South Windsor Seals 2017 Parent Handbook

South Windsor Seals 2017 Parent Handbook The South Windsor Seals are proudly sponsored by: Pete's CARSTAR of South Windsor Contact Information: Email : sealscoaches@gmail.com Pool Address : 575 Pleasant Valley Road, South Windsor, CT 06074 Pool Phone : 860-289-1333

INTRODUCTION Welcome to the South Windsor Seals Swim team! This handbook should help answer questions you may have about the team and prepare you for the upcoming season. OUR FOCUS With such a relatively short swim season, our focus is on speed development through technique and training. This season will not get you ready to swim a fast mile, but our goal is make your 25 (one lap), 50 (two laps) or 100 (four laps) faster while you re having some fun! Our goals are simple: swim faster, have fun! OUR EXPECTATIONS: R-E-A-C-H! R ESPECT: Respect your teammates by supporting and complementing one another, listening, cheering at practice and meets, being kind and considerate (e.g. don t fight over who s going first in your lane), treat others how you want to be treated. Respect your coaches by listening carefully and quietly, following directions (e.g. get in the water when you are asked to do so) trying your best, asking how you can help out, and setting a good example for others. E NTHUSIASM: Show it at practice and meets. Show enthusiasm for the team--it is one of the keys to individual and team success! A CHIEVEMENT: One goal is for you to improve your swimming--to learn new strokes, improve your technique. You should measure your achievement against yourself alone, not by comparing yourself to others. Challenge yourself! Through individual improvement, we will have team success, no matter the outcome of the swim meets. C ONTRIBUTE: Try your best at practices and meets, have a positive attitude, show good sportsmanship. Practicing all of our other expectations is a great way to contribute! H AVE FUN! This is one of the most important parts of being on this team, maybe THE most important part! Although there are parts of competing and working out that aren t always fun ( I m sooo tired! I have to swim WHAT??? ) we hope you find fun in your accomplishments, new and old friends, in a sport you can enjoy forever!

TEAM COMMUNICATION All team communication will be via email, so please check your email often! Let us know if you d like us to add additional email addresses for you! PRE-SEASON PLACEMENT for NEW SWIMMERS Any new members interested in joining the Seals must complete pre-season placement on Friday, June 2nd from 4:00-6:00 at Veterans Memorial Park to determine if they qualify for the team. Requirements for the team will be based on the age of the swimmer (as of July 1), as described below. If a swimmer does not meet these requirements, the cost of enrollment will be refunded. 8/unders: Swim one length of the pool and demonstrate proficiency in one or more strokes 9-10s: Swim three lengths of the pool and demonstrate proficiency in two or more strokes 11/overs: Swim six lengths of the pool and demonstrate proficiency in two or more strokes ABOUT THE SEALS SWIM TEAM The Seals Swim Team was established in 1990 and joined the Central Connecticut Swim League (CCSL) in 1991. The league is made up of over a dozen teams and is divided into three divisions based on team size and competitiveness. The Seals Swim Team is made up of swimmers ages 5-18. Our team is divided into two smaller teams, the Junior Team (ages 12 and under) and the Senior Team (ages 13 and over). Swimmers MUST compete in their designated age group (determined by swimmer s age on June 30, 2017). Meets are conducted separately for the Junior and Senior teams. The Junior Team usually competes in 3-4 dual meets against teams in the CCSL, which are typically held on Monday evenings and last about 3 hours. The Senior Team will likely have 3 dual meets, which are generally on Wednesday evenings and last about 2 hours. Each team will have a Championship meet at the end of the season. In order to be eligible for Championships, swimmers must have participated in a certain number of dual meets (at least 2 for juniors and at least 1 for seniors). If swimmers do not meet this requirement, they will not be allowed to compete at Championships. Meet schedules will be announced in early June after the league meeting. All swimmers will be recognized for their hard work and achievements throughout the season and at the end of the year Team Banquet. More information about this event will be provided once dates for meets have been finalized.

