Wheat Ridge Piranhas

How well does my child need to swim to participate on the swim team?

Swimmers, ages 6 to 18,  should be able to swim freestyle and ideally backstroke the full length of the pool. While kids will improve and learn new skills over the season, basic swimming ability is required before joining. At the beginning level, practice consists of swimming back and forth one lap at a time. After each lap, swimmers rest in the water at the wall or lane lines while awaiting instructions from coaches.

Does my child have to attend every practice?

Realistically, most kids don't make every practice.  After a weekend with meets, Mondays tend to be less popular.  Friday's when donuts are served tend to be the most popular.  Being summer, family vacations and travel also happen.

We will miss some meets. Is this a problem?

This is a recreational summer league, and we understand that families will sometimes have conflicts and miss meets. Meets are a fun and exciting part of the swim team experience, and we encourage all swimmers to attend as many as they can. More details about meets can be found HERE (link to swim meet 101).

Do we have to swim at any meets?

No. We don’t enforce a minimum meet requirement. That said, meets are exciting and fun — we really hope your swimmer will attend a few!

What level is right for my child?

We want swimmers to have fun, be challenged, and learn new skills. There are no firm rules about which group a swimmer joins — kids should be challenged but not overwhelmed. Here are general guidelines for each group:

White: 45-minute practices. New to competitive swimming with basic swimming skills.

Yellow: 60-minute practices. Some experience with competitive swimming.

Blue: 90-minute practices. Experience in competitive swimming with strong skills.

Swimmers can switch groups during the season, and coaches may proactively suggest a move if they feel a different group is a better fit.

During practices, there are several lanes for each group, and coaches will arrange swimmers within lanes to make efficient use of pool space.

What is spring training?

Spring training is an opportunity for kids who don’t swim year-round to get back in the water before the summer season begins. For new swimmers, it’s a chance to try out competitive swimming before committing to the summer league. For parents, it’s a great time to meet coaches and connect with other swim families.

What about swim suits?

Team swimsuits are ordered at the beginning of the season. The Piranhas’ suits are royal blue with the Piranhas’ logo. We will have a vendor at one of the spring training events to assist with sizing. Note that competitive swimsuits tend to fit more snugly than recreational swimsuits.

We typically place one group order for swimsuits before the start of the season. You can order later, but keep in mind that if you order after the summer season has started, you’ll only have a few meets left to wear it.

Team suits are not required. A plain royal blue swimsuit works great for matching the team color, or your swimmer can wear any suit they’re comfortable in. That said, most kids love wearing the team suit!

Every swimmer will receive a yellow swim cap with the Piranhas logo. Special caps are also awarded to swimmers who achieve league or state qualifying times — a great milestone to work toward!