Future Flyers

Swimmers interested in joining the West Fargo Flyers will need to attend one of our Future Flyers session. The Flyers will offer these events multiple times throughout the year. The sessions include one night of a Flyer practice in our developmental group (Purple Group) to give your swimmer a chance to see if they enjoy the experience of a swim practice and give the coaches a chance to evaluate your swimmer's skill level. 
 

If you are interested in registering for a Future Flyers please email Head Coach Talia Butery at [email protected]. Talia will then add you to the list to be contacted with more information on when the Future Flyer evaluations will take place so you can select a day & time that work best for you. 

We will be offering evaluations in September. Classes will open for enrollment on August 25th. 

Each Future Flyers evaluation is $10.00. We do not offer refunds or make-ups, so make sure you can attend the session in which you plan to register.

UPCOMING FUTURE FLYER SESSIONS

Here are some things to consider before enrolling your athlete in a Future Flyer evaluation.

The Hulbert Aquatic Center has a policy that every swimmer must be able to swim in the pool without a life jacket. The swim test includes being able to swim 25 yards unassisted, which includes stopping on the wall or lane rope. If your swimmer cannot swim 25 yards of freestyle or backstroke unassisted and without stopping, it would be in your athlete’s best interest to continue on with swimming lessons and look for the next Future Flyers session when your swimmer is stronger in the water. 

Not all athletes will pass the Future Flyer Evaluation. Invitation to swim on the Flyers will be based on safety, skills, and maturity. Please know that if your swimmer does not pass Future Flyers the first time (or even the second time), It just means they need to get a bit stronger, more comfortable, and a little more experience.

We are a competitive swim team. We ask all members of our club to compete in a minimum of 2 swim meets throughout the season. This is a time for your swimmer to show how hard they have worked in practice and to hang out with their teammates!

As the start of the Short Course season approaches you will begin to see more information on meets, practices, parent meetings and team events on our website. You can find this information on the EVENTS tab on the website.  If you are not planning to register for the upcoming Short Course season, we politely ask you to wait to schedule a Future Flyers evaluation with the team until your swimmer is ready to join.
* The Short Course season runs from October-March. We do have a half season option for our 10&Under swimmers. They can sign up for a Fall session, October-December or the Winter session, January-the second week of March. 
* The Long Course season runs from April to mid-July. 

During a Future Flyer evaluation, swimmers will be assessed by Flyers Coaching staff on the specific skills needed to become a member of the West Fargo Flyers Swim Team. Typically, Future Flyers sessions are over 1 practice day for 30 minutes. Swimmers should bring a pair of goggles and a swimsuit to the events. We recommend a swim cap for swimmers with hair past their chin, but it is not necessary. We also recommend that females wear a one-piece swimsuit for tryouts, but it is not required. You do NOT need a specific brand of swimsuit for the event.  
* Note that if your swimmer joins the Flyer, swim shirts or long sleeve swimsuits are not allowed.

At the conclusion of the Future Flyers evaluation, the swimmer will receive a certificate saying they are ready for the team or If we suggest another round of swimming lessons before they try again. A coach will also come to talk to each parent/guardian and answer any questions that they may have.

If your child is ready to join the Flyers:

  • You will receive registration information, including which practice group they should sign up for
  • Details about each practice group, including when practices are, what equipment is required and how to sign up for practices
  • Contact information for the West Fargo Flyers Coaches and Board members

If your child is not quite ready for the Flyers yet:

  • This does not mean that your child’s swimming career is over! Our main priority is safety in the pool. We recommend that your child takes another round of swimming lessons to help improve endurance and gain a little more confidence in the water.

What to expect if your swimmer is ready to join the Flyers

  • Most swimmers join the team at the Purple or Yellow group level. Purple swimmers choose two, 45-minute practice options per week. Yellow swimmers can choose up to 3, 45-minute practice options per week. 
  • Purple Group swimmers have afternoon (Mondays & Tuesdays) & evening practice options, Monday-Thursday.
  • Yellow Group swimmers have evening practice options, Monday-Thursday.
  • There are equipment requirements for each group beyond a swimsuit, goggles and swim cap. Purple swimmers will need to purchase fins. Yellow swimmers will need to purchase fins & snorkel. Links and group descriptions can be found by going to the home page of the West Fargo Flyers, clicking on the TRAINING GROUPS tab to reveal a drop-down menu and selecting the training group you would like to learn more about
  • Swimmers who join the Flyers are ready for competition! Swimmers should plan to participate in at least 2 swim meets over the course of the season. There are Isquads (inter-squads with just Flyer swimmers), Saturday and/or Sunday meets, local and travel opportunities as well. We offer a wide variety of competitions to try to satisfy our newest members of the team to our most seasoned Veterans. 
  • You will also be responsible for registering your athlete for USA Swimming. Our Registration Chair, Jill Zietz, will be able to help you with that. This is a yearly membership, required for all USA Swimming Clubs and their athletes. The membership fee is $80.00 
  • We also have a volunteer requirement. Volunteer hours are based on the training group your athlete is in. The volunteer requirements for the 2025-2026 Short Course season are below. 
    Purple Group - 10 hours during the regular season PLUS one session at the Sectionals Meet (March 12-15)
    Yellow Group - 12 hours during the regular season PLUS two sessions at the Sectionals Meet (March 12-15) 
    ** Any hours not completed up to the requirement will be billed at $50 per hour at the completion of the short course season. Any Sectionals Meet shift not worked will be charged $250 per shift if not completed.
  • The program fees for an athlete joining the team are below. The half-season option is available only to our 10 & Under swimmers.
               Purple Group
    • Full Season - $525 ($50 at time of registration and $79.17 per month)
    • 1/2 Season - $263 ($50 at time of registration and $71 per month)
      Yellow Group
    • Full Season - $625 ($50 at time of registration and $95.83 per month)
    • 1/2 Season - $312.50 ($50 at time of registration and $88 per month)
  • Billing Dates for athletes who join the team this season are below
              Purple Group
    • Full Season - October, November, December, January, February, March 
    • 1/2 Season - October, November & December OR January, February, March
      Yellow Group
    • Full Season - October, November, December, January, February, March
    • 1/2 Season - October, November & December OR January, February, March

We know this is a lot of information and it can be overwhelming. Please do not hesitate to contact Head Coach Talia at [email protected] with questions.