Swimming at BST

Bolton Swim and Tennis has a 6-lane, 25 meter pool with diving well, diving board, and two designated lap lanes. In addition, there is a step-in three-foot shallow end and 1-2 lifeguards are on duty at all times.

A separate children’s wading pool is on the property with a self-closing gate and magnetic lock. The wading pool is for children younger than 5 years old.

Swim Programing

  • Masters Swim

    Bolton Hill Masters Swimming is a program designed to improve fitness and reach specific goals for adults. This program promotes healthy lifestyles through friendship and camaraderie in and out of the pool. This energetic group of swimmer’s practices three morning per week throughout the summer, focusing on proper stroke technique, endurance, speed, strength, and injury prevention. Our team welcomes members of all adult ages and skill levels.

    Interested swimmers should visit the pool on a practice day or contact coach Tom Penniston at pctombo@gmail.com.

  • Swim Lessons

    Private and semi-private swim lessons are available at BST and run 30 minutes in length.

    Private lessons are: $30 lesson
    Semi-private lessons are $20/lesson

    If you would like to book a swim lesson, please contact BST’s manager.

  • Lap Swimming

    Two lap lanes are offered during regular pool hours to members and/or guests 18 years old and up. One lane is available by reservation, which can be made at Member Splash. The second lap lane is open for walk-ins.

    Note:

    During afternoon swim team practice (Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 4:40-6:30pm) only one lap lane is available.

Bolton Hill Barracudas

For over 40 years, the Bolton Hill Barracudas has been an integral part of Bolton Swim and Tennis Club. The team provides a nurturing community for children 5 to 18 years old. There are a little over 100 swimmers each summer. The team is a member of the Central Maryland Swim League (CMSL). The team has enjoyed success, climbing from the 9th Division to now Division 4.

Children compete within age groups, not according to skill. The coaching staff guides swimmers of all skill levels in stroke mechanics, starts and turns, and competition technique. Young and inexperienced swimmers benefit from participation in the Junior Cuda program, in which special instruction is offered with full hands-on support of the bigger swimmers on the team. A strong emphasis is placed on sportsmanship, team spirit, and teammate support. Parents of swim team members must be BST members.

Swim Team Schedule

For the first two weeks, while school is still in session for most, we will only hold afternoon practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons. Morning practices begin on June 18th.

Junior Cudas will not officially start their in-pool practices until June 10th. They are welcome to join us on the field for getting to know you games and talks at 5:45 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday the week of June 3rd to get to know their coaches and become acclimated to the team. Please find a coach before 5:00 or after 7:00 to have your young swimmer show us 1 lap unassisted- a prerequisite for joining the team. Learn more about the Junior Cudas >

2024 MEET SCHEDULE

June 15th: Time Trials - HOME
June 22nd: Saint Andrews - AWAY
June 29th: Dulaney - AWAY
July 6th: West Howard - HOME
July 13th: Padonia DIII (non division meet) - AWAY
July 21st: JCC - HOME — Sunday Meet
July 27th: Divisionals / West Howard - AWAY

2024 PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Monday - Afternoon practice offered
5:00PM - 5:45PM Ages 9-12 
5:45PM - 6:15PM 8 + under
6:15PM - 7:00PM    Ages 12 + up

Tuesday - Morning practice offered
9:00AM - 9:45AM Ages 9-12
9:45AM - 10:15AM 8 + under
10:15AM - 11:00AM Ages 12 + up

Wednesday- Afternoon practice offered
5:00PM - 5:45PM Ages 9-12 
5:45PM - 6:15PM 8 + under
6:15PM - 7:00PM    Ages 12 + up

Thursday - Morning practice offered
9:00AM - 9:45AM Ages 9-12
9:45AM - 10:15AM 8 + under
10:15AM - 11:00AM Ages 12 + up

Friday - Both morning and afternoon practice offered
9:00AM - 9:45AM Ages 9-12 5:00PM - 5:45PM
9:45AM - 10:15AM 8 + under 5:45PM - 6:15PM
10:15AM - 11:00AM Ages 12 + up 6:15PM - 7:00PM

Swimmers should aim to attend 2-3 practices per week. Morning practice times are highly encouraged. Afternoon practice is geared for swimmers who cannot attend morning practice.

