Swimmers and Parents Handbook

2015 SWIM TEAM Swimmers and Parents Handbook

Table of Contents General Information Who s Who at the Pool 3 Swimmer Goals and Expectations 4 Parent Guidelines 4 Pre-Season Meeting 4 Age Groups 4 Troll Buddies 4 Practices 5 Equipment 5 Lessons/ Stroke & Turn Clinics 5 Time Trials 5 Fun Stuff 5 Meets Heat Sheets 6 Arrival and Warm Up 6 How the Meet Works 6 Helpful Hints for Meets 7 Event Participation 7 Individual Heats 7 Relays 8 Ribbons 8 Rules and Disqualification 8 Scorekeeping 8 Seattle Summer Swim League SSSL 9 B-Champs 9 Prelim Meets 9 Northern Division Finals 9 All-City Meet 9 Other Information Heat Sheet Example 10 SSSL Meet Events 11 Qualifying Times for Prelims 12 What s Legal? 13 Northern Division Pools 14 2

2015 Who s Who at the Innis Arden Pool Pool Manager Will Lowell Will is excited to be returning as pool manager this year. Will grew up swimming and working at Innis Arden and has a strong sense of the 50+ year history of the swim club. Will has spent time in the retail and restaurant industries and as a professional ski instructor. He is also currently a professional swim coach for Cascade Swim Club. Assistant Pool Manager Eric Joy Eric can t wait to come back to the Innis Arden Swim Club in a bigger role this summer. Over the past few summers Eric has been our assistant water polo coach, and he coached swim team in 2013. Eric has spent his last 6 years with the YMCA of Greater Seattle in aquatics and is excited to bring what he has learned to our club. Like Will, Eric grew up in Innis Arden and is looking forward to another memorable summer at Innis Arden. Swim Team Head Coach Jeremy Hunter Jeremy is honored to be returning to the Innis Arden Community this summer as the head coach. Jeremy grew up in the water, and spent the majority of his summers teaching and coaching swimming in the Seattle area since college (which is feeling farther and farther away ). Jeremy graduated from the UW with his Master s in Teaching in 2002. He currently teaches Social Studies at Shorewood High School and has been coaching both the boys and girls swim team for years. This past year he took over as the head coach of the boy s team. Coach Chris Lewis Chris is back for another summer! After swimming for IA since the age of 9, Chris can t wait for summer to come and to get back to the pool and all the fun that goes along with it. He has graduated from the University of Washington and is still continuing his education and has plans to become a doctor. For now we are lucky enough to have Chris as he has been coaching with us since 2010. Coach Annika Stenfjord Annika will return for her second year of coaching. She has been working at the pool since she was 16, cleaning, lifeguarding, and teaching swim lessons. She swam on the Innis Arden Swim Club growing up and is thrilled to be back on the coaching staff again this year! She just finished her second year at California Lutheran University and has been swimming for the college s team. 3

Coach Leanne Thompson Leanne will be joining our team for the first time this year but is not new to swimming or the Seattle Summer Swim League. Leanne grew up swimming for Klahaya and has been coaching swim team for nearly a decade. She has coached virtually all levels of swimming and is excited to bring what she knows to our team. General Information Swimmer Goals and Expectations 1. Have fun! 2. Attend practices and meets. 3. Be prepared: bring your goggles, swim cap, swim suit and towel. 4. Be a team player. 5. Strive to do your best; beat the clock! 6. Be polite and hospitable toward the opposing team and each other at all times. Parent Guidelines 1. Help your swimmer get to practices and meets on time. 2. Check the swim team bulletin board on a regular basis. 3. Let the coaches know in writing if your child will not attend a particular meet. 4. Volunteer for home meets. Successful meets involve at least one adult volunteer per family. Sign up at the pool for timing, concessions, ribbons, computer input, or Clerk of Course. 5. Be supportive of your child and our team as well as opposing teams. 6. Consider having your child set a goal or making a spreadsheet to track your swimmer s progress throughout the summer. Age Groups (8 & under) 8 years old and younger (10 & under) 9-10 years old (12 & under) 11-12 years old (14 & under) 13-14 years old (18 & under) 15-18 years old A swimmer competes in the age group designated by their age as of June 15 of that year. A swimmer may be allowed to swim up to the next age group at the coaches discretion, but they may not swim down an age group. Troll Buddies- Formerly known as big brother / big sister program All swimmers ages 8 & under will be assigned a Troll Buddy also known as a Big Brother or Big Sister. This mentor will assist your child (and newbie parents!) with meet procedures. Providing childcare is not in their job description. Pairings of swimmers will be posted near the beginning of the season. If a Big Bro/ Sis will be unable to attend a meet, he or she will try to have another experienced swimmer fill in. 4

