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    SWIM TEAM 101

    Swim Team 101

    Welcome Dolphins! The swim team provides a great opportunity for kids of all swimming abilities to enjoy the summer, meet new friends and get regular exercise. Our team is a member of the Virginia Beach Swim League (VBSL website). The league is made up of three divisions; Dolphin, Marlin and Porpoise, we are in the Marlin Division this year.

    Swim Practice

    • Practice Requirements: It is recommended that each swimmer attend a minimum of three practices per week. As school closes for the year, practice is offered in both the morning and afternoon.
    • Necessary Equipment for each practice: suit, towel, goggles, swim cap. PLEASE NOTE that you can practice in any cap that you would like but only Mallory Swim Caps may be worn during meets. Caps will be available at the first meet. The team provides a basic swim cap, if you want a silicone one they are available for a cost of $10.
    • Practice times are on https://mccdolphins.swimtopia.com/.  

    Swim Meet Information

    You MUST Sign-in/out your swimmers by 12 PM on the Tuesday before a meet. You can directly access our swimtopia site through https://mccdolphins.swimtopia.com/. If you already know your summer plans, please feel free to sign-in/out of all the regular season meets now. Coach will contact swimmers who are eligible to swim in the divisional and all-star meets.

    Bring a sharpie pen to every meet to write the swimmers events on their arms E/H/L -Event/Heat/Lane
    If you have a 10 & under swimmer- please write their first initial and last name across their back (In sharpie). This helps the parent volunteers know who who is…. They all look the same in caps!

    Home meets

    • 6:00 a.m. – Concession Set Up.
    • 7:00 a.m. ~ Swimmers report to the pool and check in with coaches.
    • Team sits in the concrete area behind the shallow end of the pool, under the pavilion (Concessions are set-up under the pavillion near the grills) and on the pool deck.
      • Bring sunscreen and cash for concessions, extra chairs as pool chairs are set-up for viewing area between shallow and deep end, used for Clerk of Course and given to visiting team.
    • Visiting team is given the shaded area near the snack-bar.
    • 7:15 – 7:30 a.m. ~ Warm up for MCC.
    • 8:00 a.m. ~ Meet Starts.
    • There are 69 events. Swimmers will swim a maximum of 3 individual events and 2 relays.
    • Swimmers 12 & under report to the Clerk of Course before their event. Clerk of Course is located along the wooden Fence by the deep end.
    • Ribbons are awarded for 1st - 12th place for 10 & under and 1st - 6th place for 11 & up.
    • A typical meet lasts approximately 4 hours.

    Away Meets

    • Typical warm-up time is 7:30-7:45 with a 7:15 check-in
    • Team will sit in a designated area
    • Bring sunscreen, shade, chairs and cash for concessions

    Team Communication

    • Communication is primarily via email. Please make certain that your email address on the swimtopia site is up to date.
    • Coach has set up 2 “GroupMe” links to keep you in the loop.

    Swim Fees & Concession Profits

    The monies collected from team registration and concessions are used for Coaches’ salaries, Team Equipment, Concessions start-up, VBSL registration. Administrative items, Ribbons, Swimmers’ gift, and the End-of-Season Banquet.

    Show Your Dolphin Pride~

    Swimmers

    • Be ready to get in the water when your practice time starts – cap and goggles on.
    • Remember to bring your goggles to every practice. If you have long hair, pull it back and secure it tightly.
    • Show respect to your coaches, teammates, and yourself through your words and actions.
    • When coaches are speaking, be quiet and look at the coach that is speaking.
    • Come with a smile and be ready to swim your best every practice.
    • Cheer for your teammates at swim meets. Encourage other swimmers and have a positive attitude. Swim meets are FUN!
    • Get a good night's rest before. Pack your swim bag on Friday night so that it is ready to go Saturday morning.
    • Be sure to CHECK IN and OUT with the coaches. (just want to make sure we know when kids are leaving a meet)
    • Be ready to warm up soon after you arrive at the meet.
    • Cheer for your teammates and always show good sportsmanship during the swim meet.
    • Swim your fastest! STAY in the water when you finish so you can shake hands with the swimmers in the lanes next to you.

    Parents

    • Check your email daily for information concerning the swimmers and the team. Each family also has a folder at the pool that will be used to distribute ribbons after meets.
    • Please do your best to bring your swimmers to practice a little early so that they are ready to get in the water once practice begins.
    • Please limit on-deck discussions with the coaches. Contact the Team Reps or Head Coach via email with non-urgent issues/questions/concerns:

    Coach: NEW COACH ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON

    Katie Nguyen: [email protected]

    During Swim Meets

    • Check your email on Friday evening for an event sheet showing what events your swimmer will be competing in. Keep this information close by on Saturday morning but be prepared for possible changes.
    • If you have questions about what your child is swimming, please contact the head coach before Saturday morning.
    • Call the head coach and the team rep ASAP if your swimmer becomes sick or cannot come to the meet for any reason. Please text
      • Katie Nguyen @ 202-360-1692

    If you are a new swim team parent, the website http://www.swimteam101.com/ has some great articles and tips.

