Swim Team Information & Member Registration
Dear Shadow Cliff Sharks Swim Team Family,
Summer Swim Team Time has arrived! This email contains a lot of information so please read it all the way through. (And for those of you that are not returning, know that if you do not register, you will not receive additional correspondence from us.)
First, I want to introduce my co-president for swim team, TRACY SOLIS!!! Tracy has been a swim team parent since 2017. She has 3 sharks on our team, Livi, Bella, and Sam, and she is also one of our best parent swimmers, always helping our parent relays win!
I am so excited she is joining our swim team board, and look forward to sharing leadership responsibilities with her!
Registration has begun for 2025 Pool Members, for all others it will begin in the following order:
- Priority Registration for our 2025 Pool Members (Returning & New)- when you open this email, as long as you are a pool member for Summer 2025, you can register! Sign up for a Shadow Cliff Family Membership ($400+ tax) at www.shadowcliffswimandtennis.com
- Non-Member Returning Swimmers- Monday, March 24th
- Non-Member New Swimmers- Monday, March 31st
SWIM LEAGUE- This will be our 4th year competing in the Lone Star Summer Swim League, and this year we have been moved back up to the A division. (Divisions are determined mostly by size.) Swimmers of all ability levels (ages 5-18) are encouraged to participate. A swimmer’s age for the entire season is determined by her/his age as of June 1st of the current season. You must be at least 5 years old and 18 years or younger on June 1 to participate on our swim team. Swimmers who have not reached 5 years of age will have to wait until they reach 5 years in order to participate in swim practice (per our insurance-liability rules).
REGISTRATION FEES- Our fees cover 1 team swim cap & team t-shirt, team spirit items (ribbons, awards, etc.), entrance to the pool for swim team events, and an end-of-the-year banquet ticket for each swimmer. The only extra costs are the team suit (which is not required, but encouraged), and goggles.
- Registration Fee for Members is $135 for the first swimmer, $125/2nd swimmer (and subsequent) swimmer/s
- Registration Fee for Non-Members is $185
- 15 & Over Swimmer is $125/$165 (member/non-member)
- SWIM EVALUATIONS- Beginning swimmers UNDER 8 years of age(“beginning” meaning they have never participated on any swim team) will need to attend swimmer evaluations prior to participating in practice. If your swimmer is over 8 years of age, and has never participated on a swim team, please reach out to Angie Cox ([email protected]) so I can make a note for our coaches that they are new. The over 8 age group is NOT required to try out, but we would like to observe their swim ability so we can work with them at their appropriate level. Your swimmer does not need to be able to swim the full length of the pool (25meters) at the start of the season to take part in the team. Our tryout consists of swimming across the diving well UNASSISTED, which is about 10-15 meters, first on their stomachs (freestyle), and then turning around and returning on their backs (backstroke). Please understand our team is a “no cry zone.” Our coaches will not toss your child in the water or force them to get in. We want their experience around water to be a positive one, so being emotionally ready is just as important. If we find your swimmer will not be ready (for whatever reason) to practice with the team prior to the first meet, we will recommend private or group lessons for the summer. One benefit to taking private lessons with our coaches is they will know exactly what your child needs to work on to make the team. Please keep all of this in mind prior to purchasing a team suit.
The following dates have been set aside for Tryouts. No need to RSVP, just show up on one of these days: - Sat, May 31st- (Morning) Home Meet v Summerfield
- Sat, June 7th- (Morning) Home Meet v Hidden Forest
- Sat, June 14th- (Morning) Away Meet @Vineyard
- Fri, June 21st- (Evening) Away Meet v Deerfield
- Sat., June 28th- (Morning) Champs Meet (you must qualify for this)
- Online purchase link-
https://www.swimfreak.com/summer-teams/shadowcliff... - Swim Freak is openTuesday-Friday 10am-6pm, and Saturdays 10am-3pm.
- Please make sure you mention you are with Shadow Cliff, as our swimmers receive a discount.
- If you have a beginning swimmer, I would suggest waiting for Tryouts before you purchase a suit.
- TAGS/SECTIONALS- TAGS OR SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS, AND HIGHER may not swim the stroke (including relays) in the age group in which they qualified. They may, however, swim that stroke in an upper age group (except in the championship meet) as long as their time is not a TAGS or other qualifying time as stated above for that age group category.
- CHAMPS- To swim in the end of season Championship meet your swimmer must be one of the top 6 swimmers for that particular event/stroke for their age group. If a qualified swimmer is unable to compete, the next placed swimmer will be invited. We ask that families with swimmers who are in the top 6 of their age group please consider being available to participate at the Champs meet. Champs is a meet for all top swimmers in our league, and it is difficult to field a competitive team and score points if our top swimmers are unable to participate.
