Great Bridge Swim and Racquet Club Piranhas

Team Communication

Band App:

Please sign up for the Band app! This is the fastest way for you to receive and send messages regarding practices, meets, events, and any other messages. To sign up click here. 

Email: [email protected]rg

The team rep and/or our coaches will send out emails about apparel, team activities, meets, and volunteer needs. Please let them know if your email changes or if you’re not receiving team messages.

Social Media

Swimtopia: https://gbsrcpiranhas.swimtopia.com

This is the website you will use to:

• Sign in and out of meets
• Sign up to volunteer for meets
• Update your contact information
• Track your swimmers' meet results

Facebook Page:

The GBSRC Piranha Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/GBSRCPiranhas page will have updates, reminders, and information you might need for meets or events. It is a member only page.

Family Folders

There are two portable file boxes located under the shelter by the guard shack. A hanging file for each family contains things such as ribbons, information, and forms. Please check them weekly!

Practice

The deck will be closed to parents and non-swimmers after the first two weeks of practice. Parents are welcome to assist swimmers with getting ready for practice and packing up after practice but are asked to exit the pool deck once practice has begun for their swimmer. This rule is to ensure that both swimmers and coaches are focused on practice. If you have questions or concerns for the coaches, please hold them until after practice. You may also contact the coaches via email.

Evening Practice

Evening practices are held Monday/Wednesday/Thursday and are designed for those who are unable to attend the regular morning practices. 

Meets

Meet Information

A typical home meet:

6:30-7:00am: Swimmers report to the pool

7:15am: Piranha warm up

7:30am: Visiting team warm up

8:00am: Meet starts. There are 69 events.

12:30pm: Meet ends (This is an approximate time; some meets will last longer or shorter.)

Volunteers

Our swimmers depend on parent volunteers to run our swim meets. WE NEED YOU! It is the mandate of the GBSRC Piranhas that all parents actively participate in the team’s swim meets. If you register your child to swim, you will be expected to volunteer a minimum of 3 volunteer duties per family during the swim season. Prior to each meet, job sign-ups through SwimTopia will become available for the meet which will allow you to pick your preference. A reminder email will be sent to you a day or two before the meet.

• Stroke and Turn Judges: Stroke judges watch for violations of swimming style or turns. Turn judges watch for violations of turning, finishing, and false starts on relay take-offs. If you are interested in being certified, please see Connie.
• Timers: Timers are responsible for timing and recording swimmers’ times in an assigned lane.
• Clerk of Course: Helps organize the kids and gets them lined up at the right time and this person works with the Zookeeper.
• Concessions: Prepares and sells food and drink items.
• Set Up Crew: The set-up crew reports the evening before a swim meet. They organize the pool for the meet by roping off areas, cleaning up areas, setting up tables, preparing the parking lot and surrounding areas, preparing concessions etc. Board members and being a part of the set-up crew allows you to have the chance to set up your personal tent the night before prior to others being allowed to set up their tents! Get that prime viewing spot!! 😊
• Heat Winners - pass out rubber ducks to the heat winners.
• Referee: Runs the whole meet – briefs coaches and officials and enforces all of the rules.
• Starter: Notifies swimmers of the event distance and stroke; initiates the start signal.
• Time Verifiers: Verifies each time for each swimmer on printout. We ensure all times collected (via dolphin system or stop watches) are within 0.5 of each other.
• Zookeeper: Works with the swimmers lined up to race and checks names and lanes.
• Runners: Picks up timecards from timers and delivers to the scoring table. Also collects DQ slips from judges.
• Announcer/DJ: Announces each event to the deck and calls for events.
• Water Servers: Serves water to timers and officials.
• Parking: Helps direct traffic and makes sure that everyone is parked appropriately.
• Photographer: Takes pictures during meets, social activities, and compiles an amazing slide show for the banquet.
• Clean Up Crew: Reversal of set-up after the swim meet

Time Trials

This is a “practice meet” held prior to the first meet. Time Trials are also used to help parents learn the different jobs in a meet as well as give new swimmers a chance to see how an actual swim meet will be run.

If you are planning to get certified as a Stroke and Turn Official, this is a good opportunity to practice officiating. Please let Connie know if you would like to do this, and we will pair you up with an experienced official.

Divisional Meet

After the last regular season meet, GBSRC will compete in the Marlin Divisional meet. The top two times for each individual event and the top relay time qualifies for Divisionals. A swimmer must participate in at least TWO regular season meets to be eligible. Practice leading up to Divisionals is only for those swimmers who qualify and swimmers will be notified via email.

All Star Meet

After VBSL Divisionals, the VBSL will compile times from the divisional meets across the Dolphin, Marlin, Porpoise, and Tarpon divisions. The top 12 times for each individual event and relay will be invited to swim at All-Stars. Practice leading up to All-Stars is only for those swimmers who qualified during Divisionals and will be notified via email.

Traditions and Team Activities

Ribbons

Ribbons are awarded for 1st through 6th place for all swimmers in all age groups. 7th through 12th place ribbons are only awarded for swimmers in 6&U, 8&U, and 10&U. Ribbons for 1st – 6th are awarded for relays. They will be placed in the swimmers’ folders the week following the meet by parent volunteers.

Piranha of the Week

Each week, the coaches will select swimmers from each age group as “Piranha of the Week.” Swimmers are notified when a "Piranha of the Week" sign appears in your front yard. Please return signs at the end of the week for the next round of selected swimmers. :)

Team Activities:

• Laser Tag
• Age Group Dive-In Movie Night(s)
• Black & Gold Intrasquad Meet
• Talent Show and Ice Cream Social
• Pancake Breakfast
• End of Swim Season Celebration and Slide Show

Friday Treats: Once morning practice begins; parents can sign up to bring treats on Friday mornings. (popsicles, doughnuts, ice cream, granola/breakfast bars, watermelon, pineapple, etc.)