PLAIN TOWNSHIP AQUATIC CENTER GATOR SWIM & DIVE TEAM HANDBOOK

PLAIN TOWNSHIP AQUATIC CENTER GATOR SWIM & DIVE TEAM HANDBOOK 1

Table of Contents Page 3 The Plain Township Gators 3 League Information 4 Swim & Dive Team Practice 4 Age Groups 5 Meet Availability 6 Regular Season Swim Meets 6 Regular Season Dive Meets 7 Team Suits & Apparel 7 What to Bring to the Swim Meet 7 What to Bring to the Dive Meet 8 How to Decipher the Swimming Heat Sheet 9 Regular Season Swim Meet Order of Events GCSL 10.. Regular Season Swim Meet Order of Events COSA 11...Dive Meet: One Meter Diving Table 13 GCSL Swim Championships 14 Swim Championship Additional Information 14 GCSL Dive Championships 14 End of Season Swim and Dive Banquet 15 Team Volunteering 16 PTAC Board 16 Home Meet Gator Concession Stand 16 Swim Meet Volunteer Positions 17 Dive Meet Volunteer Positions 18 Picture Sharing 18 PTAC Registration Fee Refund Policy 19 Helpful Swimming Terms 21 The Strokes 22 Helpful Diving Terms 23 The Dives 25 PTAC W ebsite 2

"The Plain Township Gators" The swim team was organized in 2003 and is a fun summer organization for children from beginners up to the age of 18. Anyone can be on the swim & dive team if they can swim 1 length of the pool without stopping. Many of our swimmers go on to join the Middle School and High School swim teams to competitively swim. The swim team is a member of the Greater Columbus Swim League (GCSL), which is made up of 8 local swim teams (Delaware, Gahanna, Highlands Park, Northwest, Westerville JC, Worthington Blue, Worthington Red, and Plain Township). The league s web page can be found at http://www.gogcsl.org. Participants MUST be a member of PTAC as required by the league. PTAC will also be participating in a COSA developmental swim league which will swim on Saturdays. The swim team is run by a board of volunteer parents in conjunction with Plain Township, which provides the facility and supports the team. Team announcements and information can be found on the Gator Website at http://www.ptacgators.com. LEAGUE INFORMATION: When you join PTAC, it encompasses both the GCSL and COSA as one team league. Both leagues are summer recreational leagues that focus on FUN and SPORTSMANSHIP GCSL - Greater Columbus Swim Association These swimmers and divers compete in four to five dual meets against league opponents. The dual meets will be very competitive every week. Diving scores are included in the overall meet scores. A championship is held at the end of the season. COSA - Central Ohio Swimming Association COSA is a developmental league that supports the GCSL. Swim meets are held on Saturday mornings. There is no diving or championship meet associated with COSA. PTAC coaches will decide whether GCSL or COSA meets are best for each swimmer. Important GCSL Rules: A swimmer must be a member of the pool whose team they are participating for. A summer swimmer is only allowed to swim for one summer league (ie. GSCL/COSA, Country Club League, or Suburban East Swim League) at a time. Year round USA swimmers are allowed to swim long course plus GCSL during the summer season. 3

Swim & Dive Team Practice Swim team practice is held in the mornings before the pool opens to the public. Practices are held Monday through W ednesday and Friday. There is no practice on Thursday. Dive team practice is held at the New Albany High School pool. Practice times and day are vary based on pool availability. Swim and Dive team practices are posted on the PTAC website. The coaches do their best to have all athletes enjoy themselves and also learn how to be competitive. Age Groups Per GCSL rules, a swimmer s or diver s age group will be determined by his or her age on June 15 of the current year. A swimmer or diver who is 19 on June 15 of the current year shall be allowed to compete in the 18 and under age group for the season, if the student was enrolled in high school just prior to the start of summer season.. Swimmers age groups for meets are as follows: Junior Division Boys and Girls 6 and under (back and freestyle only) Boys and Girls 8 and under Boys and Girls 10 and under Senior Division Boys and Girls 12 and under Boys and Girls 14 and under Boys and Girls 18 and under Divers age groups for meets are as follows: Junior Division Boys and Girls 8 and under Boys and Girls 10 and under Senior Division Boys and Girls 12 and under Boys and Girls 14 and under Boys and Girls 18 and under 4

