LHP Gators Swim Team Handbook

Transcription

1 LHP Gators Swim Team Handbook We d rather have fun than be in Division 1!

2 Table of Contents Chapter 1 General Swim Team Information - Important Basics Pg3 (practices, suits, swimmer and family expectations) Chapter 2 Organizational Basics Pg6 (meet types and descriptions, team reps and coaches) Chapter 3 The Strokes Pg10 (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, IM) Chapter 4 Understanding Swim Meets Pg13 (dual meets [A-meets], B-meets, seeding, scoring) Chapter 5 Officials and Important Volunteers Pg16 Chapter 6 Disqualifications (DQ s) Pg20 Chapter 7 Social Elements and Miscellaneous Items Pg23 (team photos, swim banquet, swim-a-thon) 2

3 LHP GATORS Handbook Chapter 1 About The Swim Team Little Hunting Park sponsors the Gators swim team, a member of the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL). The NVSL is a summer league of community pools, mostly in Fairfax County. As described by the NVSL, the League, and our team, exist to develop in children "a love for the sport, advanced aquatic skills, teamwork, and the principles of good sportsmanship." Summer swimming provides an opportunity for kids five through eighteen years of age, and their parents, to participate together in a fun, cooperative undertaking. We seek to establish a healthy environment that encourages the kids to do their best, recognizes their contributions and is fun for the entire family. We've all taken our kids to soccer or other sports and probably stood by as two or three parents ran the team. Swimming isn't like that. You can't run a swim program without a lot of help from parents. In fact, it takes over 40 parents to time, officiate and score a typical swim meet, not counting those needed for pool set up and tear down, making phone calls/sending s, running the snack bar, or other nonswimming and support activities. If you have a swimmer on the team, we need your help! Expectations When you sign up to be on the swim team, you are committing to be a cooperative member of this community. In general, the team expects that families with children participating on the team: Will provide volunteer support Will provide financial support as appropriate 3

4 Will notify team reps and coaches in advance if their children will be absent from scheduled meets Will help ensure children arrive to practices and meets on time and prepared The team expects that swimmers: Will do their best it s a lot more important than being the best Will arrive on time for and participate in practices as directed by the coaches Will support and encourage teammates in every way Will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times, especially during competition Will do their part to support the team by participating in the Swim-A-Thon fundraiser, making posters for A- meets, cheering for teammates Will have fun When to Come (Practices) Before the public schools close for the summer, practice is held on weekday afternoons. (For the 2013 season: 4-4:30 p.m. for developmental swimmers, 4:30-5:30 for 10 and under, and 11 and older, 5:30-6:30 for 11+) Once all schools are out, practice is held at 8:00 a.m. for 11+ swimmers, and 9:00 for 10 and under and/or developmental. Swimmers should come to practice regularly and be prepared to do their best. You need not worry if you can t make practice sometimes because of camp or other activities, but please let the coaches know if you will be absent for more than a day at a time. What to Wear Swimmers should wear a swimsuit that will be comfortable for practice, and team suits for meets. Purchasing the team suit is optional but encouraged. Suits and caps are available from our Swimsuit coordinator (2013 season = Alicia Freitag aliciafs@comcast.net), who is usually 4

5 around at practices, pasta dinners and meets. What to bring Swimmers should plan to wear goggles and a cap. Always bring a water bottle or sports drink to meets, as well as a light snack such as fruit, granola bars or other healthy foods. Save the sweets at the concession stand as a reward for swimming a great swim. 5

