Team Handbook
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. You will find information about the coaches and practice sessions as well as the procedure for letting the team know whether your child will be swimming in the meets. Please review the Meet Procedure section found in this handbook. If you have any questions, ask the Swim Team Rep or Head Coach.
The swim team’s goal is to provide the support our swimmers need, to help them have a completely enjoyable and rewarding experience, and to learn the four competitive swim strokes. Swimming is a life skill that each person should master for safety’s sake.
The residents of Parkwood subdivision organize the Parkwood Piranha Swim Team. The team is a member of the Maverick Summer Swim League (MSSL) which organizes the summer swim program for 28 swim teams from all over the greater northern San Antonio and outlying areas.
We are excited to have you and your family as members of the Parkwood Piranha Swim Team and we look forward to another exciting and fun summer swim season.
INTRODUCTION
Team Goals
The goal of the Parkwood Piranha Swim Team is to provide our neighborhood youth, ages 5 – 18, with a high-quality summer swim program. The team provides a program in which swimmers improve their aquatic skills, promote teamwork and good sportsmanship, and most of all have lots of fun with people from the neighborhood!
Season Overview
The 2026 program will last about two months. There will be 2 Away Dual Meets and 2 Home meets. Home Meets will always take place on a Monday evening.
The season concludes with an end- of-the-season Family Awards Party and Championships. Those that proceed from Championships will move on to All-Stars.
About This Handbook
The purpose of the handbook is to inform swimmers and their parents about the Parkwood Piranha Swim Team and how it operates. Your participation on the team is more enjoyable if you are familiar with the contents of this handbook and if you eagerly take part in our volunteer organization.
The handbook does not include MSSL rules or rules for executing the strokes. This information can be found on the league web site at www.maverickssl.org.
REGISTRATION
Eligibility
Swimmers are eligible to join the team if they are 6 to 18 years of age (or their summer immediately following high school graduation whichever comes last) as of May 1 of the current year. To join the team, a swimmer must consistently swim the following distances without holding onto the sides of the pool or lane lines or touching the bottom of the pool until the required swim distance has been completed.
Ages 5 - 10 - Must be able to swim one stroke for 25 yards/meters.
Ages 11 & Up - Should be able to swim any two strokes for 50 yards/meters or 2 lengths of the pool.
If you are unsure about your child’s ability, attend the practices as scheduled. The coaches will determine each swimmer’s ability and decide if a swimmer meets the requirements. If a swimmer is unable to meet the requirements, a full refund will be made (see Refunds).
Swimmers must demonstrate their ability to meet the above requirements by the predetermined date set by the Coach.
A parent must complete a registration form, pay the fee, and sign a MSSL insurance waiver as well as a Covid-19 Waiver.
Late Registration
If spots are available, swimmers may register late, or even after the regular season has begun. However, they must register before the second scheduled meet in order to compete this summer. To qualify and compete in the Division Championship Meet, a swimmer must swim in at least one regular season dual meet.
Refunds
A full refund will be given only if a swimmer drops off the team before practice begins on May 17th. No refunds will be made following this date. There are NO exceptions.
A full refund will be given if the coach requests that you withdraw your swimmer due to his or her inability to meet the team’s minimum swimming requirements by the predetermined date.
COACHING STAFF
We are very fortunate to have an excellent group of coaches to help our swimmers. All of them are or have been competitive swimmers. Some of them are members of our swim team.
Head Coach –
Coach Megan Perez
Assistant Coach –
Coach Jennifer Thiem
Assistant Coach -
Coach Natalia Esquivel
You can learn a bit about our coaching staff in the Coaches section of our website.
PRACTICES
Practices are Important
Swimmers benefit greatly through regular attendance to practice sessions. At practice swimmers receive instruction in the four competition strokes, a racing dive technique, flip turns, and are given the opportunity to build physical endurance. Regular attendance at practice also helps the swimmers and their families keep up with what is going on as important team information is distributed at practices.
In an attempt to maximize the benefits of the practice sessions, each coach is assigned the responsibility for a particular age or ability group. This enables the coach to get to know the swimmers better, to identify their strengths, and to work on their weaknesses. The coaches are then able to place the swimmers in the appropriate events for swim meets.