Meet Availability To help determine if your swimmer will be swimming at each meet, the team uses Team Snap. Each swimmer and diver will have their own account and parents will indicate which meets a team member is available to swim/dive. This helps the coaches set up both the GCSL and COSA meets. SCHEDULES: Swim and dive schedules are posted on the Gator website: www.ptacgators.com NOTIFICATION OF ABSENCE: PTAC needs prior notification if your swimmer/diver is going to be absent from a regular season meet, once the meet is set (see closing days below). If there is failure to do so, your swimmer/diver will not be eligible to swim in the next meet. Swimmers and divers will have to notify coaches via the Gator email address below. CHAMPIONSHIPS: If your swimmer qualifies for championships, your swimmer is expected to attend and you are expected to volunteer at the meet. Changes of availability for a given meet will be closed as follows: Wednesday night GCSL meet - 10 pm the Saturday evening preceding the meet. Saturday morning COSA meets - 10 pm the Wednesday evening preceding the meet. Alert your coach via email, ptacswimteam@gmail.com, of any changes as soon as they arise. A FEW POINTS TO REMEMBER: Indicating that your swimmer is available for Wednesday night meets (GCSL) does not guarantee that your swimmer will swim in the W ednesday night meet. W ednesday night meets have limited spots for swimming entries. Your coach will determine if your swimmer is ready for W ednesday night meets. Divers participate in the W ednesday meets only (there is not a diving meet for COSA). The Dive Coaches will determine who will participate in the dive meets. If you have a swimmer new to competitive swimming, the coaches may recommend they compete in COSA meets (swimmers only, no divers) which are held on Saturday mornings in a supportive environment. Some swimmers compete in both GCSL and COSA meets. This is mainly due to wanting to improve during the season, preferring the level of competition in COSA (more ribbons!!), and W ednesday evening swimmers getting times in a specific stroke. Your coach will find the right fit for your swimmer. The Wednesday night GCSL league requires swimmers & divers to compete in 3 season meets in order to be entered into the Swim and Dive League Championships held at the end of the season. This is a League rule and they will not allow any exceptions. Please alert your coach if you have a scheduling problem with your summer schedule or vacation plans. Our head coach will be making all decisions about what will be best for your child and can answer any questions you may have. Our goal is a love of swimming & good competition for every child, which is why we participate (as a team) in each league. 5

Regular Season Swim Meets During the summer season, there are 5 GCSL dual meets held on Wednesday evenings. Meets begin at 6:00 pm and generally end between 8:00 and 9:00 pm. Swimmers will need to be at the pool by 4:30 to get ready for warm-ups unless otherwise directed by the coaches. The PTAC pool closes Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. on Home Swim Meet Days. The maximum number of events a swimmer can participate in during a dual meet is five (5), three (3) individuals and tow (2) relays. COSA meets are held on Saturday mornings. The meets begin at 8:00 am and finish before the host pool opens to the public. COSA meets do not have a maximum number of events a swimmer can swim. The COSA Head Coach will determine what is best for each swimmer. There is no diving at the COSA meet. Upon arrival at a meet, be sure to check in with the Swimmer Check-in Volunteer. This helps the coaches know that all team members have arrived at the pool. Below is a listing of pools and links to maps. Pool location information is also on the web page. Delaware DARTS Mingo Pool, 500 E. Lincoln Ave. Delaware 43015 Dublin Dolphins 5660 Dublinshire Dr., Dublin, OH 43017 Gahanna Swim and Racquet Club 148 Parkland Dr, Columbus, OH 43230 Grandview Municipal Pool 1350 Goodale Blvd, Grandview Heights, OH 43212 Highland Park Otters 245 S. Spring Rd., Westerville, 43081 Lifetime Fitness - Dublin 3825 Hard Road, Dublin 43016 Marysville 510 Park Ave., Marysville, OH 43040 Northwest Swim Club 1064 Bethel Road, Columbus, OH 43220 Plain Township (New Albany) 7650 Swickard Woods Blvd, New Albany, OH 43054 Westerville JC 200 Otterbein Ave., Westerville, OH 43081 Worthington Waves Regular Season Dive Meets 400 W Dublin Granville Road, Worthington, OH 43085 Dive meets are held immediately before the W ednesday night meets. Dive meets begin at 4:00 pm. Divers are expected to arrive at the pool at 3:00 pm for warm-ups unless otherwise directed by the Dive Coach. There are 5 dive meets during the season. Age groups are the same as those used in swimming. The number of dives a diver must perform is dependant upon their age group. 8 & Under 2 dives from any group 10 & Under 3 dives from any of 3 groups 12 & Under 4 dives from any of 3 groups 14 & Under 4 dives from any of 3 groups 18 & Under 5 dives from any of 4 groups 6

