Parent and Swimmer Handbook

Parent and Swimmer Handbook Milton & Betty Katz JCC Margate Sharks 2011 Stephanie Wakefield (609) 822-1167, Ext. 133 swakefield@jccatlantic.org Brendan Craig (609) 822-1167, Ext. 144 bcraig@jccatlantic.org 501 North Jerome Avenue, Margate, NJ 08402 JCC Mission Statement 1 P a g e

The mission of the Milton & Betty Katz Jewish Community Center of Atlantic County is to foster an appreciation of Jewish identity, values and culture, to promote the health, education and welfare of our members, to strengthen Jewish family life, to build a sense of community and ensure Jewish continuity for our children, our children s children and ourselves. Meet Our Coaches Stephanie Wakefield/Head Coach Stephanie has a successful coaching career and a 20 year history of swimming competitively. Steph was a scholarship swimmer for the Bobcats at Ohio University where she received a bachelor s degree in Sports Industry. Upon graduation, she attended culinary school where she pursued her cooking passion. Coach Steph s goals include developing the JCC Sharks into a competitive team within USA swimming, while instilling the overall joy of the sport. Brendan Craig/Assistant Coach Coach Brendan brings over a decade of competitive swimming experience to the Katz JCC. He is currently finishing his degree at Frostburg State University where he completed his swimming career after success at the local, state and national levels. Brendan believes in teamwork built through hard work, dedication and enjoyment of the sport of swimming. And he believes success starts with the individual. Stevi Anderson/Assistant Coach Coach Stevi was born and raised in Vineland, New Jersey. She grew up swimming at the Vineland YMCA and Dolphin Swim Club, and went on to swim at Vineland High School where she was a member of State Championship teams and relays and a swimming and academic All-American. In May 2011, Stevi graduated from the College of William and Mary with a bachelor s degree in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. She swam for the William and Mary Tribe for four years and was voted captain during her Senior season. She spent six years as a volunteer coach for the Cumberland Arc Special Olympics Swim Team. In the future she plans to seek a master s degree in Nutrition with concentration in public health. Chris Bradley/Assistant Coach Chris was a swimmer on the JCC swim team as a child and went on to Holy Spirit High School, Stockton College and lifeguard career. Swimming has always been an important part of his life. Chris children are currently Margate Sharks and he expects that they will enjoy the same great experience as he did as a youngster. Swimming Philosophy Swimming is first and foremost about having fun and accepting the challenge and demands of learning to swim well, while being part of a team. Learning to swim competitively takes skill development and sound 2 P a g e

techniques. It instills self-discipline, while building self-confidence. Success is measured by the ability to set goals and accept coaching, practice and sacrifice to meet them. Coaching style and attention is devoted to the holistic development of each swimmer. Have fun Become a team member Learn to swim Be competitive Develop skill and technique Be self-disciplined Set goals Be confident Understand sacrifice Be successful Coaching Philosophy To develop the swimmer s technique through practice in order for the swimmer to reach their desired swim level. To help swimmers set realistic goals; educate the swimmers on the level of commitment required to achieve their goals; motivate swimmers through a positive training environment; and appropriately train and condition the swimmers based on their respective goals. To grow a sense of pride in the swimmers - Everyone should be proud of their efforts regardless of their abilities or swim level. Individual self-improvement is given priority over winning all the time. Swim Team Goals To assist every swimmer develop the skills, confidence, and commitment needed to successfully reach their goals. To create the Team concept within our organization. To maintain World-Class sportsmanship at all times. To sustain a highly motivated and trained coaching staff. To always have fun! Team Guidelines 1. Swimmers are strongly encouraged to make all practices on time. Attending less than three practices per week will not build strength and endurance in the young athlete. Also, swimmers should be at the pool and ready to swim 10 minutes prior to the time their practice session is scheduled to begin. 2. Swimmers are expected to stay for the entire practice. Some of the most import sets come at the end of practice. It is also discouraging to the swimmers who are in the water working hard. Swimming is very psychological, so when a training group is broken, the entire practice is broken up. It can also be a distraction to the group. In the event that the swimmer needs to be dismissed early from practice, coaches would like to be notified in advance. 3. Proper swim attire must be worn. For practice, all swimmers should have a practice suit (not competition logo suit), goggles and swim cap (cap - optional for boys with short hair). We also strongly encourage parents to purchase swim fins. For meets, all swimmers must wear Shark apparel to represent the team, includes logo suit, swim cap and t-shirt. 4. Please encourage swimmers to eat healthier and lighter snacks before practice and swim meets. This will help them move through the water easier. 5. Any swimmer who acts disrespectful to a fellow team member or coach may be suspended from one swim meet/practice at the coach s discretion. 3 P a g e

