Promontory Pointe Piranhas

Piranha Handbook

Promontory Pointe Piranhas Swim Team

Handbook 2026

Welcome to the Promontory Pointe Piranha Swim Team!

This handbook has been prepared to give you and your family information that is needed to know throughout the swim season. Please read it carefully especially if you are a new member of the team. We are excited to have you and your family as members of the Piranhas Swim Team, and we look forward to another exciting and fun summer swim season. If you have any questions, ask the Swim Team Representatives.

2026 SEASON OVERVIEW 

New Swimmer Evaluation: 

All NEW swimmers who have not completed a season with our team, regardless of age, must attend a swim trial prior to participating in practice.  All swimmers must be able to swim across the pool without assistance or touching the bottom or using the lane lines by May 1.  Group practices will begin May 4. 

The 2026 Season program will last about eight weeks ending June 28 with the end of season party likely being June 29. The program begins in May and runs through the end of June. In the beginning of May, the coaches may begin holding daily practices to improve strokes and build endurance. Until school is out for summer vacation, practice sessions will be held after school. In June, or once school is out,  we will switch practices to the morning. Time trials are held during May practices to evaluate each swimmer’s ability before the first dual meet. We will compete in four dual meets throughout the season. Refer to the team website for meet dates. We will also compete in a Division Championship meet at the end of the season. This is a larger meet with several other teams from the league. To qualify and compete in the Division Championship Meet, a swimmer must swim in at least one regular season dual meet.

It is imperative that you check your email frequently throughout the season for important information regarding practices and meets. Also, please remember that we are all volunteers except the coaches so we appreciate your patience and support. 

The season concludes with an end-of-season party. Ribbons and medals from the Division Championship Meet as well as other team awards will be awarded at that time. Refer to the team calendar for this year’s date.

REGISTRATION

Eligibility

Swimmers are eligible to join the team if they are 5 to 18 years of age as of June 1. Before May 5, swimmers must be able to consistently swim the following distances without holding onto the sides of the pool or lane lines (unless the swimmer is 6 or younger) or touching the bottom of the pool until the required swim distance has been completed.  Swim tests will be held for any new swimmer to the team on May 1-2 times TBD but between 3:45-7pm.  We will send a notification once plans are finalized.  All swimmers must swim across the pool unassisted by the start of practice May 5 to stay on the team for safety reasons.

Ages 5­-10 must be able to swim one stroke for 25 yards under two minutes WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. Note: Freestyle can mean any means of swimming across the pool to include “doggie paddle” for the youngest swimmers ages 5‐6.

Ages 11 & Up Should be able to swim one stroke for 50 yards or 2 lengths of the pool.

Swimmers must be able to demonstrate their ability to meet the above requirements during time trials prior to the first meet. Time trials are typically held within the first two weeks of practice. 

Registration Fees

1st Swimmer: $160

2nd Swimmer: $150

3rd Swimmer: $140

4th Swimmer: $130

$20 fee per swimmer for league fees

A parent must complete a registration form, pay team fees, sign up for a minimum of 4 volunteer positions, and sign all waiver forms before attending any practice.

There is one free lane open during practices for Promontory Pointe HOA residents. Team coaches are not accountable for any swimmers in this lane as they are busy with team practices. It is the parent's/guardian's responsibility to closely monitor swimmers in the free lane. The baby pool is only for use by HOA residents during all practices. 

Be on Time

Swimmers should be at the pool and ready to swim 10 minutes prior to their scheduled practice time. When the practice is over younger swimmers should return to a parent/adult who is responsible for that swimmer.

Practice Dos and Don’ts

All of our activities take place in the Promontory Pointe pool. We are given special permission to use this pool. Swimmers are expected to obey all pool safety rules during practices and meets. Disruptive behavior not only wastes the coaches’ time, but also may jeopardize future use of the pool by the swim team. If necessary, a swimmer will be asked to leave the pool area. Parents who are present during practice are asked to help keep swimmers in order and to enforce pool rules. Please respect each group’s practice time and keep all swimmers that are not currently practicing off the steps and out of the pool.

Do You Need to Speak with a Coach?

The coaches encourage open communication throughout the season. However, the coaches are responsible for a large number of swimmers during practice sessions, and a lot must be accomplished at the practices. For these reasons, please do not hold conferences with the coaches during scheduled practice times. If you need to speak with a coach, please try to do so before or after all practice sessions or email them. If you have any concerns about a coach or instructor, please contact the swim team manager, Laura Bailey or Sayra Green at practice or via email at [email protected].

