FAQ

What is the Clear Lake City Stars Swim Team?

The Stars are a summer league swim team. We are NOT a year-round USA Swimming team. We are a voluntary, non-profit organization that exists to field and support a competitive team for the promotion, enjoyment and participation of young people who wish to compete in the Clear Creek Swim League (CCSL) summer league season. Our purpose is to encourage the development of good sportsmanship, teamwork and local aquatic skill.

The team consists of approximately 150 swimmers ages 5-18 covering all skill levels from beginners to some of the fastest swimmers in the Houston area. The Stars compete in Division 1 of CCSL. Current Division 1 members include: Friendswood, League City, Pine Brookwood, Deer Park, Pearland and Clear Lake City.

What is CCSL?

The Clear Creek Swim League, Inc. (CCSL) is a non-profit organization formed in 1964 for the purpose of sponsoring competitive and developmental swimming events and activities in and between the community swimming pools in the Clear Creek and surrounding areas of Texas. The Stars are members of the CCSL and are governed by its rules and regulations.

Member and Associate Member Pools of the league are listed at www.ccslswim.org along with more information on the league and results of competition throughout the season.

What is the CLC Stars registration fee? 

The registration fee is $175.00 per swimmer. In families with more than two swimmers, the 3rd Swimmer fee is $150.00 and 4th+ Swimmers fees are $35.00 each. 

If you have a high school swimmer that would like to attend and help at junior practices, you can receive a $75 discount off the swimming fee by registering your high school volunteer in the "High School Volunteer Swimmer" group.

What does the team do with the fee money?

The Stars use the money to pay coaches' salaries, rent facilities, pay operating expenses and purchase t-shirts, equipment, etc. for the team.

When and where is registration for the Clear Lake City Stars?

Registration is primarily conducted on-line in March or early April each year. 

How old does my child have to be to join the Stars?

Your child must be 5 years old by May 1st in order to register. For new swimmers, you must either mail in a copy of the birth certificate or bring it to the try outs. There will be no exception to the age limitation rule.

Can I get a refund if my child doesn’t want to swim?

A refund, less registration fee of $35 per child, is only available until May 3rd. After that, no refunds will be paid.

My child cannot currently swim.  Can the CLC Stars help?

The Stars do not teach swimming lessons. Your child must be able to swim unassisted 25 yards across the pool without stopping to be water safe. New swimmers will be tested prior to acceptance on the team. You should determine if swimming lessons would be a more appropriate first step.

What if my child doesn't know how to perform all of the strokes well?

Training focus, intensity and duration varies by skill level, age, maturity, etc. While our swimmers are water safe and can swim freestyle before joining the team, some may not perform all of the strokes legally or efficiently. The coaches will help assess your swimmers’ skill level and place them in an appropriate group. Everyone was a beginner once. Our coaches remember that and will help your child improve his/her technique.

My child knows how to swim, but is not experienced as a competitive swimmer. Are the Stars right for him/her?

We believe so. The Stars are committed to teaching and developing talent and good technique in every swimmer, no matter what the level they begin at.

What is the practice schedule? 

The schedule for practices can be found here. 

Where do the Stars practice?

We practice at the Mabry Mill swimming pool in the Bay Glen subdivision: 1515 Mabry Mill Rd Houston, TX  77062

Will my child swim with others his/her own age?

The Stars are a team of swimmers 5-18. At practice sessions, your child will be instructed by coaches who will strive to improve swimming skills and endurance. Your child will practice with other swimmers of similar ability and age. Practice is broken into the following groups: 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-18.

At competitive meets, your child will swim against his/her own aged swimmers in accordance with these groups: 6 & under, 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18. Girls swim against girls, and boys swim against boys. 

Can my 9-year old swim with my 13-year old at practices?

As a rule – no, but it could change with the coach's opinion of the swimmer's ability. A swimmer may be swimming below age group level, or above age group level. Your child will receive the most effective training when they are practicing within his/her own skill level.

How often does my child have to practice?

No one ever has to come to practice; however, very few swimmers improve their techniques and times if they don't come to practice. 

Practices are held Monday - Thursday in May and June. Swimmers will receive instruction in the competitive swim strokes and will swim to build physical endurance. Technique and endurance are both needed to drop time. Swimmers can also keep up with the latest news as information is distributed at practice.

It is up to you to determine how often your child comes to practice. We know there will be instances that cause a missed practice, but please keep in mind that coaches observe swimmers during practice to determine whether a swimmer is “legal” in a particular stroke and to determine which events and heats they will swim at meets.

