health and well-being through the sport.

The Non-Competitive stream supports the principles of Appropriate Athlete Development Model by ensuring every swimmer has a place to grow, move, and thrive—whether or not competition is part of their journey.