WOOD VALLEY SWIM
New for 2026JUNIOR OTTERS SWIM TEAM PREP
• Jr Otters have separate practices with a smaller coach:swimmer ratio
• Jr Otters may participate in one dedicated intrasquad meet
How does it work?
ALL 6 and under swimmers, any NEW 7-8 year old swimmers will complete a swim assessment the first week of practice to determine if Junior Otters/Prep or full swim team membership is the right fit. For full swim team participation, needed skills include swimming 15 yards (6 and under) or 25 yards (7-8) completely independently with their face in the water, floating on their back, ability to get in/out of the pool independently and listening to the coaches. This group will have an opportunity to practice the first week before needing to complete the test at the end of the week. We know if swimmers have not been in the water all winter that they may be a little rusty or nervous to swim, so we want to give ample time for them to warm up. We will then “test” at the end of the week and let parents know which group is the best fit for your swimmer. Please remember that they can retest throughout the season and move up when they are ready.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Wood Valley Swim team accepts kids from the ages of 4* to 18.
*Please note that for full swim team participation, needed skills include swimming 15 yards (6 and under) or 25 yards (7-8) completely independently. If your child is not quite ready for the full swim team program, they will be able to participate in our Junior Otters/Prep team until they are ready for the full team.
Swimmers compete by gender and age group (6 & under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 & 15-18)
6 & under compete in three strokes: Freestyle, Backstroke and Breaststroke for a distance of 12.5 yards. 7-8 & 9-10’s compete in the same 3 strokes and add a 4th stroke, Butterfly for a distance of 25 yards. 11 & ups swim all four strokes for a distance of 50 yards.
Swimmers can participate in 6 meets over the course of the season. Meet lineups are prepared by the coaches. Some swimmers may also participate in the TSA Championship meet (by invitation; additional fees may apply).
We are using Swimtopia to manage meet sign up and volunteering. We need a lot of volunteers to keep our meets going! please help out!
Swimmers that are 12 and up can volunteer as Junior Coaches – If interested please reach out to our Swim Director at swim@woodvalleysrc.com
HOW TO REGISTER
- At the top of the webpage, click on MEMBER PORTAL tab
- Login to your member page using your login and password
- If you have not done so already, pay your membership dues so that you are able to register for the swim team.
- Hover over the SCHEDULING tab at the top of the webpage and click on CAMPS/CLASSES in the drop down box.
- Register each child individually for the SWIM team. The first child is $145, second+ children are discounted. 15-18 year olds are $50.
- When you are finished registering, you can then checkout.
HOW TO USE SWIMTOPIA
- Go to https://woodvalleyotters.swimtopia.com/
- Click on Register Now (Green box on the right side)
- Register each one of your athletes
- Sign up for at least 2 volunteer spots. We ask that each family complete at least 4 shifts per season. If you like you can sign up for all 4 now.
- Indicate swimmer’s attendance at each meet. Meet sign ups remain open for swimmers until the weekend prior to the meet.
2026 MEET SCHEDULE
| DATE | VS | LOCATION |
| June 2 | Practice Meet | Home |
| June 9 | Granite Falls | Home |
| June 16 | Greenway Club | Home |
| June 23 | Quail Hollow | Away |
| June 30 | North Raleigh | Away |
| July 7 | Lakepark | Away |
| July 14 | Northbrook | Home |
| July 19* | TSA Championship | Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) |
SPECIAL EVENTS
Annual Pancake Breakfast TBD
$7 Kids plate $10 Adult plate. All proceeds benefit Youth Sports.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We welcome any volunteers who are willing and able to help!
Email swim@woodvalleysrc.com for more information
2026 PRACTICE TIMES
May 18-June 12AFTERNOON M*, T, W, Th
| AGE GROUP | TIMES |
| 11 & Up | 4:30-5:30 |
| 6 & Under Group 1 | 530-6 |
| Junior Otters | 6-6:30 |
| 7-10 | 6:30-7:30 |
June 16-July 17thMORNING (Tu, F)
| AGE GROUP | TIMES |
| 6 & Under | 8:30-9 AM |
| 7 & Up | 9-10 AM |
May 30 - June 27MORNING (SAT)
| AGE GROUP | TIME |
| 8 & Under | 9-9:45 |
| 9 & Up | 9:45-1030 |
June 15- July 16AFTERNOON (M, W & Th**)
(May 28, June 18, 25, and July 9)
| AGE GROUP | TIME |
| 11 & Up | 4:30-5:30 |
| 6 & Under Group 1 | 5:30-6 |
| Junior Otters | 6-6:30 |
| 7-10 | 6:30-7:30 |
2026 SWIM COACHES
Head CoachConor Mulligan
Conor Mulligan graduated from Hillsdale College He now teaches Humanities at St. Thomas More Academy to middle and high schoolers. He is returning for his 5th year as Head coach at Wood Valley!
Assistant CoachNora Arnold
Nora started swimming for Wood Valley when she was six years old and has been on the team ever since. She is a rising senior at Leesville Road High School where she has been a member of the school’s swim team for 3 years. Outside of school she swims year round for Wave. We are excited to welcome Nora back for her third year as an assistant coach!
Assistant CoachCameron Bescher
This is Cameron’s second year as an Assistant Coach and he has been on the Wood Valley Swim Team since he was six years old. He is a rising senior at Leesville Road High School and has been a member of the school’s swim team for the past two years. He also is a year round swimmer for Marlins of Raleigh and has been since he was seven. Cameron is super excited to be part of the coaching team again this summer.
Assistant CoachRonan Cornpropst
Ronan has been swimming for the Wood Valley Otters since he was 4 years old and is excited to coach the Otters as an assistant for a second summer. He currently swims year-round for the Marlins of Raleigh and is a rising senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School, where he also competes on the Crusaders’ swim team.
Ronan is available for private lessons upon contact.
PRIVATE LESSONS
Individual Swim lessons are offered by our Coaches. Please contact them for more information.
Ronan Cornpropst
2026 TEAM SUIT
Our suit is Speedo BOLTED in Blue/Green, and will be the same as 2025!
Female suits are $43.50 and Jammers are $37.20
Suits can be purchased either by calling the store in Cary or by purchasing Online
To log in to our team store use woodvalley as the username and otters as the password.
We will have suits to try on at Youth Sports Day (Friday, April 24th 6-8 PM). There may also be some limited sizes available for purchase that night.
All suits can also be tried on locally at the All American Swim/ Kiefer Aquatics store in Cary, located at 1231 NW Maynard Road. They are open Monday-Thursday 10-6 and Saturday 10-3. Hours may be extended in May & June. Mention Wood Valley when you arrive and they will help.