Mansion House Club

LP FAQs

When does practice start for the season?

Practice for Little Piranhas (LPs) starts the morning of June 22.

When does practice end for the season?

Little Piranhas last regular practice will be the Wednesday before the final A meet (check main calendar). The final LP event is the Lollipop Meet the following morning. Be sure to put that one on your calendar!

Do I need to buy my Little Piranha a team suit?

Only if you want to! Team suits are not required for LPs.

What equipment does my Little Piranha need?

Your LP needs a swimsuit (does not have to be the team suit), goggles, and swim fins. Ideally, they will also have their own kickboard (Jr size). All of these items are available on www.swimoutlet.com for reasonable prices. Please label all equipment with your child’s last name.

What happens if a coach says my child is ready to move to 8 and unders? What does that mean?

It means that their swimming has improved enough that the coach thinks that they are ready to handle a slightly longer practice with more swimming time. They might also be ready to swim in B meets!

Does my Little Piranha need to know how to dive?

Nope! This is a skill that coaches work on teaching or improving with all ages of swimmers.

Can I drop my Little Piranha at practice? Or do I need to stay?

For LPs a caregiver needs to remain at Mansion House in either in the club house or on the deck in case your swimmer needs you. Please remember however that although we need you available, coaches need to focus on your swimmer during practice. So please direct any questions to team reps or hold them until practice is over.

Do Little Piranhas swim in the meets?

Sometimes! At some of our B meets we will have “kickboard races” before the meet officially starts to give young swimmers a chance to participate safely. A coach will be in the water with your swimmer the whole time. These races are completely optional. At the end of the season we hold the “Lollipop Meet” on a weekday morning JUST for our LPs and 8 and under swimmers! More details to come.

What is the Lollipop meet?

The Lollipop meet is a special end of season meet just for LPs and 8 and unders. It is held on a weekday morning, usually at 9 am but sometimes at 8am if it’s going to be an exceptionally hot day. The meet is run by the older swimmers (with adult supervision of course) and is a lot of fun for everyone. This year our neighborhood friends at MVYC will be joining us. Be sure to mark your calendar for this one. It’s optional to participate, but the kids almost always want to swim!

My child can swim but maybe not a full 25 meters yet. Can they be a Little Piranha?

Maybe! Many of our LPs can’t go a full 25 meters without help or a kickboard. This is part of the reason that we hold evaluations. We need to be sure that your swimmer can separate from their caregiver, follow directions, and be safe in the water. LPs is not swim lessons, however. So, your swimmer will need to be able swim before joining the team. If it turns out that your swimmer needs more lessons before LPs a lot of our junior coaches offer private lessons at MHC through the summer. Keep an eye out for their flyers!

Are Little Piranhas part of the team?

Absolutely! LPs are 100% part of our team!

Do Little Piranhas come to the pep rallies?

We love when LPs and their families join in our pep rallies! The pep rallies are not required but are an awful lot of fun and give the LPs a chance to learn cheers and more about what makes swim team so much fun!

Do Little Piranhas come to the swim banquet?

Yes! LPs are most welcome at the swim banquet! The awards portion might be a bit long for the youngest swimmers, but it is held at the pool and the pool remains open during the banquet. So, you are free to decide as a family whether to come. We would love to have you!