If you are looking for information about how to register for our current season, please visit the 2014 Registration page of our website.
SWIMMERS
Practice
Don't panic. Everyone was a beginner once and had to learn the new skills we will be teaching you. You will absorb these and grow as swimmers, probably a lot more quickly than you even thought possible. There will be times when you feel like saying, "I can't do it." Even if swimming makes you tired and you don't feel like you can do what we are asking of you, make sure to give 100% effort. It will take some time to get into swim shape, but once you are there, you will think back on your first few weeks and be amazed how far you've come in just a short amount of time. There may be times when you feel like giving up. Stick with it. Just like with everything, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You may encounter a swim drill or stroke that you just aren't comfortable with or don't understand yet. The only way to overcome this is to keep at it until you do. Keep listening to your coaches' advice, keep paying attention to what your body does in the water, and keep improving. Small victories will eventually become large victories. Rules for Practice
1. Be on time.
2. Don't touch the water before practice. 3. Listen when a coach is talking. This means with heads above water. 4. Be respectful of your coaches, your teammates, and yourself. 5. If you need to adjust something, ask a question, or anything else... finish the lap first. 6. Be prepared. Have all your equipment for practice. PARENTS
Communication
Communication is very important during the swim season. Please make sure the email you provided on your registration form is the most up-to-date, regularly checked email you have. We often send out reminders for upcoming events and meets, volunteer information, meet results, and team news weekly. It is important to read all the information included in the emails (even attachments) so that you are in the know and your child doesn't miss out on team activities. Practice All parents are welcome to watch practices and meet with other swim parents. However, if your presence becomes a distraction for your swimmer, please do not take it personally if one of the coaches asks you to wait elsewhere. Some swimmers respond well to audiences, others do not; we ask that you respect this for the sake of our swimmers' progress. Alternately, if your child is continuously misbehaving during practices, do not be surprised if the coaches ask for your presence at practices. We do not expect to have to do this during the summer, but it has been necessary in a few extreme occasions in the past. Please feel free to introduce yourself, talk with us, and ask any and all questions you need answered before or after practices. We love meeting new parents! We do request, however, that once practice begins, you allow us to focus all our attention on swimmers in the water. Swim Gear During the season we do a lot of swimming. Don't be surprised if you find your swimmer's suit wearing thin or getting stretched out. One way to avoid this is to have several practice suits and to cycle through them. Another way to keep your suits, practice or racing, in tip-top shape is to make sure to not let them sit around wet. Your suits will start to mold or disintegrate if you don't pay them the proper attention, so avoid having to purchase multiple suits by taking care of the ones you already have. Goggles. New swimmers have so much trouble with goggles. Our advice is to try a bunch of pairs until you find the brand you like, then stick with it! Everyone's face is different and no pair of goggles will fit the same on everyone. If your child swims with a cheap pair without complaint, power to you. You are lucky. In most cases though, the cheaper sets are stiff and often do not create a very good seal. If your goggles are filling up with water while swimming, you may as well not have them on. A bad pair of goggles can mean your child wastes up to half a practice unfocused on technique because the water in their goggles is aggravating them. Spend that little extra ($10 - $15) and get a quality pair so they are pleasant on the eye socket (no tarsiers in the pool), do not leak, and are comfortable. One thing new swimmers are unfamiliar with are swim caps. Swim caps are important for any swimmer, girl or boy, with hair that can get in their eyes when wet. Swim caps help reduce drag caused by loose hair as well as keeping it out of their eyes, shaving a few hundredths of a second (or more, the longer the hair is) off a swimmer's time. Sometimes this little bit is enough to put your swimmer ahead of the person next to them or to help them achieve that elusive All-Star time. Meet Fees Meet fees are set by the home team and are non-negotiable. Meet fees are either a one-time flat fee, or they are one or two dollars per event. Meet fees are paid at the front desk. When the time comes to pay your meet fees, you will receive an email reminder, so be reading those emails! Concession Donations Throughout the summer, each swim family will be called upon once or twice to make concessions donations. Families A-H will bring ____, I-P will bring _____, and Q-Z will bring ____, the blanks filled in according to our needs. All the money from concessions goes directly to benefiting your swimmer (kick boards, pull buoys, flags, lane ropes, blocks, etc.), so please make sure when you are called upon you step up and help support the concession stand with us. We can't do it without you. Volunteering Summer swim meets cannot happen without parent volunteers. With that said, everyone will be expected to volunteer at least three times during the Summer season, whether it be in concessions inside the building or as a timer on deck. Sign up sheets can be found on the swim team bulletin board located in the pool lobby. If you prefer to sign up online, you can check out our Volunteering section of the website. Descriptions of volunteer positions can be found on flyers on the swim bulletin board as well as on the site's Volunteering page. Most positions require little to no prior experience, meaning parents can show up that day and learn what to do while on deck before the meet begins. At the beginning of each season, we will host the Barracuda IntraSquad Practice Meet during regular practice hours. We strongly encourage new parents as well as new swimmers to attend this practice meet as it is equally beneficial for both parties. This is the best way for parents to get experience with any volunteer positions they want to learn more about or are considering as options for volunteering during the summer before meets officially begin. |
Ordering a Team Suit
Team Suit Fitting: June 6
Team suits are optional, however, it's nice for the swimmers to all feel a part of the group and keep in mind, the team suits are usually top of the line as far as quality is concerned. When taken care of, these suits last longer and fit better.
If you prefer to buy your child a different suit than the team suit for meets, please match the team colors: black, grey, and red. Swim-A-ThonFriday, June 27th
The Swim-A-Thon is our biggest fundraising event of the season. Swimmers will come during normal practice times and swim as many laps as they can by the end of practice.
Swimmers will be given an envelope and form to collect pledges from sponsors, who can either donate a certain amount per lap or make a one-time donation. |