6 LHP GATORS Handbook Chapter 2 Who s in Charge? The Team Reps are volunteer parents who were new to swimming at one time just like you are today. They are responsible for running the team and are the representatives of the LHP team to other swim teams and the League. It's a job that is impossible to do successfully without help from a great many parents. The Team Reps hire the Coaches (with the approval of the Pool Board), who are responsible to the team reps. Northern Virginia Swimming League (NVSL) In 1956, eight Northern Virginia pools founded the NVSL. LHP was one of these founding pools. Today, the NVSL has over 10,000 swimmers on over 100 teams. It is the largest summer swim league in the United States. The teams are divided into 17 divisions based on their rankings, with the six highest ranked teams making up Division 1. Teams in lower divisions are not necessarily "slower," however, they may simply have fewer swimmers making it harder to rack up as many points in a meet as larger teams. The Season The NVSL season, which runs to the end of July or early August, consists of five dual meets (also called A-meets) in which the teams within a Division compete against each other; divisional relay meets (also called divisional relay carnival); divisional individual meets ("Divisionals"); and league-wide All-Star meets for both relay and individual events. All of these meets except the two relay meets take place on Saturday mornings (relay carnival and All-Star relays are on Wednesday nights). Dual Meets (A-Meets) In the dual meets, two teams compete against each other to accumulate the most points. With a few exceptions, there are 6

7 individual events in each age group and each stroke for boys and girls. (See Chapter 4 for more on this.) Each team may enter up to three swimmers in each of these events. Points are awarded for first, second and third place finishes. In addition, there are age-group relays and a mixed-age relay for boys and girls. Relay winners take all the points (5), so the outcome of a meet can be heavily influenced by the relay results. B-Meets B-meets are held on Monday evenings throughout the season (some home, and some away please see the swim calendar for specific dates and locations), and provide an opportunity for all swimmers to participate in an un-scored meet even if they may not qualify for A-meets. Meets typically begin at 6pm and run until all swimmers have had a chance to swim chosen events. A few important points about B-meets: Swimmers who placed 1 st, 2 nd, or 3 rd in an event at the Saturday meet preceding the B-meet, may not swim that event at the B-meet UNLESS you swim in the next age bracket up. (i.e. if you got 2 nd in 11-2 breaststroke, you must swim with the year olds for that event at the B- meet or not swim that event at all) Oftentimes, Individual Medleys (IM s) will be swum either as the first or last event of a B-meet. Because IM s are an option for individual swimmers to swim at Divisionals and to qualify for All-stars but are not swum during weekly dual meets B-meets provide an ideal opportunity for swimmers to practice and improve IM times. The same number of volunteers are needed to support B- meets so please do what you can to help! Relay Carnivals The Division Relay Carnival takes place on the Wednesday between the third and fourth weeks of the season. All six teams in each division converge on one pool for an evening of relay races. These include both Freestyle relays (each swimmer swims 7

8 the Freestyle) and Medley relays (each swimmer swims a different stroke). The sole criterion for selection to the All-Star Relay Carnival is to have one of the eighteen fastest times in events swum in the Division Relay Carnivals. Divisionals The sixth week, each Division has an Individual Championship meet, commonly referred to as "Divisionals." Each team is allowed to enter two swimmers in each event, and a swimmer can enter no more than two events. If a team does not have two swimmers for an event, the other teams can bid in other swimmers to fill the empty lanes. This is an individual meet and is not scored. Swimmers who are looking to qualify for all-stars (top 18 swimmers in the NVSL) MUST swim the qualifying time at Divisionals. All Stars After Divisionals swimmers are selected for the All-Star meet the following week. The sole criterion for selection to All-Stars is to have one of the eighteen fastest times swum in an event in the Divisional meets. All Stars can be overwhelming for a first-time swimmer, as approximately 600 swimmers plus parents, coaches, and officials converge on a pool for a meet that takes about six hours. If your swimmer is fast enough to be named an All Star, it is a thrill he or she will never forget. Special Meets There are also several special meets in which LHP swimmers have traditionally participated. These are meets with formats that differ from the usual NVSL lineup. Examples are the Fort Hunt Sportsman Relays (all relays, often including one for coaches); the IM Meet, which allows swimmers to post times in IM or butterfly events for younger swimmers; and the Woodley Mini- Meet, which offers opportunities for our 10-and-under swimmers to shine. More specific information about these meets will be shared with families throughout the season. 8

9 USA Swimming USA Swimming is the governing body for amateur swimming in the United States. USAS establishes technical rules for strokes and for the conduct of competition. The swimming rules used in the NVSL are USAS rules with some minor changes to accommodate the facilities and skill levels found in our league. Potomac Valley Swimming (PVS) is the local "branch" of USA Swimming. It consists of year-round swim clubs in the Washington area. PVS conducts "Short Course" competitions (25 yard pools) from October to March and "Long Course" competitions (Olympic-sized 50 meter pools) from May thru July. 9