Team Suits & Apparel PTAC will provide information on the web page every season about where parents can purchase team apparel and swim suits. Swim gear such as goggles, bags, and practice caps can be purchased from swim gear stores or local sporting goods stores. The team will provide team caps for purchase. What to Bring to the Swim Meet plenty of towels goggles (two pairs in case one breaks) swim cap healthy snacks and drinks (lots of water) warm clothes to put on after events (very important on cooler or windy evenings) marker for noting events on swimmer s hand fun activities for your swimmer to do between events chairs (some pools do not have many chairs available for use during a meet) blanket (or extra towel) for swimmer or family to sit on sports umbrella for swimmers to sit under camera Prior to coming to the meet, each swimmer should have the following information printed on their hand as shown below: (E) Event number (H) Heat number (L) Lane number - this number will be blank until you get to the pool. Stroke The swim coaches will email the swimmers events prior to each meet. With the exception of the lane assignment, the other information can be completed prior to coming to the pool. Permanent sharpie marker works best for this task. E H L 33 3 5 100 IM 39 4 5 50 Breast 43 3 5 50 Fly 47 4 2 50 Back What to Bring to the Dive Meet plenty of towels, healthy snacks and drinks (lots of water), chairs (outdoor meet, see above), blanket (or extra towel) for swimmer or family to sit on (outdoor meet) camera 7

How to decipher the swimming Heat Sheet Regular season heat sheets are relatively simple since there rarely are multiple heats. Each sheet contains the following information: Event number, event title, heat number, status of heat, lane number, swimmer s name, swimmers age for season, swimmer s team, and their time. At the beginning of the season, each swimmer is designated an NT which stands for No Time. After they swim their first meet and earn an official time (not disqualified) then a time will be shown in the last column. The seed time is based on their best time for the event, not necessarily the time from the previous meet. Championship meet heat sheets look different in that there are usually multiple heats for each event. In addition to the information provided in the regular season heat sheet, each heat is designated by it s number out of a total number (ie. Heat 1of 4). The type of swim, preliminary or finals, is also noted. When swimming championships, it is very important to know which heat your swimmer is entered into so they are placed correctly in the bullpen. The preliminary times listed are based on the regular season. The finals heat sheet (distributed before finals) contain the swimmers championship preliminary times. All relay times are from the regular season since relays are considered final swims. For each event, the Championship meet heat sheets also contains the meet record time, the year achieved, and the name of the record holding swimmer. 8