6. Every swimmer needs to respect and obey all pool rules. Any damage or vandalism of the facility may result in financial liability of the swimmers parents. This may also lead to the swimmer being asked to leave the team. 7. Swimmers should know their best times for their events. It may be helpful to keep a chart for each year on the wall or in the computer. 8. Swim team members should not also be enrolled in swim lessons. Swimming for one hour daily is enough of a workout. Our instruction is tailored specifically for the competitive swim team and for the swimming improvement of the swimmer. 9. Always come to practice and swim meets knowing you are all winners and that you belong to a winning team! Swimmer s Responsibilities In fairness to him/herself and the Club, a swimmer must commit to the following responsibilities to realize goals and attain the maximum benefit that competitive swimming offers. 1. Be ready to WORK HARD and HAVE FUN! Establish reasonable and achievable goals. 2. Attend all practice and training sessions. Arrive early enough to be ready to start swimming when the practice session begins. 3. Inform your coach in advance when you are unable to attend practices, meets or other official functions. 4. Use only team suit, cap and team shirt for all meets. 5. Have readily available all required equipment for every training session and meet. 6. Assist the coaches in keeping the facility clean. 7. Compliment and encourage other team members for the achievement and support them when they are discouraged. Practice Times Winter Shark Schedule Start date is October 10, 2011 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Group A 6:00pm-7:30pm (Dryland 6pm-6:30pm) 6:30pm-7:45pm 6:00pm-7:30pm (Dryland 6pm-6:30pm) 6:30pm-7:45pm Group B 6:00pm-7:00pm 6:00pm-7:00pm 6:00pm-7:00pm 6:00pm-7:00pm Group C 5:45pm-6:30pm 5:45pm-6:30pm 5:45pm-6:30pm Rules for Meet Participation 1. You must attend at least one practice during the week prior to the meet, unless you are exonerated by the coach. 2. You must sign up one week in advance for every meet. No one will be accepted to sign up for the meet after 9pm the Tuesday prior to the meet. If your schedule changes and you cannot make it 4 P a g e

to the meet, we ask that you please give 48 hours notice. (We understand that last minute sickness or emergencies cannot always be seen in advance.) 3. If you do not show up for a meet and we do not receive a phone call, we will have to assume that you were a no show and you will not be able to swim in the next scheduled meet. 4. All parents must observe from the pool gallery. No parents will be permitted on the deck unless they are volunteering/staffing for the meet. 5. Swimmers must sit with their team in the team area, participate in team cheers and support other teammates during their event. 6. The coach has the final determination of meet entries or what the swimmer will be swimming at every meet. Relays are also determined by the coach. 7. Warm-up for all meets as a team. A proper warm-up is crucial to the success of a meet. 8. Arrive at the blocks at least 5 heats before your race. Coaches will be around to help get the swimmer to their races as well. 9. Try your best and swim hard. It is okay to be nervous. Many swimmers have pre-race apprehension, especially for events they may not have swum before. 10. After your race, immediately see a member of the coaching staff for feedback. Learning what you did well and understanding areas for improvement will help you become a better swimmer. 11. During the meets, you may not leave the pool area for any reason until you are finished you re your events and you have been dismissed by the coach. What to Bring to Swim Meets Swim Meets can mean a very long day, for both parents and swimmers. Swimmers must come to meets wearing their team apparel; suit, goggles (extra pair is always good), swim cap, and team shirt/sweatshirt. Swimmers should have healthy snacks for throughout the meet. We do not encourage swimmers to eat from the snack bar (if there is one), we want them to eat light, healthy snacks such as fruit, granola bars, and water/gatorade. Being more nutritious, these snacks will help them as they compete. Also, have the swimmers pack games or some activity to keep them busy when they are not swimming and extra towels. Parent s Equipment Includes: Love and support. Please give positive support to all swimmers efforts Plenty of patience Cameras and video recorders are welcome. However, note that flash photography at the start of any event is strictly prohibited (flash photography interferes with the strobe light signalling the start of each event) Expectations of Parents Parents Your Swimmer Needs You 5 P a g e The Coach is the Coach! We want your swimmer to relate to his or her coach as soon as possible concerning swimming matters. This relationship between coach and swimmer produces best results. When parents interfere with opinions as to how the swimmer should swim or train, it causes considerable, and oftentimes insurmountable, confusion as to whom the swimmer should listen to. If you have a problem, concern or complaint, please contact the coach away from practice hours or after practice.

