Team Handbook
GREEN TRAILS SWIM TEAM - PARENT HANDBOOK
OUR COACHES
GTST is coached by a head coach and one or more assistant coach(es). Our head coach and assistant coach(es) are Lifeguard and CPR certified.
SENIOR SWIMMERS
Senior Swimmers are older junior high 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)
In 2009 Green Trails joined the West Houston Aquatic League (WHALe). WHALe is made up of 6 divisions based on size of the teams. In 2026 we will be swimming in Division III. League policies are available on their website, http://www.whale.swimtopia.com.
WEBSITE
Our website is greentrailsgators.swimtopia.com. Check the website frequently throughout the season for important information about registration, meet schedules, practice schedules, and other announcements.
REGISTRATION
Priority registration for returning families begins March 1st. Open registration begins March 4 for new families and concludes April 15th at midnight. Registration fees are $170 for swimmers in the 5/6 through 13/14 age groups. Fees are $0 for swimmers in the 15-18 group. Registration is on-line. Please note that all fees and paperwork MUST be turned in before your swimmer will be allowed to participate in any practice or team activity. New swimmers may be asked to present a birth certificate and MUST participate in swimmer evaluations prior to the first day of practice.
TEAM SPONSORSHIPS
We have in place a new Sponsorship initiative to help our families defray registration costs. For every $500 in team sponsorship money secured, one registration fee will be waived. For every $1000 in sponsorships, two registration fees will be waived, and so on. For more information, please contact our Team Treasurer.
NO REFUND POLICY
There will be no refunds given after the second day of full team practice. The only exception to this policy will be if a swimmer is asked to leave the team because he or she cannot meet required expectations by the end of the FIRST week of practices. In that case, we will issue a refund less $40 (the WHALe insurance fee and team shirt cost)
PARENT MEETING
A Parent Orientation Meeting will be scheduled prior to the first week of practice. All parents are encouraged to attend. The meeting will include an overview of team policies and procedures.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
Our swim team is a family affair! It takes many volunteers to help us with the meets, time trials, the team party, picture day, spirit wear, etc. The minimum required volunteer credits will be set at the beginning of the season by the Volunteer Coordinator based on the needs for the season. It is the expectation that every family will volunteer at meets as well as time trials or the team party. A $400 credit card deposit will be required per family.
FAILURE TO MEET YOUR VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS WILL RESULT IN:
$400 Fine
Swimmer ineligibility for Meet of Champs and All Stars
Loss of “Returning Swimmer” status for subsequent registration
Please keep in mind most volunteer jobs require you to stay the entire meet, regardless of when your child finishes swimming. Part of the volunteer responsibility also includes being on time. If you are late, you will not receive credit toward meeting your requirements. Volunteers must check-in before the meet with the volunteer coordinator(s) in order to receive credit for their duty. Also, each volunteer must complete his or her entire assigned duty and sign out in order to receive credit for service. In some cases, your swimmer will be finished with the meet before your duties are completed.
*Please note, Meet of Champs and All Stars will fall outside the regular season, and parents of those qualified swimmers will have additional volunteer assignments for those championship meets.
**Meet cancellation/rainouts-Please be aware, volunteer credit is NOT automatically given if a meet is cancelled or rained out. The details surrounding the cancellation are taken into consideration prior to a decision being made on volunteer credits. The meet still needs to be made up and we still need parents to work the makeup meet.
SWIMMER ELIGIBILITY
GTST requires that a swimmer must be 5 years old by May 1st in order to register for the 6 and Under Age Group. Exceptions to this rule will be on a case-by-case basis and will take into consideration a child’s swimming ability and willingness to listen to and obey coaching directions. ALL SWIMMERS should be able to swim freestyle unassisted across the pool (25 yards) by the first day of practice. Any child who cannot do so may be released from the team at the coach's discretion.
“Unassisted” means the swimmer may not be assisted by another swimmer or adult.
The coaches and Board have the final authority in determining swimmer competency. Decisions made regarding swimmer safety are not negotiable. A refund, less $40 for league fees, will ONLY be given to those swimmers who have been released from the team by the coach and board.
SWIMSUITS
Our swimsuit vendor is DJ SPORTS, located off of Mason and Kingsland. New suits can be purchased from them directly. It is strongly encouraged that all swimmers wear our team suit, showing their team spirit and pride. Our current team suit is Speedo Linear Lava.
ATTENDANCE AT PRACTICE AND MEETS
Daily practice is held after school during May and mornings after school is released for the summer. All practices will be held at the Gerri Ayers pool, unless otherwise notified. 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. Please notify the board BY EMAIL if your swimmer will be missing practice on a regular basis (you can e-mail the board from our team website).
We swim rain or shine. Come to practice. Should practice be cancelled due to electrical storms in the area, a notice will be posted on the website or an 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 30 minute waiting period after lightening is sighted. Please join our REMIND for pool side weather updates!
TIME TRIALS
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. Times will be gathered during a practice 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 break per KATYisd calendar. Refer to the website for dates and details.
