Cochrane Piranhas Summer Swim Club

The Cochrane Piranhas Summer Swim Club is a summer swim club originally started by a pool manager in the 1980s. Although there were only five swimmers that first fateful year, the club has experienced incredible growth and success over the years.

We are a not-for-profit club run by volunteers and supported by membership and fundraising.

We are also a member of the Alberta Summer Swimming Association (ASSA), and through the ASSA are also members of Swim Alberta and Swim Canada. The ASSA has 59 clubs as members and is divided into 6 regions within the Province. The Piranhas are in Region E. Region E currently consists of 6 teams with teams in Cochrane, Okotoks, Didsbury, High River, and two teams in Calgary.

Our coaches are all Swimming Canada's National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) certified and members of Canadian Swim Coaches and Teachers Association (CSCTA), Alberta Coaches Council (ACC) and Swimming Canada (SNC).

Our main objective is to encourage our members in the successful development of swimming techniques. This did by providing access to top-notch coaching, facilities and numerous opportunities for our members to compete against other summer swim clubs.

If you have a swimmer that would like to join our club, please email [email protected]

The swim season runs starts on May1st and runs until Regionals which are on August 10-11th in 2024.Swimmers who qualify for Provincials at Regionals will continue to practice the next week to prepare for Provincials. Provincials will be held in Edmonton on August 16-18th in 2024.

Anyone who is 5 to 18 years old is eligible to join the club as an age group swimmer (18 and over can join but are considered Masters swimmers). The only pre-requisite for all prospective swimmers is to be able to swim one length of the pool (25m) unassisted (without touching the bottom of pool, ropes, or the wall).

To inquired about registering with the club reach out to the Registrar at [email protected]

The core method used to teach new swim techniques and facilitation of personal development is through regular, coordinated practices, primarily involving swimming lengths. New swimmers are encouraged to start out swimming their own style, but within a few weeks, they will be introduced to swimming freestyle. As swimmers advance, new strokes will continue to be introduced, even the fly! Swimmers will also learn proper techniques of dive starts, off the blocks and off the ledge, and flip turns.

Please note that parents/siblings are not allowed on deck due to insurance liabilities and taking photos or video is not allowed in the viewing area of the pool as per Spray Lakes Sawmill Family Sports centre policy.

For the 2023 season our club will consist of 5 groups based on age and swimming ability. Swimmers may be reassigned by the coaching staff to a different group during the first few weeks of swimming. Once a swimmer is assigned to a group they will only be moved to another group at the discretion of the coaches. No exceptions will be made for potential time conflicts with other activities that the swimmer may be participating in. This allows all swimmers to be treated the same and respects the club’s swimmers and families. Once you are registered please watch your email or the website for the posting of the swim practice schedule.

The swim fees are set each year by the board before registration night and can vary from year to year based on lane fees, coaches salaries etc. 

In 2024 the swim fees will range between $650-$750 (not including a team suit)

If you are new to swim meets check out this swim meet orientation for more information about what to expect.

Swim Meet Orientation

Since we are members of the Summer Swim Association (ASSA) this allows us the opportunity to attend 7-8 swim meets during our swim season. While ribbons and medals are given for placement at the meets by age group, the focus is on beating individual best time records. 

Each swimmer is required to attend our home meet, regionals and one other meet for the 2022 season. Since our club must pay for each swimmer attending a meet, we ask that you ensure that your swimmer attends the meets they have been signed up for. This means that once you have registered for a meet, you are committed to attend. This is particularly critical for relay events, where failing to show-up disqualifies the relay team. It is an ASSA requirement that all competing swimmers wear a team suit at swim meets. 

Swim meets are typically on Saturdays with some meets having Friday evening events. All swimmers are expected to be on deck for warm-ups around 7:00–7:30am. While it may appear that there is a lot of down time between activities or events, it is important to remember that these are when the equally important social and team bonding occurs between swimmers. Meets can run as late as 5:00pm. The maximum number of events that a swimmer can participate in a meet is 4 individual entries and 2 relay events–this can vary from meet to meet. Not all events are offered at all meets. 

Regionals is one of our required swim meets for the year. If your swimmer is not interested in attending provincials if they qualify, please do not sign up for relays at Regionals. In order to attend Regionals, the swimmer must have attended a previous swim meet to have recorded swim times.

Yes, please refer to the policies section on the webpage to view what your volunteer and fundraising commitments are.

All communication amongst club members is done via our Swimtopiasite https://cochranepiranhas.swimtopia.com/

It is the swimmer’s responsibility to ensure that they have a current email address as Swimtopia is the main form of electronic communication. This is very important, as this is the primary tool used to inform swimmers and parents of important information, such as swim meet instructions.  There is an email to contact coaches on the Swimtopia site, where parents can email the head coach with general questions regarding the club or questions specific to the head coach. 

Contact information for assistant coaches is also available for parents who may have questions regarding their groups/swimmers. Coaches will let their swimmers know when they are available after practices to answer questions, concerns, etc. The Cochrane Piranhas Summer Swim Club has a “24 hour rule” regarding potential conflict situations. The "24 Hour Rule" states that coaches, parents, or swimmers will not discuss a situation until at least 24 hours after the fact. This important rule does two things. First, it moves the discussion away from the presence of the swimmer. Second, it allows all parties to have time to put things in perspective and "cool off", if necessary. If a concern needs to be addressed a complaint can be made in writing to the Club President at[email protected]

Club Suits

For the 2024 season club suits have not been included in registration fees.  When ordering a suit the payment will be made directly to our supplier. Suits will be fitted at Registration night and distributed to the swimmers upon their arrival. It is encouraged that the club suit is used only for swim meets and that a separate suit is used for practices.

Swim Caps

Each swimmer is given a club swim cap at the start of the season. If it is lost or damaged, additional caps can be purchased from the club (limited quantity)

Clothing

Usually each swimmer will receive a Piranhas t-shirt courtesy of our sponsors. Club clothes such as hoodies, toques, backpacks, and towels are optional and can be purchased at registration night. 

Absolutely!  Competitive swimming is a sport which requires a lot of volunteers and officials on deck. There is usually also free lunch and snacks for volunteers!

Please contact the Officials Coordinator for more information on how to become properly qualified and certified at [email protected]. For more information about the officiating process please see the Volunteering and Policies section of the website.