UNIFORMS I. Team Swim Suit: The team suit for the 2017 season is Speedo Angles (red). It will be available for purchase at VMP on June 27th. Swimmers are encouraged to come to practice early this day to try on and buy suits from our vendor (you must be dry to try on suits!). Team suits are not mandatory, but most kids get them as they enhance team spirit and unity. Most swimmers only wear their team suits at meets, but that is up to your discretion. We may use this suit for two seasons, and suits that are worn often tend to stretch out (also, a snug fit is best for racing). II. Seals Swim Cap: A latex swim cap will be provided to each swimmer at no cost. These will be handed out at the Red and Black meet. Silicone caps will be available for an additional cost. The type of cap (latex vs. silicone) preferred varies by swimmer. III. Goggles: Competitive goggles purchased at a sports store or online swim store are recommended over recreational goggles purchased at stores like Target or Walmart. Need recommendations? Ask a coach or veteran swim parent. PRACTICES Practice is a vital component to every swimmer s success. Although best times are measured at meets, focused, hard work at practice is what allows for the development of the skills that lead to these improvements. All of that being said, it s summer! You don t have to tell us if you can t make it to practice. Come when you can. :) I. Seals Practice Schedule 2017 PRESEASON 6/3/17-6/21/17 Monday-Thursday evenings Saturday mornings 6/3, 6/10, 6/17 8/under (anyone over age 8 9-10 (anyone not age 9 or 10 11/over (anyone under age 11 5:00-5:45 p.m. 11:15-12:00 a.m. 5:00-5:45 p.m. 10:15-11:15 a.m. 5:45-7:00 p.m. 9:00-10:15 a.m.

REGULAR SEASON 6/22/17-Championships (tba) Monday-Friday mornings Monday-Thursday evenings (*except on meet nights!) 8/under (anyone over age 8 9-10 (anyone not age 9 or 10 11/over (anyone under age 11 11:00-11:45 a.m. 4:15-5:00 p.m. 10:00-11:00 a.m. 5:00-6:00 p.m. 8:30-10:00 a.m. 6:00-7:30 p.m. II. Practice Guidelines: Please arrive at least 5 minutes before the start of practice. This allows time for the swimmers to get ready and ensures that practice begins on time. Swimmers should bring water or a sports drink to practices to stay hydrated. Regarding inclement weather: we cannot practice if thunder is within hearing distance (pool and the deck must be cleared for 30 minutes after last thunder is heard) or if the intensity of the rain prevents the coaches from seeing the bottom of the pool. We can practice in light rain, and whether your child participates is up to your discretion. Some kids love to swim in the rain, some kids think it is miserable (mostly the ones who turn blue within 30 seconds). So if cold and rainy = no fun for your child(ren), it is fine to keep them home. For those who choose to attend, if there is a chance of thunder, please remain at practice or have alternate transportation arrangements made in advance, as we are not allowed anywhere on deck or under the pavilion if it thunders. III. 2 Important Practice Rules: Always enter the water FEET FIRST at practices and warm-up at meets. If you get out of the water for any reason, please TELL A COACH. I. ATTENDANCE: SWIM MEETS *VERY IMPORTANT CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS! WE WILL NOT BE USING A YES/NO SIGN UP SHEET FOR MEETS. Every swimmer is a YES for meets unless written notification via email ( sealscoaches@gmail.com ) is provided at least one week in advance (two weeks in advance for Championships).

If you will not be able to make a meet and were unable to give one week s notice, please text Coach Becca ASAP at 860-992-4212 (on the day of a meet 5 a.m. is acceptable! 11 p.m. is fine!). We understand that kids get sick and other unavoidable things happen! In return we ask that you understand that there is a tremendous amount of juggling that goes into fitting 100 athletes into 3 or 4 events each for each meet, and the sooner we know, the better. Similarly, if you will be arriving after the scheduled warm-up time, please TEXT Coach Becca! (860-992-4212) Have to come late or leave early from a meet? No problem! Just please let us know one week in advance. If a swimmer shows up to a meet they have not signed up for, the coaches cannot guarantee that there will be a place for them to race at the meet. II. Meet Schedule: This year s meet schedule has not been set yet, but will be emailed to you as soon as we have it! There will be both home and away meets. Directions to away meets will be provided. Swimmers should arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled warm up time and check in with a coach. Swimmers who are late without notifying the coaches may not be allowed to swim in the meet. Again, please TEXT Coach Becca. III. What To Bring: Be sure to bring a chair and extra towels to stay dry and comfortable during the meets. Sweatshirts and sweatpants are great for cooler nights, and garbage bags are great accessories for rainy nights! Water, sports drinks, and snacks (hopefully healthy ones!) are also encouraged. IV. Procedures/What To Expect: Swimmers must check in with a coach upon arrival. Meet line-ups will be posted, as changes often happen. Seals swimmers sit together during meest in a team area. This fosters a strong team atmosphere and allows the coaches to find swimmers when they need to swim. For junior swimmers, each age group will sit in a specific area and will be supervised by their designated coach. Swimmers are not allowed to leave this area without permission from a coach or volunteer. Meets consist of individual and relay events. Events are sorted by both gender and age. Age groups for Junior meets are 8/under, 9-10, and 11-12; age groups for Senior meets are 13-14 and 15-18.

