Pinnacle Penguins Summer Swim Team

Pinnacle Penguins Summer Swim Team
Registration and Cost
How can I register for the program?
Go to our website at www.pinnaclecc.com, under the Activities/pool tab there will be a link to the registration
form. Also, there will be copies at the pool. Fill out the form and take to the concierge or mail to Anita Parisi at the
address on the registration.
What are the deadlines for registration and the costs?
Registration is on-going, but space is limited. We start practice on Tuesday, June 9th. You can register for June or
July or both. The cost is $80 for one month or $50 for both. T-shirts are an additional $15. You can write a check
or be billed by the Club.
What does my swimmer receive for the cost?
We offer 11 one-hour practices each month. We also offer two dual meets where your swimmer will receive event
cards, a participation ribbon, and if applicable, a heat winner award. A championship meet, for those that qualify,
is also included.
What if my child has a conflict on one or two of the weeks? Should I still enroll?
YES! In comparing our program to other area learn-to-swim programs, our cost is a great value even if your
swimmer can only make 5 practices each session. Our practices are not mandatory, so come when you can! It is
still beneficial and fun.
Can I get the dual-session discount if I only sign up for June now, but then decide to also swim in July?
Yes. We will honor the $150 dual-session cost if you swim in June and then decide to swim in July. Several parents
are concerned that their schedule will be full and only want to commit to one month. We keep the price
reasonable so that the program is still a great value even if your child’s schedule only allows them to commit to 5
practices per month (out of the 11 practices plus meets, that are offered). So go ahead and register! They will still
get a great experience out of the program, even if they have to miss some practices due to camps or vacations.
Do you offer refunds, if our plans change?
Refunds for cancelling will not be given after the first week of practice.
Do we have a team uniform? Team Suit? Are they mandatory to purchase?
We have a team t-shirt that can be purchased for an additional $15. Custom Pinnacle Penguin caps are available at
the tennis pro shop. The swimmers wear these caps and shirts at the meet. In regards to swimsuits, we do not
have a team suit. We encourage the girls to wear one-piece suits with straps. Boys are encouraged to wear trunks
without pockets (too much drag) and/or knee-length “jammers”.
Is the program only open to Pinnacle members?
Yes. This program is only open to Pinnacle members.
Pinnacle Penguins Summer Swim Team
Readiness
How do I know if my child is ready to be on the swim team? What group will they be in?
If your child can swim across the Pinnacle CC pool (25 yards) unassisted with their face in the water and can swim
on their back, they are ready for the team. We have three levels of swimmers on the team – Little Blue Penguins (57), Rockhoppers (8-10), and Emperors (11&up). We initially place the swimmers by age, but during the first week
of practice we will assess each swimmer and the dynamics of each group to determine if we need to make changes
based on a swimmer’s ability.
How can my child prepare for the team? If they are not ready in June, can they join in July?
Pinnacle CC offers a swim lesson program at the pool. The lessons begin in May and continue through summer.
There are group and private lessons available. There is information on this program on the Pinnacle CC website
under “Activities/pool”. The swim lesson director will be able to assess the swimmer’s readiness for the team after
each set of lessons. Yes, the swimmer can join in July, if they are ready.
What if my children are placed in different levels, but I want them to swim at the same time?
We cannot guarantee that swimmers will be able to swim in the same workout group. The groups are dependent
on age and ability level. We will consider the request, however, as the first week of practice progresses.
Practices
What should we bring to practice on the first day and what can we expect to happen?
Beginning with the first day, your swimmer needs to come to practice wearing tennis shoes, shorts and a swimsuit.
(We will spend the first 10-15 minutes doing running and drylands on most days). Additionally, they will need to
bring a towel, goggles and, if they have long hair, a cap. On the first day, we will ask the swimmers to demonstrate
one length of the pool (25 yards) on their stomach with their face in the water and to swim one length of the pool
on their back. These are the minimum requirements to be on the team. Their ability to do these skills (and, for
the older swimmers, the additional skills of dives, flipturns, breaststroke, and butterfly) will allow us to put the
swimmers into lanes and groups. Once the assessment is done, we will start swimming!
Do parents stay and watch practice?
We do not require parents to stay at the pool during practice. Some do, some don’t. Many swimmers stay after
practice and play with their friends. That is the benefit of being at the Club!
What if it is raining? Do you cancel practice? Do you refund the missed practice?
If it is raining, we will have practice. The swimmers LOVE to swim in the rain. If it is lightning, we will be out of
the pool for 30 minutes from the last strike. Summer storms in our area generally move quickly and we can still
hold practice by the time your swimmer’s hour arrives. Even if we cancel an early practice, we will still hold the
later morning practices. We do not make up missed practices.
What if my swimmer has to miss practice due to vacation bible school, camp or a vacation?
Great! We hope they enjoy that time away! Practices are not mandatory. We offer 11practices for the reasonable
price knowing that every swimmer cannot make every practice and, yet, the program is still a value. You do not
Pinnacle Penguins Summer Swim Team
need to call or apologize, if your child misses practice. However, if you get a chance at practice to tell her, Coach
Anita would still love to know where they are and when they will be back!