10 LHP GATORS Handbook Chapter 3 If you're not a former swimmer, the strokes and their rules can be a source of bewilderment. While most children understand generally what they re supposed to do, the technical rules are specific. The following is a general description of strokes and events according to the US Swimming rules as modified for use in the NVSL. Freestyle Freestyle is defined as any means of swimming across the pool. Any stroke and kick are acceptable. There are, however, a few don'ts associated with this stroke, specifically: (1) You cannot walk on the bottom or pull yourself along using the lane lines and (2) In a 50 Meter race (two pool lengths) you must touch the wall at the 25 meter end before touching the wall at the 50 meter end (This may seem obvious, but sometimes swimmers miss the wall at the turning end of the pool). Backstroke Like the freestyle, almost anything goes on the backstroke as long as you stay on your back. Watching swimmers learn the backstroke is a perverse sense of fun as they bounce off lane lines and wonder where they are. Eventually, they will learn to guide off the lane lines, use the overhead backstroke flags and the lane line markings to know where they are in the pool, and count strokes from the flags to the wall. Backstroke starts are different from all others because the swimmer is in the water with feet planted against the wall, and hanging on to either another swimmer's legs or the lip on the pool awaiting the starter's signal. "Legs" must be grabbed below the knee. Persons serving in an official capacity (such as timers or coaches) may not serve as "legs". If your swimmer is a backstroker, he or she will eventually learn the backstroke flip turn. This is the one exception to staying on your back and can be used only as part of a turn (not a finish) at 10

11 the pool wall. Breaststroke The Breaststroke has two components, the kick and the arm pull. The pull and its recovery must both be under the breast and cannot extend further back than the waist area. The kick is a "frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. The arm pull and kick must be in an alternating sequence and the elbows must stay below the water except for tagging the wall at the finish. Breaststroke turns and finishes require a simultaneous two-hand touch. Butterfly Well-executed butterfly (or Fly) is the most beautiful exhibition of power you'll ever see in a swimming pool. Quite frankly, the fly is the hardest stroke for most swimmers to perfect and while they are learning it many look like they are drowning. There are two components of the fly: the arm pull and the kick. The arm pull must be an over the water recovery (elbows breaking the surface of the water) with the arms moving simultaneously. The kick is a dolphin style kick with both legs moving simultaneously. Unlike the Breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick and pull. Turns and finishes require a simultaneous two-hand touch at the wall. Individual Medley Individual medley (or IM) is when an individual swims each of the four strokes in the sequence Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle. We swim a 100 Meter IM, which means that 25 Meters, or one pool length, of each stroke is swum. In a 100 Meter IM, every turn is a stroke change and stroke finish rules apply. This means no Backstroke Flip Turns. Relays There are two kinds of Relays, the freestyle relay and the medley relay. Both involve a team of four swimmers, each swimming 11

12 one-quarter of the total distance. In the freestyle relay, each swimmer swims the freestyle. In the medley relay, the sequence is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. At the NVSL Relay Carnival, swimmers eight and under swim a modified medley relay where the fly leg of the relay is replaced with a freestyle leg. In all relays, each swimmer must wait until the previous swimmer touches the wall prior to leaving the deck. Running starts or pushes from teammates are not allowed. 12

