12550 Westella Dr. Houston, TX 77077

The Briar Forest Swim League, Inc. is a tax-exempt, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, incorporated in the state of Texas.

Tadpoles: Does my swimmer need to be able to swim already?

Potential Ashford Whales (we call them Tadpoles during their first training month) will benefit from a focused training program. Tadpoles should be between 4-8 years old, comfortable in the water without flotation devices, and able to participate in coach-led training without the assistance of parents poolside.

Tadpoles do not need to be race-ready on day one, but we do need them to be OK swimming with their faces in the water. During the season, their coaches will help them become better swimmers, but they need to come to the pool with basic swimming ability already. The Ashford Whales' Tadpole Program focuses on key skills such as diving into the pool, basic stroke knowledge, and floating on their back to rest.

At the end of May, we’ll hold time trials during a regular practice session. On that day, Tadpoles who can swim one length of the pool (25 yards) in 75 seconds or less will graduate from Tadpole training and become full-fledged Ashford Whales able to compete during the season!

Whales: What if my swimmer needs additional help?

The Ashford Whale coaches will hold a series of clinics to help swimmers who need additional help outside of practice. Each clinic will be focused on specific strokes or techniques and are designed for swimmers who need additional guidance to improve specific skills. Separate clinics will be scheduled to help with racing starts, turns, and individual stroke techniques.

Whales: What is a Whale Buddy?

Our youngest Whales are very important to us! After time trials (when we know who will be competing during the season) we like to team each new Whale with an older, more experienced swimmer as a ‘Whale Buddy”. The older Whale Buddy will be your young Whale’s biggest cheerleader and can help mentor the younger swimmers to grow in confidence and skill level throughout the season, and can provide encouragement during meets to help our young Whales excel!

Our youngest Ashford Whales will be tomorrow’s Whale leaders, and we want to do all we can to grow them into the fast, confident, and sportsmanlike champions that the Ashford Whales are known to be!