Seventh- and eighth-grade students are eligible to compete in swimming at the senior high level because the sport is not offered in junior high schools.

Como Park Swim Team welcomes junior high school swimmers and is happy to have the opportunity to help them develop within a competitive program. Progress comes quickly through practicing five or six times per week over three months! New swimmers are not required to be proficient in all race strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle); these strokes will be taught and refined in practice. Being able to swim at least 50 yards (two pool lengths) is highly desirable, though.

Junior high swimmers come to the pool as soon as they can arrive after their school lets out and join practice in progress. The school district has no special transportation arrangements for junior high swimmers, but they may pursue several options:

·         Arrange with the transportation coordinator at the junior high school to ride the bus that drops off students in the vicinity of Como Park High School (this will entail walking from the nearest route stop to the high school);

·         Ride a city bus (Grotto-Maryland is a city bus stop); or

·         Arrange private transportation (i.e., pick up swimmers at junior high and bring them to Como or have them come home as usual and then bring them to Como).

Swimmers will also need transportation home after practice (around 5:00 on school days).

Como swim teams have not carried full rosters in recent years, so junior high swimmers will have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the team. Most likely they will be able to swim several races each meet (maximum of two relays and two individual events, or one individual event and three relays, as per rules) either in junior varsity or varsity heats.

To register for the team, junior high swimmers must follow the same process as high school team members. Namely, they must:

·         Have a copy of a current physical (within the past three years) on file with the nurse at Como Park High School. These forms can be submitted to the athletic office.

·         Fill out paperwork (registration card and eligibility form) and pay a $45 participation fee ($20 for students who receive free or reduced lunch).

Forms can be printed from the school's athletics webpage.