BARRACUDA AQUATICS CLUB ABOUT US CENTER

 The Barracuda Aquatics Club offers a year-round competitive swim program open to swimmers age 6 and up. BAC is a member of USA Swimming and Minnesota Swimming Inc. BAC is a member of USA Swimming and Minnesota Swimming, Inc. and operates in the communities of Bloomington and Shakopee, Minnesota.  We are a non-profit coach run & directed program striving to offer the best possible conditions for beginning competitive swimmers to national qualifiers.

When a young person becomes a member of the Barracuda Aquatics Club he/she learns the value of sportsmanship and team work. We believe in responsibility and a positive attitude, both in competition and throughout all aspects of training and preparation. We emphasize the values of true sportsmanship and the importance of team spirit & team pride.

MISSION STATEMENT:
To provide swimmers of all ages, through training and guidance, the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to formulate and attain their goals.

TEAM HISTORY:
Barracuda Aquatics Club was founded in 1960. At that time, and up until 1993, it was known as Bloomington Aquatic Club. The club was formed by a small group of parents, six swimmers & Cliff Gonyer, the Bloomington Lincoln High School swimming coach. In 1993, the club was dissolved and a new charter was applied for to create the Barracuda Aquatics Club. This was in a large part due to the growth of the club in the city of Shakopee. In 1997, BAC joined Richfield Swim Club & WEST Express Swim Team to form Minnesota Federated Swimming for swim meets. In 2003, Dolphin Aquatic Team joined the MFS which resulted in MFS changing it’s name to Blackline Aquatics.  Only our 13 & Older swimmers are attached to Blackline Aquatics, the rest of our swimmers are attached to Barracuda Aquatics Club.

BAC has a long standing reputation for providing a quality competitive swim program. We have consistently qualified swimmers for the State, Sectional & National Championships.

TEAM LEVELS:

The Barracuda Aquatics Club is organized differently from most other swimming clubs.  Instead of focusing just on the ability level, we also try to keep swimmers together by peer groups.  While it is more challenging to run practices in this fashion because of the wide variety of abilities, we believe it is essential because it allows us to develop team unity among our swimmers at all levels and abilities.  Swimmers remain in peers groups that grow and develop together!

We use a long-term individual approach to development.  As swimmers gradually increase their degree of commitment, they will approach individual peak performance levels.  The emphasis in the early stages of participation must be on developing technical skills and a love for the sport.  In the later years, a more demanding physical and psychological challenge must be introduced to the development program.  In this respect, “too much, too soon” is more likely to cause a senior swimmer’s failure to achieve maximum potential, than the reverse.

In addition to emphasizing long-term rather than short-term results, we have established specific development groups for our Senior Team.  These development groups will allow swimmers and coaches to work together to develop a more individualized program that meets the commitment and ability level of each swimmer.  The goals and objectives of each team or group are specific and directed toward meeting the needs of the swimmer.  The long-term goal of total excellence is always in mind.  As each swimmer is different, he/she will progress at his/her own rate. 

The swim levels defined in the links below are general guidelines.  Exceptions to these guidelines may be made at the coaches’ discretion, based on the optimum placement for the swimmer.  

Swimmers will be graduated from one team to the next based on age, ability and coaches recommendations.  Developmental swimmers that are ready to move to a new level will be placed into our Age Group team and then, based on the swimmer’s needs, will be placed into either our Junior or Senior teams.  The coaching staff will make the final decisions concerning placement of all swimmers.

TEAM PHILOSOPHY: 
Our Team Philosophy is "EXCELLENCE IN SWIMMING & LIFE".  We strive to achieve this philosophy by creating the best possible environment for LEARNING & FUN

Developmental          Age Group          Junior
Senior          High School Prep          Masters
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BLACKLINE AQUATICS

Blackline Aquatics is a coach-operated partnership between two teams, Barracuda Aquatics Club (BAC) and Dolphin Aquatic Team (DAT).  The partnership involves our swimmers when they participate in a swim meet only.  Both clubs (BAC & DAT), operate their day to day operations seperately.  This partnership only effects BAC swimmers that are 13 years old or older.  Our 12 & Under swimemrs are attached to BAC and our 13 & Older swimmers are attached to BLA at swim meets.  Below is a further explanation of BLA and the reasons why BAC started this partnership over 10 years ago.

BLA Description
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