Blue Tide Aquatics

Weekly Chlorine

Sept 23rd - Sept 28th

OUR MISSION

To have a nationally recognized aquatics program that teaches and trains all levels of swimmers, emphasizing individual progress, team unity, and family participation.

OUR VISION

• Support and grow a developmental program from a learn-to-swim to national and international level competition
• Maintain flexible and committed swim programs that allow for various swimmer interests.
• Remain the featured swim program in the Humble/Kingwood/Atascocita area
• Increase and maintain team enrollment above 300 swimmers.
• Continue to provide a healthy and positive environment for all member athletes through the development and implementation of club governance measures, USA Swimming Safe Sport policies and reporting mechanisms, USA Swimming Safe Sport best practices, and training for athletes and parents

Upcoming Events

September 25th- Chick-fil-A Spirit Night

October 13th - Shark Fall Open Water Extravaganza

Head Coach Note

Dear BTA Families,

What an incredible way to kick off the season with our BTA Big Brother and Big Sister Meet! The energy and sense of togetherness truly made it feel like a family event, which is a massive win for everyone involved.

The IMX events we tackled at this meet are crucial in giving us a head start in the Virtual Club Ranking as we begin our season. As a coaching staff, we believe that every swimmer on this team matters, and our long-term goal is to develop well-rounded athletes who can swim every stroke and every event. We are so proud of how wonderfully the kids performed!

Looking ahead, our next team meet is the BATS meet, where our 13-and-over swimmers will compete in the short events and the 200-meter fly. This will complete our goal of having every swimmer compete in all IMX and IMR events for the season.

Thank you all for supporting the meet, volunteering your time, and making it such a success.

We couldn’t do it without you!

Best regards,



Coach Matt and the BTA Coaching Staff

BTA Swim Announcements

BTA Team Store Now Available Through SwimOutlet

We are excited to announce that the BTA Team Store is now live through SwimOutlet! You can find all the required team gear, including suits, caps, and training equipment, as well as optional apparel and accessories. By purchasing through SwimOutlet, you not only ensure your swimmer has the correct gear, but you also help support BTA. Visit the store today and gear up for the season!

BTA Team Store

Open Water Meet

We are excited to let you know that the open water meet is now live, and registration is officially open! This meet, open to our Bronze 1, Silver 1, Performance Prep, Performance Senior, and Hi-Performance groups, offers an amazing opportunity to challenge your swimming skills in a natural lake setting. Race distances include 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and a 500m race for our 10 & Under swimmers to introduce them to open water competition. The deadline to register is October 5th, so please be sure to contact your coach if you’re interested and need any additional information. Don’t miss out on this exciting experience! We will have practice on Oct 5th at Lake Longhorn for all people at the open water meet. More information to come.

LAC Fall Classic Meet

The Fall Classic Meet is now live and will be held at the Northwest ISD Aquatic Center, located at 1976 Texan Drive, Justin, Texas, 76247, from October 31, 2024, to November 3, 2024. The finals format includes E, D, C, B, and A finals for events 100 yards or shorter, and D, C, B, and A finals for events 200 to 500 yards, all swum in order from slowest to fastest. The D final for 200-500 yard events and the E final for 100-yard events will be reserved for 16 & under swimmers. The 1000 and 1650 freestyle events will be timed finals, with the top 8 swimmers competing in finals.

To enter, swimmers must meet the 15-16 'AA' time standards for the 2021-2024 period, with swimmers needing the 'AA' time for events 400 yards and longer. Qualifying times for the 1000 and 1650 can be used interchangeably.

The team hotel for this meet is Hampton Inn & Suites N. Ft. Worth-Alliance Airport, located at 13600 North Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76177. Reservations can be made by calling +1 817-439-0400 or visiting the hotel's website.

October Break Schedule

We hope everyone is doing well! Below is the link to the October break schedule for Humble ISD, which runs from October 7th to October 12th. During this break, we will only be using the BTA pool for practices. Due to several factors, including high schoolers still having morning practices, we will need to adjust our schedule.

• High school swimmers will practice in the afternoon.
• We will be spreading out the younger swimmers between the morning and afternoon sessions.

We are providing this schedule three weeks in advance to help families plan ahead. If you're a working family, we encourage you to arrange carpools during this week. Each group has a Group Parent who can assist with coordinating carpool arrangements, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to them.