See the table below for your child’s assigned practice schedule. These assignments are made to benefit your swimmer(s).The coaches prepare the meet entry sheets for their assigned age /ability group. This allows coaches to give your swimmer more individual attention.
Be On Time
Swimmers should be at the pool and ready to swim 10 minutes prior the time their practice session is scheduled to begin, get ready for stretching exercises, and check their name off on the attendance roster. When the practice is over all older swimmers should promptly leave the pool area. Younger swimmers should stay with an adult, team rep, or coach until his or her parent has arrived.
Practice Schedule will be published for May (Before School is Out)
Revised Practice Schedule will be published for June (After School is Out for the Summer)
Practice Dos and Don’ts
All of our activities take place in community or city pools. We are given special permission to use these pools by the city or homeowner’s associations. Swimmers are expected to obey all normal pool safety rules during practices and meets. Disruptive behavior not only wastes the coaches’ time, but also may jeopardize future use of a 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.
Swimmers and their siblings are NOT allowed to play in the Baby Pool during swim practice or meets. As no lifeguard is on duty for the baby pool during practices or meets, it is a safety risk to the team and the league which secures the liability insurance for all teams.
Need to Speak With a Coach?
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 the practice session. If you have any concerns about a coach or instructor, please contact the swim team rep Dinah Esquivel at 210-392-5539.
Team Suits
Team swimsuits are available for purchase either at a specifically scheduled team practice, or at Swim Freak at the Bandera location in San Antonio. Order by May 15 to ensure they arrive by our first meet.
Other Equipment
Unlike other sports, very little equipment is required for a swimmer. Most swimmers like to wear swim goggles. All girls (and boys with long hair or those who want to swim fast) must wear swim caps. Team swim caps are required equipment at all dual and Championship Meets for girls and boys with long hair. Swimmers should get use to wearing caps at practice.
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 and swim fins.
Also,
please ensure that your swimmer is well protected against sunburns by using an appropriate level of sun block at all practices and
meets. 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,
MAVERICK SUMMER SWIM LEAGUE
The Parkwood Piranha Swim Team is a member of the Maverick Summer Swim League (MSSL).The MSSL is a non-profit organization that coordinates competitive swimming events between 28 teams of varying sizes in the greater northern San Antonio and outlying areas. The Maverick Summer Swim League maintains a web site AND Facebook page both containing a lot of useful information for swimmers, parents, coaches, and volunteers. The MSSL site is www.maverickssl.org.
Competing Teams
Currently the 23 teams of the MSSL will be divided into four divisions: Division 1, 2, 3 and 4 for the championship meets. The placement in divisions is determined by team roster size from the current season. For dual meets teams will compete as close to home as possible.
MSSL teams: Canyon Lake, Cibolo Canyons, Converse Crocodiles, El Dorado, Encino Forest, Fair Oaks Ranch, Heights @ Stone Oak, Jewish Community Center, Lifetime Fitness -Rim, Lifetime Fitness - San, Lookout Canyon, Mountain Lodge, Oaks at Sonterra, Olympia, Parkwood, Promontory Pointe, Smithson Valley, Sonoma Ranch, The Club at Sonterra, Steubing Ranch, Stone Mountain, Stonegate Hill, Timberwood Park, Valley Ranch, Whispering Oaks, Southwest and Wildhorse Swim Teams.
Function of the MSSL
The MSSL Board of Directors is an all-volunteer body formed by one elected representative from each member swim team and the President. The MSSL Board functions as the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government for all the league’s member teams. The board determines the meet schedules, sets all policies and rules, and votes on new team applications to the league.
The MSSL provides liability, sexual abuse & misconduct, and medical insurance for the member teams, HOA and their pools as well as Directors and Officers insurance for the MSSL Board members. The board determines the league’s budget, pays all bills associated with the operation of the league, solicits sponsorship money, creates new ways of earning revenue for the league in order to keep team costs low, and collects fees from the member teams that covers part of the costs for insurance, awards, and operation of the league’s Division Championship and All-Star Meets.
MSSL seeks sponsors to assist in the cost for awards--medals, ribbons, and banners. In addition, the League provides forms, information, and resources that teams may use for a variety of purposes. The league offers a free mentoring program to all newly-formed teams who join the MSSL.
