Team Policies
OUR COACHES
Our head coaches and assistant coaches are Lifeguard and CPR Certified. Our staff is supported by our senior swimmers, junior and high school-aged swimmers who have been with the team for many years. Senior swimmers set up equipment, assist the coaches as requested, and act as another set of eyes on the water to help keep our youngest swimmers safe.
WEST HOUSTON AQUATIC LEAGUE (WHALe)
BRST is a member of the West Houston Aquatic league (WHALe) and as such, follows internal policies and procedures set forth by WHALe.
WEBSITE
Our website is www.brmarlins.swimtopia.com. Check the website frequently throughout the season for important information about registration, meet schedules, practice schedules, volunteer sign-up, and other announcements.
REGISTRATION
Registration begins in early Spring and will conclude in May. Registration fees are $175 per swimmer 15 and under, $115 for each additional sibling, and $100 for swimmers 15 and older. Registration includes 8 weeks of M-F coaching instruction, a team t-shirt, and insurance. Registration is online only.
Please note that all fees and paperwork (Athlete Protection Training) MUST be completed before your child is allowed to participate in any practice or team activity.
REFUND POLICY
100% refund for registration cancellations prior to the first day of swim practice. 50% refund after the first week of practice. Absolutely no refunds will be given after the second week of swim team practice unless there is a medical restriction.
The medical restriction must be provided with a signed doctor's note. The percentage of refund given due to the medical restriction will be handled on a case by case basis.
PARENT MEETING
A MANDATORY Parent Meeting will be conducted at the Barkers Ridge pool prior to start of season. All parents must attend. The meeting will also include an overview of team policies and procedures.
TEAM SPONSORSHIPS
If you or your business would be interested in sponsoring the Barkers Ridge Swim Team, please contact a BRST board for sponsorship information at [email protected].
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
Barkers Ridge Swim Team is a true family effort, and our success depends on the commitment of our volunteers. To ensure smooth and efficient meets, we rely on every family to contribute by assisting with setup, takedown, timing, the ready bench, concessions, scoring, ribbons, and more.
All families with swimmers (ages 4-18) are required to volunteer at every meet. Volunteer sign-ups are available under the schedule tab for each event. It is crucial that all parents not only sign up but also fulfill their assigned roles. Your participation is essential to keeping our team running strong—thank you for your support!
If you absolutely do not want to work, or you believe your lifestyle does not allow the time for you to do so, you will be asked to pay a $250 fee. However, if you do volunteer to work, and you do not show up for your appointed duty, (this does not include emergency situations), your swimmer will be removed from the roster for the next meet.
If you find that you cannot work the shift you have been assigned, you are welcome to obtain a substitute on your own. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, at least 24 hours in advance, so that they can make the change on the schedule.
If you choose not to volunteer for all meets your child participates in by the end of the season, you will be automatically charged a pre-authorized fee of $250.
***If your swimmer qualifies for Meet of Champs and/or All Stars, you will be required to volunteer at those events. Volunteering at these events is in addition to the team volunteer requirements. ***
VOLUNTEERS UNABLE TO MAKE THEIR ASSIGNED SHIFT
- Volunteers should first find a replacement for their shift. Any relative or friend is welcome to complete the shift.
- Volunteers not able to make their assigned shift must notify the team a minimum of one hour prior to a meet (3 hours before if on setup) if unable to work their shift. Volunteer is still required to complete this shift at a later date.
- Volunteers who "no show" for their volunteer shift with no notification prior: 1st offense will be an additional shift added to current requirements. 2nd offense your child(ren) will not be eligible to swim at the next meet.
SWIMMER ELIGIBILITY
All swimmers must between age 4-18 by May 1st of that year to be eligible for the team.
All swimmers must be able to freestyle swim any which way but must get across the length of the pool without any assistance, panic or turning over to float on the back.
“Unassisted” means the swimmer may not touch the side or bottom of the pool and may not be assisted by another swimmer or adult. It is permissible for the youngest children to rest briefly on the lane ropes but they cannot touch bottom.
The coaches and BRST Board have the final authority in determining swimmer competency. Decisions made regarding swimmer safety are not negotiable.
