Welcome to Longhorn Aquatics!

Longhorn Aquatics provides instruction for swimmers and divers of all ages and abilities, ranging from beginners to Olympians. Our beginner swimming program, Junior Longhorn, serves as a basis for new members to the sport, and our other programs require varying levels of experience. To learn more, read the information below about our age group swimming, master’s swimming, college swimming and diving programs.

Vision / Mission :

To provide the University and Austin communities with a world class, self-funded competitive swimming and diving program that also addresses a wide range of ages and abilities, and promotes lifelong health and wellbeing.

Swimming

Junior Longhorn

Coach: Bridgette Rhoades

Age Requirement: 7 years or older

Skill Requirement: ability to swim 50 yards of freestyle and backstroke, with some ability to swim butterfly and breaststroke

This group can swim comfortably in a 25-yard pool, and their training focuses on improving stroke technique and endurance, as well as learning to do racing starts and turns. They will learn the fundamentals of competitive swimming: proper technique in the four competitive strokes, starts and turns, racing skills, reading pace clocks, structured practices. The group will be introduced to endurance training, as well as low-key competition when a swimmer is ready. They practice 3 times per week, for 60 to 75 minutes. Swimmers must be at least seven years old in this group, and able to swim 50 yards of freestyle and backstroke, and have some ability to swim butterfly and breaststroke.

Entry into the Junior Longhorn program requires an invitation following tryouts with Longhorn Aquatics staff.

Longhorn

Coach: Bridgette Rhoades at the Dick Nichols Facility and at the UT Facility

Age Requirement: 7 years or older

Skill Requirement: proficiency in all four strokes

This group is proficient in all four strokes, and continues to develop training fundamentals while preparing for age-group competitions. The primary emphasis is on stroke technique, racing skills, and increased conditioning. The group also does dryland training three to five times per week. They practice 5 times per week, for 75-90 minutes in the water. Swimmers must be at least seven years old, and must be legal in all strokes.

Entry into the Longhorn group requires recommendation of the Longhorn and Junior Longhorn coaches.

Senior Longhorn

Coaches: Tom Andrew

Age Requirement: 11 years or older

Skill Requirement: stroke proficiency and ability to handle challenging two-hour practices

Swimmers in this group prepare for top age-group competitions and develop a strong training base for Senior-level swimming. They also work on goal-setting and mental training techniques, and do an increased level of dryland training. Swimmers must have the ability to handle more challenging practices of up to two hours, and they should plan to attend all practices in order to consistently improve and get ready for the National/Senior program. They practice 7 sessions per week, for 90 minutes in the water. They must be at least 11 years old.

Entry into the Senior Longhorn group is based on recommendations from the head coach and group coaches.

Senior Prep

Coaches: Tom Andrew

Age Requirement: 13 years or older

Skill Requirement: skill levels vary (see description below)

This group is for high school swimmers looking to supplement their seasonal high school training. The focus is on improving conditioning and stroke technique in order to be more competitive at the high school level. This group offers 6-7 practices per week, with 75 to 90 minutes in the water. This is also an excellent group for high-school-aged swimmers who want to improve their swimming or just stay in shape, but who don’t have the swimming background or time available to train in the Senior group. Swimmers must be at least 13 years old. We hope that many will work toward advancing to the Senior group.

Entry into the Senior Prep group is based on recommendations from the head coach and group coaches.

National/Senior

Coach: Doug Rusk , Mike Laitala

Age Requirement: 13 years or older, or permission from head coach

Skill Requirement: physically and emotionally ready for senior-level swimming

These are TXLA’s top training groups. Although some swimmers are still making the transition from age-group to senior swimming, all swimmers are motivated and ready for the challenges and demands of these groups. The Senior Group prepares for Senior Sectional and JR National competitions, and the National Group prepares for National and International-level competitions. The training program is intense, and our coaching staff encourages swimmers to strive for goals that reflect their best abilities. Running, dryland, and weight training are important components of this program. The program emphasizes training specialization, which is geared toward individual abilities and goals. The groups train 8-11 sessions per week, and are expected to be committed to their goals and maintain high attendance. Swimmers must be at least 13 years old (or have permission from the Head Coach), and be physically and mentally ready to handle the training.