SWIMSUIT REQUIREMENTS

Team suits will be available for purchase from TBD at a specifically scheduled team practice (refer to team calendar for date). This is the only practice where team suits will be sold. You will want to buy an alternate suit to wear at practice. Girls are required to wear a one-piece suit to all practice sessions. Suits that have other team/club logos are prohibited during all meets.

OTHER EQUIPMENT

Unlike other sports, very little equipment is required. Swimmers need to bring swim goggles and caps to every practice and meet. Swim caps are REQUIRED during every practice and meet. TEAM SWIM CAPS MUST be worn at every meet. 

Please make sure that every item your swimmer brings to a practice or a meet has his or her name or initials on it including shirts, shorts, towels, goggles, swim caps, water bottles, etc. Fingernail polish works great on goggles.
Also, please ensure that your swimmer is well protected against sunburns by using an appropriate level of sun block at all practices and meets. Sunscreen works best if it is applied 30 minutes before swimmers enter the water. DO NOT APPLY SUNSCREEN TO THE FACE (unless it is in “stick” form) RIGHT BEFORE SWIMMING. Sunscreen often runs, gets into the eyes and causes burning. SWIMMER’S EAR is a painful infection associated with people who are in the water a lot. To prevent Swimmer’s Ear, over‐the‐counter drops can be purchased at Walgreen’s, CVS, or HEB. Please be vigilant about using drops in your children’s ears to prevent a painful infection from ruining their summer of fun and exercise.

SWIM MEETS
Regular Season Meets

Each of the LSSSL teams participates in four dual meets and a Division Champs meet throughout the season. The dual meets are usually between teams from the same division and may last 3 1⁄2 to 4 hours in length depending on the sizes of the competing teams and the number of entries. Swim meet dates can be found on the team calendar. 

Events

At meets, swimmers compete against other swimmers of the same sex in the same age group. There are six age groups: 6 & under, 7‐8, 9‐10, 11‐12, 13‐14, and 15‐18.
A meet consists of seven types of events. There are five individual events: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Individual Medley (one‐fourth of the race is swum in the order butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle). The other two events are relays: Medley Relay and Freestyle Relay.

Each age group competes in every type of event except 6 & Under swimmers who compete only in Freestyle and Backstroke, but may be placed in an 8 & Under Freestyle or Medley Relay.

Entries

Swimmers may be entered in up to four events per meet. A swimmer can only compete in three individual events per meet (3 individual and 1 relay or 2 individual and 2 relay). However, the coaches may not enter all swimmers in the maximum number of events. If necessary, swimmers can “swim‐up” two age groups.

There will be no additions or substitutions to individual events.

Heats and Scoring

Most events consist of more than one heat. A heat is when the swimmers race against other swimmers, usually six at a time, depending on the number of lanes in the pool. Heats are designated by numbers. If an event has four heats, they are designated Heats 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Ribbons

Place ribbons are awarded to all swimmers who come in 1st through 6th place, except in the case of a DQ, according to their times. The event, date, swimmer’s name, and official time will be recorded on the back.
Volunteers will distribute the ribbons as soon as possible, following the meets.

Disqualification (DQ’s)

Swimmers sometimes are disqualified during a race, usually for executing a stroke illegally or for starting or turning improperly. A disqualified swimmer will not score points for his/her team or receive a place ribbon for the event. The starter, stroke and turn judge, and the referee may disqualify swimmers. Parent volunteers who have been trained by LSSSL fill these positions at dual meets. Their purpose is to help swimmers learn to swim properly and to assure that no swimmer gains an unfair advantage. Please respect yourself, your swimmer, and the team appropriately by being respectful of the officials.

Swimmers should realize that they are competing against the clock as well as other swimmers in the water. The swimmer’s goal should be to better his or her time at each meet.

Birthday cut-off

Swimmers compete based on their age as of June 1st of the current year. If they have a birthday during the swim season, they will not change age groups.

MEETS

Entry Procedures

It is very important for parents to understand the entry procedures and for swimmers to arrive at the meet at the prescribed time before the meet begins. Times will be listed on the team website prior to a meet. Swimmers entered in meets who don’t show up create extra work as substitutions must be arranged for relay events. Therefore, it is VERY important for parents to let the team manager or Head Coach know whether or not swimmers will be at each meet.

IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT ATTENDING A SWIM MEET, it is imperative that we are made aware of this. You must go into the SwimTopia System and declare if your child will swim in a meet or not. If you do not declare a meet (meaning select yes or no and leave it blank) your swimmer will not swim in the meet even if you come to the meet. Your child will NOT be entered in a relay in the next meet if he/she is a “no show”. If your child is a “no show” for two meets, he/she will not be entered for any events for the remainder of the season. Additionally, swimmers that do declare "YES" for a meet and fail to give a 2 day advance notice that they will not attend(with the exception of emergencies), will not be placed in relays for the next meet they swim in.