How do I find out if practice is cancelled?

We typically send out a notification via Remind, Txt message and email. 

We do not practice if there is thunder and lightning close by, but we do hold practice if there is light rain, mist or drizzle. 

The coaching staff will decide whether a practice session is cancelled. You should use your own judgment when determining whether your child should practice.

How long does the Stars season last?

Practice begins in late April or early May. Practice sessions are held after school until school is dismissed for the summer, and mornings thereafter in June. 

A pre-season "time trials" meet may be held before the regular competition season begins for new swimmers to acclimate themselves to a meet atmosphere and for coaches to get an idea where to seed swimmers in regular season meets and relays. Regular-season meets are conducted every Saturday beginning late May and last through June. 

The CCSL Novice and Reserve meets then follow the regular season, with the CCSL Champ Meet held thereafter. The Champ Meet marks the end of our competitive season and is generally held around July 4th.

Will my child be required to attend swim meets?

No, but we are a competitive swim team and participation in meets is the reward for all those practice hours!  In order to swim in the post-season Champ Series meets, swimmers must participate in at least two of the five regular-season meets. Due to limitations placed on us by CCSL and other teams, swimmers may not have the opportunity to participate in every regular season meet.  So missing meets is something that should be avoided if at all possible.

Can my child swim for the Stars and still play soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, etc.?

Yes! Many Stars swimmers are active in other sports and activities. How much you decide to practice is your decision. 

Does my child have to purchase and wear the team swimsuit?

The Stars have team swimsuits, which may be worn to practices and meets. These particular suits are NOT required; but they do conform to swimming rules, look great and provide less drag than commercial suits. 

Who manages the Clear Lake City Stars?

The Stars are managed by a board of directors consisting of swimmers' parents. The board hires the team's coaches and takes care of the administration of the team.

How can I get involved with the Stars as a volunteer?

Don’t worry, we’ll ask!! One of the Stars greatest strengths is its large group of talented parent volunteers. All parents are required to volunteer in some respect, and we welcome new additions with open arms. Just ask a Board Member at registration or on deck about volunteer positions and opportunities.

Does my swimmer have to attend all the meets?

No, Clear Creek Swim League only requires swimmers to swim in at least 2 meets during the season.

Will my swimmer compete against swimmers their own age?

At competitive meets, your child will swim against his/her own aged swimmers in accordance with these groups: 6 & under, 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18. Girls swim against girls, and boys swim against boys. 

Each event (IM, freestyle, etc.) will have multiple heats. To the best of our ability, swimmers are placed in heats where they swim against competition of similar skill level. As they drop time, swimmers are moved up to compete in faster heats. Our emphasis is on each swimmer's improvement, not on scoring points.

During regular season competition, ribbons will be awarded to each competitor within a heat in accordance with the order of finish for that specific heat. All swimmers get a ribbon. 

Can I choose what events my swimmer swims in?

When you sign your swimmer up to participate in a meet you can select what events they wish to swim in. However, these are not the guaranteed events your swimmer will swim in. Coach does his best to put them in what they want, but it isn’t always possible.

If you need to leave by a certain time, please let Coach Chris and Jennifer Halter (clerk of course) know by email clcstarsclerk@gmail.com or text 281-678-5308. Please make sure you include your swimmer's name.

When do I declare my swimmer?

Swim meets will be released for entry the Sunday before the meet. 

Please declare if your swimmer is swimming in the meet by Monday at 11:59. 

A detailed email on how to sign your swimmer up for the meet will go out with the first meet invite. If you have any questions or need help please contact Jennifer Halter.

What time should I arrive? 

Swimmer check-in starts at 6:30 and warm-ups start at 7:00

If your swimmer is not checked in before 7:00 they will be scratched (removed) from the meet. If you are running late and don’t think you will make it by 7:00 please text the clerk of course, Jennifer Halter, at 281-678-5308.

What should I bring to a meet?

• Team suit, if you have one. (The swim suit company will be at the pool May 13th from 5-7)

• A towel or two

• 2 pairs of goggles (most meets don’t have them for sale)

• Snacks (most meets will have a snack bar - an email will go out the week of the meet to let you know)

• Water

• Sunshade (most pools have room outside the deck area to set-up pop-up tents)

During the Champ Meet series, ribbons are not awarded for heat finish, they are awarded to the fastest eight finishers in the event. Therefore, only eight swimmers get a ribbon per event.

How can I get involved with the Stars as a volunteer?

