Park Bridge Piranhas

When does practice start in the morning?

A - The week following the last day of school. See Signup Calendar for exact dates and details.

Can I drop two swimmers off if they have different practice times?

A - Yes, however, your swimmer who is waiting for practice will be asked to wait outside the gate due to the no “non practice” swimmers on the pool deck rule.  The coaches will not be monitoring your child who is waiting.

Why isn’t my child on both relays?

A - Unfortunately for some meets we have an uneven number of swimmers signed up so we are unable to form full relays. We strongly encourage everyone who doesn’t have conflicts to attend the meet in order to prevent this. Sometimes people can’t make it though and that’s more than understandable. We still work very hard to make sure every swimmer has two relays, however, sometimes the cards don’t fall that way.

Can my child join the team if he/she has never swum before?

A - While we accept swimmers of all abilities, if this is your child's first-time swimming, we recommend joining the team next summer when they are more comfortable swimming independently.

Can my child swim up an age group because they are advanced?

A - The short answer is yes, however, we try and keep our swimmers in the same age groups in order to build team spirit amongst the ages swimmers will be swimming with during the meet. There are special circumstances where we may find exceptions, however, this will only be for practices. All swimmers will swim in their designated age groups during meets.

Are parents allowed on the pool deck for practices?

A - No. Due to pool deck space and the way our coaches run practice we do not allow non-swimmers on the pool deck for practice. Feel free to grab a lawn chair and sit outside the gate watching your swimmer, however, no parents will be allowed on deck unless they wish to discuss something with the coaches. Your children are in good hands.

Do I need to volunteer for every meet?

A - Piranhas is a parent volunteer-run organization. Meets simply cannot run without parents. As such, each family is required to serve 7 halves of a meet/3 full meets total (The meets are divided in two halves so for instance, you can serve both halves or half a meet during any given meet for a total of 7 halves/7 points for the season) So please plan accordingly. Each half meet counts as 1 point for volunteer sign-up. For instance, if you know you will be out of town for a meet, please serve two halves before or after. Also, when the sign-up for volunteers closes the night before, the Volunteer Coordinator, for practical purposes, will assign any blank volunteer positions to you if your child is signed up for a meet and you have not yet signed up for a volunteer position. So, please plan, sign up for your favorite volunteer position and take on your own destiny in the volunteer world or— for practical purposes for a safely run meet for your children—it will be decided for you. At the end of the season, for each half meet you do not serve, you will be fined $50. You will not be able to sign your child up for the next season if this is not paid. We would prefer to have your physical help instead of fine you, It is not a benefit to us if you do not serve or show up—but the fine is a practical measure to ensure you understand the gravity of your service and the value of our volunteer-run meets so they are safe for your children.

Will we be penalized for not attending meets?

A - No, it is common for swimmers to miss meets on occasion, however, it is STRONGLY encouraged to attend as many meets as possible. We practice to get good at swimming but the meets are where we put that to the test in friendly competition with other local teams. They’re exciting, fun, and competitive and help your child grow as a swimmer—so don’t miss out!

When do we need to declare meets by?

A - On the first Monday of every meet week. Late declarations will not be accepted or tolerated as our coaches work very hard putting lineups together for the meet so the more time for preparation, the better. Our advice is to go through the ENTIRE season at the beginning of the season and declare every meet so you don’t have the stress of doing it over and over.

What date is used for determining a swimmer's age?

The swimmer's age as of May 31st of the season year is used to determine the age brackets. 

Do you offer refunds after registration?

Swim team registration fees are non-refundable. Many season expenses, including league fees, coaches, insurance, and team supplies, are finalized based on our registration numbers before the season begins. Thank you for your understanding and for supporting the Park Bridge Piranhas!

How much fun is the Piranhas?

A - SO MUCH FUN! Encourage friends and family who live in and out of the neighborhood and who swim at various levels to join. The more the merrier. We can’t wait to get started with this season!