While the Head Coach may take requests from swimmers on events they will swim in, they may be placed in events that they may not prefer. All final decisions are determined by the Head Coach.

Please Check­ In On Time!!!

It is essential that every swimmer checks in on time at the check‐in table with the assigned volunteers on the day of the meet. If your swimmer shows up late to warm‐ ups, he/she may be scratched from a relay. Other swimmers will be given an opportunity to fill in for any scratched swimmer.

It is also essential that all swimmers show up to the pool no matter what the weather is at your house. Only the Meet Referee can cancel a meet due to foul weather conditions. A team that does not show up forfeits the meet.

Check­ In Policy & Times

Check‐in will take place at the pool where the meet is being held. Swimmers will need to go to the check‐in table to check in. Parents will be able to print a heat sheet from home to see the event, heat, and lane each swimmer is in. Heat sheets will be emailed to parents the day before a meet. Check –in times will be posted on the website prior to the meet.

Transportation to Away Meets

Please note that each family is responsible for providing transportation for swimmers to away meets. Carpooling may be an option for swimmers needing a ride.

Swimmers: Stay with Your Team!!

During the meets, swimmers should sit with their parents until they are called to the ready bench for an event. When swimmers arrive at the ready bench they will check in with the Ready Bench volunteer from our team. An event will begin on schedule whether or not all swimmers are present when the event begins.

Swimmers are responsible for reporting to the Ready Bench area on time!

Please be sure to look for the volunteer walking around with the event sign board showing which events are lining up. We do not want any swimmer to miss his or her event or to lose any points because he or she cannot be found!!!

Questions and Complaints

During the swim meets, any questions or complaints about the actions of the officials or the opposing team must be directed to our Swim Team Managers, Laura Bailey or Erin Connon, who will relay your question or complaint to the Meet Referee. MSSL rules prohibit parents or swimmers from directly approaching judges or referees.

Need to Leave Early??

Swimmers should not leave a meet before it is over. Coaches may need a swimmer to swim on a relay team for a swimmer that did not show up. Swimmers leaving before completing their events may cause the team to lose points, and a relay team may have to be scratched, denying the remaining three swimmers on the relay team a chance to compete. However, if a swimmer must leave before the end of a meet, the swimmer must notify the head coach at the beginning of the meet.

LSSSL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS

After the end of the regular season dual meets, the LSSSL conducts a Division Championship Meet ('Champs Meet'). Unlike regular season meets, the Championship Meet is when each team competes against ALL the teams in their division at the same meet. Teams scores are tracked and teams winning 1st through 3rd place earn a place banner. Swimmers are awarded 1st through 3rd place medals and 4th through 16th ribbons at the Division Championship Meet.
The league sells Championship Meet T‐Shirts (pre-order only) and Heat Sheets (at the event). The Championship Meet is the MOST IMPORTANT meet of the summer!!

PARENT PARTICIPATION We cannot have this team without Volunteers!!

Because a swim team is run by volunteers – with the exception of a highly qualified, paid coaching staff – parent participation is ESSENTIAL at EVERY swim meet. The Piranhas Swim Team MUST furnish volunteers for home and away meets as well as the championship meet, although more volunteers are required to host a home meet. Each family is expected to work at least four times during the swim season. At registration, parents must sign up to work at least four volunteer positions. Please be on time for your job and shift. If you have a schedule conflict or must be absent, it is up to you to schedule a replacement. The best way to do this is to contact people assigned to your same job at another meet and arrange a switch. If you become unavailable at the last minute, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, to assign a substitute in your place. Please do so as soon as you know you will not be able to attend the meet and fulfill your volunteer requirements.

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!!

Parents of new members are encouraged to sign up for these jobs. There is a job to fit everyone’s skills or abilities. Each job is important and can be fun!! 

Equipment Set­-Up and Take-­Down Workers set up equipment before meets and pack up equipment after meets. They also coordinate clean up of the pool area and parking lot after home meets.
Concession Workers aid in setting up the concession stand, selling refreshments, and cleaning up the concession stand at home meets.
Team Ready Bench Parents call swimmers to the ready area and help the coaches get swimmers lined up for the next events and maintains order in the ready area.
Timers use digital stopwatches to time and record the time on the lane timer sheets. Each lane has three timers – one is in charge of the clipboard and legibly writing down the watch times, a second timer watches to ensure the times are correctly transcribed, and the third timer asks the swimmer his or her name to be sure the correct swimmer is in their event, heat, and lane.
Runners collect lane timer sheets and disqualification slips from timers and judges and take them to the scorekeeper’s table.