Regular Season Swim Meet Order of Events GCSL 9

Regular Season Swim Meet Order of Events COSA 10

Dive Meet: One meter diving table 11

Dive Meet: One meter diving table 12

GCSL Swim Championships Championships follow at the end of the GCSL season and will take place at various league pools including Plain Township. Per the league rules, in order to be eligible to swim in the championship meet, swimmers must swim 3 regular season GCSL meets. If a meet has been cancelled due to weather and a swimmer was entered for that meet, the cancelled meet DOES count toward as one of their completed meets. No swimmer will be able to swim more than 5 (3 individuals and 2 relay) events during championships. The coaches will enter swimmers into events based on the times that they achieved during the regular season meets. The top 16 swimmers, based on their preliminary event times, will return to swim in the finals sessions. Swimmers with the top 8 preliminary times swim in the finals heat Swimmers in th th the 9 to 16 spots swim in the consolation heat. In addition to the top 16 preliminary swimmers, th th the 17 and 18 place swimmers from the preliminaries will return for the final session as alternates in case any of the finalist swimmers do not return for their event. Two Day Championships at One Location Swimming champions can be an all day event if the swimmer qualifies for finals or swims individual events and is part of a relay team. On both days, preliminary swimming events are held in the morning, with finals and relays held in the evenings. The events are divided up as follows unless the hosting pool decides to follow the two day format below: Monday Morning Preliminaries: Backstroke Events (W arm-ups ~ 7 am) Individual Medley (IM) Events Monday Evening: Backstroke Finals (W arm-ups ~ 3 pm) Individual Medley (IM) Finals Medley Relay Events Tuesday Morning Preliminaries: Butterfly Events (W arm-ups ~ 7 am) Breaststroke Events Freestyle Events Tuesday Afternoon/Evening: Butterfly Finals (W arm-ups ~ 3 pm) Breaststroke Finals Freestyle Finals Freestyle Relays Two Day Championships at Two Locations When the championships are held at two different pools, events are divided up as follows: Monday Morning Preliminaries: Monday Afternoon Preliminaries: Tuesday Finals: Senior Division - all individual strokes Junior Division - all individual strokes Top 16 for individual strokes, all Medley Relays, all Free Relays 13

Swim Championship Additional Information Championship tee shirts and other swim apparel will be available to purchase at the meet. In addition, heat sheets are available to purchase for each session (morning and evening) of the meet. If your swimmer makes it into Championships, parents are required to volunteer at the meet sessions. PTAC will be assigned an area of responsibility for the meet and a request for volunteers will be sent out to the Championship participant's parents. Volunteering for this meet is in addition to regular season volunteering. When PTAC hosts the championships, additional parent volunteers will be necessary. The team will be assigned a designated area for the swimmers to gather during the meet. Parents should be prepared to bring their own chairs to championships for use in the PTAC tent area. Bleachers are erected near the pool for spectators during events. GCSL Dive Championships Dive Championships are usually held on the weekend just before Swim Championships. In order to qualify for champions, divers must participate in 3 dive meets and be able to perform 3 or more dives. Each age group performs a specific number of dives. In addition, divers must dive within their age group and all divers must perform a three step hurdle and a forward dive. Required Dive: Forward Dive 8 & U Forward dive plus one dive from any group 10 & U Forward dive plus 3 other dives from 3 groups 12 & U Forward dive plus 4 other dives from 3 groups 14 & U Forward dive plus 4 other dived from 4 groups 18 & U Forward dive plus 5 dives from 4 other groups End of Season swim and dive Banquet At the end of the year a banquet is held to honor the swimmers and divers and celebrate the season. The banquet is usually held in the evening during the week of championships. All swimmers and divers and their families are invited to attend. During the banquet, the coaches present the swimmers with any trophies, medals, or ribbons they earned during the championships. In additions, other awards are given to the swimmer by the coaches. Parents will be provided banquet details via email. 14