Swim team is NOT a Learn to Swim Program. A swimmer must be comfortable remaining in the water independently. While coaches will teach strokes, dives and turns, each age group should have a certain amount of swim knowledge before trying out for the swim team. If in doubt, it is highly recommended that swim lessons be taken before tryouts.
ASSISTED SWIMMERS
BRST will allow assisted swimmer(s) provided that the child has been diagnosed with a special need that prohibits him/her from swimming unassisted across the pool. In order to receive these accommodations, the child must have a qualifying diagnosis of “special needs” through the Texas Department of Education and are significantly more dependent on other people to complete activities than children of their age. Qualifying dependence on other people for age appropriate activities would be the inability of the child to participate in or complete those activities without either verbal prompts or physical assistance despite having sufficient instruction to complete those activities.
The swimmer will swim the freestyle stroke assisted by a BRST swim coach prior to the start of the meet and will receive an end of season participation medal for their effort.
If a special needs child is able to swim across the pool unassisted, the individual will be placed in his or her appropriate heat.
It is not possible for BRST to provide someone to be with the child at all times while they are at swim team practices. Therefore, it will be the responsibility of the child’s family to provide someone to be in the water and at practices at all times when the child is present.
INJURED SWIMMER
The welfare and safety of any swimmer on the team is of paramount importance and the following guidance and conditions need to be followed:
- All swimmers joining the team are asked to notify the team of any medical condition they may have. Similarly, any swimmers who may have developed a medical condition since joining the team and may need medication e.g., asthma inhalers, must inform a board member and coaching team so that they are made aware of the condition.
- All children reporting to swim are assumed fit, unless written notification of an injury or other condition is provided to the Website and Membership Administrator.
- Following any injury/ illness that has prevented a swimmer from swimming for more than 1 week then a medical release stating that the swimmer is fit to rejoin the team from a doctor or allied health care professional is required and given to a board member prior to practice or meet. This information would then be shared with the coaching team so that a training schedule can be implemented for that individual swimmer to ensure their safety and welfare.
- Such information will be treated confidentially.
- The board will inform coaches in writing of any reported conditions, with any known training limitations identified.
- If there are concerns these will be raised with the board.
- The Head Coach in agreement with all the coaching staff has the right to request a swimmer does not participate in practice or meets if in their opinion the swimmer cannot be safely accommodated. In all instances the Coach will raise their concerns with the swim team board.
SWIMSUITS
Our swimsuit vendor is D&J Sports of Katy. New suits can be purchased from them directly. It is not mandatory that your swimmer wear a team suit however; a suit of equal fit and quality is required. No board shorts or cut-offs will be allowed. The BRST suit style may change every 2 years.
ATTENDANCE AT PRACTICE
Daily practice is held after school during late April and May and mornings after school is out. All practices will be held at the Barkers Ridge pool. Attendance at practice is very important for the success of the individual swimmer and the team.
Swimmers who do not regularly attend practice may lose their place on a relay team or forfeit the opportunity to swim for points. Swimmers MUST attend practice a minimum of 3 days a week. Please contact the board or coach if your child will miss more than 2 practices in a given week.
We swim rain or shine. Come to practice. Should practice be cancelled due to electrical storms in the area, a notice via email will be sent out. Do not assume that all practices will be cancelled as the weather may clear sufficiently for practices to continue after the mandatory 20 minute waiting period after lightening is sighted. Cancellations will be made 15 minutes before practice is to start.
TIME TRIALS (PRACTICE MEET)
Swimmers will be timed in Freestyle, Back Stroke, Breast Stroke and Butterfly (5/6s in Freestyle and Back Stroke, if they are able). Times are necessary for seeding swimmers into heats for the first meet.
Time trials are run like a meet so that swimmers and parents can get "practice" at running a meet. As this meet is shorter than a normal meet, there is just one volunteer shift during the meet instead of the normal two like a dual meet.
PRACTICE TIMES
The full team practices every afternoon. Daily morning practice for the full team begins the day after school lets out for the summer. Please refer to the website, for dates and details.
During After School practice, swimmers are grouped by ability. On the first day, come to your age group practice. A coach will contact you directly if your child will be asked to swim with a different age group. In June, all practice is strictly by age group.
PRACTICES THE MORNING AFTER MEETS
There may be limited practice the morning after a meet. Please check the website for details.