13 LHP GATORS Handbook Chapter 4 Saturday Meets (Dual or A-meets) Saturday Meets consist of 38 Individual events and 12 Relays. The events swum for each stroke and age group are shown below. Remember, each pool length is 25 meters (or yards in a few pools). Age Group Free Back Breast Butterfly Free Relay Medley Relay 8U Boys 25M 25M 25M 100M 8U Girls 25M 25M 25M 100M 9-10 Boys 50M 50M 50M 25M 100M 9-10 Girls 50M 50M 50M 25M 100M Boys 50M 50M 50M 50M 100M Girls 50M 50M 50M 50M 100M Boys 50M 50M 50M 50M 200M Girls 50M 50M 50M 50M 200M Boys 50M 50M 50M 50M 200M Girls 50M 50M 50M 50M 200M Mixed Age Boys 200M Mixed Age Girls 200M NOTES: 1. In Saturday dual meets, the youngest age category for the Butterfly is There is a 25 Meter Butterfly for 8 & Under at Divisionals and All Stars. Swimmers can use B-meets to prepare. 2. The individual events are held first in the following order: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Within the strokes, boys 8 & Unders go first, followed by girls 8 & Under, then boys 9-10, girls 9-10 and so on. The relays proceed in a similar order, with the boys and girls mixed-age relays concluding the meet. Meet sheets are available at most Saturday meets. 3. The Mixed Age Relays are swum in the following order, an year old, a 9-10 year old, a year old, and a year old. Who Swims? The objective in these meets is to see which team can score the most points, so we try to seed swimmers so that they will place as high as possible. Each team enters up to three swimmers in each individual event and no swimmer can swim more than two individual events. Given these rules, and the fact that swimmers take vacations and go places such as scout camp, you don't necessarily have to be one of the three fastest swimmers to swim in a Saturday meet. Who swims an event may seem to be a 13

14 mystery. However, after the first meet both teams know the other s swimmers times and we try to position our swimmers most effectively. Disqualifications (DQs) and False Starts A swimmer will be disqualified (or "DQ"d) if he/she does not follow the rules of the stroke or commits a false start. These are covered in detail in chapter 6. Seeding In Saturday meets, the home team s swimmers swim in lanes 1, 3, and 5 while the visitors have lanes 2, 4, and 6. The fastest swimmers swim in lanes 3 and 4, the next fastest in lanes 2 and 5, and the next fastest in lanes 1 and 6. Swimmers are seeded based upon their fastest times attained in prior competition. Times can be used from A or B-meets. Meet Sheets While all NVSL meets have an announcer, the best way to follow the meet is with a meet sheet, which lists all the events, swimmers, and seed times. Meet Sheets are usually for sale in the concession area. Scoring In the individual events, a first place finish earns 5 points for the team, a second place 3 points and a third place finish 1 point. Relay winners are awarded 5 points. There are 402 points up for grabs in a Saturday meet. Unless one or more places are not awarded in an event due to DQs or lack of swimmers (which is often the case in our division), a team needs 202 points to win. In the event of a tie, the points for the places involved are equally split among the swimmers. For example, in a two-way tie for second place, each swimmer earns 2 points (3 points for second plus 1 point for third equals 4 points, half for each swimmer). No third place would be awarded because the next 14

15 swimmer is fourth. For a third place tie, each swimmer is awarded 1/2 point. Relay Carnivals In Relay Carnivals, teams are not seeded. Each team s lane assignment for the first event is based upon luck of the draw and the teams then rotate one lane to the left after each event. The meet sheet lists only the team swimming in each lane in each event (except for All Star Relay Carnival). 15

16 LHP GATORS Handbook Chapter 5 Your first swim meet can be a bewildering experience as you encounter a vast horde of adults dressed in white. NVSL rules require that all officials wear white. The following are descriptions of the essential functions fulfilled by the white-clad parents. Clerk of the Course The Clerk of the Course is the "gatekeeper" for all swimmers. The Clerks of Course get the swimmers to the right lanes for the correct race. You can't run a race without swimmers and the clerk of the course makes sure the right swimmer gets to the right place at the right time, and ensures that swimmers are arranged in event/lane sequence at the official clerk-of-course area in advance of the races. The announcer will notify coaches and swimmers when it is time to send swimmers to the clerk-of course before a race. Referee The Referee is the chief official. He or she is responsible for the conduct of the meets and is the final authority on the interpretation and enforcement of all swimming rules. After the conclusion of each event, the referee will give four short blasts of the whistle and the announcer will announce the next event. The Referee gives one longer whistle blast, which is the signal for swimmers to get into position for the start (in the case of backstroke, to jump feet first into the water). For Backstroke events, a second long blast is given to bring the swimmers onto the wall for the start. When the referee sees that all the swimmers are ready, he extends his arm pointing towards the starter. At this point, the starter takes over. Starter The Starter is responsible for ensuring that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start. The starter will instruct the swimmers to "Take your mark". After all swimmers are ready and 16