TEAM VOLUNTEERING PTAC Swim Team Parent Volunteer Policy In order for the swim meets to run efficiently and for the swim team to have a successful season, each family must put forth a team effort. Parent volunteers are an integral part in how successful our season will be therefore, each family is required to volunteer for swim meets (GCLS/COSA) during the regular season at either swim meets or other activities where parent volunteer are needed. Meets can be either home or away. All positions must be filled for meets to run smoothly, therefore if you become unavailable to fulfill your volunteer assignment, you are required to provide a replacement volunteer (ie. Grandparent, aunt/uncle, babysitter, etc.). Each family is expected to be a team player to ensure all positions are covered. In addition to the general volunteer opportunities, we are also seeking parents that may be interested in volunteering as a coordinator for the following functions Concessions Coordinator Fun Friday Coordinator GCSL Parent Volunteer Coordinator COSA Parent Volunteer Coordinator Banquet Coordinator Timer Coordinator (Head Timer) Stoke/Turn Judge (Must be certified) Volunteering for these positions fulfills your family s regular season requirement. Please indicate if you would like to volunteer for any of the above positions. To help with the team, each family is asked to supply food for home meets to be used at the Gator Concession Stand. Volunteering for Swim Championships is coordinated once is has been determined which swimmers will participate. Each team is assigned specific tasks at each championship meet. These tasks change yearly. The parents of swimmers in Championships are expected to volunteer at the Monday and Tuesday session. The Volunteer Coordinator will work with the parents of swimmers participating in the Championships to fill PTAC required positions. These are not part of the regular season volunteer requirements, they are in addition. PTAC uses VolunteerSpot to enable families to easily sign up to volunteer and provide food for the Gator Concession Stand. Once signed up, VolunteerSpot will send reminders to your email. SUMMARY Requirement: volunteer to work meet/activities Provide food for home meet Coordinator position fulfill regular season requirements Volunteering for Championships is required and handled separately 15

PTAC Board The PTAC Board consists of the following positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Head Swim Coach and four (4) at-large positions. The dive coaches also sit on the board as a non-voting member. Each Board member has specific duties for the season. The parent of any swimmer can volunteer to be on the Board. Call-out for Board members takes place in the fall after the season is completed. Home Meet Gator Concession Stand At each Gator home swim meet there will a Gator concession stand which will be located under the first umbrella. Parents volunteer to bring something for the concession stand. Sign up is through Volunteer Spot Swim Meet Volunteer Positions GCSL Volunteer Coordinator COSA Volunteer Coordinator Concessions Coordinator Concession Volunteers Banquet Coordinator Banquet Committee Ribbons Coordinates parent volunteers for each Wednesday night swim meet and swim Championships using HotSpot. Responsible for sending emails to team parents if all positions are not filled. Will check-in volunteers at each meet and find substitutes if a volunteer cannot fulfill their meet obligation. Coordinates parent volunteers for each Saturday morning meet using HotSpot. Responsible for sending emails to team parents if all positions are not filled. Will check-in volunteers at each meet and find substitutes if a volunteer cannot fulfill their meet obligation. Coordinates food donations for the Gator Concession stand during home meets using HotSpot. Responsible for sending emails to team parents if all food donation spots are not filled. Oversees the setup and take down of the stand and check-in of food donations. Parents are needed to work the Gator Concession stand during home GCSL meets (Wed. evenings). Coordinates the end of year banquet. Leads a committee of volunteers. Determines menu, food donations, and works with Head Coach on swimming awards that need to be ordered for the swimmers. Parents are needed to help the Banquet Coordinator set up the end of year team banquet. Prepares the ribbons won by swimmers at the meet. 16

Announcer/Starter Age Group Bullpen Parents Head Timer Timers Runners Computer Personnel Stroke Judges Finishing Judges Swimmer Check-in Announces and starts each event and calls to bullpen Parents are needed oversee 10 and under swimmers in age group bullpens (swimmer waiting area) and to walk them to lanes for their events. The age groups are: 6 & under girls, 6 & under boys, 8 & under girls, 8 & under boys, 10 & under girls, and 10 & under boys. Two to three parents are needed for each level of swimmer. PTAC will have stop watches available for the timers to use during both home and away meets. Head Timer is responsible for distributing stop watches to timers before and collecting them after each meet. Also responsible for the meet stopwatch which is used to replace a stopwatch if a lane timer s stopwatch fails. Three (3) timers are needed for each swim lane. PTAC provides 2 timers for each home meet and 1 timer at each away meet. Timers will record the swimmers time. Two (2) runners are needed for each home meet to gather the event time slips from the timers after each event. The slips are given to the scorer s table for processing. Parents are needed to enter event times into the meet manager computer program. Volunteers will be trained on how to run the meet computer. Stroke Judges watch the swimmers to ensure that they properly execute their strokes including touches, turns, and finishes. Stoke Judges must be trained to perform this duty. Finish Judges note the visual order of the swimmers' finishes. Finish judge information is used in case of a timer discrepancy. Signs in each PTAC swimmer at each meet prior to warm-ups. Provides attendance information to meet coaches. Dive Meet Helpers Score Table Volunteers Two helpers are needed at each meet to work at the score table. 17