Here’s the link to the October Break Schedule: October Break Schedule

I appreciate your understanding, and we appreciate your flexibility!

Meet Sign-Up Deadline

Oct 5th - Shark Fall Open Water Extravaganza

Spirit Night

Get ready for some clucking good fun because Spirit Night is happening at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, September 25th! Come for the nuggets, stay for the community vibes—and let’s be honest, who doesn't love an excuse to eat more chicken? I’ll send you the flyer as soon as it hatches, so get ready to mark your calendars and bring your appetite!

Safe Sport Parent Training for Parents

We NEED YOUR HELP

Dear Parents,

We kindly ask each of you to complete the Parent Safe Sport training to help us meet our Safe Sport Recognition goals. In order to earn at least 1 point towards recognition, we need to show that 10% of our parents have completed the training. Currently, we have 5 parents trained (2%), so I’m reaching out to encourage more participation. We will also be working with our parent reps to promote this within their GroupMe channels.

The Parent Safe Sport training takes about 40-45 minutes to complete. To get started, visit the USA Swimming University at USA Swimming. Once there:

• Click the Safe Sport icon or the Parents/Volunteers icon
• Select the course: Parent's Guide to Misconduct in Sport

Why is this important? Achieving Safe Sport Recognition is critical for BTA Swim Club because it demonstrates our commitment to creating a safe, healthy, and positive environment for all of our athletes. The Safe Sport program helps protect athletes from misconduct in sport, including abuse, bullying, and harassment. By completing the parent training, you’re directly contributing to making our club a safer place for every swimmer and helping us reach this important milestone.

Your involvement is crucial to ensuring our athletes' safety and helping our team maintain high standards. Thank you for your time and support!

Save the Date: BTA Fall Festival

Join us for Blue Tide Aquatics' biggest fundraiser of the year! This exciting event is a chance for our community to come together, enjoy fun games, win fantastic prizes, and participate in our new online silent auction. There will also be a Dunk Tank and a chance to win free swim lessons!

Date: November 10, 2024

Location: Megaton Brewery, 808 Russell Palmer Rd

Time: 2:00 PM

We are currently seeking donations for our silent auction, including sports or concert tickets, custom goggles, vacation rentals, amusement park tickets, and more! If you have items to donate, please contact Krista Phillis at 469-767-4987.

Mark your calendars, and we look forward to seeing you there for a day of fun and support for BTA!

BTA Swim Practice Schedule

Hi-Performance

M / F 4:00 – 6:00 @KHS 

Wednesday 4:00 - 6:00 @BTA

T / Th AM  5:30 – 7:00 am @BTA

T / TH 4:00 – 6:45 pm @KHS (Including Dryland)

Saturday 6:30 - 9:00 am @BTA

Performance

M / W 4:30 – 6:30 pm @KPark

T / TH / F 4:00 – 6:30 pm @BTA (Including Dryland)

T / Th AM 5:30 – 7:00am @BTA

Saturday 8:30 - 10:30 am @BTA

Senior Group

M / W 4:00 – 6:15 pm @BTA (Including Dryland)

T / TH / F 4:30 – 6:15 pm @Kpark

T / Th AM 5:30 – 7:00 am @BTA

Saturday 12:30 - 2:30 pm @BTA

Performance Prep

M / W 6:30 – 8:15 pm @KPark

T / TH / F 6:00 – 8:15 pm @BTA (Including Dryland)

Th AM 5:30 – 7:00am @BTA

Saturday 10:30 - 12:30 pm @BTA

Senior Prep

M / W / F 6:45 – 8:15 pm @Kpark

T / TH 6:00 – 8:15 pm @BTA (Including Dryland)

Saturday 12:30 - 2:30 pm @BTA

Silver 1

M / W 6:15 – 8:15 pm @BTA (Including Dryland)

T / TH / F 6:15 – 8:00 pm @Kpark

Saturday 2:30 - 4:00 pm @BTA

Silver 2

M / F 6:00 – 7:30 pm @KHS

T / TH 5:45 – 7:30 pm @KHS (Including Dryland)

Wednesday No Practice Due to KHS Meet

Saturday 2:30 - 4:00 pm @BTA

Bronze 1

M / F 4:30 – 6:00 pm @KHS

T / TH 4:30 – 6:15 pm @KHS (Including Dryland)

