River Place

Each swimmer must be able to swim a 25 meter length of the pool unassisted for safety. 

Cost: 

River Place Country Club members: $245 for the first swimmer, sibling (member) swimmers are $200 each, $100 for age 13 or over. 

* Non-members incur an additional cost of $85 over the member cost for the first swimmer, and $35 for each sibling swimmer. $330 for first swimmer and $235 for each sibling.  $100 for age 13 or over

Registration

• Swimmers that are current Members of River Place Country Club in good standing and non-members are welcome to join the team. 
• Swimmers age 8 and under must be able to swim the length of the pool.   
• Age groups include: 6 & unders, 7-8's, 9-10's, and 11 &up. Groups are based on a swimmers age as of May 1st. 
• Fees include team t-shirt, logo swim cap, and team/individual memory mate in addition to meet registration, coaching, league fees, insurance, ribbons, trophies, swim team parties and surprise goodies. Fees do not include swimsuits or other equipment.
• Unfortunately, many of our expenses are due up front, so NO FEES WILL BE REFUNDED after April 28.
• All on-line forms must be completed, including any credit card authorizations before practice starts. 

Parents

• Mandatory Volunteering: Each family is required to provide an adult volunteer for a minimum of 3 slots during the swim season with 1 additional slot per child if a multi swimmer family. Areas requiring volunteers are: Age-Group Parents, Timers, Ready Bench, Ribbons, Rover, Stroke Judges (requires training), and Meet Day Coordinator. Without this assistance, the meets will not be able to run effectively. Descriptions and duties are posted online. 
• The coaches retain the right to dismiss a swimmer who is uncooperative or not following club/safety rules. Swimmers must abide by all pool rules and conduct themselves in a courteous manner toward other swimmers and adults or run the risk of being removed according to the coaches’/Board’s discretion.

Swimmers

• Swimmers 8 and under must be able to swim one (1) length of the pool without stopping by the time they are entered into their first meet. Swimmers do not need to know all 4 strokes. 

Practices

• Swimmers must be on time to practice. Swimmers should be at practice at least 5 minutes before their age group start time to warm up.
• Swimmers with long hair are asked to wear a swim cap during practice or have hair tied back.
• Parents may attend practices, but are asked to stay off the pool deck, out of the pool and not to interfere with practice. Please save questions for the coaches until after practice. We ask that parents of 6 and unders help by attending practices. 
• Siblings are not allowed in the pool including the deep end or the baby pool during swim meets or practices.
• Occasionally, due to weather, practices may be called off in the middle of a practice. Please keep aware of weather changes if you are away from the club.

Swim Meets

• Swimmers must have Cap, Goggles, and Team Swimsuit at meets. It is mandatory that all swimmers wear the same team swimsuit.
• All children must have a guardian responsible for them at each meet, for the entire meet. Please find your child’s age group upon arriving at a meet. There is a sign for each age group with a parent group coordinator located at each sign. Please stay with your child until you hand them off.
• Please instruct your child to remain with their age group parent at all times. There are only 3 places your child should be at a meet: 1) Bathroom 2) Swimming 3) At the designated age-group location.
• All Age-Group Parent volunteers must stay in the location of their group at all times with the exception of bringing the swimmers to the ready bench.
• If you need to leave a meet early, please notify the age group parent for your child’s age group and the coach or volunteer coordinator.
• Some facilities have more than one pool. Swimmers and their siblings are not permitted in adjacent pools during meets for safety reasons. Only competing swimmers may be in the water during their respective races.
• If your child is participating in a relay, is it extremely important that you stay for the relay. Leaving early and not participating in your assigned relay will affect three other swimmers!
• Parent / Coach Relays are so much fun! We will email if these relays are happening at a meet.

Communication

The team website (riverplace.swimtopia.com) is our primary method of communication. Updates and last minute information will be sent via email or the text chain. Please make sure that we have the most current info in order to reach you.

Meet Entries

All meet entries are done online. You will receive an email request prior to each meet, which will instruct you on where to go to select events for your swimmer. Generally, meet entries close the Wednesday preceding a meet for Saturday meets, and the Tuesday preceding a meet for Friday meets.

Age Group and Number of Events

Your swimmer’s age group is determined by his/her age as of May 1, 2026. Any child may swim up an age group in a relay on a meet-by-meet basis, but if your swimmer would like to swim up an age group in an individual event, the swimmer must go through the coach and swim up for the entire season in every stroke. Swimmers who change age groups may achieve “best time” awards and/or season record holder awards in only one age group.

● Swimmers 10 and under may swim 3 individual events plus up to 2 relays per meet

● Swimmers 11 and up may swim 5 individual events plus up to 2 relays per meet

Stroke selection

Swimmers should talk with the coaches during swim practice to decide which strokes to swim. If your swimmer is new to swim team, a good place to start is freestyle and backstroke. Swimmers must demonstrate proficiency at practice before competing in breaststroke, butterfly, and individual medley events during meets. This ensures a safe and fair environment for all participants and maintains the integrity of the competition. Check with your coach if you have questions about your swimmer’s ability to swim a stroke legally. Swimmers are encouraged to talk to the coaches and follow their suggestions. DQ information and stroke rules are available online.

