Forest Oaks Hammerheads 2010 Swim Team Handbook

Forest Oaks Hammerheads 2010 Swim Team Handbook Forest Oaks Country Club 4600 Forest Oaks Drive Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 674-0126 Pool: 674-0716

ABOUT US Forest Oaks Swim Team is a competitive swimming program for kids age 5-18. In order to participate during the season, a swimmer must be able to swim one length of the pool without stopping. (25 yards). We participate in five swim meets during the season, ending with a city-wide championship called City Meet. City Meet is a time for all swimmers in Greensboro s Community Swim Association to compete against each other. WHO S WHO Head Coach Erika Burger 706-1421 eeburger1@gmail.com Assistant Coach PJ Burger 706-0522 pjburger09@gmail.com Swim Team Board President William Oman 707-7386 william.oman@alconlabs.com VP/Treasurer Katie Houlden 676-8047 dhoulden@triad.rr.com Vice President Cindy Patton 674-8573 jzbeau@aol.com Bob Chamberlain 285-6429 vchamberlain@triad.rr.com Kim Novosad 674-1848 kim@novosad.us Jada White 207-1100 jada.white@cornerstonehealthcare.com FEES $45 first child $35 each additional child Includes eight weeks of age-appropriate instruction, all meets, and celebrations. EQUIPMENT All swimmers should bring the following to practice every day: Swimsuit Goggles Swim cap Towel Sunscreen Positive, can-do attitude! FOCC Swimsuits & Caps Team swimsuits are preferred but not required. If you do not get an FOCC suit, you must have a suit that is suitable for competitive swimming. FOCC suits are available for $33 (boys) & $48 (girls) each. In our team colors - blue & green, suits have FOCC embroidered on front. FOCC Swim caps are available for $10 each. Girls, and boys with long hair are required to wear caps. To order swimsuits or caps, contact Katie Houlden. FOCC T-Shirts Team shirts are available in child and adult sizes. Solid tees (blue or green) are $12 each and tie dye tees are $16 each. WEBSITE The team website is http://www.orgsites.com/nc/foswim/ Check out photos, results and updates online. Also, you can sign up to volunteer.

June CALENDAR Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 4 Team Party! 5 Time 6:00-8:00 pm Trials: 9 am 6 7 10 & Practice 13 12 10 & Practice 20 21 10 & Practice 27 28 10 & Practice July 1 10 & Practice 8 FO, Bur-Mil @ Henson Forest 4:30 pm 15 Starmount @ Forest Oaks 4:30 pm 22 Sedgefield @ Forest Oaks 4:30 pm 29 FO @ Battle Forest 4:30 pm 2 10 & Practice 11 & 9 10 & Practice 16 10 & Practice 23 10 & Practice 30 10 & Practice 3 10 & Practice 10 10 & Practice 17 10 & Practice 24 10 & Practice 11 10 & Practice 18 Swim for Cancer 9-11 am 25 10 & Practice Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 10 & Practice 2 10 & Practice 3 4 5 Lawndale @ Forest Oaks 4:30 pm Please be on deck by 4:30 pm for all regular meets - warm-ups. Meets begin at 5:30 pm 6 10 & Practice 7 10 & Practice 8 City Meet - Lindley Pool 9 City Meet - Lindley Pool 12 19 26 10 City Meet - Lindley Pool