Practices Does your swimmer have to go to practice? Absolutely! Swimming is like any sport: you get out of it what you put in! If you have other activities planned for your swimmer and are concerned about overload, use your discretion. Please keep the coaches informed about absences. At workouts, the first group will hook in the lane lines. The last group will take out the lanes and hang them up at the end of practice. Swimmers should always swim the designated warm up and warm down. Equipment Team swimsuits are available through Sylvia s Swimwear. Goggles are recommended to ease eyestrain. In competition, goggles sometimes come off, so swimmers are encouraged to practice occasionally without goggles. Swim caps are optional, but encouraged! Both caps and goggles are available at the pool desk. Deck coats can be ordered through Sylvia s Swimwear. These coats are great for keeping your swimmer warm between events. Team sweats, fleece, and other items can be ordered online. See www.innisardenswimclub.com for more information. Lessons/ Stroke & Turn Clinics Swimmers are encouraged to enroll in lessons and Stroke & Turn Clinics! Swim team lessons will be offered on Monday and Wednesdays 8 and under 11:30-12:30pm and 9-10 Year 12:30-1:30pm. On Saturday mornings, Stroke Clinics will be offered to give swimmers a focused opportunity to polish turns, dives, or specific strokes. Clinics will be held on Saturday May 30 th, June 6 th, June 13 th, and June 27 th. (Subject to change, watch for sign up on front desk) Time Trials This event occurs during practice the week before our first regular dual meet. Check the bulletin board or details. Time Trials are a good opportunity to establish baseline times for each stroke, practice race starts, set personal goals for the season, and get a feel for what a real meet is like. Attendance is important; coaches will decide what events a child should swim. Parents are needed to help run the time trials; they can practice their new team duties, and prepare themselves for the hectic pace of a real meet. Plan to stay at the pool during the Time Trials. Girls Time Trials: Monday June 15 th @ 7pm Boys Time Trials: Tuesday June 16 th @ 7pm Fun Stuff Along with practices and meets, there are a few fun events during the season. Look for announcements about: Away Meet Pancake Breakfast; 10 & Under Party and Cakewalk; 11 & Over Party; Team Photos; and End-of-Season Awards Picnic. Also, have fun participating in the Meet Theme Nights! 5