17 still, the starter will start the race using an electronic starter system with a horn and a strobe light. Effective with the 2000 Season, a race can be recalled only if it was a bad start by the starter (i.e. not all the swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. For more information, see False Starts in Chapter 6. Stroke and Turn Judges Once the race has started, the Stroke & Turn Judges are responsible for ensuring that all swimmers obey all the rules for the stroke that they are swimming. These officials are always at the ends of the pool for starts and finishes and walk the sides of the pool as best they can within the physical constraints of the pool. If a Stroke and Turn Judge sees a violation of the rules, he raises his hand to signify that an infraction has occurred. A Disqualification is recorded on a DQ slip, which the referee reviews and approves and forwards copies to the Table workers and the Team Rep. Marshalls Marshalls are responsible for ensuring that Warm-ups are conducted safely and that order is maintained during the warmups. Duties include ensuring that swimmers enter the water feet first, or that diving starts are used in warm-ups only when a lane is "one way" away from the starting end; stopping any horse play and making sure swimmers aren t hanging or sitting on the lane lines. Additionally, marshalls ensure that spectators remain in the viewing area and no one other than swimmers, coaches and officials are on-deck throughout the meet. You can recognize them by the signature orange vests. Relay Takeoff Judges During relays, four Relay Takeoff Judges are at each end of the pool (two per lane). Their job is to ensure that each swimmer touches the wall prior to the next swimmer in the relay leaving the deck. Each Judge notes on a slip of paper whether each 17

18 swimmer in his lane left before or after the touch. Relay Takeoff Judges don t raise their hands when they observe an early takeoff because a DQ occurs only if both Judges observed an early takeoff. Timers and Chief Timer The timers determine the swimmer's official time for each race. Being a timer is a great way for new parents to help out. Some parents have been timers for years and wouldn't want to see a swim meet from any other viewpoint. If you can start and stop a stopwatch, you can be a timer. Training is provided at the beginning of every meet by the Chief Timer. The Chief Timer is responsible for providing a briefing prior to the start of the meet covering details about timing and time recording. He is also responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the recorded times and notifying the starter when to begin the next race. Table Workers The cards with the results of each event go to the Table Workers who determine the order of finish for each event, score the meet, and prepare ribbons for the participants. Several people from each team perform these functions to insure that errors are caught before the results are announced. Team Rep During the meet, the Team Rep is the designated recipient of all DQ slips for his or her team and is the only person with any official standing to challenge any decisions made by the referee. Coaches During the meet, the Coach s primary responsibility is to encourage and praise the swimmers and to make sure that they get to the Clerk of the Course in time to swim. 18

19 Other Very Important People It would be impossible to run a swim meet without a number of people in other very important positions. These people set up the pool and sell concessions, they also announce the results, run social activities, act as Marshals and/or runners and provide general support. We need the help of every family in order to have a successful swim season. 19

20 LHP GATORS Handbook Chapter 6 The technical rules in swimming are designed to avoid giving any competitor an unfair advantage over others. A swimmer who violates the rules can be disqualified, or DQ d by the appropriate official. While a DQ can be traumatic, it is important to remember that virtually every swimmer has DQ d at least once. We also try to be sure a swimmer understands his or her violation any time a DQ is committed. What is a DQ? Some of the more common reasons for DQs are Freestyle Backstroke Breaststroke Butterfly Relay Races False Start - Failure to touch the wall at the turning end of the pool - Walking on the bottom or pulling on the lane lines - Exiting the pool before swimming the specified distance - Shoulders must not go beyond vertical except when exiting a turn - Improper flip turn - Incorrect kick such as scissor or flutter kick - Non-simultaneous 2-hand touch, or 1-hand touch at turn or finish - Toes not pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick - More than 1 stroke underwater with arms fully extended at start or turn - Arm recovery past waist except on first stroke after start or turn - Head didn t break surface by conclusion of 2 nd arm pull underwater after start or turn - Non-simultaneous 2-hand touch, or 1-hand touch at turn or finish - Non-simultaneous leg movements during kicks - Arms don t break surface during recovery (judged at the elbows) - Non-simultaneous arm movement during recovery - Swimmer leaves the deck before the previous swimmer touches the wall - Swimmer starts the race early (see details below) How will I know a DQ occurred? Unlike other sports, we don't blow a whistle and announce to the world that a rules violation occurred. When a Stroke and Turn Judge observes a violation, he raises his hand to signify his observation, then writes it up on a "DQ slip." The judge then takes the slip to the referee, who verifies that a rule has been broken and can question the stroke and turn judge to ensure that he was able to adequately see the violation that was cited. The referee then gives one copy of the DQ slip to the Team Rep and 20