What can I expect my child to experience in a typical practice?
Most practices will be comprised of 10 minutes of deck (dryland) exercises and stretching, 40 minutes of swim
technique & endurance building (lap swimming), and 10 minutes of team building, FUN water games!
For the advanced groups, the coaches may coach “from the deck”. For the intermediate and beginner groups, the
coaches will be in the water working with the swimmers. For the advanced group, there is usually a coach for 2
lanes. For the intermediate and beginner levels, there is usually one coach per lane. In a typical lane, we will have
3-6 swimmers. We will put swimmers in their lane according to ability. The swimmers learn to “circle swim”
where they go up one side of the lane and come back on the other. It is fun to watch!
Is the pool cold that early in the morning?
Pinnacle has a heater in the pool and it is always warm and comfortable for the swimmers. In fact, the water is
great, even when the air temp is cold!
Who will be coaching my child?
Anita Parisi will be the program director and head coach. She has over 45 years of swimming experience as a club
swimmer, college swimmer, adult swimmer, as well as being a coach of all of these levels. Anita will be on deck or
in the water every day! Several of the Pinnacle coaches will be returning from last year. They (and any new ones)
all have competitive swimming experience in high school, club, or college.
Swim Meets
The NWA Summer Swim League currently plans two dual/tri meets per team during each month of June and July.
The competing teams are Fayetteville Athletic Club (FAC), Mount Sequoyah, Har-Ber Meadows, Rogers Aquatic
Center, Prairie Grove, and Springdale. The meets are not scored and there are no disqualifications for the
swimmers. The swimmers will be placed in heats by their age and their “times”. There are “heat winner” ribbons,
but there are no “place” awards for the dual meets. Each swimmer will usually swim up to 3 events and a relay.
The coaches will help the swimmers choose their events at a practice before the meet.
There is also a Championship meet that is schedule for Saturday, August 1st. Swimmers will be eligible to compete
at the Championship meet if they have achieved the “qualifying time” during one of the dual meets. The qualifying
times have not been released yet for 2015. The Championship meet will use an electronic timing system,
scoreboard, and diving blocks. The meet will award 1st-8th place ribbons for each age group/event. Team trophies
will also be awarded.
When are the swim meets?
The meet schedule will be confirmed and posted soon. The Penguins will participate in 2 “dual” meets during each
session. The meets will be on a Saturday morning or a week night and generally last about 2-3 hours. Pinnacle
typically hosts 1 home swim meet during each session. The weeknight meets will start with a warm-up at
approximately 4:30 (home meets) and 5:00 (away meets) with competition beginning at 5:30. Saturday morning
Pinnacle Penguins Summer Swim Team
meets will start with a warm-up at approximately 8:30 and competition beginning at 9:00. Most meets will last
approximately 2 hours.
Is my child required to participate in the meets?
Participation in meets is strongly encouraged. Swim meets are great for experiencing competition in a fun, friendly
environment. It is also a great time to showcase the skills that the swimmers have learned. We understand,
however, that family vacations and summer camps may occasionally conflict with a scheduled meet. Some
swimmers may be hesitant to participate due to fear of competition or being “on stage”. The coaching staff will
work with the swimmers to ease this fear. If the swimmer is still hesitant, we encourage them to come to the
meets, even if they decide not to compete. Usually, swimmers who come to watch, end up wanting to swim once
they see the fun that it is!
How does my child register for the meet? Who picks their events?
Each meet has an entry deadline where we will need to know if your child(ren) will or will not be participating.
There will be penalties for our team if we do not meet these deadlines so it is very important that you communicate
whether or not you will be attending. We will have a “swim meet board” that you can mark at practice. The
coaches will work with the swimmers to pick their events. Parents’ input on the events (by means of the meet
board) is always welcome.
Please be sensitive to your commitments for the meets. Please register by the deadlines and do not register for a
meet and then not show up. The meets are not fun for the swimmers if there are several empty lanes in their heat.
As well, if your swimmer is on a relay and does not show up, the relay will be cancelled and there will be 3 other
swimmers that will be disappointed.
What do parents do during the meet?
For meets that are hosted by Pinnacle, all parents will be asked to help at the meet. The job positions are easy and
can be done with “on the deck” training! Please offer to help as the time comes 
At meets that are not hosted by Pinnacle, the parents can still volunteer to help time, line up relays, or work the
bull pen. Otherwise, the parents can bring a chair and watch the racing. There will always be “heat sheets”
available for purchase that indicate when and in which lane their swimmer will be racing. The heat sheets are
usually $1 or $2.
If my child only participates in the 1st session (June), can he still participate in the Championship Meet at the
end of the summer season?
Yes! We would encourage any 1st session-only swimmers to return and compete in the Championship Meet. Early
communication with the Head Coach would be required for planning. No practice time would be available,
however, prior to the Championship Meet if your child is not participating in the 2nd (July) session.