DIRECTIONS Directions obtained from Google Maps, April 2010. Starting point is Forest Oaks Country Club. Henson Forest Go south on Forest Oaks Dr & turn left on Liberty Rd Take the 1st right onto Hagan-Stone Park Rd Take the 1st right onto US-421 N Turn right to merge onto US-29 N Turn right onto the ramp to Wendover Ave W Turn right at Wendover Ave W Slight right at Battleground Ct Continue onto Battleground Ave Turn left at W Cornwallis Dr Take the 1st right onto Battleground Ave/US-220 N Turn left at Oak Ridge Rd Turn right at Henson Forest Dr Club will be on the right Battle Forest 3216 Regents Park Lane, Greensboro, NC 27455 Pool Phone: 288-1400 Go south on Forest Oaks Dr & turn left on Liberty Rd Take the 1st right onto Hagan-Stone Park Rd Take the 1st right onto US-421 N Turn right to merge onto US-29 N Turn right onto the ramp to Wendover Ave W Turn right at Wendover Ave W Slight right at Battleground Ct Continue onto Battleground Ave Continue onto Lawndale Dr Turn left at Regents Park Ln Club will be on the right Lindley Pool 2914 Springwood Drive, Greensboro, NC 27403 Pool Phone: 299-3226 Go south on Forest Oaks Dr & turn left on Liberty Rd Take the 1st right onto Hagan-Stone Park Rd Take the 1st right onto US-421 N Merge onto I-85 S via the ramp to Winston - Salem/ Charlotte Take exit 122 to merge onto US-220 N toward Greensboro Continue onto Freeman Mill Rd Turn left at Coliseum Blvd Continue straight onto S Chapman St/US-29 Alt N Turn left at Spring Garden St Turn right at Willowbrook Dr Take the 2nd left onto Springwood Dr Pool will be on the right COMMUNITY SWIM ASSOCIATION Forest Oaks Swim Team is a member of the Community Swim Association. The Community Swim Association (CSA) is a non-profit organization comprised of 22 local swim clubs and more than 2,000 swimmers from ages 5 to 18 in the Greensboro, NC metropolitan area. CSA encourages and promotes competitive summer swimming as a part of the programs offered by the member community pools. Each independent club has its own membership and requirements CSA organizes the member teams based on performance at the previous City Meet and conducts weekly dual meets over a 5-week period beginning in June and ending in July. At the end of the dual meet season, a City Swimming Championship is held over a three-day period at Greensboro s Lindley Pool swimming complex. For more information, go to www.greensborocsa.org

SWIM PRACTICE Pre-season practice will be held after school Monday - Friday, and will include dry land and swim activities. Come prepared for both! Regular season practices will be in the mornings and evenings Monday - Friday, once school lets out. All swimmers should come to at least one practice a day on as many days as possible! Swimmers may attend both practices if they would like. Please be on time, dressed, and ready to go so the team can work together effectively and we respect each others time. Weather If it is raining, we will usually still hold practice. Please come to the pool to confirm. Known delays and cancellations will be posted on the website as soon as possible. Don t forget sunscreen and water! Supervision The coaches are busy preparing and instructing swimmers. Children who may wander off or need additional supervision must be accompanied by an adult. Coaches cannot be responsible for children who are not on the team and cannot watch unaccompanied swimmers before or after practice. Do not leave children at the pool until confirming that practice is being held. Code of Conduct Swimmers are expected to treat others with respect. Unsportsmanlike, disruptive, or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. Swimmers who do not behave appropriately will be warned once. After that parents will be notified and additional action taken if necessary. Communications The team is here to help families make the most of the experience. Make sure you ask questions and share information with Coach Erika (before/after practice or via phone/email) so she can support swimmers. If you cannot come to a swim meet, please let Coach Erika know in writing at least one week prior to the meet. Make sure to check the website and email a couple of times per week to stay on top of updates and important announcements. Schedule PRE-SEASON Monday - Friday May 26 - June 10 10 & Under 11 & Up 6:30-7:30 pm REGULAR SEASON Monday - Friday June 11 - July 7 Morning 10 & Under 11 & Up Evening TIME TRIALS *MANDATORY Saturday, June 5 th 9:00 am A time trial is run similar to a meet and is the swimmer s chance to set a personal best time. Parents will also use this mock meet to train in their volunteer positions. Swimmers must have a time on record prior to the first meet.