Meets Meets are busy, crowded, and great fun. Planning ahead and learning about meet details will enhance your and your swimmer s experience. 2015 Meet Schedule Thurs., June 25 th Innis Arden vs. View Ridge @ Innis Arden 6:00pm Tues., June 30 th Innis Arden vs. Sheridan Beach @ Sheridan Beach 6:00pm Tues., July 7 th Innis Arden vs. Sand Point @ Innis Arden 6:00pm Thurs., July 9 th Innis Arden vs. Wedgwood @ Innis Arden 6:00pm Tues., July 14 th Innis Arden vs. Blue Ridge @ Blue Ridge 6:00pm Thurs., July 16 th Innis Arden vs. Aqua Club @ Aqua Club 6:00pm Tues., July 21 st Innis Arden vs. Klahaya ( Spiros Cup ) @ Innis Arden 5:30pm Fri., July 24 th B-Champs Boys & Girls @ Sand Point 8:00am Mon., July 27 th Girls Prelims @ View Ridge 4:00pm Tues., July 28 th Boys Prelims @ Aqua Club 4:00pm Thurs., July 30 th Northern Division Finals @ Klahaya 4:00pm Tues., Aug 4 th SSSL All-City Championship @ Wedgwood 4:00pm Wed., Aug 5 th Swim Team Banquet @ Innis Arden 6:00pm Heat Sheets On the morning of a meet, come to the pool and look at the Heat Sheets on the bulletin board. Write down your child s events. Consider using a Sharpie to write the information on your child s hand. See page 10 for a heat sheet example. Arrival Times and Warm Ups For away meets, arrive by 5:00 p.m. For home meets, arrive by 4:30 p.m. Listen for calls for warm-ups by age group. How the Meets Work Each meet has 72 events, which are listed on page 11 of this handbook. The odd numbered events are the girls events; the even events are the boys events. Most of the strokes are run in succession by age groups. Look for these abbreviations: FREE BACK BREAST FLY IM FR MR Freestyle (Or Crawl) Backstroke Breaststroke Butterfly Stroke Individual Medley Freestyle Relay (4 swimmers, each swims freestyle) Medley Relay (4 swimmers, 1st Back, 2nd Breast, 3rd Fly; 4th Free) The timers have the event cards so your swimmer needs to report to the Clerk of Course at least 4-5 events ahead. For example: if you swim in event #25, please report to the Clerk of Course area by event #20 or #21. Listen for the Announcer to call swimmers for each event. During the start of each event, all Innis Arden swimmers need to be quiet so swimmers on the starting blocks can hear the starter. 6

Helpful Hints for Swim Meets Stay out of the sun and get plenty of rest during the day. Have your child eat an early hearty meal with lots of carbohydrates (think pasta!). Nothing to eat within 30 minutes of swimming. Save the sweet treats until after the swimmer s events. Bring lots of towels, warm clothes, a deck coat (if you have one) and keep your swimmer hydrated. Use your towels and/or cooler to stake out your spot in the pool area arrive early! Bring a chair or sleeping bag for seating, and a beach umbrella or tent for shade. Figure out the locations of the Course area, ribbon table, and restrooms. Concessions are available (hot and cold foods), but you may also want to bring your own healthy snacks to fuel your swimmer. Get to know your swimmer s Big Brother/Sister and cheer them on! Please help clean up after yourselves at both home and away meets. Event Participation Every child enrolled in Swim Team will be scheduled to swim at every meet unless you notify the coaches in writing for each meet missed. In a dual meet, each swimmer is allowed to participate in up to three individual plus one relay event, or two individual plus two relay events. At small pools, your swimmer may swim only 2 or 3 events. An individual swimmer will be placed according to: 1. Personal best events. 2. Ability to legally compete in an event (Can he/she do the stroke properly?). 3. Prior performance. 4. Outstanding effort and attitude during practice. A swimmer close to reaching a particular qualifying time may be given extra attempts at an event. The coaches will allow as many swimmers as possible to participate in a meet. Coaches will consider the abilities of other swimmers in the same age group, and will strategize for earning the most points possible. There is a method to the coaches madness! Individual Heats There are two types of Individual Heats: Exhibition Heats and Scoring Heats. Exhibition Heats are run first. Swimmers compete against their own teammates. While the swimmers do not contribute points towards the team score, individual and relay times count toward qualifying times. Swimmers gain the experience of the meets and an opportunity to improve their times. All swimmers of these events receive ribbons. There is only one Scoring Heat per event in which points count toward the team total. Coaches choose swimmers for Scoring Heats based on times and legal stroke technique. 7

