Welcome to the Stone Mountain Stingrays Swim Team!

This handbook has been created to give you and your family the essential information you’ll need throughout the swim season. Please take a moment to read it carefully especially if you’re new to the team.

We’re excited to have you and your family as part of the Stone Mountain Stingrays community, and we look forward to another fun, energetic, and successful summer season. If you have any questions at any point, our Swim Team Representatives are here to help.

Fear the Sting!

2026 Season Overview

The Stone Mountain Stingrays 2026 season will run for approximately eight weeks, beginning in May and continuing through the end of June.

Practice Schedule

• Early May: Coaches may begin holding daily practices focused on stroke development and building endurance.
• Before School Ends: Practices will be held after school, Tuesday through Friday.
• June / After School Is Out: Practices shift to morning sessions, continuing Tuesday through Friday.

Time Trials

During May practices, swimmers will participate in time trials. These help coaches evaluate each swimmer’s ability and determine appropriate events before the first dual meet.

Meets

The team will compete in four dual meets throughout the season.

Please refer to the team website for specific meet dates.

At the end of the season, we will compete in the Division Championship Meet, a larger event featuring several teams from our league.

To qualify for the Division Championship Meet, a swimmer must participate in at least one regular‑season dual meet.

Communication

Please check your email frequently, and stay connected through SportsYou, for important updates regarding practices, meets, schedule changes, and team announcements.

To join our SportsYou communication channel, use the team code: SRGY‑BA58.

End‑of‑Season Celebration

The season concludes with our end‑of‑season party, where swimmers receive:

• Ribbons and medals from the Division Championship Meet
• Additional team awards

Refer to the team calendar for this year’s celebration date.

Eligibility

Swimmers are eligible to join the team if they are 4 to 18 years old as of June 1.

To ensure safety and readiness, swimmers must be able to consistently swim the required distances without holding onto the sides, lane lines, or touching the bottom of the pool until the distance is completed. (Exceptions apply for swimmers 6 and under.)

Swim Ability Requirements

• Ages 5–10:
  Must be able to swim one stroke for 15 yards in under two minutes without assistance.
  Note: For ages 5–6, “freestyle” may include any forward swimming motion, including doggie paddle.

Team Reps and the Head Coach may approve 5–6‑year‑old swimmers on a case‑by‑case basis.

• Ages 11 & Up:
  Should be able to swim one stroke for 50 yards (two lengths of the pool).

Assessment

All swimmers must demonstrate their ability to meet the above requirements prior to joining the team.

Registration Fees

• First swimmer in the family: $160.00 (Resident) / $200.00 (Non‑Resident)
• Each additional swimmer: $150.00 (Resident) / $190.00 (Non‑Resident)

To complete registration, a parent must:

• Submit the registration form
• Pay all team fees
• Sign up for a minimum of four volunteer positions or perform an exempt team job
• Sign all required waiver forms

All steps must be completed before a swimmer may attend any practice.

Late Registration

Swimmers may register late even after the regular season has begun, if space is available on the roster. If all roster spots are full, swimmers will be placed on a waitlist.

To compete in meets, swimmers must be fully registered before the second scheduled meet of the season.

Refunds

• May 1 is the last day to receive a 100% refund (minus processing fee).
• Full refunds (minus processing fee) will be issued if a swimmer does not meet the eligibility requirements.

Please consider the commitment involved when joining the swim team.

Practices

Practices Are Important!

Regular practice attendance is essential for swimmer development and team success. During practice, swimmers receive instruction in all four competitive strokes, racing‑start technique, flip turns, and overall endurance building. Consistent attendance also helps families stay informed, as important team updates are often shared during practice times.

Coaching Structure

To maximize the benefits of each session, all coaches work with every age group. This approach allows coaches to:

• Get to know each swimmer individually
• Identify strengths and areas for improvement
• Place swimmers in the most appropriate events for meets

Any adjustments to assigned practice times must be approved by the Team Rep or Head Coach.

Practice Expectations

• Swim caps should be worn at every practice.
• Non‑resident swimmers and families are not permitted to use the pool during practice times unless they are the guest of a neighborhood family.
• All swimmers must exit the pool and leave the pool area at the conclusion of practice before re‑entering the pool.

Be on Time

Swimmers should arrive at the pool ready to swim at least 10 minutes before their scheduled practice time. When practice ends, younger swimmers should immediately return to the parent or adult responsible for them.

