Cane Bay Krakens
The Cane Bay Krakens is our swim team of the Cane Bay Family YMCA. We welcome swimmers from any town and school to join and our age ranges from 6 years all the way to 18 years of age. Our goal as a team is to help foster a competitive atmosphere where all swimmers can push themselves and each other both physically and mentally.
Our coaches for the team want to help focus on individual character and athletic improvement. They believe that a swimmer's achievements aren't soley displayed from placements in meets, but rather in setting goals for themselves like improved times, records, and even intangible goals like an improved attitude and willingness to push forward through all adversity. We are well aware that improvement does not come overnight and that improvment may even cause a temporary setback. It takes time to develop the skills to become a stronger swimmer and our coaches are willing to put forth the effort to show patience and encourage our swimmers to keep pushing forward so they too can realize their strengths as a member of the Cane Bay Krakens.
Meet our Coaches
We want both parents and swimmers of the Cane Bay Family YMCA to learn more about who our coaches are for the Cane Bay Krakens. We believe that this will both boost confidence in our coaches and give a better sense of familiarity so we can all strive to do our best throughout the seasons. Below you can find both headshots and a background for each of our coaches.
Cara has been the Krakens Swim Team Head Coach since 2026. She has been a part of the Krakens coaching team since 2024. She has her YMCA Officials 1 and YMCA Admin Officials certifications. She started swimming at a young age and had started teaching swim lessons at 14 years old and became a lifeguard at 15 years old. Cara competed on the swim team through high school. Her best events were the 100 fly and 500 free. In addition to swimming, Cara was a long-distance runner and competed in cross-country at the collegiate level. After college, she started competing in triathlons and completed two Half-Ironman’s. Cara now participates in CrossFit, while running and swimming.
Jay has been a Krakens Swim Team Assistant Coach since 2026. He previously served as a volunteer coach during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He has his YMCA Officials 1 and YMCA Admin Official certifications. He swam competitively in his youth, qualifying for regional and national events. Always a sprinter at heart, his go to events were the 50 back and 100 IM. As an adult, Jay has trained in everything from Ironman’s and ultramarathons to CrossFit and strongman. Professionally, Jay spent a decade in the fire service and is now an elementary school teacher.
Tryouts and Requirements
Summer Season Tryout: April 21, 2026 @ 5:00 PM
The Cane Bay Krakens allows swimmers from any town and school from ages 6 through 18. However, all swimmers are required to pass tryouts by meeting the requirements that are listed below. The requirements are different depending on the swimmer's age. Please note that the swim team is not a place for those that need swimming lessons and any swimmer that does not meet the requirement may be recommended swim lessons before participating in the swim team. All swimmers are required to try out prior to registration and coaches will have the final decision on who is able to participate on the team.
Ages 6 through 10
Swimmers between the ages of 6 and 10 years will be required to swim a front crawl (freestyle) for 25 yards or the entire length of our pool without pausing, with their face fully submerged and turning their head side to side a majority of the time to breathe.
Swimmers will also be required to swim 25 yards or the entire length of the pool of backstroke without pausing as well. They should also be willing to learn how to do a flip turn, dive off the blocks, and learn breaststroke and butterfly.
Ages 11 through 18
Swimmers between the ages of 11 and 18 will be required to swim a front crawl (freestyle) for 50 yards or 2 lengths of our pool without pausing, with their face fully submerged and turning their head side to side a majority of the time to breathe.
Swimmers will also be required to swim 50 yards or 2 lengths of the pool of backstroke without pausing as well. They should also have basic knowledge of breaststroke or butterfly, flip-turns and diving off the block. They must also be willing to learn and improve on any techniques they may not be proficient in.
Krakens Practice Schedule
Our practice schedule is split between two groups across three days each week. The groups will be based on the age and skill level of each swimmer and their respective times will be listed below.
Group Blue
The blue group of the Cane Bay Krakens will consist of swimmers ages 12 and under. They will begin their practice before the Black group Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30 PM until 6:00 PM. There will also be a dryland practice on either Monday or Wednesday from 5:30 PM until 6:30 PM, where both groups will train together.
Group Black
The black group of the Cane Bay Krakens will consist of swimmers ages 13 and over. Some swimmers 12 and under may be given the opportunity to swim in the Black group depending on skill level, team numbers, and our Coach's recommendation. They will begin their practice Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM. There will also be a dryland practice on either Monday or Wednesday from 5:30 PM until 6:30 PM, where both groups will train together.
Krakens Team Photos
Krakens 2026 Team
Swim Team Pricing
Joining the swim team will be comprised between three costs that will all be listed below.
These costs will allow us to register the team into the South Carolina Y-Swim League,
pay for any meet entry fees, and allow us to maintain proper funding for both our team
and the YMCA as a whole.
Annual Registration Fee
In order for our team to be elligible to participate in any swim meets within the South Carolina Y-Swim League, our team will be required to pay a one time annual fee that is based on the number of members currently on our swim team.
Monthly Dues and Meet Fees
We ask this cost from our swim team members so we can help maintain our pool and fun our team's coaches and equipment. Note that swim meets may incur an extra cost that is determined by the host of the meet and not the Cane Bay Family YMCA. The basic monthly fee is $85 per swimmer not including meet fees.
Membership Fees
The South Carolina Y-Swim League requires that all members of any participating swim team must have a YMCA membership for the YMCA of the team that they are on. If you do not have a membership, you can view our pricing at ymcagc.org/cane-bay, by calling us during operating hours, or coming in yourself.
