The Bear Branch Swim Team (BBST), formed in 1979, is the home of the Bears – one of Kingwood’s oldest and most well established summer swim teams. We are part of the Northwest Aquatic League (NWAL), the third largest summer league program in the nation, with almost 100 teams and more than 15,000 swimmers from across the Houston metro area. The BBST competes by age group with teams from neighboring communities.

The emphasis of the program is fun, and the meets are a great way to spend a summer day with family and friends. The Bears’ vision is to inspire and enable our kids to achieve excellence through their efforts and personal best in the sport of swimming and in life. Our mission is to provide a community-based youth program designed to promote an organized and disciplined swim team experience that encourages participation.

The Bears invite all kids 4-18 who are water-safe as determined by the coaching staff, can put your face in the water and swim a minimum of 10 yards to join. Swimmers will be divided into groups based upon their ability and age as of 31 May of the current year for both practices and swim meets (6&Under, 7&8, 9&10, 11-12,13-14,15&up). The season begins in late April and ends in late June. Practices are 30-60 minutes long depending on the age group and are held at the Bear Branch pool Monday – Friday afternoons during the school year and then changes to the mornings during the summer. Meets are held every Saturday for five weeks starting in May. Registration begins in March, and priority registration and discount fee opportunities are available.

Don’t know the strokes? Don’t worry. Our coaches teach all strokes: freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke; and they do a good job. The Bears have a long history of developing swimmers and winning meets. We also offer Stroke Clinics during the season for swimmers who want to improve a specific stroke.

Never been on a swim team before? It doesn’t matter. The BBST is open to everyone, as long as you are water-safe as determined by the coaching staff, can put your face in the water and swim a minimum of 10 yards of the pool. We offer Rookie Camp for new swimmers who want to learn the strokes and gain swimming confidence. Our goal is to introduce the sport to those who otherwise may not discover the benefits of swimming. We protect the dignity of the young and less experienced swimmers, while striving to improve and enhance their skills to match the more experienced swimmers, enabling all to reach their personal best.

We also offer numerous social opportunities for the children to bond as a team and build friendships, such as Friday night pep rallies, bowling, movie night, ice cream parties, and a Breakfast of Champions.

A parent-led Board of Directors manages the swim team.