Picture Sharing The team s website will be used as a place for parents to share pictures taken at the meets. Many times, besides getting pictures or your swimmers, you may also snap a picture of another swimmer too. Photos may be sent to the webmaster via the swim team email ptacswimteam@gmail.com. The team Photo Gallery is password protected. PTAC REGISTRATION FEE REFUND POLICY Families will be refunded as follows: 100% up to the first day of practice; 50% up to the end of the first week of practice; NO REFUNDS after the end of the first week of practice unless there is a season ending injury. Season Ending Injuries will be reviewed on a case by case basis, by the coaches, to determine if the team will issue a refund and how much. These determinations will be made at PTAC s end of season board meeting. 18

Helpful swimming Terms Beep, Whistle, Starting Pistol Bullpen Disqualification (DQ d) Dual Meet Event False Start Finishing Heat Heat Sheet Individual Medley This may be all that is heard for the swimmer to start racing the event. He/she will hear the announcer state, Swimmers, take your marks. Then the swimmer will hear one of the starting signals (Beep, Whistle, or a Starting Pistol). The swimmer should immediately begin racing. If there has been a false start, the swimmer will hear a continuous beeping or whistle sound or the starting pistol one additional time during the race. He/she should stop swimming and return to the starting block. The bullpen is a designated area where all swimmers must report before they can swim an event. This is where they are organized in advance of their races, in order to keep the meet running smoothly. Failure to report to the bullpen on time will result in the swimmer being scratched from the event. Swimmers aged 13 and up do not have a bullpen requirements. A swimmer may be disqualified if they are not executing the stroke according to USA Swimming rules, if they dive in early, perform an incorrect flip turn or any number of other events. Although this can be upsetting to a child, DQs are very common and should be regarded as part of the learning process. Two teams compete at one location The race in which a swimmer will participate Leaving the blocks before the sound of the starter's signal Finishing a race often relies on split-second judgment. A decision to start a new arm stroke or lengthen the current one, may need to be made. In breaststroke and butterfly, both hands should touch the wall together; in freestyle and backstroke you can make the touch with one hand. Race within a single event A listing of all swimmers by heat and lane assignments at a meet, seeding swimmers according to times submitted. This is when a swimmer swims four different strokes in one race. The order is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and then freestyle. Special turns are used because swimmers need to change from one stroke to another. 19

Relays Scratch Seed Seed Times Starter Starting Block Stroke Judge Time Standards In relays, the swimmer is one of a team of 4 people each swimming an equal distance. There are 2 relays, the freestyle and the medley. When a swimmer, scheduled for an event, is removed by the coach prior to participating. The placement within an event according to individual time Time used to enter a swimmer in a meet. This determines a swimmer's heat and lane assignment Official responsible for the start of each heat and for calling swimmers to the blocks. Staring blocks are normally used to start an event where swimmers dive into the water. A swimmer may not take any stroke until he/she breaks the surface of the water. If a swimmer is not yet comfortable using the starting block, he/she may choose to start in the water or dive from the side of the pool. Backstroke is the only stroke where you have to start in the water. The official that determines the legality of a swimmer's stroke or his/her turns Qualifying times that have been set by Regional and National Committees for all events. 20