Entry into the Senior I & II group is based on recommendations from the head coach and group coaches.

Please complete the forms in the Swimming Registration Packet.

Master’s Swimming and Diving

Coach: Whitney Hedgepeth

Goal: To improve a swimmer’s ability by working on endurance, fitness and proper technique

The Longhorn Aquatics Masters Swimming and Diving teams are The University of Texas at Austin’s adult fitness-swimming programs. Masters team members range in age from 18 to 90. Ability levels vary from swimmers who have college swimming experience to athletes learning the competitive strokes, flip turns and more technical aspects of the sport. Several members are tri-athletes who want to improve their skills. Members are grouped by ability and experience for workouts. There is a friendly, helpful and competitive environment at all workouts.

Workouts focus on:

Fitness and endurance
Proper form and technique.
Maintaining race-paced swimming, kicking, drill work, pulling, and fin work

Entry into our Masters Swimming program requires you to attend a trial-session workout with the team to determine if the program is right for you.

Masters Party Pics

Please complete the forms in the Masters Registration Packet.

College Swimming

We offer a college swimming program that runs during university summer and winter breaks. This serves our former Longhorn Aquatics members who want to continue training when their teams are not holding regular practices. It is also available to other visiting college swimmers, but only on a special basis. Each swimmer must receive approval from the current coaches.

Please complete the forms in the College Swimming Registration Packet.

Diving

Interim Head Coach: Brian Smith

The Longhorn Aquatics Diving program offers quality instruction in Olympic-style diving for ages seven and up at all skill levels. Our members range from beginners to National and Olympic caliber divers. All diving groups have access to three different overhead spotting stations, a bubble machine, dry diving board, and two trampolines.

Longhorn Aquatics offers a Junior Longhorn program for new divers:

Coach: Brian Smith

Age Requirement: 7 years or older

JUNIOR LONGHORN: The Junior Longhorn group is for the team’s newest divers. In a fun and safe atmosphere, these divers learn the fundamental skills of the sport of diving while developing a comfort and familiarity with the springboards and platforms. They attend 2-4 practices per week, and incorporate light stretching and dryland activities into their training at the pool. Once they attain the minimum dive requirements, they will attend AAU and some U.S. Diving meets. The primary goal of this group is to develop greater physical fitness and coordination while fostering an interest in, and enjoyment of, the sport of diving, while progressing to the level of the Longhorn group.

Our competitive diving program is divided into two groups:

Coach: Gabi Cahereches and Savannah Vaughan

Age Requirement: 10 years or older

LONGHORN: This group is the core of the Longhorn Aquatics diving program. Although they already have the minimum requirements to compete at either the Novice or Junior Olympic level, these divers are working toward learning more difficult optional dives in all directions. They attend most meets during the year. They strive to achieve a greater consistency in the execution of their dives, both in practice and during competition. Divers in this group attend practice most nights per week, and they incorporate assigned improvement techniques into their activities away from the pool. The divers also possess the desire and ability to complete any conditioning and dryboard/trampoline sets assigned during practice. This group is also expected to train for both the U.S. Diving championship meets and AAU Nationals (as appropriate).

Coach: Brian Smith

Age Requirement: 14 years or older

NATIONAL TEAM: This is the most elite group in Longhorn Aquatics. Athletes on the National Team have achieved strong results at U.S. Diving national championship competitions and have demonstrated the technical proficiency necessary to sustain their superior success for the next several years. They are committed to attending all meets on the competition schedule, including travelling to meets around the nation, in preparation for U.S. Diving Regional, Zone, and National championship events. These divers have the ability and desire to compete at the NCAA Division I level. In addition to attending all team practices, they make efforts to improve their diving when not at the pool, incorporating stretching, weight training, mental preparation, and general fitness augmentation strategies into their daily routines. Moreover, they are leaders of the team; they act at all times with the decorum becoming a member of Longhorn Aquatics and compel others to do the same.

Entry into any of the three diving programs requires invitation by the head diving coach.

Please complete the forms in the Diving Registration Packet.