Raintree Rays

Practices are a FUN and educational time to see neighborhood friends & improve swim skills, but please also remember:

TIME: Practices are 7-8am, 8-9am, 9-10am. Times will be assigned after Registration numbers are in. Please come a few minutes early to your practice to stretch before so coaches can start on time. Please pick your swimmer up on time after their practice so they are not left without supervision. (Coaches are not permitted to give swimmers rides to or from practice.)

DAYS: We suggest swimmers attend all five practices every week, but in order to qualify to compete in a meet, swimmers must attend at least three practices leading up to that Meet week. This requirement is only waived in the event that the swimmer is also currently practicing with the high school team or a year round club team in which case they need to attend at least one RAYS practice per week.

EQUIPMENT: Each swimmer should bring their own towel, water bottle and goggles to each practice (swim cap: optional but encouraged). Applying sunscreen before practice is recommended as well. Swimmers need to wear race appropriate practice suits: any one piece/jammers/speedo suit. If possible, it is recommended for swimmers not to practice in their meet suit regularly, so it stays nice through the two seasons.

BEHAVIOR: Swimmers must be respectful to Coaches and teammates during practices and adhere to our team code of conduct.  (Policies found here)

WEATHER: If practices are cancelled or delayed due to inclement weather we will post on FB and Swim Topia before the individual practice (If actively raining or below 60' chances are practices will be cancelled but watch FB!) 

New Swimmer Evals – 

All new swimmers seeking to join the Raintree Rays shall participate in a coach-administered skills assessment conducted prior to the start of the season. The purpose of the assessment is to evaluate swim team readiness and ensure that each swimmer can safely participate in practices and competitions.

To successfully complete the assessment, a swimmer must be able to independently swim the full length of the pool without stopping, holding onto lane lines or pool walls, or pushing off the bottom of the pool. Additionally, the swimmer must demonstrate the ability to perform at least one (1) of the four recognized competitive strokes Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, or Butterfly in a manner deemed safe and sufficient by the coaching staff.

The Raintree Rays is a recreational swim program and does not provide swim lessons or basic water safety instruction. Accordingly, swimmers must possess an appropriate level of swimming proficiency prior to participation.

Families are strongly encouraged to enroll prospective swimmers in swim lessons before joining the team. Swimmers who enter the season with a solid foundation in one or more competitive strokes are generally better positioned to develop their skills, gain confidence, and maximize their improvement throughout the season.

Pool Play: Swimmers are not allowed to play in the zero-entry portion of the pool during their practice or while they wait for their practice to start. Swimmers are also not allowed to be in this portion of the pool during meets at all. Siblings are not allowed to be in the pool during practices or meets. 

Clinic, Ribbons and Donuts: 

Once regular-season Wednesday swim meets begin, the Thursday practice schedule will be modified to include age-group clinics and a weekly team recognition period.

• Clinic 1: 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. for swimmers ages 6–10
• Ribbons & Donuts: 8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
• Clinic 2: 9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. for swimmers ages 11 and older

The weekly Ribbon & Donut session provides an opportunity to recognize swimmer achievements, distribute awards, celebrate accomplishments from the previous evening's meet, and promote team camaraderie.

All swimmers attending Thursday clinics should arrive on time and dressed in appropriate swim attire, ready to enter the water at the scheduled start of their clinic session. Participation in the recognition period is encouraged, as it is an important part of the team experience and celebration of individual and team success.

COVID: All HOA, city, and county guidelines for social distancing and masks will be followed during practices. Swimmers may not attend practice/meets if they have tested positive with COVID or has COVID like symptoms. (If you're unsure of how a specific situation applies, please ask a Coach or Team Manager).