Practice Dos and Don’ts

All team activities take place at the Stone Mountain pool, and we are granted special permission to use this facility. To maintain this privilege, swimmers are expected to follow all pool safety rules during practices and meets.

Disruptive behavior wastes valuable coaching time and may jeopardize the team’s continued use of the pool. If necessary, a swimmer may be asked to leave the pool area.

Parents who are present during practice are encouraged to help maintain a safe and orderly environment by reinforcing pool rules. Please respect each group’s practice time by keeping all swimmers not currently practicing off the steps and out of the pool.

At the end of each practice, please help keep the facility clean by picking up belongings, removing trash, and returning chairs to their proper place.

Do You Need to Speak with a Coach?

The coaches encourage open communication throughout the season. However, during scheduled practice times they are responsible for many swimmers and must stay focused on instruction, safety, and managing the flow of practice. For this reason, please do not hold conferences with coaches during practice sessions.

If you need to speak with a coach, please do so before or after practice, or contact them by email.

If you have concerns about a coach or instructor, please reach out to the Swim Team Rep or the coaching staff by sending a message through SportYou or emailing [email protected].

Swimsuit Requirements

The team has an official suit for the 2026 season. Swimmers should wear competitionstyle suit jammers for boys preferably in blue or black.

Official team suits are available for purchase at Swim Freak, located at 2250 Thousand Oaks, San Antonio. Ask for the Stone Mountain Stingrays team suit, as this is the only store that keeps our team suits in stock.

Swim Freak will also be at the Stone Mountain pool on April 29th from 5–7 PM for on‑site suit fittings and purchases.

Swimmers should also purchase an alternate suit for practice, as team suits are best reserved for meets.

• Girls are required to wear a one‑piece suit to all practice sessions.

Other Equipment

Unlike many sports, swimming requires very little equipment. Swimmers should bring swim goggles and swim caps to every practice and meet. Swim caps are REQUIRED at all meets, and team swim caps must be worn during every meet.

Please ensure that every item your swimmer brings shirts, shorts, towels, goggles, swim caps, water bottles, etc. is clearly labeled with their name or initials. (Fingernail polish works well for labeling goggles.)

To help prevent sunburn, swimmers should use an appropriate level of sunscreen at all practices and meets. Sunscreen is most effective when applied 30 minutes beforeentering the water.
Do not apply sunscreen to the face immediately before swimming unless it is a “stick” formula, as lotion‑based sunscreen can run into the eyes and cause burning.

Swimmer’s Ear is a common and painful infection for children who spend a lot of time in the water. Over‑the‑counter ear‑drying drops are available at Walgreens, CVS, and H‑E‑B. Please be diligent about using these drops to help prevent infections that could interrupt your swimmer’s summer of fun and training.

Swim Meets

Regular Season Meets

All MSSL teams participate in four dual meets and a Division Championship Meet each season. Dual meets are typically held between teams within the same division and generally last 3½ to 4 hours, depending on the size of the teams and the number of event entries.

Official swim meet dates can be found on the team calendar

Events

At meets, swimmers compete against others of the same age group and sex. The league includes six age groups:6 & Under, 7–8, 9–10, 11–12, 13–14, and 15–18.

A swim meet consists of seven types of events:

Individual Events

• Freestyle
• Backstroke
• Breaststroke
• Butterfly
• Individual Medley (IM) one‑fourth of the race swum in the order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle

Relay Events

• Medley Relay
• Freestyle Relay

All age groups compete in every event except 6 & Under, who compete only in Freestyle and Backstroke. However, 6 & Under swimmers may be placed in an 8 & Under Freestyle or Medley Relay at the coaches’ discretion.

Entries

Swimmers may be entered in up to four events per meet. A swimmer may compete in no more than three individual events (for example: 3 individual + 1 relay or 2 individual + 2 relays).

Coaches may choose not to enter every swimmer in the maximum number of events. When necessary, swimmers may “swim up” as many as two age groups.

There will be no additions or substitutions to individual events once entries are finalized

Heats and Scoring

Most events consist of more than one heat. A heat is a group of swimmers racing at the same time typically six swimmers, depending on the number of lanes in the pool.

Heats are numbered in order. For example, if an event has four heats, they will be labeled Heat 1, Heat 2, Heat 3, and Heat 4.

Ribbons

Place ribbons are awarded to swimmers who finish 1st through 6th place, based on official times, except in cases of a disqualification (DQ). Each ribbon will include the event, date, swimmer’s name, and official time on the back.

