SAANICH PENINSULA PIRANHAS SWIM CLUB
Territorial Acknowledgement
We acknowledge and thank the W̱SÁNEĆ people on whose traditional territory we live, learn, and play.
The W̱SÁNEĆ people have lived and worked on this land since time immemorial.
WELCOME
Winter Program (September - April)
Winter registration begins mid August with Returning Swimmer Registration and then opens up to new swim families the first weeks of September.
Our Winter Maintenance program allows for a maximum of 2 hour a week of training with a coach. Swimmers chose 2 days from Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday to swim at Panorama.
During this time we work on technique and endurance as well as throwing in some fun team building activities. It is a great introduction to our club & competitive swimming.
IMPORTANT - The BC Summer Swimming Association (BCSSA) has a strict Two Hour-Rule which does not allow summer swimmers to train with a coach for more than two hours a week during winter maintenance.
A coach is ANYONE who provides coaching to the swimmer - parents and friends count!
Exceptions include Red Cross lessons, school swim clubs if training within designated time frame, synchronized swimming & water polo classes.
Summer Program (May - August)
Summer Registration will begin in March. Stay Tuned!
We are a Summer Swim Club associated with the BC Summer Swimming Association, known as BCSSA, www.bcsummerswimming.com.
Our competitive season runs from May 1st to mid August. During the competitive season we train up to 7 times a week and we attend swim meets from Salt Spring to Campbell River.
Tentative 2023 Swim Meet Schedule
June 3/4 Cowichan Valley Breakers
June 17/18 Courtney Blue Devils
June 24/25 Sidney Piranhas
June 30/July 1/2 Nanaimo White Rapids
July 8/9 Campbell River Salmon Kings
July 15/16 Oak Bay Orcas
July 22/23 Saltspring Stingrays
Aug 4/5/6 Regionals @ Cowichan
Aug 17-20 Provincials @ Nanaimo
Registration Priority Policy
Due to high demand for spaces in our program the Saanich Peninsula Piranhas Swim Club will use the following priority list for registrations in Winter Maintenance and our Summer Competitive season.
The tables below outline the priority levels depending on which session you are registering for.
Priority Level Registration for Winter Maintenance Priority Level Registration for Summer Competitive
1st Most recent summer session 1st Most recent winter session
2nd Most recent winter session 2nd Most recent summer session
3rd Siblings of registered swimmers* 3rd Siblings of registered swimmers*
4th General Public* 4th General Public*
*Note: All swimmers new to the program including siblings will need to be assessed to determine if they are ready to join and for group placement.
Emails will be sent to all swimmers in groups based on priority and given a deadline to declare their intent to swim in the current session. Swimmers who have declared their intent to swim and don’t register and pay in Active will forfeit their spot, giving another swimmer a chance to register.
A wait list will be set up for the general public to declare their interest and will be organized on a first come first served basis.
Assessments are required for all swimmers new to the program to determine group placement.
COVID-19 & the Piranhas
We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it develops.
Our first priority is health and safety of the Piranhas family.
Following protocol and ensuring the health of our families and communities is of utmost importance and we thank you for your patience as we navigate this situation.
Cancellation Policy
Please note that the following policy is in effect: A swimmer will not have their fees reimbursed if they choose to discontinue their membership with the club unless they have a medical reason for doing so. Notice of a medical reason must be given in writing to the club registrar. Special circumstances may be submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration of requests for fee credits.
For NEW swimmers only, a two-week trial period is offered with the option of withdrawing from the club with a full refund minus the insurance fee of $23 and a $50 processing fee.
Communication
Please sign up for newsletter emails on the Piranhas website in order to receive important current information about the club and practices. This is our main form of communication. The "SUBSCRIBE" to newsletter button is at the bottom of the home page.
We have a Facebook Page (Piranhas Swim Club - Family Fun Page) that requires you to be invited (we keep it closed for reasons of privacy). We encourage you to check it out. If you have a Facebook friend who is a member of the group they can invite you to join or you can email us to ask for an invitation.
Feel free to contact our Club President at any time at president@sidneypiranhas.com.
We understand you will have questions about your child and swimming. If you would like to "chat" with your child's coach, please contact our head coach at headcoach@sidneypiranhas.com.
Fundraising
To help offset the high costs of pool rental & coaching there is a requirement that families fundraise during the October to April session. These funds go towards reducing the costs of our Winter Maintenance program.
One of our more successful fundraisers is a no-sort bottle drive. We do this twice a year at Panorama, dates to follow. Families are expected to participate and contribute in a significant way:
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hand out flyers in your neighbourhood
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collect bottles
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assist in the bagging the bottles at Panorama.
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OR pay $100.00 up front instead of fundraising.
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Dates for the drives will be shared in the emailed newsletter.
We also have an account at the Bottle Depot in Sidney so you can drop off your bottles at your convenience, tell them to put the funds towards the Piranhas account. More information about this awesome NO SORT option available HERE!
We also hold a raffle in the Fall with each family purchasing a book of tickets for $100.00 to sell to family and friends. There is a draw for 3 cash prizes in November.
You can also cover your fundraising duties by sponsoring our club! A $525 annual sponsorship will get the company name/logo on our team shirts (available for summer swimmers), website and on the wall of the Panorama (signs are an additional one time cost of $85 + tax). If you are interested in more information please contact us at sidney.piranhas.marketing@gmail.com .
Team Aquatic Shark Card
Team Aquatic has kindly provided members of the Piranhas with a discount online and at their stores. The discount code on the card is valid for online purchases but for in store purchases you MUST show a copy of this card.