Swimmers practice with their own age groups. Our coaching staff works to group swimmers based on ability during their practice times, but it is not guaranteed. On occasion a coach may ask that a swimmer move to a different age group that will better serve his/her swimming skills. On the first day and unless otherwise notified, 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. If you cannot make your age group practice, it is not OK to come to another practice time without first discussing this with the Coach or a board member.
PRACTICE THE MORNING AFTER MEETS
Please see the adjusted practice schedule for mornings after meets.
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.
Green Trails Swim Team coaches, steering committee members, or their agents or representatives are NOT responsible for your children before or after the end of their scheduled practice time.
No child under the age of 14 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
Swimmers must notify coaches of planned attendance 72 hours PRIOR to each meet through "declaring your swimmer". Failure to do so may result in a swimmer not being placed in a relay or swimming for points. Parents must be able to volunteer at a minimum of 3.5 volunteer jobs for their child to swim with GTST.
DUAL MEETS
All swimmers MUST be at the pool in their ready bench areas no later than the posted check-in time or they may 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, unless directed otherwise. This is crucial as check-in at the main gate is what is passed off to the coach and how changes are made. If you do not check in at the main check-in table you will be assumed absent!
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 30 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 and during the swim meet.
SWIMMERS MUST STAY IN THEIR AGE GROUP READY BENCH AREA. A child must get permission from their designated ready bench parent before leaving for any reason. Children should stay in their ready group tent until all their heats have been completed AND they have been checked out with the ready bench parent. Parents are welcome and encouraged to sit with their children at the ready bench age group area.
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. Please do not crowd the Start Area Ready Bench. It makes it too difficult for the Coaches and Bench Volunteers to keep track of kids and hear directions from meet officials. You may stand behind the benches or off to the side, taking care not to block the view of the touch turn judges.
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 backstroke and some (as many as the meet will allow) will have the opportunity to swim breast stroke, butterfly and the medley and/or freestyle relays. There will be at least one heat of IM for each eligible age group and at least two heats of individual butterfly and breast stroke. The head coach will make the final determination regarding seeding.
Please note that swimmers may opt out of backstroke. Any swimmer who cannot complete a 25 yard freestyle or backstroke in less than 1 minute may not be placed in that race. Any swimmer who can not legally swim a stroke may not be placed in that race.
For relays there will be unlimited heats of 100 yard freestyle and typically 2 heats of 100 yard medley. Three possible relay teams are allowed in the 13/14 and 15/18 groups (all women, all men, and mixed relay).
5/6 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). 5/6s who cannot swim the length of the pool in less than a minute may be asked to participate in Pre-Meet Assisted Swimmer Races. (15 minutes prior)
Swimmers do have the ability to “swim up” to a higher age group based on ability and need. The coach makes this determination. If you prefer that your child not be asked to swim up, please notify the coach.
*All of these guidelines can vary based on the number of swimmers at any given meet.
It is the policy of Green Trails Swim Team to assign swimmers to events as follows:
1) Swimmers must confirm attendance (declare) as available to swim on team website prior to the meet deadline;
2) Swimmers must be able to LEGALLY swim the stroke in order to be entered into an event including relays;
3) For limited heat events, the first heat will comprise of the fastest swimmers as determined by time trials and/or competition times. Subsequent heats will be rotated at the coaches’ discretion.
4) Swimmers who have poor attendance at practice will swim at the coaches’ discretion;
5) 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
Assisted Swim (15 minutes prior to start, if needed)
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. Individual Medley (1 heat) {10 & under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18}
Breaststroke (2 heats) {25 yards (7-10),50 yards (11 & up)}
Butterfly (2 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. Green Trails Swim Team 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 Green Trails Swim Team policy, financial sanctions imposed by WHALe are the responsibility of the offending swimmer. Moreover, GTST will impose additional financial sanctions and the swimmer will be permanently disqualified from the team.
MEET OF CHAMPIONS (MOC)
The WHALe Division III Meet of Champs will be held after our 4 dual swim season meets and can be found on the calendar at http://www.whale.swimtopia.com. To be eligible for Meet of Champs, a swimmer MUST swim in 2 Dual Meets. The top swimmers/relays from each division MOC race will swim in the WHALe All-Star Meet (date found at http://www.whale.swimtopia.com). Families who do not complete volunteer requirements will not be allowed to compete at Meet of Champs.
TEAM SPIRIT
Swimmers, support the Gators by wearing your team suit, team shirt and a green swim cap! Parents, support your swimmer by wearing green 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 during practices or meets FOR ANY REASON.
Only registered swimmers may be in the water during practice.
You must have prior approval from the coach before attending a practice other than your assigned time.
The Green Trails Swim Team has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for bullying.
PARENTS – please be aware it is against WHALe rules, Green Trails HOA policy and Green Trails Swim Team policy to consume alcohol or tobacco on the pool premises during practice or meets. Any parent, volunteer, swimmer or spectator who is consuming alcohol, appears to be intoxicated or is unruly will be asked to leave or will be escorted from premises by security.
LEAGUE TRAINING
There will be a Mandatory meet officials training (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 and team shirts.
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, eat and receive awards. Meet of Champs participants will be announced. We will provide more info about this event later in the season.