SUPERVISE YOUR CHILD AT PRACTICES AND MEETS
The coaches are not babysitters. Their eyes are trained on the swimmers in the water. Children under the age of 10 MUST BE SUPERVISED by a parent if they are at the pool other than during their practice time.
Barkers Ridge Swim Team coaches, board members, or their agents or representatives are NOT responsible for your children before or after the end of their scheduled practice time.
Please pick them up promptly!
No child under the age of 12 will be allowed to attend a meet without a parent or guardian present. It is your responsibility to find a friend or neighbor to look after your child. Unaccompanied children WILL NOT be allowed to compete.
ATTENDANCE FOR MEETS
Children must swim at a minimum of two dual meets (practice meet/time trials does not count). Any child who swims less than two dual meets will not be able to compete in MOC/ASM. The board will review any circumstances that may have prevented them from swimming.
If a child doesn't not swim for any dual meets and/or the practice meet/time trials, we will consider that they no longer want to be a part of the team and they will be suspended for the remainder of the year.
In the event of an illness, please email [email protected] as soon as possible if your child will not be swimming in a meet.
DUAL MEETS
All swimmers MUST be at the pool in their ready bench areas no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet or they will NOT be able to swim their first scheduled race. For both home and away meets, swimmers must first check in at the Check-In Table at the main gate, and then proceed to the Age Group Ready Bench Area for mark-up.
COME TO THE MEETS RAIN OR SHINE. We swim in the rain. In the event of lightening in the area, swimmers will leave the pool and wait 20 minutes as per Texas regulations. The lifeguards in consultation with the meet director will determine whether it is safe to continue. Unless there is continued lightening in the area the meet will go forward.
Swimmers are allowed to bring snack foods to meets. Healthy snack choices include fruit drinks/Gatorade, fruit, health bars. The coaches recommend that children not consume sugary carbonated drinks and/or heavy, greasy foods prior to competing.
SWIMMERS MUST STAY IN THEIR AGE GROUP READY BENCH AREA. A child must get permission from their designated ready bench parent before leaving for a restroom visit. Children should not leave the ready bench area to make purchases from the snack bar; they should bring enough snacks with them or their parent may purchase the snack for their child and give it to a ready bench parent to give to them.
Children may not visit or sit with their parents until all their heats have been completed AND they have been checked out with the ready bench parent. Parents, if you wish to sit with your child during swim meets, you must volunteer as a ready bench parent.
Ready Bench volunteers (two per age group per gender) will escort swimmers to the Start Area Ready Bench a few minutes prior to a race. POOL DECK ACCESS IS RESTRICTED TO READY BENCH VOLUNTEERS WEARING OFFICIAL BADGES.
Family members and guests who come to watch the meets should bring their own folding (lawn) chairs for both home and away meets.
Please remember to throw away your trash. Parents please help clean the ready bench & pool areas when you collect your children at the end of the swim meet.
WHO GETS TO SWIM WHAT?
There are unlimited heats of freestyle and backstroke for all age groups. Swimmers 7 years and older will swim individual freestyle and individual back stroke and most will have the opportunity to swim the medley and/or freestyle relays. The fastest swimmers in each age/gender group will be selected by the coach to swim breaststroke, butterfly and the Individual Medley. There will be two heats of IM for each eligible age group and three heats of individual butterfly and breast stroke. Swimmers will be selected for these events based on time trial times and meet times, but the head coach will make the final determination regarding seeding so that there is rotation of all swimmers.
For relays there will be unlimited heats of each relay for 100 yard freestyle and 100 yard medley. Three possible relay teams are allowed in the 15/18 group and include mixed men/women.
6 and Under swimmers swim individual freestyle, individual backstroke (if they are able) and mixed freestyle relay races (as long as they can swim the length of the pool in less than a minute).
Swimmers do have the ability to “swim up” to a higher age group based on ability and need. The coaches make the final determination. If you prefer that your child not be asked to swim up, please notify the head coach.
It is the policy of Barkers Ridge Swim Team to assign swimmers to events as follows:
1) Swimmers must be able to LEGALLY swim the stroke in order to be entered into an event including relays;
2) For limited heat events, the first heat will comprise the fastest swimmers as determined by time trials and/or competition times. The second heat will be rotated at the coaches’ discretion;
3) Swimmers who have poor attendance at practice will swim at the coaches’ discretion;
4) Relay teams are determined by the coaches. Every attempt will be made to enter a swimmer in as many events as he or she is capable of swimming LEGALLY.
