1) Get plenty of rest before your meet! Heat and sun are especially tiring for swimmers.
2) Eat meals high in complex carbohydrates (pasta, bread) and low in fats. Eat well-rounded meals in moderation. Many swimmers eat spaghetti for dinner the day before a meet. Eat a light meal one-hour prior to warm-up and LIGHT snacks between events. During a meet, drink water or a sports drink between events.
3) Be early for meet warm-ups and practices; if you are right on time, you're late! Work hard at all practices!4) Know your event number and report to the Clerk of Course when called.
5) STAY IN THE TEAM AREA! Conduct yourself in a responsible manner and be proud to be an Otter!
6) Support your teammates. SHOW SOME SPIRIT!! Stay until the end of the meet even if your events are completed to cheer on your teammates.
7) When the meet is over, it is the responsibility of all swimmers and parents to clean the pool area. Please do not leave the pool until you have met your responsibility. Parents, we need your cooperation and support in this matter!!
8) Communicate with your coaches and team representatives; inform them of illness, camp, vacations, etc., giving written notice when possible. This will help our coaches when preparing line-ups for meets and the Relay Carnival.
9) Sign up for the strokes you want to swim in the Wednesday meet by the end of Monday’s morning practice.
10) Check your mailbox! Each family has their own file folder (mailbox). The file folders are in two file boxes brought out for practice each day. Please also check the bulletin board located on the outside wall of the clubhouse. Important updates will be posted there also. These are the primary means of communicating important changes and upcoming events. We will also e-mail information as much as possible.
11) Remember that this is fun, but you do have a commitment to your team.
1. Why are the Saturday meets called “A” meets and the Wednesday meets called “B” meets? Is the swim team in Division A or B?
The Quince Orchard Otters team is in Division B in 2010. All of our swimmers are in Division B whether they swim in the Saturday “A” meets or the Wednesday “B” meets. The swimmers with the fastest times participate in the Saturday “A” meets. Division ratings are based only on “A” meet results. The “B” meets provide an opportunity for all of the children to participate in a competitive event. If a swimmer start s out competing in the Wednesday meets and his/her times improve to the point they are one of the fastest swimmers for that stroke in their age group, the Head Coach may put them in the Saturday “A” meet. A swimmer may be asked to swim one stroke on Saturday and a different stroke on Wednesday (sort of like a pro baseball farm club where players move back and forth between the Minors and the Majors depending on their skill). The
three fastest
times in each event for each age group swim in the “A” meet on Saturday
except for freestyle. The top six times swim on Saturday in freestyle. The
coach puts each swimmer in the event where the team needs
that swimmer most. This may not necessarily be the child's best event.
The time used for placement at a meet is usually the last time the
child swam not the child's fastest time.
If a child who swam three events in the “A” meet does not have a time for a different event, they may swim exhibition in the “B” meet. Exhibition means that they cannot place in the race, they are just getting a time. Exhibition swimmers often swim in the outside lane if one is available. The Head Coach will decide if a swimmer will swim an exhibition event.
3. How are the lane assignments determined for each event?
In events with more than one heat, the slower swimmers swim in the first heat. The fastest swimmers swim in the last heat. Within a heat, the fastest swimmers swim in the middle lanes while the slower swimmers swim in the outer lanes.4. How do I know if my child is “legal” in a stroke?
Here are some guidelines, but please consult the MCSL Handbook for a complete set of rules. Also, Stroke & Turn clinics are offered by the MCSL at the start of the season. Check the MCSL web site (www.mcsl.org) for more information.
Breaststroke
and butterfly require a two hand simultaneous finish or your child will
be disqualified. Finishes may be underwater. If your child is swimming
50 or 100 meter events, they will swim more than one length so they
must do a two hand simultaneous touch at the end of each length or they
will be disqualified.
If your child is
swimming breaststroke and finishes with his/her arms outside the width of
their shoulders they will be disqualified for using a butterfly arm
motion. If they are swimming breast-stroke and use a flutter or
butterfly kick they will be disqualified.
If a child is swimming backstroke and turns over to touch the wall at the end of the length they will be disqualified.
(No coaching while your child is swimming or your child could be disqualified.)