POSITIONS REQUIRING TRAINING

All training clinics are offered annually by the LSSSL at no cost.

Meet Referee has complete responsibility for a speedy and impartial conduct of the competition, knows the LSSSL and swim stroke rules, is familiar with the whistle start procedures, inspects the pool and equipment, and conducts an officials’ meeting before the meet begins. The Meet Referee usually has worked as a Stroke & Turn Judge for at least two swim seasons and could be, but DOES NOT have to be, a nationally certified official.
Starter’s primary job is to ensure all swimmers have a fair and equitable start, knows the LSSSL rules and how they are applied, and is familiar with the whistle start procedures.
Stroke and Turn Judge observes the swimmers in their assigned lanes, makes disqualifications when applicable, and understands the LSSSL and swim stroke rules and how they are applied.
Scorekeeper takes the data from the lane timer sheets and inputs it into the Meet Manager software. Periodically through the meet, the scorekeeper will print the ribbon labels for swimmers who place 1st ‐6th. At the end of the meet, the scorekeeper asks the Referee and the 2 Head Coaches to sign the final score sheet.

Again, the Piranha Swim Team cannot continue to exist without the assistance of parent volunteers. ALL PARENTS MUST PARTICIPATE FOR CONTINUED SWIM TEAM SUCCESS at PROMONTORY POINTE

TEAM PICTURES

The team provides an opportunity for all swimmers to come together for a team photo. The photo will be posted on the website and Facebook.

END OF SEASON PARTY

Bring the entire family out to celebrate a great season at the Promontory pool. Please refer to the team calendar for more details. The swimmers and coaches really enjoy this party!!

LONE STAR SUMMER SWIM LEAGUE

AS OF 2024  Promontory Pointe Piranha Swim Team is now a member of the Lonestar Summer Swim League (LSSSL). The LSSSL is a non‐profit organization that coordinates competitive swimming events between 22 local teams of varying sizes in the greater northern San Antonio and outlying areas. The Lone Star Summer Swim League maintains a web site which contains a lot of useful information for swimmers, parents, coaches, and volunteers. The LSSSL can be found at Lone Star Summer Swim Team

COMPETING TEAMS

Currently, the teams of the LSSSL are divided into four divisions; Division A, B, C, and D. The placement in divisions is determined by team roster size from the previous season, the team’s placement at the previous Championship Meet, and the historical make‐up (age groups) of the team.

Function of the LSSSL

MISSION STATEMENT

The Lone Star Summer Swim League is committed to creating and organizing the best summer swimming program in San Antonio and South Texas. The league uses a vast number of resources to ensure the success of all participating San Antonio neighborhoods and communities. The league is an active entity, providing its youth the opportunity to learn about and participate in competitive swimming. The league manages all aspects of a successful swim program, with the intent to give back to the neighborhoods and communities all of the resources generated by the operation of the league.

LONE STAR SUMMER SWIM LEAGUE PHILOSOPHY

The Lone Star Summer Swim League’s first and foremost priority are its swimmers. Each swimmer within the league will learn about sportsmanship, team camaraderie, and competitive swimming. Our goal is that each participating swimmer not only learns how to improve their stroke techniques in order to swim better and faster, but that they also recognize swimming as a lifelong activity that is not only healthy for the body, but also FUN! The league is dedicated to the swimmers and all neighborhood teams that join the league. It will strive to create a sense of cohesion, communication, organization and dedication among its coaches and parents. There must be a strong commitment among all volunteers who help within their respective programs for the league to be successful. Additionally, the league survives through the affiliations it makes with each team’s respective neighborhood and community. Local business support and sponsorship for the league is essential. Consequently, we must consistently demonstrate that our league provides a worthwhile opportunity for the youth within those communities.

LEAGUE MAILING ADDRESS

Lone Star Summer Swim League

P.O. BOX 782322

San Antonio, TX 78278

LSSSL RULES

The League keeps a current copy of the LSSSL Rules on its web site. The rules include information regarding meet equipment and organization, team personnel, season and uniforms, safety, meet management with the order of events at the meets, information regarding timing, ribbons and scoring, judging officials’ rules, DQ’s and protests, violations of the rules, and the rules for swimming the strokes. The current LSSSL rules are located on the league web site at Lone Star Summer Swim League

LSSSL Scholarship

INFORMATION:

The LSSSL will award four $500 scholarships at the end of each season to two male and two female swimmers. The scholarships are a one-time award and are not renewable each year. A check for the total amount of the scholarship will be paid directly to the scholarship award winner’s college or university once proof of admission and attendance to the college or university is verified by the LSSSL Treasurer.

LSSSL Scholarship Application

GO PIRANHAS

Have a Safe and Successful Swim!!