THE STROKES Breaststroke This stroke must be done on the stomach with some part of the head surfacing during each stroke sequence, except on starts and turns when one underwater pull and kick are allowed, in that order. The kick must be a squeezing action with no downward thrust of the legs, all on the same horizontal plane, recovering forward from the chest. The swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at all turns and the finish. Backstroke Swimmers must remain on their backs until they touch the wall for a turn or finish. Any means of stroke or kick is allowed. The pennants hanging across the pool are situated to prepare the swimmer for the approaching wall. Butterfly The leg kick(s) must be a downward thrust, which is simultaneous action. The arm pull must be simultaneous and the arms must recover forward over the top of the water only. Both hands must touch the wall simultaneously at all turns and the finish. Freestyle: "Free" means any stroke imaginable, but most swimmers choose the crawl, the fastest of the strokes. Any part of the body may touch the wall at turns and the finish. This is the first stroke emphasized and virtually all new swimmers will compete in freestyle events. 21

Helpful Diving Terms 1 meter Height of a diving board used in GCSL meets Approach Degree of Difficulty Dive Judge Entry Free Position Hurdle Pike Position Scores Three or more steps forward to the end of the board before the hurdle and takeoff. Each dive is assigned a degree of difficulty depending on the type of dive and combinations performed. The rating ranging from 1.2 to 4.1 indicating the difficulty of executing a specific dive. The DD is multiplied by the sum of the judges scores to calculate the overall score for a dive. Diving official who scores each dive. The conclusion of a dive as a diver makes contact with the water. May be either head or feet-first. Upon entry, the body should always be near vertical in a straight position with toes pointed. In a headfirst entry, arms should be stretched above the head, in line with the body with the hands close together. A combination of straight, pike, or tuck positions, to be used in twisting dives only as listed in the DD tables. The final segment of a diver s approach to takeoff. Consists of a spring to the end of the board, taking off from one foot, and landing on two feet at the end of the board. A dive position in which the body is bent at the hips, legs straight at the knees, and toes pointed. Feet should be held together, while positioning of the arms is optional. Dives can be scored from 0 (lowest) up to 10 (highest) points in half point increments. Springboard An adjustable diving board that regulates springiness, either 1- meter (3 3") or 3-meters (9 9") above the water. The springboard projects at least five feet beyond the edge of the pool. Straight Position Takeoff Tuck Position A dive position in which the body is straight without bending at the knees or hips, with feet together and toes pointed. Formerly called the layout position. A diver s lift from the board prior to execution of the dive. May be done from a forward (running or standing) or backward approach, or from an armstand position. A dive position in which the body is bent at the waist and knees, with thighs drawn to the chest and the feet kept close to the buttocks. Feet and knees should be kept together and toes should be pointed. 22

THE Dives Back Dives Takeoff from the end of the board with back toward water. Direction of rotation is away from the board. Includes tuck, pike, or straight Straight Flip Pike Forward Dives Takeoff from a standing or running approach, facing the water. Direction of rotation is away from the board. Includes tuck, pike, or straight Straight Entry Pike 23

Inward Dive Takeoff from a standing position at the end of the board, with back to the water. Direction of rotation is toward the board. Includes tuck, pike, or straight Reverse Dive Takeoff from a standing or running approach, facing the water. Direction of rotation is toward the board. Includes tuck, pike, or straight Somersault Dive A movement in which a diver rotates the body on an imaginary horizontal axis through the hips. This move can be performed in a variety of combinations. Includes tuck, pike, or straight Twisting Dive Any dive with a twist. There are four types of twisting dives: forward, back, reverse and inward 24

PTAC Website The PTAC website can be found at www.ptacgators.com. The site is continually updated during the season with meet announcements, links to volunteer opportunities, and meet results. The site contains the following information: $ Home Page: Announcements, meet record breakers, updated frequently $ Swimmer Information Page: Links to handbook and team forms, contains practice schedules and team apparel information. $ Dive Team Page: Dive team information and coaches profiles $ Volunteer Information Page: Describes all volunteer opportunities, contains sign up links $ Coaches Profile Page: Learn about our swim coaches $ Meet Schedule and Maps Page: Contains the schedules and maps to pools for both GCSL and COSA meets. $ Meet Results Page: Contains results for current season meets and championships since 2003 and current year record breakers by meet. $ Championship Page: Information on championships $ Photo Gallery Page: password protected page contains team meet, parade, and banquet pictures $ Links Page: Links useful for parents including links to year round swim clubs 25