Wednesday No Practice Due to KHS Meet

Saturday 2:30 - 4:00 pm @BTA

Bronze 2

M / W / F 5:30 – 6:45 pm @KPark

T / TH 5:30 – 7:00 pm @Kpark (Including Dryland)

Bronze 3

M / W 4:30 – 5:30 pm @KPark

T / Th 4:30 - 5:30 pm @KPARK

Gulf and USA Swimming

Time Standards

USA Swimming time standards serve as benchmarks for assessing swimmers' progress and performance levels, particularly younger athletes, across various age groups and events. These standards are meticulously designed to offer a clear framework for swimmers to aim for, starting from the local and regional levels and advancing through to national competitions. They categorize performances into different levels, such as B, BB, A, AA, AAA, and AAAA, with each level representing a progressively higher performance standard. This system not only fosters a sense of achievement and motivation among swimmers by providing tangible goals to strive for but also aids coaches in tailoring training programs to meet each swimmer's individual needs. Furthermore, these time standards facilitate the selection process for various swim meets, ensuring that participants compete against others of comparable skill levels. This structured approach to competition helps measure progress and success, encouraging swimmers to continue improving and advancing in the sport. By comparing times against these standards, swimmers, coaches, and parents can gauge improvement, set goals, and understand where a swimmer stands about peers at the local, regional, and national levels.

Age Group Time Standards

USA Swimming Age Group Motivational Standards

Gulf Age Group Champs Time Standards

TAGS Time Standards

Senior Time Standards

Southern Senior Championship

Sectionals Standards

Futures Time Standards

18 & Under Spring Cup Time Standards

Summer Junior Time Standards

If you have Questions about Practice Times or Meets for your swimmer, please get in touch with your swimmer's Lead Coach of the Group.

If you have general questions about the swim club, concerns, or compliments, please email In Head Coach Matt Sanspree.

If you have any questions about your account, please get in touch with our Team Registrar at Team Registrar

If you have any questions about Volunteer Hours, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at Volunteer Coordinator.

The BTA Board of Directors were elected to serve you. Please feel free to ask any questions, express your concerns, or give your compliments. BTA Board Of Directors

We Need You! Fun Way to Volunteer and be on Deck!

Every swim club relies on the dedication and expertise of officials to successfully conduct swim meets, ensuring fair competition and adherence to USA Swimming rules. When clubs participate in away meets, it's equally important to bring along officials who can contribute to the smooth operation of these events. Becoming a USA Swim Official not only offers a unique vantage point to experience the excitement of swim meets but also provides a rewarding opportunity to support your swimmer and the broader swim community. Embrace the chance to make lasting friendships with fellow parents and volunteers, all while playing a pivotal role in the sport you love.

By deciding to become an Official, you're offering a valuable gift of time and talent to the swimming world, enhancing the experience for all involved. Whether you lean towards being a Stroke & Turn Judge, who closely observes swimmers' techniques and ensures compliance with USA Swimming rules from poolside, or prefer the role of an Administrative Official, managing meet information and serving as a go-to resource for questions, there's a path that suits your skills and personality. Both roles are crucial, offering different perspectives on the meet but sharing the same goal of facilitating a fair, enjoyable competition. Full training is provided for both positions, requiring no previous swimming knowledge, making this an accessible way to contribute significantly to your swim club and the sport at large. Take the step today and become an integral part of the swimming community as an Official.

There are two paths: Stroke & Turn Judge or Administrative Official. They are different classes, and they are different jobs. You should choose one path, based on personality and fit, and work your way through the process.

Stroke & Turn Judge - USA Official who stands at the edge of the pool during swim meets and observes the swims of the swimmers. Reports observations that deviate from the USA Swimming rules. Full training is offered, and no prior swimming knowledge is needed. 

Administrative Official - USA Swimming Official who serves as an information center at meets by entering information into computers, answering general questions from swimmers, coaches, other officials, parents, and spectators. Full training is offered, and no prior swimming knowledge is needed.

Become a USA Swimming Official today and follow the link below!

Become an Official Today!

For questions and assistance, please reach out to

Gulf Swimming Official’s Chair (Matt Sale) at officialschair@gulfswimming.org