Canyon Springs Sailfish Swim Team

Welcome to the Canyon Springs Sailfish 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. 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 a meet. 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, and to help them have a completely enjoyable and rewarding experience. The 5 and 6 year olds will master both Freestyle and Backstroke, while 7-18 year olds learn the four competitive swim strokes: Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly and Breaststroke. Swimming is a life skill that each person should master for safety’s sake.

The team is a member of the Lone Star Summer Swim League (LSSSL) which organizes the summer swim program for 20 swim teams (4 different divisions) in Southern San Antonio.

We are excited to have you and your family as members of the Sailfish Swim Team, and we look forward to an exciting and fun summer swim season.

Team Goals 

The goal of the Sailfish 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 Canyon Springs swim program will last eight weeks, starting from the first week of May to end of June, with the Division Championship Meet. 

Eligibility

Swimmers are eligible to join the team if they are 5 to 18 years of age (or their summer immediately following high school graduation, whichever comes last) as of June 1 of the current year. 

The parent(s) will determine their swimmer(s) ability on whether they should compete in a weekend team meet. 

**IMPORTANT: If your swimmer(s) plan to compete in an upcoming meet, their status needs to be confirmed by Tuesday evening the week of the meet. NO EXCEPTIONS! You can confirm your swimmer(s) status, by: 

1. Going to Team Schedule
2. Selecting "Meet Entry" for whichever weekend you are trying to complete. 
3. There you will be prompted to select your child(ren)'s status.  
   1. Unmarked status' will be automatically assumed that a swimmer is NOT attending the meet and will make them ineligible for that weekend’s meet. 
   2. If your swimmer(s) are marked as "ATTENDING," and are put into a relay race, but fail to show up for the meet, this will hinder them from being put on future relay races.**

• 5 - 12 Year Olds - Will need to complete one stroke for 25 yards / meters. Required Time: 1 min or less 
•  Ages 13 & Up - Should be able to swim any two strokes for 50 yards/meters, or two lengths of the pool.

Championship Meets

In order for swimmers to be eligible for the Championship meet at the end of the season, they will need to have competed in ONE individual race during the regular season. In order to be eligible for any relay races at Champs, swimmers will need to have competed in ONE relay race during the regular season.

Championship meets are NOT like regular season meets. Each team within the division has a certain amount of entries they are allowed for both individual and relay events. Individual events are limited to 6 entries per age group / per event. Relays are limited to one relay team per event.  Attendance, individual times that are legally executed, commitment to the team, and fulfilling volunteer requirements will all be taken into account when selecting who gets to attend Champs. If your swimmer is selected to attend Champs, you will be contacted by the coach.

Registration Fees

As of 2023, there will be a line item added to the registration total for each athlete for a "$3.30 technology fee" to cover the per athlete fee for Swimtopia. 

The fees to join the team are as follows:

• (Resident) First swimmer in a family $165
• (Non-Resident) First swimmer in a family $195
• Additional swimmer in the same family $135
• High School swimmers $90

**A parent must complete a registration form, pay the fee, and sign a LSSSL insurance waiver form before attending a practice.

Late Registration

There will be a late registration fee of $50 after the set deadline. Be advised that registering late may place you on the waitlist should registrations be high or hinder your child(ren) from getting a sponsor T-shirt.

Refunds

A partial refund will be given only if a swimmer drops off the team by the Friday of the first week of practices. After that, no refunds will be given. NO exceptions.

Practices

Practices are Important! Swimmers benefit greatly from regular attendance to practice sessions. At practice swimmers receive instruction in the four competitive strokes, racing dives, flip turns (for older swimmers), 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. By regular attendance, this also 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 at swim meets.

Be On Time

Swimmers should be at the pool and ready to swim 10 minutes prior to 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, we highly encourage swimmers leave the pool area to limit the number of swimmers in the pool area.

Practice Schedule for Summer 2026

 Evening practice schedule (May):
Monday - Thursday

• 5 - 6 year olds: 4:30 - 5 pm
• 7 - 8 year olds: 5 - 5:40 pm
• 9 - 10 year olds: 5:40 - 6:20 pm
• 11 - 12 year olds : 6:20 - 7:10 pm
• 13+ year olds: 7:10 - 8 pm

 Morning practice schedule (June):
Monday - Friday

• 13+ year olds: 8 - 9 am
• 5 - 6 year olds: 9 - 9:30 am
• 7 - 8 year olds: 9:30 - 10:15 am
• 9 - 10 year olds: 10:15 - 11 am
• 11 - 12 year olds: 11 am - 12 pm

Practice Dos and Dont's

All of our activities take place at our community pool. We are given special permission to use the pool by our HOA board. 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 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 the rules set. 

Swimmers 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, the HOA, 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 send an email to [email protected], 

Swimsuit Requirements

Team suits are available for purchase through SwimFreak for online and in-person ordering. SwimFreak will also be available on a date set before the first day of practice for sizing and purchases. Boys may wear their jammers or briefs, and girls are asked to wear a one-piece suit to practice. If no team suit is purchased, please wear navy jammers for boys and a navy one-piece for girls.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

It is the parent's responsibility to make sure their swimmer(s) are aware of when their event is and when they should start lining up. We expect all athletes to sit together during the meet. Coaches and other team parents will not be responsible to track down missing swimmers that are being called to get ready. It would be very unfortunate for a swimmer to miss one of their events because they can’t be found. 

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 Sailfish Swim Team must furnish volunteers for both home and away meets, although more volunteers are required to host a home meet.

Each family is required to volunteer a sum of 5 times during the swim season. Failing to meet the volunteer agreement will hinder your swimmer from competing in Champs, and will restrict registration for future swim seasons.

If you have a schedule conflict or must be absent, it is up to you to schedule a replacement. It is also up to you to contact the Volunteer Coordinator to make them aware of the current changes.

Not sure where to Volunteer? 

• Have small children? Ribbon labeler or Concessions
• Enjoy being a part of the action? Timer, Heat Ribbons, Runner, Ready Bench, or Head Timer
• Have experience with swim meets and or officiating? Starter or Stroke and Turn Judge (training required.)
• Behind the Scenes? Photography (must have own camera), set up and tear down crew

No Experience Needed!

Each job is important and can be fun!