5. Did the starting procedures and the rules regarding false starts change recently?
Two significant changes to the competitive starting procedures were adopted by the MCSL in 2000. The first involves using whistle signals (rather than voice commands) to have swimmers step up to the edge of the pool (or into the water for backstroke.) The second involves not recalling a heat (under most circumstances) if there is a false start. Rather, the race will proceed and any swimmers who left early will be notified by an official of their DQ at the end of the race. A swimmer who is disqualified from an event will not get a ribbon for that event nor will the swimmer’s time be used for placement in the next meet.
6. What is an IM?
IM's are Individual Medleys which are comprised of all four individual events. For example, a 100M IM consists of 25 meters of butterfly, back, breast & free in that order. A 100 M Medley Relay consists of four swimmers each swimming one of the four strokes.
7. Can my child leave the meet after his/her events are completed?
Everyone should try and stay until the end of the meet to cheer on their teammates. In addition, the three fastest freestyle swimmers in each age group swim a relay at the very end of the meet. Please do not leave because your child may be asked to swim in the relay.
8. Will my child get a ribbon for participating?
On Wednesday nights, the first 8 places are awarded place ribbons while all other children receive participation ribbons. At the “A’ meets, the first 6 places receive ribbons. At some special meets, like the Super Stars meet, the first 16 places get ribbons.
Some events have more than one heat. On Wednesday nights, Heat Winner ribbons are awarded to the winner of a heat even though they may not place in the event.
9. Can a swim meet be “rained out”?
Swim meets are not postponed by rain, only by thunder and lightning. Even if it is raining you should show up at a meet until it is called because it may only be delayed. If it begins to thunder and lightning during the meet, the meet will be delayed until 1 hour after the last lightning was seen. If it does not appear that it will blow over, the meet is postponed to another mutually agreeable time for both teams. If a meet is partially completed when interrupted by weather, only the events not yet performed because of the weather will occur on the alternate day.
10. How are the age groups determined?
The cutoff date for determining the age groups is June 1. If the swimmer was born June1 or before he/she will swim with the older group. If the swimmer was born on June 2 or after they swim with the younger group.
11. How will I find out about team events and other team news? How can I communicate with the coaches or other parents?
Every family (and each of the coaches) has a file folder in the team boxes. Your family is responsible for checking your folder every day. This is the only way the coaches can communicate with you so please check your box regularly. If you need to tell one of the coaches something you may leave it in their folder. The weekly team newsletter will be placed in your folder each week. During the season a weekly newsletter is also published. The newsletter will be posted on the web site, and can be e-mailed to you directly by joining the Yahoo news group by sending an e-mail to: quinceorchardotters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
If you will be away and your child cannot attend a meet please leave a note in the Head Coach’s folder at least one week in advance. He and the other coaches spend a lot of time making the line up so they need to know if your child will not be available ahead of time.
Remember, the coaching staff has asked that parents not ask the coaches questions while they are coaching at practice or at a meet. They are concentrating on our children and cannot be distracted for safety reasons. The Team Reps can answer most of the parent’s questions. If you need to communicate directly with a coach, please catch them after practice or leave them a note in their folder.
12. How do we sign up for the special ‘8 & under” Mini Meet?
If you would like your child to swim in the special 8 & under Mini Meet , parents must sign them up for each event in which they would like to swim. This is not done by the coaching staff. A QO parent volunteer will provide information about the Mini Meet after the beginning of the season. There is a small charge to cover the cost ribbons and medals. The coaches will attend the Mini Meet.
13. Are all swimmers required to wear the team suit?
Team swimsuits are not required but are highly encouraged. If your child has a matching suit then your child will feel like they are part of the team. It also makes it easier for the coaches during meets if all our swimmers are wearing team suits.
14. What time does the team get together before meets?
At home meets we warm up first so you need to be at the pool 1 hour and 15 min. before the meet begins. At away meets we warm up last so you need to be at the away location about 45 min. to 1 hour before meet time.
Before a Saturday morning away meet, swimmers meet at the QO pool parking lot to decorate their cars and caravan to the away meet. We typically leave by 7:30 a.m.
It is difficult to coordinate everyone’s schedules on Wednesday nights, so we typically do not caravan to Wednesday night away meets. The Head Coach will let the parents know what time to be at the away pool. Give yourself plenty of time so you don’t miss warm-ups.
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