The MSSL provides free training clinics for stroke and turn judges, referees, and starters, Swimtopia swim software Meet and Manager with Dolphin Timing clinics for scorekeepers, New Team Rep clinic, and rules clinics for all Head and Assistant coaches. The league runs criminal background checks for every team’s paid and volunteer coaching staff at no cost to the member teams. MSSL secures the venue and provides the necessary coordination amongst all league teams for the Division Championship and All Star Meets. To ensure fairness for all swimmers, the MSSL head officials, Bruce & Beth Anderson, run the meets with assistance from the teams’ volunteer judges at the Division Championship and All Star Meets.
The MSSL keeps official scores for all the dual/tri meets and meet results from all current Division Championship and All Star Meets and archives from previous years. The league posts the MSSL swim records on the league web site.
MSSL Rules
The League keeps a current copy of the MSSL 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 MSSL rules are located on the league web site at www.maverickssl.org.
MSSL UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
In 2006 the league began a scholarship program to honor at least two former swimmers who aged out in the previous season and awarded each swimmer with a $500 scholarship. The MSSL encourages more swimmers to compete through their final year of eligibility with their team. The scholarship application is a simple process. Criteria for applying includes: having swum at least two years on their MSSL team, competed through age 18, and must have at least an 80 or above GPA. Candidates may download the application from the league web site.
Students submit a letter of admittance
from the college they choose to attend, a copy of their
If the MSSL Board deems that extra money is available, more than two scholarships may be awarded.
SWIM MEETS
Regular Season Meets
Each of the MSSL teams participates in four regular-season meets held on Saturday morning or Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday night as determined by the host team. The dual meets may last 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours in length depending on the sizes of the competing teams and how efficiently the meet is run.
Events
At meets, swimmers compete against other swimmers of the same sex in the same age group. There are six age groups: 5 and under, 6-8, 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 the 6 & under swimmers who compete only in Freestyle, Backstroke, but may be placed in an 8 & Under Freestyle Relay.
Entries
Swimmers may be entered in four events per meet of which one must be a relay event. The maximum number of individual events a swimmer may be entered in is three. Coaches may not always enter each swimmer in the maximum number of events.
An entry list identifying the events each swimmer is entered in is usually posted at the practice preceding the meet.
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 in dual meets and 1st through 9th place for tri-meets, 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. The ribbons will be distributed by the coaches at a practice session following the meet.
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 MSSL 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 represent yourself, your swimmer, and the team appropriately by being respectful of the officials.
Times and Records
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.
Birthdays
Swimmers compete based on their ages as of June 1st of the current year. If they have a birthday during the swim season, they will not change age groups.
MEET PROCEDURES
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, typically an hour or more before the meet begins. Swimmers entered in meets who do not attend deprive other swimmers of a chance to swim. They also create extra work as substitutions must be arranged for relay events. Therefore, it is VERY important for parents to let the team rep or Head Coach know whether or not swimmers will be at each meet.
If a swimmer cannot attend a meet for which he/she has been entered due to illness, etc., the team must be informed by calling the Head Coach or team rep as soon as possible.
Please Check-in On Time!!
It is essential that every swimmer check in on time with the coaches on the day of the meet. If your swimmer shows up late at a meet, he/she will be scratched from that meet. Other swimmers will be given an opportunity to fill in for any scratched swimmer.
In case of rainy weather: It is 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:
Check-in will take place at the pool where the meet is being held.
CHECK-IN TIMES:
Home Evening meets:
Check-In 4:30 p.m.
Warm-Ups 4:45 p.m.
Saturday Away meets:
Check-In 7:30 a.m.
Warm-Ups 7:45 a.m.
Monday Evening Away meets:
Check-In 5:15 p.m.
Warm-Ups 5:30 p.m.
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.
Stay with your Team
During the meets, swimmers should sit with the team in the designated swim team area until they are called to the ready area for an event. When swimmers arrive at the ready area they will check in with the Ready Bench person 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 area on time.
Please be sure to listen for events when they are called. 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 actions of the officials or the opposing team must be directed to our Swim Team Rep, 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. 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 one of the coaches. Swimmers who leave a meet before swimming all of their events (including relays) without the permission of a coach will not be entered in the next meet.
MSSL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS
After the end of the regular season dual meets, the MSSL conducts the Division Championship Meets. Unlike regular season meets, the Championship Meet is when each team competes against all the teams with a similar team census at the same meet. Team’s 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 place ribbons at the Division Championship Meet.
