Mission
We believe that there is much to be learned by dedicating yourself to excellence and pursuing it daily. Our staff aims to develop every athlete to their highest potential. We set challenging team goals and encourage athletes to set ambitious individual goals. We uphold high standards of excellence and expect everyone to work together toward this end. In our experience, athletes who merely participate don't set high goals, don't commit, and don't stick with the sport.
We expect this commitment to grow over time. When an athlete joins at age 5-8, our coaching staff has three goals: teach something new, create fun, and build excitement for the next practice. As development continues, goals evolve: help athletes become primary decision-makers in their training; teach accountability for actions and decisions; and encourage athletes to do everything possible to reach their potential.
We won't push athletes to win for winning's sake or for attention. Although seemingly important at the time, awards and medals won as young swimmers will soon be forgotten; the qualities and values learned through disciplined pursuit of excellence will last a lifetime. We want our athletes to learn that winning and personal success are byproducts of fun, enthusiasm, and effort. We want to teach them that having a dream and pursuing it with everything you have is worthwhile. Winning can mean finishing first, but it can also mean having the willpower to give everything in pursuit of your best—again and again.
Vision
As part of the Minnetonka Swim Club, we will:
- Teach children to embrace a growth mindset
- Place high value on effort as the path to mastery
- Encourage young athletes to set high standards and embrace challenges
- Emphasize learning from failures
We will create a positive yet challenging environment for our athletes. We will set high standards of excellence. We will expect athletes to give their best effort in pursuit of excellence and make an increasingly higher commitment as they progress. We need parents to support their young athletes and reinforce the standards and lessons we teach.
Outlook
The Minnetonka Swim Club nurtures passionate athletes through the guidance of dedicated, highly skilled coaches. Supported by the Minnetonka School District's steadfast administration, we have cultivated a robust program with a promising future.
In our aquatic-centric community, we uphold our responsibility to promote water safety by fostering swimming proficiency. Our aquatics community, with our Club at its core, is committed to providing inclusive opportunities for learning, personal growth, and well-being—not just for competitive purposes. We are dedicated to expanding this sport in Minnetonka and throughout Minnesota, with the aim of setting a national benchmark for Club programs and swimming excellence.