    Volunteering 

    Summer swim league is run on a 100% volunteer basis. (Parents we need you!) We have over 70 positions that need to be filled for every home meet. Jobs run for ½ a meet (from events 1-38 and events 39-69) Each family is asked to sign-up for a minimum of 4 volunteer spots over the course of the season; however, we do ask that you plan on volunteering at every meet that your child attends. If you have young children and/or find yourself alone at a swim meet with your hands full please email Christine Redel @ [email protected] - we have some volunteer spots that have not been opened on the team site to accommodate families with younger children that can be done before/after a meet.

    Volunteer Positions

    *If you are an experienced swim parent- we have a few high-priority positions that need to be filled this season as our parents who typically fill them have swimmers that have aged-out of the swim program, left the Mallory or taken on other duties.

    Chief Timer(s)

    • Coordinates timers and has a backup stopwatch.
    • Ensures that there are enough timers in each lane at the beginning of each half of the meet.

    Meet Referee (training available)

    • Has full authority over all officials and shall assign and instruct them on the governing rules of the VBSL and pertinent USA Swimming rules where they apply.

    Meet Starter (training available)

    • Upon signal from the Referee, begins each event by notifying swimmers of the distance and event and starts each race.

    Stroke and Turn Judges (training available)

    • Awards false start disqualifications as appropriate.
    • Reports any violation of swimming style or turns for each event.
    • Reports any violations of turning, finishing, or false starts on relay take-offs to the Referee.

    Other Volunteer Positions

    Clerk-of-Course

    • The clerk of course is provided a list of the names of all swimmers in all events.
    • Assembles swimmers for each event.
    • Swimmers 12 & under report to the Clerk of Course. Swimmers in the 13&14 and 15-18 age brackets are free to line themselves up but may report to the Clerk of Course if they have questions.

    Concessions set up and Flow

    • Runs concessions at all home meets
    • Coordinates donated goods and ensures we have all needed supplies
    • Creates signage for concession items at meets
    • Reports to a board member with the monies collected
    • There are 4 home meets this summer, this position can be shared by a few parents

    Announcer

    • Makes announcements throughout meet including meet events, snack bar specials, etc.
    • Family-appropriate color-commentary encouraged

    Concessions

    • Works at concession booth either collecting money, expediting food or grilling

    Concession Set-up

    • Arrive at 6 AM to set-up the concession area. Will work concessions from 7:15/7:30 until 8 AM when 1st concession shift arrives

    First in Heat Stamper

    • Stamps first in heat stamp on swimmer that finishes their specific heat first

    Hospitality

    • Delivers water to timers, judges and coaches throughout the meet
      • Team provides small water bottles for distribution, will need to place water bottles in ice at beginning of the meet
    • Fills in with other positions as necessary

    Line Verifier

    • Assigned to a specific lane and verifies that the correct swimmer is swimming in the correct event/heat/lane

    Runner

    • Delivers DQ slips from stroke and turn judges to the Time Scorer at the conclusions of each event
    • Delivers time slips to Time Scorer at the end of each event
    • Post results as they are available

    Set-up

    • Sets-up pool area either Friday evening or Saturday morning before the meet
      • Moves chairs, tables, etc

    Shepard

    • Takes swimmers from Clerk of Course to their lane
    • Aids Clerk of Course in locating swimmers

    Timer

    • Verifies the swimmers name on the time card or lane sheet before each event
    • Records the times of each swimmer
    • No prior training/experience necessary

    Reading a Heat Sheet

    What is a Heat Sheet?

    This is the printed listing displayed before and during a meet that tells swimmers what events they will compete in. It also defines the swimmer's lane assignment per event. Lanes are typically assigned based on seed times, with the fastest swimmers in the center of the pool.

    Events are listed in order usually alternating girls and boys events. Sample Individual Event from a Heat Sheet

    Important Terms:

    Seed time is the fastest time a swimmer or team of swimmers has swum an event prior to the submission of entries for the meet. For individuals, this is the time entered for the swimmer for the event, and is a good goal to try to beat. It also factors into lane placement and heat number.

    An “NT” listed for seed time means no seed time has yet been recorded for that swimmer, i.e. that swimmer has not competed in that event, or was disqualified during the event.

    Note: Individual Medleys are swum in order:

    1) Butterfly, 2) Backstroke, 3) Breaststroke, 4) Freestyle.

    It’s important for swimmers to know the order, because any other order will result in a “DQ” or disqualification.

    As in the example above, swimmers in age groups 6 & under and 8 & under swim one length of the pool, or 25 meters (exception is 8 and under 50 free) whereas older swimmers swim two lengths, down and back, or 50 meters. In their relay medleys, swimmers 1 and 3 enter the water at one end of the pool, and swimmers 2 and 4 at the opposite end. Older swimmers start and finish at the same point.

    Relay medleys are swum in order:

    1) Backstroke, 2) Breaststroke, 3) Butterfly, 4) Freestyle.

    Accordingly, in the relay event below, Nicholas Wolf will swim backstroke, Keith Miller the breaststroke, Ryan Anthony the butterfly, and Chris Carlin the freestyle. They will swim in Heat 1, Lane 4. Their team has not yet received a legal seed time, so they have “NT.” This team is in the age group that swims two lengths of the pool, or 50 meters, each, which is reflected in the 200- meter event distance. 

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