21 another copy to the Table Workers. Another clue that a DQ has occurred is a longer than normal pause between events. Disqualifications for early relay takeoffs are done slightly differently. The referee receives all the takeoff slips from all the judges. If both judges on a lane agree that an early takeoff occurred, the Referee will indicate the DQ by standing over the lane that was occupied by the offending team. False Starts A false start occurs whenever a swimmer moves toward the pool after having taken his or her mark (assumed a still position) and before the Starter has started the race. This may occur when a swimmer is trying to anticipate the starting signal and beat the other swimmers into the water. If the false start is detected before the starting signal is sounded, the offending swimmer can be removed from the race prior to it starting. If a false start occurs but the starting signal has sounded, the race will not be stopped. Instead, the swimmer(s) committing the false start will be notified at the conclusion of the race. The use of a recall signal is now limited to a bad start (i.e. not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. If the starter sounds the recall signal, no swimmer can be removed for a false start. How do I know if My Kid DQ'd? Your child will probably know before you do, since the Team Rep tells the coach, who tells the swimmer. If you saw your swimmer finish with one of the top three times but he isn't later announced as among the top three place finishers, this is another indicator of a DQ. Similarly, if your swimmer finished in 4th, 5th or 6th, yet is announced as one of the top three finishers, you can guess that someone else probably DQd. All DQs are indicated on the official Meet Results, which are posted at the pool by 4 PM the day of the meet. You also can get results by visiting the NVSL web site, nvsl.nvblu.com. 21

22 A Word About Officials and DQs Every Official on the deck will always give the benefit of the doubt to the swimmer. Although the difference between "legal but ugly" and "illegal" is sometimes a close call, any violation called by an official is an "I saw" not an "I think I saw." Protesting Disqualifications The Team Rep is the only person who can officially question a disqualification or any other call by an official. If something happens involving your swimmer that you do not think is accurate, talk to the coach or the Team Rep. The Team Rep can initiate action in accordance with NVSL rules if appropriate. 22

23 LHP GATORS Handbook Chapter 7 At Little Hunting Park, we strive to win, but it isn't our reason for being. Some of the things we do to have fun are: Pasta Dinners Gator families are invited to join in pre-meet pasta dinners on Friday nights at the pool. Families bring pasta, salad, bread, dessert or drinks, and there is often a pep activity for the swimmers to do in preparation for the next day s meet. Oftentimes ribbons from previous meets will also be awarded. Team Pictures Announcements about the date and time for team photos will be made to parents via early in the season. Other social events Parents are encouraged to organize fun, team-building events and outings throughout the season. Examples have included waterslide parties, mini gold outings, laser tag etc. Spirit Day Each season, one Saturday meet is chosen as spirit day. On this day, swimmers are encouraged to dress up wildly prior to the meet to cheer and intimidate the opposing team. Posters are made at the pasta dinner the night prior celebrating the team, and often songs and skits start off the meet. Spirit day will also coincide with Senior Day where the graduating senior swimmers are honored and recognized during the break. Swim Banquet A highlight every Gator year is the end-of-season Swim Team Banquet. Usually the Saturday night of Divisionals, all families are encouraged to attend. We enjoy dinner, an awards ceremony in which every swimmer is recognized, and there is usually 23

24 swimming and dancing afterwards (weather permitting). What's Mandatory? While we hope you will participate in all the social activities, they are all optional. Similarly, the purchase of team suits and other team clothing items is entirely optional. We rely on parents to contribute as they can, and we require that kids and parents involved with the swim team have fun! 24