Label everything and make sure you have time to pack: SWIM MEETS Each week Forest Oaks participates in Dual Meets (two teams swim against each other) and one Tri- Meet (three teams) with other CSA teams. Competing against other swimmers strengthens the team by working together. Swimmers can set goals and track their success through these fun and exciting events. Coaches use meet times to develop training, encourage swimmers, and determine City Meet entries. Family participation through volunteering and swimmer support at meets boosts confidence, encourages positive behaviors, and demonstrates your interest in their well-being. If you must miss or be late for a meet, please let Coach Erika know in writing as soon as possible, but at least 48 hours prior to the event. That way she can adjust entries and ensure the team is not penalized. On Your Mark! Preparing for a meet is very important and includes taking care of yourself mentally and physically, especially the day before: Get plenty of rest Eat healthy, high-carb meals Have a good attitude Take it easy - no rushed or strenuous activities Set personal goals and realistic expectations Swimsuit Goggles Cap Towels Sunscreen Chairs Water/Sports drinks Cards/Games/Books Healthy Snacks - light carbs, fruit, protein Shirt/Sweats - cooler temps/warming up when wet Sharpie for writing event numbers Get Set! Plan to arrive at the meet with enough time so that you can find your spot, set up your chairs, and be dressed and ready for warm-ups. Report to the coaches so they know you re present and they can give final instructions. Also, you ll want to check and record your events. Many swimmers - and their parents - write their event numbers on their hand with a sharpie to make sure they re on time. Warm-ups are very important! They prevent injury and allow swimmers to become comfortable with the water/pool prior to competing. It reduces stress and makes helps set a good tone for the meet. The coach puts together a line-up for each meet according to overall team strategy and individual swimmer goals. We want to score maximum points as well as give swimmers a chance to improve or gain experience. Even if you don t get to swim in all of your favorite events, please do your best for the team. Go! Swim fast and have fun! Wear your team suits, caps, and shirts during the meet. This helps us find you and helps others know the Hammerheads are in the pool! Swimmers should stay close to the team staging area during the meet and check in with coaches before and after each event for final support and feedback. Once the meet starts, you ll hear event numbers being called. When you hear your event, report to the Clerk of Course - the person who gets the swimmers in order for their event.

Remember that you are representing your team at all times - make sure your behavior reflects team pride balanced with respect for others and yourself. Swimmers should stay in the water until all lanes in an event are finished. Then, quickly congratulate/shake hands with all competitors before leaving the water. Cheer on the team with enthusiasm and great sportsmanship. Schedule All regular season meets begin with warm-ups at 4:30 pm, and competition at 5:30 pm. Please be on deck and ready to go! Tuesday, June 8 Forest Oaks & Bur-Mill @ Henson Forest (Tri-meet) Tuesday, June 15 Starmount @ Forest Oaks Tuesday, June 22 Sedgefield @ Forest Oaks Tuesday, June 29 Forest Oaks @ Battle Forest Monday, July 5 Lawndale @ Forest Oaks Thursday, July 8 - Saturday, July 10 City Meet (times TBA) Eligibility of Swimmers CSA requires swimmers to attend one or more practices the week before a meet A swimmer must participate in at least one dual meet to be eligible for the CSA Championship meet In dual meets, swimmers can swim a maximum of 3 individual events and no more than 2 relays Age Groups 6 & under 8 & under 9 & 10 11 & 12 13 & 14 15-18 During meets, you ll swim in your age groups for all events except relays. If we are short of swimmers in a relay, up to two younger swimmers may substitute. 19 year olds may participate in CSA meets the first season after his/ her graduation from high school. Scoring Ribbons are awarded based on swim times (not points) and are given out at the next practice after a meet. Only the top three swimmers from a team earn points for the meet. For example Team A posts the fastest six times in an event Team B posts the next seven times Team A earns points for first, second, and third place Team B earns points for fourth, fifth, and sixth place. So even if you don t come in first, the team earns as many points by consistently taking second and third places. Also, relays are worth more points, so make sure you stick around and swim in the relays. Points Individual s Relays First 7 10 Second 6 5 Third 5 Fourth 4 Fifth 3 Sixth 1 Disqualification (DQ) All swimmers have been DQ d at least once! If a CSAtrained Stroke & Turn Judge or Referee sees that a swimmer has not used proper strokes, starts, turns or finishes, the swimmer will be DQ d. This is a learning opportunity - a chance to tweak your technique and do better next time. For more information on swimming rules, visit: www.greensborocsa.org/text documents/ CSARules2010.pdf