ORDER OF EVENTS
100 yd freestyle relay (all)
Freestyle (all) {25 yards (10 & under),50 yards(11 & up)}
Backstroke (all) {25 yards (10 & under),50 yards (11 & up)}
100 yd. IM (2 heats) {10 & under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18}
Breaststroke (3 heats) {25 yards (7-10),50 yards (11 & up)}
Butterfly (3 heats) {25 yards (7-10),50 yards (11 & up)}
100 yd. medley relay (7 & up)
Medley Relay is the last event of the night. Please be sure your child is cleared by the Ready Bench parent before leaving the pool for the night. If your child is scheduled for a relay, please remember there are 3 other children counting on them to swim.
A NOTE ON TAGS/SECTIONAL TIMES
According to WHALe regulations, no child holding a certified USA Swimming Sectional time may swim that stroke at a WHALe dual meet. A child holding a Texas Age Group Swimming (TAGS) time certified by the Texas Swimming Association must swim that stroke up one age group. BRST must be notified of all swimmers holding such certified times, earned either from a USA Swimming Meet, a TAGS meet, or a high school meet. Violations of this rule will result in financial sanctions and the swimmer/team being subject to disqualification by WHALe.
Per BRST policy, financial sanctions imposed by WHALe are the responsibility of the offending swimmer. Moreover, BRST will impose additional financial sanctions and the swimmer will be permanently disqualified from the team. See the WHALe website for complete details.
MEET OF CHAMPIONS (MOC) and ALL STAR MEET (ASM)
The WHALe Division Meet of Champs will be held at a date to be determined by WHALe. The top 8 swimmers in freestyle, top 4 swimmers in back, breast and fly, and top 3 swimmers in IM of each age/gender group from BRST who have competed in at least 2 dual meets, will be requested to go to Meet of Champs. Please plan your summer vacations accordingly so that your child does not miss out on this amazing opportunity to compete. The top swimmers/relays from each division MOC race will swim in the WHALe All-Star Meet on a date to be determined by WHALe.
Meet of Champs and All Star Meet Volunteer shifts are separate from the team Volunteer shift requirements. If your child is selected to attend these meets you will need to volunteer.
TEAM SPIRIT
Swimmers, support the Marlins by wearing your team suit and team shirt! Parents, support your swimmer by wearing a team shirt or blue to the meets both home and away. Have fun and remember, SHOW GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP AT ALL TIMES!! No “trash talking” the competing team, no body markings, and no jumping in the pool after the winner is announced. Be a gracious winner and a good loser.
RULES OF CONDUCT
Be on time, attend all practices, do your best, be safety-conscious, and follow pool rules – they are there for your safety.
NO ONE may enter the baby pool, splash pad or water slide area during practices or meets FOR ANY REASON.
Only registered swimmers may be in the water during practice.
You must have prior approval from the coaches before attending a practice other than your assigned time.
BRST has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for bullying.
PARENTS – please be aware it is against WHALe rules and BRST policy to consume alcohol or tobacco on the pool premises during practice or meets.
LEAGUE CLINIC
There will be a Mandatory meet officials clinic (time and place to be announced) for Coaches, Referees, Timers, Stroke /Touch Turn Judges, Starters, and Scorekeepers. League certification is valid for two years. Meet officials must have a current WHALe certification, but anyone who would like to know more about the workings of a swim meet is encouraged to attend the clinic.
TEAM PICTURES
Each year our swimmers have the option to have individual and/or team pictures taken. We hope that all swimmers will at least come to be in our team picture even if you don’t wish to purchase pictures. All swimmers are to wear their team swimsuits or team shirt.
POST -SEASON PARTY AND AWARDS CEREMONY
At the end of the season, we have a family party and awards ceremony for the entire team. This is a time to play in the pool, eat and receive awards. Participation medals will be awarded to swimmers who swam at least 2 dual meets. Trophies are awarded to the top swimmers and most improved in each age/gender group. Meet of Champs and All Star Medals will also be awarded at this time.