Volunteers will distribute ribbons as soon as possible following each meet.

Disqualification (DQ’s)

Swimmers may occasionally be disqualified (DQ’d) during a race, typically for performing a stroke incorrectly or for an improper start or turn. A disqualified swimmer will not score points for the team and will not receive a place ribbon for that event.

DQ’s may be issued by the starter, stroke and turn judge, or referee. These positions are filled by trained MSSL parent volunteers at dual meets. Their role is to help swimmers learn proper technique and ensure that no swimmer gains an unfair advantage. Please support the integrity of the sport by treating all officials with respect.

Swimmers should remember that they are racing against the clock as well as the other swimmers in the pool. The goal at each meet is to improve their time and continue developing strong, legal stroke technique.

Birthdays

Swimmers compete based on their age as of June 1st of the current year. If a swimmer has a birthday during the season, they remain in the same age group for the entire summer.

MEETS

Entry Procedures

It is very important for parents to understand the meet entry procedures and for swimmers to arrive at the meet at the designated time before competition begins. Arrival times will be posted on the team website prior to each meet.

Swimmers who are entered in a meet but do not show up create significant challenges, especially for relay events, which require substitutions and last‑minute lineup changes. For this reason, it is critical that parents notify the Team Reps or Head Coach whether their swimmer will attend each meet.

Declaring Meet Attendance

If your child is not attending a swim meet, you must inform the team through the SwimTopia system.
Parents are required to declare “Yes” or “No” for every meet.

• If you do not declare, your swimmer will not be entered in the meet even if you show up.
• A swimmer who is a “no show” (declared “Yes” but does not attend) will not be entered in a relay at the next meet.

These policies ensure fairness to all swimmers and allow coaches to prepare accurate lineups.

Please Check­ In On Time!!!

It is essential that every swimmer checks in on time at the check‐in table with the assigned volunteers on the day of the meet. If your swimmer shows up late to warm-ups, he/she may be scratched from a relay. Other swimmers will be given an opportunity to fill in for any scratched swimmer.

It is also 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.

Tem Reps will update SportYou with the latest updates on weather.

Check‑In Policy & Times

Check‑in will take place at the pool where the meet is being held. All swimmers must report to the check‑in table to confirm their attendance.

Parents will be able to print the heat sheet at home to see each swimmer’s event, heat, and lane. Heat sheets will also be emailed to parents the day before each meet.

Official check‑in times will be posted on the team website prior to every meet.

*Changes can happen heat sheets may be updated before the meet starts.

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.

Swimmers: Stay with Your Team

During meets, swimmers should remain with their assigned age group until they are called to the Ready Bench for their event. When swimmers arrive at the Ready Bench, they must check in with the Ready Bench volunteer from our team.

Events will begin on schedule, whether or not all swimmers are present.

Swimmers are responsible for reporting to the Ready Bench on time.

Please watch for the volunteer walking through the team area with the event sign board, which shows which events are lining up. We do not want any swimmer to miss an event or lose points because they cannot be found.

If you prefer for your child to sit with you during the meet, that is perfectly fine. However, you are responsible for ensuring they arrive at the Ready Bench 3–4 events before they swim.

Questions and Complaints

During the swim meets, any questions or complaints about the actions of the officials or the opposing team must be directed to our Team Reps 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. Coaches may need a swimmer to fill a relay spot if another swimmer does not show up. Leaving early can cause the team to lose points, and a relay may have to be scratched—denying the remaining three swimmers their chance to compete.

If a swimmer must leave before the end of a meet, they must notify the Head Coach at the beginning of the meet.

MSSL Division Championship Meets

After the conclusion of the regular‑season dual meets, the MSSL hosts the Division Championship Meet (“Champs Meet”). Unlike dual meets, the Championship Meet brings all teams within the division together to compete at a single event.

Team scores are tracked throughout the meet, and teams placing 1st through 3rd earn a division place banner. Swimmers are awarded 1st–3rd place medals and 4th–16th place ribbons based on their individual event results.

The league offers Championship Meet T‑shirts (available by pre‑order only) and Heat Sheets (sold at the event).

The Championship Meet is the most important meet of the summer, and all eligible swimmers are strongly encouraged to participate.

Parent Participation — We Cannot Run This Team Without Volunteers

Because the swim team is operated entirely by parent volunteers except for our highly qualified, paid coaching staff parent participation is ESSENTIAL at every swim meet. The Stingrays must provide volunteers for home meets, away meets, and the Championship Meet, with home meets requiring the largest number of workers.