Don’t worry, we’ll ask! One of the Stars greatest strengths is its large group of talented parent volunteers. All parents are required to volunteer in some respect, and we welcome new volunteers with open arms. Just ask a Board Member at registration or at practice about volunteer positions and opportunities.

If you have one or more children swimming at a meet, you will need to provide an adult volunteer to work one of the shifts at that meet.

Families will be required to sign-up for one volunteer shift each time they register their child or children for a meet (no later than the Wed night prior to the meet.) 

Any remaining shifts will be made by assignment and filled by families participating in the meet. 

If a family does not complete their assigned volunteer shift, a $40 charge will be applied to their credit card on file. 

Volunteering and Team Service

This season, all parents will be required to volunteer in some form. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your child being excluded from meets. There are multiple ways to contribute your time, and we will work to find something that fits within your schedule. There are three levels of volunteer service: no experience required, some experience required, and CCSL training required.

Most assignments are committed for one half of the meet, either first half (events 1 - 39) or the second half (events 40 - 80).  Positions that require less work may be committed for the entire meet.  Positions are given work-credits, based on the workload.  Families must work a total of 4.0 credits per season.  A Work Roster will be posted (as an attachment below and at the practice pool) before the first meet to inform parents of their meet assignments. If you can not make a meet, it is up to the parent(s) to find a substitute to fill-in or switch a meet with you. Families will need to sign up and complete four work-credits, or your child may not be allowed to participate in the meets.  

No or Some Experience Required:

• Timers (we usually need 20 - 25 timers for a meet)
  Each timer is provided a stop watch and swimmers’ times are recorded on the entry cards. An experienced head timer will coordinate all timers and the runners. Please visit the Timer's Instructions on our website for more information.

• Runners (2 - 3 people for each half of the meet)
  'Runners' bring timer sheets and DQ slips from judges back and forth to the clerk of course.

• Scorers
  Record swimmers’ finishing place and time, as well as disqualifications and scratches. Works closely with clerk of course. An experienced head scorer will coordinate all scoring.

• Ribbon Writers
  We regularly fill out more than a six hundred ribbons per meet as rewards for swimmers’ performance. May require staying a little later at meets, or getting the ribbons and stickers from the clerk after the meet.  The ribbons can be done at home and count as a volunteer point.

• Tent Area (2 - 4 people for each half of the meet)
  To keep the meet running smoothly, 2 - 4 people per meet half will help corral and organize swimmers before the races. The use of a bullhorn is often used. Parents will help swimmers move from the Tent Area to the Ready Area.

• Ready Area (2 - 4 people for each half of the meet)
  Ready area will work with the opposing team ready area volunteers to line up all swimmers in the proper lane and heat. Swimmers usually sit on benches before being moved to the starting area.

• Concessions (5 - 10 people)
  Volunteers work to coordinate food and drink donations from all parents, and to run the concession stand during the 2 - 3 home meets. This is essential fundraising for the team and allows us to keep registration costs in check. A concessions coordinator will oversee all volunteers.

• Trash Patrol/Bathroom Patrol
  Empty full trash cans, replace liners and keep bathroom presentable during home swim meets.

• Setup and Cleanup (Home: 10 - 12 people / Away: 4-6 people)
  At home meets, volunteers are essential to prepare the pool for the races. This requires 2 hours of setup the preceding Friday evening, and another 1 hour the morning of the meet. After the meet it will take about 30 minutes to break everything down and clean up. Cleanup is required to continue holding meets at any of the community pools. For away meets, 4-6 parents are needed to set up team tents. Whenever possible, separate experienced coordinators for setup and cleanup will manage the volunteers.

Volunteer Positions Requiring CCSL Training:

1. Clerk(s) of Course: each team has one head clerk at least one assistant clerk who are the top administrative authority. The clerks organize the race schedule, process scores, scratches and substitutions, and are ultimately responsible for swimmer eligibility.

2. Starters: calls swimmers to their blocks, starts each race. This is usually the same person for every home meet.

3. Referees: designated officials responsible for all decisions and rule interpretations. The starter can assume both these roles.

4. Stroke and Turn Judge: 4 - 6 required per meet to ensure swimmers’ strokes are in accordance with league rules. Judges communicate swimmer disqualifications to clerks of course.

Can my business sponsor the Clear Lake City Stars?

Yes!! By contributing to our swim team, you help us have a successful season by allowing us to keep our registration fees more affordable for our community, as well as maintaining and upgrading our equipment. 

We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization run by volunteers so all sponsorships are tax-deductible, and you will be supplied with our tax ID number upon receipt of your contribution. 

To find out more about our sponsorship packages, please email our treasurer.