Barracuda Swim Team Coaches

Ramsey Mihavetz, Head Coach

Ramsey possesses a strong swimming and teaching background, including serving as swim coach for 20 years and as a former swimmer for the Bolton Hill Barracudas. 

Emily Holmes, Coach emilybigham@yahoo.com
Laura Groseclose, Coach lgroseclose23@gmail.com
Nina Groseclose, Coach ngroseclose@gmail.com
Damian Blanck, Team Rep teambhbarracudas@gmail.com

Welcoming Frances Taylor as this year’s assistant coach

Tips for Supporting your Swimmer

  • Be patient. Swimmers develop at different paces, but all swimmers need time. When he or she is ready, the big improvement will come.

  • Encourage your child to be involved in this sport for his or her own enjoyment.

  • Focus more on personal best times and less on place ribbons.

  • Be positive. Help your child look beyond today’s disappointments and toward future goals.

  • Refrain from offering extra rewards for good performance. We want our swimmers to learn the thrill of competition and the personal rewards in achieving their best times.

  • Model good sportsmanship. Congratulate not only your child but his/her teammates.

  • Help your swimmer be prepared.  Be sure to have all needed equipment for practices and swim meets (water bottles for practice are advised) and arrive on time.

Cuda Team Volunteers

  • A quick thumb and sharp eye is all you need for timing. On-the-job training is provided prior to each swim meet and as many volunteers as possible helps spread the time spent. The benefit to these volunteer opportunities is that the timers and recorders have the best view of the races.

  • The belly of the beast. Here, the cool and the calm sit in the shade examining the recording sheets at a furious pace determining place awards and score. Good concentration, math skills, and diplomacy go a long way here. There are many skilled veterans at the table who can give on-the-job training.

  • Exercise and volunteer at once! The runner picks up the heat sheets from each lane recorder and brings them to the scoring table.

  • Great job for working on your tan, and meeting all the swimmers. Assist fearful new swimmers and motivate apathetic teens to get into their correct heat and lane in chairs behind the block.

  • Home meets only. Help serve up a plethora of breakfast, lunch and snack foods sold throughout the meet. The benefits of working the concession stand are constant interaction with people, and lots of shade. If you can not work in any of the positions purchasing and or preparing food for concession stand is also very needed.

  • Yee Haw. Welcome to controlled chaos. Patience is a virtue and a needed quality for this role. Our youngest swimmers get extra help from the wranglers so they are gathered together and arrive to the Clerk of Course in the correct heat order. Pro tip: often times, our most nervous swimmers do better when their parents are not in this role. Pass your nervous child on to this group and we will do our best to help them be brave.

  • Not an official job but all assistance in this department is greatly appreciated. Many hands make lite work. The faster we can get the club ready for general use, the better.

We are nothing without our parents.  New to the team and wondering what these volunteer positions look like?  Below are some quick descriptions. Believe us when we say a parent who simply spectates is going to get bored. Have fun and be a part of the work.

Junior Cudas

A quick recap of what being a Jr Cuda is all about:

  1. We require that a swimmer be able to swim unassisted for one length of the pool to join the program.  It does not have to be any real stroke, just proof of their basic ability to move forward and take breaths.

  2. If swimmers cannot show the coaches a full length unassisted, they can try again during those first two weeks.  After that, we'll ask the family to try again next year.

  3. Once a Jr Cuda, these swimmers will get lots of hands on attention from our older swimmers, as they build stamina and learn the basics of freestyle and backstroke.

  4. Most of the time, a swimmer who was a Junior Cuda the year before is not considered a Junior Cuda the next summer.  There are always exceptions, especially with our 5 (sometimes 4) year olds, who often could use another year of gentle encouragement.