Relays

If you are leaving early, or coming late to a meet, or do not want your child in a relay, please indicate your preference in the relay section when you register on-line for a meet. When you arrive, please remind your age group parents if your child is not participating in a relay.

It is absolutely critical to make sure your swimmer knows to stay in their age group area. We do not have enough time to hunt down missing children for relays. Missing a relay disappoints three other kids, so if your child could not be located for a relay, it will result in them losing the opportunity to swim in a relay the following week.

Relays will be computer generated and coach approved. Relays are a goal to be achieved. 

• The “A” Medley Relay teams will be built around the four fastest swimmers within an age group, in each stroke.
• The “B” Medley Relay team will be built around the four fastest swimmers within an age group, in each stroke.
• The “A” and “B” Free Relay teams will be built around the four fastest swimmers within an age group, in each stroke.
• “C” Relays will be formed if a lane exists and we have enough swimmers to meet the need. Those swimmers who haven't had the opportunity to swim relays might be invited to swim for this relay. 

Scratches (Cancelling a meet or race after registration closes)

If your swimmer cannot attend the meet after she/he has already been signed up, please contact the board ASAP so that your swimmer can be scratched from their scheduled heat/relay.

Results / Ribbons

Most teams post results during the meet approximately one hour after the time the event completes. Ribbons will be available following each meet and will be in a file box made available at swim team practice. Each family will have a file with their name on it, where their swimmer’s ribbons will be located. Heat winner ribbons are handed out real time during the meets.

Meet Length

Meets will last approximately 3.5 hours depending on the size of team we are swimming against. Having volunteers on time will help the meet start at the appointed time. A rule of thumb is it takes about 2 minutes to run a heat. Thus, if 180 swimmers are at a meet swimming an average of 3 events, then the meet will take about 3 ½ hours.

Warm-Ups

This is a time where the swimmers warm-up, typically 30 minutes prior to the start of a meet. It is very important that your child be at the meet for warm-ups. We solidify the relay teams during warm-ups, and if your child is not present they risk being scratched from the relay team.

Disqualifications (DQs)

The Austin Hills Swim League adheres to USA Swimming guidelines for strokes. The League requires training for parent volunteers who wish to fill this role. If a swimmer does not swim a stroke properly they are DQ’ed (disqualified) and a time is not recorded. The reason for the disqualification is put on the timer sheet so the coach can go over the problem with the swimmer. This is not intended as a punishment or a mark of failure, it is an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and improve their strokes and times. Common reasons for DQs include: Single hand touch on the Breaststroke or Butterfly (two hands are required), flutter kicking or scissor kicking on Breaststroke (frog kick is required), and turning over on your stomach during Backstroke. Additional DQ codes and information can be found on the website. 

River Place Country Club is a member of the Austin Hills Swim League (AHSL). There are five teams in the AHSL:  Barton Creek West, Lake Hills, Lake Pointe, Lakeway, and River Place Country Club.. This league is a summer swim league that stresses participation. The stated purpose of the league as written in its Bylaws is:

“The Austin Hills Swim League shall organize swimming competition for the benefit of the young swimmers involved. It shall maintain a summer league program of competitive swimming which shall be designed to allow the participating children to learn how best to seek personal rewards of ered by growth of their strengths, and know the satisfaction of accomplishment without having been subjected to destructive pressures; to learn how to think and act in a sportsmanlike fashion; to belong to a team, and to enjoy the experience of competitive swimming.”

The AHSL website is https://ahsl.swimtopia.com. Weekly calendars of league meets, weekly results, board minutes and league bylaws, pictures of various meets, individual team websites and information and all star meet information can be found on the league website. Each year, league member teams are delegated jobs on a rotating basis. This year, River Place Rapids is President of the league.

This league divides swimmers into categories by age and gender. Age is determined by a swimmer’s age on May 1, 2026. Classifications are: 6 & Under, 7 & 8 Year Olds, 9 & 10 Year Olds, 11 & 12 Year Olds, 13 & 14 Year Olds, 15-17 Year Olds.

Each swim meet has five individual events and two relays. Individual events are the Individual Medley (IM) (Stroke order = Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle), Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly. Relays are the 100 Medley Relay (Stroke order = Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle) and the 100 Freestyle Relay. The Individual Medley and Medley Relay are not available to ages 6 & under.

Most races have multiple heats. Heat ribbons are given to the child who wins each heat. Place ribbons (for first through sixth place) would be given to the fastest six times out of all swimmers in that race. Best Times ribbons are given to all swimmers who improve their time, and Participant ribbons are given to every swimmer participating in a meet when they did not receive a best time or place ribbon.

At meets, each team provides parent volunteers for stroke judges, timers, ready bench, etc. Stroke judges attend a stroke judge training session. The AHSL adheres to USA Swimming guidelines for strokes. If a swimmer does not swim a stroke properly they are DQ’ed (disqualified) and a time is not recorded. The reason for the disqualification is put on the timer sheet so the coach can go over the problem with the swimmer.