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Northampton Barracudas!         

 

 

NORTHWEST AQUATIC LEAGUE

History of the Northwest Aquatic League

In 1970, Shell Oil transferred many families from California to the Houston area.  These families settled in the northwest part of Houston and wanted to continue the swimming experiences they had begun in California.  So five fathers, employees of Shell Oil, got together and established the NORTHWEST AQUATIC LEAGUE.  The first five teams in the league that year were Enchanted Oaks, River Plantation, Northampton, Ponderosa Forest, and Westador.  These teams are still active in the league today.  Governing rules were based on those that had been used in Menlo, California.

Since that time, NWAL has grown to 99 teams with approximately 15,000 swimmers from ages 4 through 18.  The teams, which are located as far west as Brenham and Bryan-College Station, east as Newport, south as Bear Creek, and north as Huntsville and Livingston, are divided into sixteen divisions.  Some teams have as many as 350 swimmers while others only have 45 to 50 swimmers.  In the early days, the division line-ups were determined by a committee of five who would place teams according what that committee believed to be the size and strength of each team.  In 1985, Pete Junkins developed what is now called the ‘power-rating’ formula.  Team size, meet scores and season record were taken into account mathematically.   NWAL became computerized!  That system is still used.  Also computerized is the management of the teams and the meets.

Parent volunteers have been and continue to be the key to the success of NWAL over the past 30 years.  In most cases, the coaches are paid but there are cases in which the coaches are also volunteers.  Each division elects a representative who sits on the Board of Directors.  The Executive Board consists of a President, Vice-president of Training & Certification, Vice-president of Software, Secretary and a Treasurer.  The Board meets four times a year to set the guidelines for the season.  These meetings are open to any interested party, although, only the division reps and executive board members can vote.  Each team is then represented at the annual meeting held in January.  The major purpose of this meeting is to disseminate all of the information for the coming season.

The Northwest Aquatic League season begins in late May and continues for six weeks.  Each team in the division competes in a dual meet with every other team in the division.  The season concludes with a divisional meet at which all six teams compete.  During the season and following divisionals, several invitational meets are scheduled.  Invitationals and concession stands are the most common means of fund raising for the teams besides registrations fees.

Listed below are the NWAL Presidents since 1980.

1980 – Steve Wesling

1995 – Bruce Anderson

1981 – Jim Yoakum

1996 – Mike Hibler

1982 – Dave Garver

1997 – Bruce Ganer

1983 – Jack Brunton

1998 – Jim Day

1984 – Margaret Pace

1999 – Bob Binkle

1985 – Don McNeil

2000 – Sallie Kay Janes

1986 – Pete Junkins

2001 – Sallie Kay Janes

1987 – Chris McAfee

2002 - Mike Neu

1988 – Mark Lockhart

2003 - Karan Davis

1989 – Bob Yondola

2004 - Rick Tobin

1990 – Kirk Masterson

2005 – Mike Robinson/Vincent Glocksien

1991 – Brian Coles

2006 – Vincent Glocksien

1992 – Bob Williams

2007 – John Mullen

1993 – Glen Peterson

2008 – Michael Swaim

1994 – Allyn Skelton

 

Download 2008 NWAL Rulebook (PDF format)

NWAL Map
 


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