The league pre-sells Championship Meet t-shirts and will sell a few meet programs (heat sheets) for these meets. Meet programs may be downloaded for free from the league website. The sales help fund our college scholarship program and assist with the high expenses of renting a natatorium to host the championship meets.
MSSL ALL-STAR MEET
Individual swimmers and relay teams can earn a spot at the All-Star Invitational Meet held on the week following the Division Championship Meets.
To be invited the swimmer or relay team must place 1st in their event at each of the four championship meets. Then, the next 4 fastest times from any of the four meets will also be invited to compete. Swimmers are the best of the best to compete for individual bragging rights. First through third place earn medals and fourth through eighth place swimmers earn ribbons.
At half time the league presents the University Scholarships, the Team Sportsmanship Banner award, and hosts the most anticipated event of the season—the Coaches’ Relay. This event is not to be missed!
TEAM PICTURES
The team provides an opportunity to order and pay for a picture package consisting of a group team photo and individual photos. Currently, the team photo day is Saturday, June 10th at the pool (to be confirmed) Swimmers are to wear their team suit and their team t-shirt.
AWARDS PARTY
In addition to the ribbons that the swimmers earn by participating in the events at the meets, each swimmer will receive a trophy for participating with the Parkwood Piranha Swim Team. This year’s end-of-season Awards Party will be held on Friday, June 16th at the Parkwood Pool.
PARENT PARTICIPATION
Because a swim team is run by volunteers—with exception of a highly qualified, paid coaching staff—parent participation is essential at every swim meet. The Parkwood Piranhas Swim Team must furnish volunteers for both home and away meets, although more volunteers are required to host a home meet.
Each family is expected to volunteer during the swim season. At registration, parents are given the opportunity to sign up to work in various 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 or if you become available at the last minute please, contact the 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 you signed up for.
No Experience Needed:
Parents of new members are encouraged to sign up for these jobs. There are easy jobs to fit everyone’s skills or abilities. Even mothers with small children can bake for the concessions stand or do other odd jobs like sorting the place ribbons alphabetically after a meet for the team. Each job is important and can be fun!
Below is a list of jobs which are necessary to run a swim meet. Please sign up to work as a starter or stroke and turn judge if you have a competitive swim background either at the high school or college level.
Equipment Set-up and Take-down workers set up equipment before meets and pack equipment after meets (both home and away).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. Bakers will also be needed to provide muffins, cookies, or cupcakes for sale at the stand.
Team Ready Area 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. The assistant coaches and sometimes the older swimmers take the youngest swimmers to the starting block 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 judging officials and takes them to the scorekeeper’s table.
Ribbon personnel attaches a printed label with each swimmer's results (recording the swimmer's name, event, and time) to the appropriate place ribbon and sorts them for the team to pass out to swimmers at practice.
Training Required:
Positions requiring training at a free annual MSSL Clinic includes the following:
Meet Referee: has complete responsibility for a speedy and impartial conduct of the competition, knows the MSSL 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 one swim season and could be, but DOES NOT have to be a nationally certified official.
Starter: primary job is to ensure all swimmers have a fair and equitable start, knows the MSSL rules and how they are applied, and is familiar with the whistle start procedures.
Stroke and Turn Judges: observes the swimmers in their assigned lanes, makes disqualifications when applicable, and understands the MSSL and swim stroke rules and how they are applied.
Note: Only new scorekeepers need to attend a software clinic. If a scorekeeper wants a refresher course he/she can attend as well but is not required to.
Scorekeeper: captures the Dolphin stopwatches’ data files and inputs it into the Swimtopia's Meet Maestro software. He/she also double checks the Dolphin watch data against the times written on the lane timer sheets. The scorekeeper prints the ribbon labels at the end of the meet. He/she creates the final score report and asks the Referee and 2 head coaches to sign it.
Safety Coordinator: The Safety Coordinator role is new in 2021 and will be responsible of ensuring no more than alloted amount of people for max gathering in the pool area, that a member of the family responds to the Daily Health Screening before entering the pool area, ensuring social distancing protocols and mask wearing on the pool deck. They will also be required to clean surface areas after each practice or hourly during a swim meet. The coordinator may also enlist other parent volunteers to assist in these responsibilities.