Relays Relays consist of four swimmers. The distance of the relay depends on the swimmer s age group. The first relay swimmer starts the race when the official starter starts the race. Subsequent swimmers wait until the relay member in front of them touches the wall at which point they may push off (if they are in the shallow end of the pool) or dive in and begin racing. If your child gets sick the day of a meet, call the pool immediately to let the head coach know. Do not wait to see if your child will be feeling better by the time of the meet. If your child is on a relay, three other swimmers may potentially miss the event, and the team may miss out on points. Ribbons Each event (including exhibitions) will be awarded place ribbons at a ribbon desk set up at each pool. The IA Club makes ribbons for all swimmers. Ribbons will be presented the same day as the meet for early and mid-meet events. For later events, ribbons are usually available the next day. Look in your child s folder at the pool desk for any unclaimed ribbons. Rules and Disqualification Coaches will instruct proper stroke and turn techniques during practices and clinics. At SSSL Dual and Championship meets, swimmers are subject to the expertise of Stroke & Turn Judges. Judges monitor for correct turns and touches. If your child is disqualified during a race, the coach will explain the reason(s) for the disqualification. Disqualifications happen only in Scoring Heats. Scorekeeping The coaches of the IA Swim Team emphasize self-improvement and respect for our opponents above all else. At the same time, swimming is an exciting, competitive sport! Official Time Keepers score every event. Please do not disturb the recorders at any time during the meet. Team scores will be announced by the announcer periodically throughout the meet. Scores are based on the following point system: Dual Meets Individual Events: 1st Place = 5 points, 2nd Place = 3 points, 3rd Place = 1 point Relay Events: 1st Place = 8 points, 2nd Place = 4 points, 3rd Place = 2 points 8

The SSSL and Other Meets Seattle Summer Swim League Innis Arden is a member of the 16-member Seattle Summer Swim League (SSSL). SSSL is divided into two divisions, Northern and Southern. Northern Division: Aqua Club, Blue Ridge, Innis Arden, Klahaya, Sand Point, Sheridan Beach, View Ridge, Wedgwood. Southern Division: Arbor Heights, Gregory Seahurst, Kent, Lakeridge, Marine Hills, Normandy Park, Olympic View, Twin Lakes. B-Champs B-Champs is a championship meet where all Northern Division swimmers who have not qualified for a Prelim Meet can race against each other. Swimmers who are close to qualifying times can give it one last try. Swimmers earn participant ribbons for each event. For children who are not the strongest swimmers on their team, B- Champs is a less frustrating and more rewarding meet, which allows them to swim against other swimmers of similar ability. Please notify the coaches as soon as possible if your swimmer will not be attending this meet. Prelim Meets Swimmers qualify for the Prelim Meets by swimming a qualifying time in an SSSL Dual Meet or B-Champs race. Prelim Meets are divided into a boy s and a girl s meet. All swimmers who qualify by time for this event have the opportunity to compete in four events, including relays. There will be as many heats as necessary to include all swimmers. Coaches select each swimmer s events based on times made during the regular season. Qualifying times can be found on page 12 of this handbook. Northern Divisional Finals The eight fastest times recorded from each event at Prelims (6 finalists and 2 alternates) advance to the Northern Divisional Finals. Finals for both the Northern and Southern Divisions are held on the same day but at different pools. Only one heat is run for each event. At the completion of these two meets, those swimmers with the eight fastest times (6 finalists and 2 alternates) for each event, advance to the All City Swim Meet. Note the finalists are based on the results of both Northern and Southern Division Finals. All-City Meet The All-City Meet is held in even numbered years at one of the Southern Division pools, and in odd numbered years at a Northern Division pool. There is one heat for each event and all swimmers who complete their event receive a medal. In addition, the top six teams receive trophies. 9

9-10 Girls 100 yard MR Ev. 7 100 yard IM Ev. 17 Heat Sheet Example 50 yard FR Ev. 27 50 yard BK Ev. 37 50 yard BR Ev. 47 50 yard FL Ev. 57 Joanie E. A FL Ex3 1 B3 Sarah T. A BK 5 Ex3 A1 200 yard FR Ev. 65 Joanie s Events Event 7: she is swimming the Butterfly (FL) in the A relay group (there may be B and C groups). Event 27: Exhibition Heat, lane 3 (the Ex indicates an exhibition rather than a scoring heat). Event 46: lane 1 (scoring heat, since Ex is not specified). Event 65: B relay, 3rd swimmer (the 3 indicates sequence rather than lane). Sarah s Events: Event 7: the Backstroke (BK) in the A relay group. Event 17: Scoring heat, lane 5. Event 37: Exhibition, lane 3. Event 65: A relay, 1st swimmer. Stroke Abbreviations Backstroke = BK Breaststroke = BR Butterfly = FL Freestyle = FR Relay Lanes Home: Away: A relay is in lane 3 A relay is in lane 4 B relay is in lane 5 B relay is in lane 2 C relay is in lane 1 C relay is in lane 6. MR (Medley Relay) order = BK, BR, FL, FR IM (Individual Medley) order= FL, BK, BR, FR 10

