What is a swim team?

Swim team is a fun, community-based program where kids ages 5 to 18 practice and compete in swimming. Swimmers of all skill levels learn and practice freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, and participate in weekly meets against other local teams. With a focus on teamwork, sportsmanship, and enjoyment, summer swim teams help kids develop confidence in and around the water.

Who can participate?

Children aged 5-18 who are Mueller residents can participate on the swim team.

When is the swim season?

Swim season begins during the last week of April and finishes the third week of June each year.

Where will practices take place?

We hope to practice at Ella Wooten Pool and/or John Gaines Pool. We are currently working with the neighborhood Property Owner’s Association on a pool usage agreement. We presented the board with a couple of scenarios. Two of the scenarios propose that practices take place in four of the six lap lanes in Ella Wooten Pool while the rest of the pool (two lanes + wading pool + entire pool grounds) remain open to all residents. Another scenario proposes that practices take place on Mondays at Ella Wooten Pool and Wednesdays at John Gaines Pool, while the pool is closed to residents for cleaning but after the cleaning has taken place.

When will practices take place?

We are still in discussions with the neighborhood POA to determine practice times. However, we hope to run practices over two to three hours on two to four weekday afternoons between the last week of April and the third week of June. In June, Thursday and Friday practices may take place from 7:00-9:00 a.m.

How are practices structured?

While we are still determining what the practice window will be, we anticipate that swimmers will practice with their age groups. A practice schedule could look like:

4:30-5:00 5 & 6 year olds

5:00-5:30 7 & 8 year olds

5:30-6:15 9 & 10 year olds

5:45-6:30 11-18 year olds

Practices are run by a head coach with help from a few assistant coaches. Assistant coaches are in the water with younger swimmers during their practice times.

How much will it cost to join the swim team?

We anticipate that dues will be $250-$275 per swimmer, with scholarships available for families who need them.

Will you host swim meets in Mueller?

No, we will not be hosting swim meets in Mueller. Mueller swimmers will compete in meets hosted in other neighborhoods.

How long have you been working on this project? What have the steps been to get it approved?

July 2024: idea for team hatched, Mueller Pool Committee contacted for first time

January 2025: Swim Team presents to Mueller Pool Committee

February 2025: Swim Team presents to Mueller Mixed-Use Board, board votes to delay consideration of proposal until the 2026 season in order to gather more information

May 2025: Swim Team Working Group is formed

July 2025: Majority of Swim Team Working Group votes to recommend approval of the Mueller Swim Team pilot season and pool usage agreement

August 2025: Swim Team presents to Mueller Mixed-Use Board. Board votes to advance the proposal to the Mueller Master Board, contingent upon 1) participating in a community forum and 2) investigating the neighborhood’s insurance coverage for athletic activities

October 2025: Mueller community forum & swim team to present to the Mueller Master Board

How does swim team insurance work?

Thanks for asking! We need something to do with the swim team insurance knowledge we’ve accumulated over the past year. In keeping with swim team best practices, we plan to carry a general liability insurance policy that names the POA as an additional insured. In the unlikely event that there was an incident during a swim practice, the swim team, not the POA, would be liable.

However, swim team programs tend to make a pool safer, not more dangerous. Under the swim team’s proposal, there would be lifeguards staffed at the pool (paid for by the swim team) at times where there currently are none. Additionally, the swim team will help neighborhood children develop strong swim skills, making them safer users of the pool both during swim season and afterwards.

Where can I read the swim team proposals?

Right here! The swim team proposals have changed substantially as we’ve worked with the POA to determine the best program design for the neighborhood. The September 2025 proposal reflects the swim team’s current proposal to the board.

September 2025 proposal (current)

August 2025 proposal (old, out of date)

February 2025 proposal (old, out of date)

Why can’t the kids swim at Patterson or Bartholomew instead?

More swim team options mean more kids can learn to swim safely. The Mueller swim team will follow a different schedule than the City of Austin swim teams. The Mueller team will practice and compete in May and early June. The City of Austin teams practice and compete from mid-June to mid-July. This allows families to participate in both or choose the schedule that fits them best. We build homes, shops, gyms, restaurants, parks and more here in Mueller, even though there are already homes, businesses, and amenities in the surrounding neighborhoods. We believe our kids should have multiple swim options close to home, too.