s Freestyle ( Free ) A swimmer typically uses the crawl, but can use any stroke to finish, as long as they Touch the wall to turn and finish Spend only 15 meters under water from start and each turn; otherwise some body part must be above water Backstroke ( Back ) Swimmers start in the water and remain on their back Only 15 meters can be spent underwater from the start or from each turn Swimmers must touch the wall on the turn where the shoulders may turn past vertical to initiate the turn; must return to back position before leaving the wall Swimmers must touch the wall while on the back at finish Breaststroke ( Breast ) Swimmer pulls arms simultaneously under water and follows with a simultaneous frog kick The head should break the surface of the water during each complete stroke cycle The body should not roll onto the back at any time The hands should not go past the waist except at the start and on each turn Both hands must touch simultaneously at each turn and at the finish of the race Butterfly ( Fly ) Simultaneous arm pulls with arms brought forward over the water and back under water. Uses a dolphin kick with the body kept on the breast Only one arm pull under water per stroke, which must bring the body to the surface Spend only 15 meters under water from start and each turn; otherwise some body part must be above water Swimmers must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously on the turn where the shoulders may turn past vertical to initiate the turn; must return to breast position before leaving the wall Swimmers must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously while on the breast at finish Individual Medley Swimming each of the strokes in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle Medley Relay Four swimmers on the relay team, each swimming a stroke in the following order: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle Freestyle Relay Four swimmers on the relay team, each swimming freestyle Relays After the first swimmer, the following swimmers must wait until their team mate has finished the leg before starting Each relay member must leave the water upon finishing their leg of the race (except the last)

Age Group Back Free Breast Fly Indiv. Medley Medley Relay Free Relay 6 & girls 13 25 m 25 25 m - - - 100 m 1 100 m 6 & boys 14 25 m 26 25 m - - - 100 m 2 100 m 8 & girls 15 25 m 27 25 m 37 25 m 47 25 m - 3 100 m 75 100 m 57 50 m 8 & boys 16 25 m 28 25 m 38 25 m 48 25 m - 4 100 m 76 100 m 58 50 m 9-10 girls 17 50 m 59 50 m 39 50 m 49 50 m 67 100 m 5 200 m 77 200 m 29 100 m 9-10 boys 18 50 m 60 50 m 40 50 m 50 50 m 68 100 m 6 200 m 78 200 m 30 100 m 11-12 girls 19 50 m 61 50 m 41 50 m 51 50 m 69 100 m 7 200 m 79 200 m 31 100 m 11-12 boys 20 50 m 62 50 m 42 50 m 52 50 m 70 100 m 8 200 m 80 200 m 32 100 m 13-14 girls 21 50 m 63 50 m 43 50 m 53 50 m 71 100 m 9 200 m 81 200 m 33 100 m 13-14 boys 22 50 m 64 50 m 44 50 m 54 50 m 72 100 m 10 200 m 82 200 m 34 100 m 15-18 girls 23 50 m 65 50 m 45 50 m 55 50 m 73 100 m 11 200 m 83 200 m 35 100 m 15-18 boys 24 50 m 66 50 m 46 50 m 56 50 m 74 100 m 12 200 m 84 200 m 36 100 m Coaches provide swimmers times for each event and heats are swum fastest to slowest Teams may enter up to three swimmers for individual events and one team per relay event Long distance freestyle, individual medleys, and relay events have only one heat All other events may have as many heats as necessary to accommodate all entries CITY MEET Entry Fee $0 Team in a Tent $0 Fun & Games $0 Showing more than 2,000 swimmers from 23 teams the Hammerheads are here to stay Priceless! The City Swimming Championship, where teams across Greensboro compete at Lindley Pool, will be held Thursday, July 8 - Saturday, July 10. Points earned at City Meet determine next year s competition. Teams have tents where swimmers hang out between events. The tent is stocked with snacks, keeps a board of events, and serves as game central for swimmers. Thursday s events are final - only swum once. On Friday and Saturday, swimmers compete in preliminaries in the morning. The fastest 20 swimmers in each age group compete in the afternoon finals. Before the finals on Saturday, all the teams dress up and participate in a huge parade. The kids have a great time together before finals and award presentations. Make sure you schedule City Meet as an important part of the swim season!