Seattle Summer Swim League Meet Events 1. 13-14 G 50 Free 48. 9-10 B 50 Breast 2. 13-14 B 50 Free 49. 11-12 G 50 Breast 3. 15-18 G 50 Free 50. 11-12 B 50 Breast 4. 15-18 B 50 Free 51. 13-14 G 50 Breast 5. 8&U G 100 MR 52. 13-14 B 50 Breast 6. 8&U B 100 MR 53. 15-18 G 50 Breast 7. 9-10 G 100 MR 54. 15-18 B 50 Breast 8. 9-10 B 100 MR 55. 8&U G 25 Fly 9. 11-12 G 200 MR 56. 8&U B 25 Fly 10. 11-12 B 200 MR 57. 9-10 G 25 Fly 11. 13-14 G 200 MR 58. 9-10 B 25 Fly 12. 13-14 B 200 MR 59. 11-12 G 50 Fly 13. 15-18 G 200 MR 60. 11-12 B 50 Fly 14. 15-18 B 200 MR 61. 13-14 G 50 Fly 15. 8&U G 100 Free 62. 13-14 B 50 Fly 16. 8&U B 100 Free 63. 15-18 G 50 Fly 17. 9-10 G 100 IM 64. 15-18 B 50 Fly 18. 9-10 B 100 IM 65. 9-10 G 200 FR 19. 11-12 G 100 IM 66. 9-10 B 200 FR 20. 11-12 B 100 IM 67. 11-12 G 200 FR 21. 13-14 G 100 IM 68. 11-12 B 200 FR 22. 13-14 B 100 IM 69. 13-14 G 200 FR 23. 15-18 G 100 IM 70. 13-14 B 200 FR 24. 15-18 B 100 IM 71. 15-18 G 200 FR 25. 8&U G 25 Free 72. 15-18 B 200 FR 26. 8&U B 25 Free 27. 9-10 G 50 Free 28. 9-10 B 50 Free 29. 11-12 G 50 Free 30. 11-12 B 50 Free 31. 13-14 G 100 Free 32. 13-14 B 100 Free 33. 15-18 G 100 Free Abbreviations 34. 15-18 B 100 Free G/B = Girls or Boys 35. 8&U G 25 Back MR = Medley Relay 36. 8&U B 25 Back IM = Individual Medley 37. 9-10 G 50 Back FR = Freestyle Relay 38. 9-10 B 50 Back 39. 11-12 G 50 Back 40. 11-12 B 50 Back 41. 13-14 G 50 Back 42. 13-14 B 50 Back 43. 15-18 G 50 Back 44. 15-18 B 50 Back 45. 8&U G 25 Breast 46. 8&U B 25 Breast 47. 9-10 G 50 Breast 11