- Swim Parent Meeting- Saturday, April 26th 12:00-1:00pm
- Swim Team Kick Off Party- Friday, May 16th 5:00-7:00pm
- Wednesday, March 26th
- Wednesday, April 23rd
- Wednesday, May 7th
- Wednesday, June 18th
- Wednesday, August 27th
- Wednesday, October 15th
- Wednesday, December 3rd
SWIM TEAM TRYOUTS:
o Tuesday, April 22nd 4:30-6:30pm
o Thursday, April 24th 4:30-6:30pm
o Saturday, April 26th 10:00am-12:00pm
SWIMMERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS- One of the things Shadow Cliff takes great pride in is our program for swimmers with special needs. We are very passionate about helping children with special needs become more comfortable and confident in the water while working on swimming and safety skills. There are no diagnosis or mobility restrictions that eliminate anyone from participating on our team. As such, we would like to invite special needs swimmers who are interested in participating with our team this year to please contact Shadow Cliff Head Coach Sophie Filipowicz at [email protected] and/or #210-412-0882. If your swimmer is unable to participate in the regular group practices, then the coach will set up a practice schedule for your swimmer, and registration cost for this program will be adjusted. Again, please contact the Head Coach with any questions prior to registration.
SWIM SEASON- The FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE will be on Monday, May 5th for ALL swimmers. Practice for all ages will end on Monday, June 24th, (unless your swimmer qualifies for the league Championship Meet on June 29th). Swimmers who qualify for Champs will practice through Friday, June 28th. You do not need to make all practices or all meets to be a part of our swim team. We just ask that you let us know what meets you will be participating in, and/or if your swimmer is not able to participate in a swim meet.
PRACTICES- Our summer swim team calendar, as well as the pool calendar, follows the NEISD school calendar. So, our morning practices will begin when summer begins for NEISD. MEMBERS of the pool who are not able to make morning practices because they are still in school are welcome to ask the lifeguards to put a lane rope in, and can request workouts from the coach to follow on their own. We will not be offering afternoon practices once summer practices begin. Please remember you do not need to make all practices to be on the team. PRACTICE TIMES FOR AGE GROUPS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON ENROLLMENT.
After-School- While school is in session (beginning May 5th) all practices will be held Monday-Thursday in the evenings.
o 4:30-5:00pm 5/6 yrs
o 4:30-5:15pm 7/8 yrs
o 5:15-6:00pm 9/10 yrs
o 6:00-6:45pm 11/12/13 yrs
o 6:30-7:30pm 14 & up
During Summer (Beginning Tuesday, May 27th ) practices will be Monday-Friday in the mornings from 8am-12pm.
o 8:00-9:00am 9/10 yrs
o 9:00-9:45am 8 & under
o 9:45-10:45am 11/12/13 yrs
o 10:45am-12:00pm 14 & up
MEETS- There are 4 dual meets and one Championship meet held at the end of the season. The dual meets will all begin at 8am, (Championship meet start time is TBD). Our swim meet schedule (with location) for 2025 is as follows:
TEAM SWIMSUIT - Our team suits will be the same as last year. They will be available for purchase ONLINE AND IN-STORE at SwimFreak (2250 Thousand Oaks #206, 78232). Please note, the link to by our team suit is not active yet. I will send out another email when it becomes active.
Team Shirt- Each registered swimmer will receive a shirt with their registration. If you would like to purchase additional shirts OR tanks please do so at registration time. We order a limited number of extra shirts to sell, and we never order extra tanks. We are still working on the design for 2025, but will post a graphic soon.
COMPETITION LEVELS- Lone Star Summer Swim League is primarily focused on introducing the sport of swimming to all youth. It is a fun and exciting environment. Through a summer of practice and meets, your swimmer will make marked improvement in their ability and foster friendships at the same time. Lone Star Summer Swim League follows UIL swim rules.
IMPORTANT DATES- All events held at Shadow Cliff Pool unless otherwise noted.
WILLIE’S SPIRIT NIGHTS- Join us at Willie’s Grill and Icehouse (15801 San Pedro, 78232) for a meal or order food to go on the following dates, and 15% of your bill goes towards our swim team. Please make sure to mention you are with Shadow Cliff Sharks Swim Team. (Anytime from 10am-11pm)
SWIM TEAM SPONSORS- Shadow Cliff Swim Team needs the community's help to maintain a vibrant and fun swim team. Your business can support Shadow Cliff by sponsoring our team. Discounts to registration will be given to swimmers who find a swim team sponsor. Please visit our SPONSOR PAGE on our website for sponsor information and registration forms. Feel free to contact Angie Cox at [email protected] for more information.
Please remember that Shadow Cliff is a member run pool. The only staff members that get paid at Shadow Cliff are the pool manager, swim team coaches, and the lifeguards. We are not supported by an HOA. We do not get money from the city or any form of government entity. Our pool survives based on the number of memberships we get each year, and any extra revenue generated by swim team fundraisers. This information is what we take into account when we determine the registration cost. Our goal is always to keep our pool and our swim team around not just for this year, but also for the generations to come. We can’t do that without the time and money graciously given by our swim team families.
For more information regarding our swim team, please visit our website https://scsharks.swimtopia.com, or feel free to contact me with any questions. We also have quite a few people moving on from our swim team committee, so if you are interested in volunteering with us, please reach out to me as well! If you have read this far, I want to thank you for being a Shadow Cliff Shark supporter, and I am eager to see your family, and your swimmer, at the pool.