PARENTS The team won t exist without you! Parent volunteers run our meets - both home and away. The jobs are not difficult, and allow you to cheer on your swimmer while fulfilling our responsibilities as a CSA swim team. The following positions are filled by parents during the meets. A few require CSA training, which is offered on several dates in May. Most jobs involve simple tasks - like herding children or passing out water. Just like in school, kids perform better when parents are involved. And just like in school, assignments are mandatory... Please make sure you sign up for a volunteer position at each meet. As long as everyone does their part, no one will have to work the whole time. Volunteer Positions The following positions are filled by parent volunteers. These numbers allow most volunteers to work 1/2 the meet. Job Title Home Away Referee/Starter 2 0 Clerk of Course 2 2 Timers 12 12 Stroke & Turn Judges 4 4 Runners 4 4 Announcer 1 0 Scorers 2 2 Data Entry 2 2 Time Averager 2 2 Newspaper Recorder 1 1 Ribbons 1 1 Hospitality 2 2 Team Mom 2 2 Announcer - calls up events and announces names of swimmers in each event. Clerk of Course - Sets up the area by arranging pink/ blue cards in order on the clerk of course board. Organizes swimmers before they swim by arranging the swimmers according to lanes. Consolidates swimmers into heats in order to expedite the meet. Hospitality - keeps volunteers, coaches, lifeguards, and swimmers hydrated during the meet. Newspaper Recorder - Fills out the CSA results form (downloaded from http://www.greensborocsa.org/ forms.htm) electronically and forwards it to CSA by 9:00 am on the day following the meet. *Referee - Oversees home meets to ensure they are fair and safe for all swimmers, and are run according to CSA rules. This official has final say on any questions that arise during the meet. Ribbons - Labels and distributes swimmer ribbons after each meet. Runner - Ensure that all timers have the correct time cards for each heat. After the race, collect the cards and take them to the scoring table. The runner also takes any DQ slips from stroke & turn judges to the referee for signature, and then to the scoring table. Scorer - Keeps a cumulative score during the meet and confirms the numbers with the other team s scorer.

*Starter - Gives the commands to swimmers to start each race using the electronic starter. *Stroke & Turn Judge - Makes sure each swimmer is using legal strokes/turns as defined by USA Swimming. Disqualifies any swimmers whose start, stroke, turn, or finish is illegal. Team Mom/Dad/Grandma/Grandpa/Aunt/Uncle - help ensure that swimmers stay in our designated team area. When swimmers are being called together for events, they help swimmers get to the clerk of course. They also assist the clerk of course in lining up and walking the swimmers to their events. Time Averager - Averages the two times from each card and writes the official time on the card. Sorts swimmers cards from fastest to slowest for the scorer. In the event of a DQ, staples the entry card to the DQ slip and places is at the bottom of the pile for that event. Timers - times the swimmers in each race using teamprovided stopwatches. One timer records the all times on the entry card for the runner to retrieve. *CSA Training is required for Starter, Referee, and Stroke & Turn Judge positions. This 1.5 hour clinic will give you all the instruction you need to fulfill this position. For 2010, Training dates are as follows: Stroke & Turn Monday, 5/17 7-8:30 pm Tuesday, 5/25 7-8:30 pm Thursday, 5/27 7-8:30 pm Referee/Starter Tuesday, 5/18 7-8:30 pm Thursday, 5/20 7-8:30 pm Monday, 5/24 7-8:30 pm All Stroke & Turn and Ref/Starter Training will be held at Sherwood Swim & Racquet Club, 100 Alma Pinnix Drive, Greensboro. Contact Kim Novosad for volunteer sign-up. FUN STUFF The Hammerheads work hard and play hard! We will have several get-together opportunities throughout the season, and look forward to sharing them with you. If you would like to help with any of these events, please let us know! Team Socials We will hold one or more events including dinners after meets, movie night, pasta night, and parties. Swim for Cancer The Hammerheads have a long tradition of supporting this CSA-sponsored event to raise funds for cancer research Last year we raised over $1,078 and have a goal to double that in 2010! Swimmers collect pledges from friends, family, and neighbors for the number of laps they can swim (up to 80). Pictures We ll arrange for professional team photos during the season for parents to purchase. Additionally, we ll take photos throughout the season for the website and a presentation at the end of the season. Awards At the end of the season, we ll have an awards presentation/event to recognize all of our swimmers and families.