Meet Recaps

Para Worlds

Casey Freeman once again represented YOTA at the national level for Team USA at the Para World Series event in Indianapolis this past weekend. This was the most attended World Para event ever and it was more competitive than ever. Casey rose to the occasion and had her best individual performance at a Para meet by achieving her personal best and making finals in every race she swam. In addition, she brought home some hardware in the 400 Free and 200 IM. Great job, Casey!

RSA Warm Up to Long Course

335 YOTA swimmers took over the Pullen Aquatic Center for the RSA Warm Up to Long Course meet over the weekend of April 26-27. This was the first long course meet of the season and the meet served as a great opportunity for our swimmers to spend some time training and racing in a long course pool. Throughout the weekend we had 1,404 swims and 77% personal best times. Way to kick off the long course season strong, YOTA!

NCS Spotlight

Diversity Camp: The Carolina's Diversity Select camp featured 50 athletes from the NCS & SCS LSCs. Camp was held on campus at Queens University of Charlotte. Coach Deion Dean from Hampton Roads, VA was our head coach, CJ Raybon (former SCS athlete) was our dryland coach and Nien Levy (Queens student-athlete) was our guest athlete coach. We also had 6 current NCS & SCS athletes who served as coaches. Selected athletes had a great day that included 2 in-water sessions, a dryland session, lunch, a question-and-answer session with Nien Levy (who also got in the water and swam with the athletes), as well as a parent's session that included information about becoming officials. YOTA was represented by Dylan Sun and Natalie Barber who attended the camp as athletes, and Jamie Bloom (NCS DEI Chair), Josh Jones and Scotia Brown who attended the camp as coaches!

NCS Age Group Select Camp: YOTA’s Blake Zimmermann and Benjamin Lei attended the North Carolina Swimming Age Group Select Camp at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center on April 12th. The boys earned their tickets to camp by placing in the top 5 at Age Group Champs this year. The day consisted of technique work, skill development, and a lot of inspiration led by a variety of coaches from across the state.

Carolina Crown: 260 athletes from North Carolina Swimming and South Carolina Swimming were chosen to compete at this year’s Carolina Crown Swim Challenge in Charlotte, NC. YOTA was represented by Campbell Lange (Team Black Sapphire), Cam Morris (Team Ruby) and Josh Jones (Team Emerald). Big congratulations to Cam and his Ruby teammates who took home the gold this year!

Mental Health Awareness Month

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, check out the YMCA’s new Teen Mental Health Resource Hub! This tool provides quick resources for our teens to learn more about mental health and enhance their mental wellness. Additionally, check out this article written by Coach Macy for a deeper dive into mental health and swimming.

Why Swim Through the Summer?

As summer approaches, many swimmers are thinking about joining summer league teams. While these can be fun and social, it’s important to stay committed to YOTA practices to ensure steady progress in your swimmer’s long-term development. Here are three key reasons to maintain consistent practices and competitions with YOTA this summer:

1. Consistent and professional coaching: YOTA coaches are professionally trained and understand your swimmer’s development plan. In contrast, summer league coaches may lack experience or familiarity with your swimmer’s needs, and often habits develop that take months to unlearn. Staying with your YOTA training group ensures that your swimmer continues progressing safely and effectively throughout the summer.

2. Continued development through long course training: Summer is the only time of year we train and compete in 50-meter pools. This requires specific skills and conditioning. Practicing consistently through summer builds endurance, stroke efficiency, and confidence in the long course setting, giving your swimmer a real edge heading into the fall.

3. Long-term Growth: We’re committed to helping every swimmer reach their full potential, whether that's local competition, college swimming, or beyond. The summer season is a crucial part of that journey. Summer league is great for fun and community, but it’s designed for short-term participation. YOTA offers the structure and consistency needed for long-term success.

We encourage those who enjoy summer league to participate—but make your YOTA practices and meets a priority. Staying engaged through July ensures your swimmer is ready to take on the next level. Here’s to an EPIC summer ahead!

Looking Ahead

May 15 - 18: Martha McKee Charlotte Open at Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center (Qualified Senior Athletes)
May 16 - 18: EAC Memorial Invitational at the Greensboro Aquatic Center (All YOTA Athletes not at Martha McKee)
May 31: NCS Open Water Championships at Lake Echo (All Swimmers at Coaches Discretion)

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