Our History

North Star Swim Team was founded by Head Coach Pat Underhill in late 2023 with a mission of focusing on good technique and developing the skills of all swimmers on the team, not just a select few. The team began with eight athletes in six families, became an official USA Swimming-sanctioned team in January 2024, and quickly grew to over 100 athletes by August of 2025.

Our Mission

North Star Swim Team of Minnesota is committed to providing a program that supports all athletes in achieving their goals, creates opportunities for the development of leadership and life skills, and instills a lifelong love of the sport of swimming.

We believe in the importance of strong technique, in developing the skills of swimmers of all levels, and that every swimmer on our team is valued.

Our Training

We believe great technique is the foundation for future success! Our goal is to foster a team environment that encourages leadership, dedication, and fun.

Training is creative and goal oriented. Each set has a purpose, and all workouts are actively coached. We offer engaging practices to create well-rounded, athletic, and educated swimmers who are confident and ready to race.

Our Team Culture

NSST takes pride in maintaining our small team culture as we’ve grown, and we believe in defining our team’s cultural norms:

Appreciation - We believe that all of our athletes are an important part of the team, not just the fastest swimmers! We appreciate each athlete’s contributions to the team, and celebrate each swimmer’s strengths in and out of the pool. 

Community - We value our close-knit, small-team roots and strive to continue a team atmosphere where both athletes and families get to know one another and celebrate each other’s successes. 

Engaging - We encourage our members to engage with others, especially unfamiliar faces - creating connections leads to a more positive experience for swimmers and families alike.

Development - We strive to develop not just the technique of our members, but their leadership skills and work ethic, because success can take multiple forms, inside and outside of the pool. We support the development of these skills for all of our swimmers via engaging practices