Swimmers typically swim 2-4 individual and/or relay events, and are determined by coaches based on team need. Coaches will instruct swimmers when they need to line up for their races. During dual meets, multiple heats of the same event may be conducted, but only the first heat of any given event will count towards the score of the meet. Swimmers--don t worry about what heat you are in. The only fair way to determine heat placement is objectively by times. The heat doesn t matter; the important thing is that you do your best! Also in the do not worry about it category -- please do not worry about getting disqualified (aka DQd or deeked ). It happens to everyone, so try not to feel embarrassed or upset! A swimmer is disqualified from an event if stroke technique or a turn does not meet USA swimming standards (or if they start before the beep 2 times during the same event). The coaches will never be mad or upset if a swimmer DQs--it is our responsibility to teach swimmers proper technique! We will all do our best to improve for next time. Parents, please help us provide perspective with this! Swimmers in the first heat of a race are eligible for ribbons for 1 st -3 rd place. Any swimmer who achieves a best time in an individual event will receive a ribbon. Swimmers should stay until the end of the meet to cheer on their teammates, participate in the team cheer, and clean up the team area. Regarding inclement weather, swim meets will run in the rain. In the event of thunder during a meet, a postponement of 20 or 30 minutes will occur. Plastic garbage bags are a popular accessory at rainy meets they keep seats, snacks, extra towels and clothes dry, and they make lovely ponchos! Parents, these meets cannot run without you. It takes about 25 volunteers to staff a swim meet, and we need every family to help. No experience is necessary (e.g. if you can push a button you ll be a great timer)! We need you very much. Please volunteer whenever you can, but PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP AT AT LEAST TWO MEETS. To make it easy on everyone we re going to use Sign-Up Genius so you can sign up right from your phone! Many jobs offer a great poolside view! You will not miss your child(ren) s events. The only job that takes a bit of training is being an official, and if anyone is interested, please see Coach Kim or Heather Lodge. CHAMPIONSHIPS

I. Eligibility: Junior swimmers are eligible to swim at Championships if they competed in at least 2 dual meets during the regular season Senior swimmers must compete in at least 1 dual meet to be eligible. If you are a NO for championships, we must know in writing at least 2 weeks in advance. II. Championship Schedules: As soon as Championship dates are scheduled I will let you know via email. Junior Championships are held on a Saturday and are usually divided into multiple sessions by age group. Senior Championships are held on a Wednesday evening. III. What To Expect: Championships are different from dual meets because all of the teams in the league attend the same meet. This means that there are many more swimmers and the meet takes a lot more time. Like dual meets, swimmers may compete in up to 4 events, to be determined by the coaches based on their best times, practice performance, attitude, and team needs. Your Seals Coaches Rebecca Carterud is a recent graduate of Elms College where she earned her B.S. in Biology and swam all four years; Becca loved being a Seal for eight years, competed for South Windsor High School all four years, and has been a W.S.I. at VMP for two years. In August, Becca will be starting a year of volunteer service with the FEMA Corps where she will specialize in disaster relief. Shannon Cassidy just completed her first year at UCONN where she is studying Allied Health; this is Shannon s third year at VMP, and her second year as a swim coach; Shannon loved being a Seal for nine years, and competed for South Windsor High School all four years, serving as a captain her senior year. Rachel Carterud just finished her first year at Eastern Connecticut State University, where she is studying education. This will be Rachel s third year working at VMP, she was a WSI for two years, and this will be her first year as a swim coach. Rachel has been a part of the seals swim team since she was 8 years old, and swam all four years at South Windsor High School. We are so excited for the season!!!

SEALS PRACTICE SCHEDULE 2017 PRESEASON 6/3/17-6/21/17 Monday-Thursday evenings Saturday mornings 6/3, 6/10, 6/17 8/under (anyone over age 8 9-10 (anyone not age 9 or 10 11/over (anyone under age 11 5:00-5:45 p.m. 11:15-12:00 a.m. 5:00-5:45 p.m. 10:15-11:15 a.m. 5:45-7:00 p.m. 9:00-10:15 a.m. REGULAR SEASON 6/22/17-Championships (tba) Monday-Friday mornings Monday-Thursday evenings (*except on meet nights!) 8/under (anyone over age 8 9-10 (anyone not age 9 or 10 11/over (anyone under age 11 11:00-11:45 a.m. 4:15-5:00 p.m. 10:00-11:00 a.m. 5:00-6:00 p.m. 8:30-10:00 a.m. 6:00-7:30 p.m.