Each family is expected to volunteer at least four times during the season. During registration, parents must sign up for a minimum of four volunteer positions.

Please arrive on time for your assigned job and shift.

If you have a scheduling conflict or become unavailable, it is your responsibility to arrange a replacement. The easiest way to do this is to contact another parent assigned to the same job at a different meet and arrange a swap. If you need help please contact a Team Rep.

If you become unavailable at the last minute, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Or Team Rep as soon as possible so a substitute can be assigned. Early communication helps ensure the meet runs smoothly and that all required positions are covered.

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED!!

Parents of new members are encouraged to sign up for these jobs. There is a job to fit everyone’s skills or abilities. Each job is important and can be fun!!

Equipment Set­-Up and Take-­Down Workers set up equipment before meets and pack up equipment after meets. 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.

Team Ready Bench 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.

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 judges and take them to the scorekeeper’s table.

POSITIONS REQUIRING TRAINING

All training clinics are offered annually by the MSSL at no cost.

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 two swim seasons and could be, but DOES NOT have to be, a nationally certified official.

Starter’s 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 Judge observes the swimmers in their assigned lanes, makes disqualifications when applicable, and understands the MSSL and swim stroke rules and how they are applied.

Scorekeeper

takes the data from the lane timer sheets and inputs it into the Meet Manager software. Periodically through the meet, the scorekeeper will print the ribbon labels for swimmers who place 1st ‐6th. At the end of the meet, the scorekeeper asks the Referee and the 2 Head Coaches to sign the final score sheet.

Again, the Stingrays Swim Team cannot continue to exist without the assistance of parent volunteers. ALL PARENTS MUST PARTICIPATE FOR CONTINUED SWIM TEAM SUCCESS at STONE MOUNTAIN.

TEAM PICTURES

The team provides an opportunity for all swimmers to come together for a team photo. The photo will be posted on the website. Pictures – team and individual -will also be available for purchase.

END OF SEASON PARTY

Bring the entire family out to celebrate a great season at the Stone Mountain Pool. Please refer to the team calendar for more details. The swimmers and coaches really enjoy this party!!

MAVERICK SUMMER SWIM LEAGUE

The Stone Mountain Stingrays 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 19 plus local teams of varying sizes in the greater northern San Antonio and outlying areas. The Maverick Summer Swim League maintains a web site which contains a lot of useful information for swimmers, parents, coaches, and volunteers. The MSSL site is www.mssl.swimtopia.com.

COMPETING TEAMS

Currently the 20 teams of the MSSL are divided into four divisions; Division 1, 2, 3, and 4. The placement in divisions is determined by team roster size from the previous season, the team’s placement at the previous Championship Meet, and the historical make‐up (age groups) of the team.

Function of the MSSL

The MSSL Board of Directors is the league’s governing body comprised of one representative from each 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 misconduct information, and medical insurance for all 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 of insurance, awards, and operation of the league’s Championship Meets and All‐Star Meet.

The MSSL provides free training clinics for stroke and turn judges, referees, and starters, and Team Manager clinics for scorekeepers, team reps, and Head Coaches. The league runs criminal background checks for every team’s 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 Meets and the All‐Star Meet. To ensure fairness for all swimmers, the league hires nationally certified officials to officiate at the Division Championship and All‐Star Meets.

The league contracts the services of a person who is highly proficient with the swim software, Hy‐Tek Team and Meet Manager. This person conducts several free yearly clinics to team personnel. Additionally, she works with all team scorekeepers, Head Coaches or team reps to work through any software problems they may experience throughout the competition season.

The MSSL keeps official score sheets for all the dual/tri meets and lane timer sheets and meet results from all current Division Championship Meets and archives from previous Championship Meets. The league posts the MSSL swim records on the league web site which is updated at the end of each season.

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 atwww.maverickssl.org.

MSSL UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

In 2006 the league began a scholarship program to honor former swimmers who aged out in the previous season and awarded each swimmer with a $500.00 scholarship. The MSSL hopes to encourage 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 SAT scores, a high school transcript through the end of the first semester of their senior year, and a counselor’s recommendation form. The application also requires their Team Rep’s signature.
If the MSSL Board deems that extra money is available, more than two scholarships may be awarded.

If you have any questions, please ask!
GO Stingrays!

Have a Safe and Successful Swim!!