Seattle Summer Swim League Prelims Qualifying Times 8 &Under Girls 14 & Under Girls 100 yd Medley Relay... 1:46.0 50 yd Freestyle... 31.0 100 yd Free Relay... 1:41.0 200 yd Free Relay... 2:22.0 25 yd Freestyle... 21.0 200 yd Medley Relay... 2:29.0 25 yd Backstroke... 27.0 100 yd Individual Medley...1:20.0 25 yd Breaststroke... 28.0 100 yd Freestyle...1:12.0 25 yd Butterfly... 26.0 50 yd Backstroke... 38.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 41.0 8 & Under Boys 50 yd Butterfly... 36.0 100 yd Medley Relay... 1:46.0 200 yd Free Relay.2:13.0 100 yd Free Relay... 1:41.0 25 yd Freestyle... 21.0 14 & Under Boys 25 yd Backstroke... 27.0 50 yd Freestyle... 29.0 25 yd Breaststroke... 28.0 200 yd Medley Relay... 2:21.0 25 yd Butterfly... 26.0 100 yd Individual Medley...1:18.0 100 yd Freestyle...1:05.0 10 & Under Girls 50 yd Backstroke... 36.0 100 yd Medley Relay... 1:26.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 38.0 100 yd Individual Medley...1:40.0 50 yd Butterfly... 35.0 50 yd Freestyle... 39.0 200 yd Free Relay... 2:03.0 50 yd Backstroke... 48.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 52.0 18 & Under Girls 25 yd Butterfly... 22.0 50 yd Freestyle... 30.0 200 yd Free Relay... 2:43.0 200 yd Medley Relay... 2:26.0 100 yd Individual Medley...1:18.0 10 & Under Boys 100 yd Freestyle...1:09.0 100 yd Medley Relay... 1:26.0 50 yd Backstroke... 37.0 100 yd Individual Medley...1:40.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 40.0 50 yd Freestyle... 39.0 50 yd Butterfly... 33.0 50 yd Backstroke... 48.0 200 yd Free Relay... 2:09.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 52.0 25 yd Butterfly... 22.0 18 & Under Boys 200 yd Free Relay... 2:43.0 50 yd Freestyle... 27.0 200 yd Medley Relay... 2:07.0 12 & Under Girls 100 yd Individual Medley...1:09.0 200 yd Medley Relay... 2:46.0 100 yd Freestyle...1:00.0 100 yd Individual Medley...1:28.0 50 yd Backstroke... 33.0 50 yd Freestyle... 33.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 36.0 50 yd Backstroke... 42.0 50 yd Butterfly... 30.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 43.0 200 yd Free Relay... 1:51.0 50 yd Butterfly... 38.0 200 yd Free Relay... 2:22.0 12 & Under Boys 200 yd Medley Relay... 2:46.0 100 yd Individual Medley...1:28.0 50 yd Freestyle... 33.0 50 yd Backstroke... 42.0 50 yd Breaststroke... 43.0 50 yd Butterfly... 38.0 12

What s Legal? Butterfly Arms and legs move in a simultaneous motion (doing the same thing at the same time). Two hand touches are required at the wall and on open turns. Dolphin kicks are the only allowed kicks for streaming as well as when you re swimming the stroke. Backstroke A dolphin or flutter kick may be used for the streamline of this stroke. If completing a flip turn only one freestyle stroke is allowed. It must be a continuous motion in the pull for the turn. Swimmers my not cross the vertical except for in completion of a turn. Swimmers must touch with one hand on their back at the turn (if not completing a flip turn) and at the finish of the race. Breaststroke Arms and legs move in a simultaneous motion (doing the same thing at the same time). Two hand touches are required at the walls and on open turns. A pullout is the only way to complete a streamline. -1 Giant pull down to thighs Glide. Then kick and come up to the surface (hands come up at the same times as the kick happens.) Hands may not go past the bottom of the ribcage unless swimmer is doing a pull out. There must only be a whip kick in this stroke. No other kicks are allowed at any time. Freestyle A dolphin kick or flutter kick may be used for the streamline in this stroke. At the turn (whether doing an open turn or flip turn) some part of the swimmers body MUST touch the wall before swimming to the other end. Correct Transitions of each stroke FLY-FLY: touch with two hands - open turn FLY-BACK: touch with two hands push off on back BACK-BACK: flip turn at the wall - only one freestyle pull in the turn BACK-BREAST: touch with one hand on back open turn BREAST-BREAST: touch with two hands - open turn BREAST-FREE: touch with two hands - open turn FREE-FREE: flip turn at the wall 13

SSSL Northern Division Swim Clubs Aqua Club: Blue Ridge: 18512 58 th Ave NE Kenmore, WA 425-486-5758 10040 15 th Ave NW Seattle, WA 206-784-0125 Sand Point 8333 55th Ave NE Country Seattle, WA Club: 206-525-8641 Klahaya 10307 238 th St SW Swim and Edmonds, WA Tennis Club: 206-542-3211 Sheridan Beach: 16500 Shore Dr. NE Lake Forest Park, WA 206-364-0920 View Ridge 5815 NE 77 th St Swim and Seattle, WA Tennis Club: 206-524-3500 Wedgwood Swim Club: 7727 28th Ave NE Seattle, WA 206-523-8211 14