Best Kind of Parent The coach s job is to motivate and constructively criticize the swimmer s performance. It is the parent s job to supply the love, recognition and encouragement necessary to make the swimmer work harder in practice, which in turn gives him/her the confidence to perform well in competition. Ten and Unders Ten and unders are the most inconsistent swimmers and this can be frustrating for parents, coaches and the swimmer alike! Parents and coaches must be patient and permit these youngsters to learn to love the sport. When a young swimmer first joins the team, there may be a brief period in which he/she appears to slow down. This is a result of the added concentration on stroke technique, but this will soon lead to much faster swims for the individual. Not Every Time Even the very best swimmer will have meets where they do not do their best times. This is a normal part of swimming. Over the course of a season, times should improve. Please be supportive of these poor meets. The older swimmers may have only two or three meets a year for which they will be rested and tapered. Volunteers Wanted! Parent Volunteers are always welcome. No Experience Required! Parent participation is essential at swim meets and we must provide volunteers at home and some away meets. We have about 15 positions that need to be filled by you the parent. Each job is important and fun! The coaches would like for each parent to work at least one meet. Job Positions: Timer: Responsibilities: Report to Head Official at least 15 minutes prior to meet start. Time each swimmer and write the official time on the correlating event card. Contact Head Timer immediately if you watch malfunctions during a race. Cards are given to runners after each race or event. Skills Required: You will be trained in all necessary skills while meeting with the Head Official. Card Runner: Responsibilities: After each race or event, you will go to each lane and retrieve a card to then take over to the scorer s table to be recorded. Head Timer: Responsibilities: Report to Head Official at least 15 minutes prior to meet start. Start timing at the beginning of each race and observe all lane timers to determine if any timers require backup. Take over timing for any required lane for the duration of the race if backup is requested by anyone. Skills Required: You will be trained in all necessary skills while meeting with the Head Official. Ribbon Writer: Responsibilities: Handwriting Name, Place and Time on all individual ribbon winners throughout a swim meet. Give ribbons to appropriate coach after meet s completion. Skills Required: Clear and legible handwriting. Ability to read a heat card and copy the information onto an appropriate ribbon. Scorekeeper: Responsibilities: Collect cards from Runner. Fill in time and place for every swimmer on master score sheet. Score 1 st, 2 nd & 3 rd place appropriately: Individual Events: Relay Events: First-5 points First-7 points Second-3 points Second-0 points Third-1 point No sweeping: (Sweeping is defined as one team that during an event receives First, Second and Third Place. This team will only receive points for First and Second and no one will receive points for Third Place.) 6 P a g e

Add all scores for each page. Calculate total of all pages and compare with opposite team scorekeeper. If scores do not match review the scores to make appropriate changes. Skills Required: Ability to do basic math addition. Stroke and Turn Judges: Responsibilities: Must be certified by the League (courses are available at the beginning of the swim season, refer to the Head Coach for dates and times of the classes). Must have energy to stand and walk up and down pool while watching swimmers stroke and determine if they are doing it correctly. Report to Head Official with any disqualifications. Skills Required: Must be knowledgeable of the strokes and rules of swimming. Starter/Referee: Responsibilities: Must be certified by the League (courses are available at the beginning of swim season, refer to the Head Coach for dates and times of the classes). Skills Required: Must be knowledgeable of the strokes and rules of swimming. Place Judge: Responsibilities: You will watch the finish of the race and verbally state the order of finish for all lanes. Skills Required: You will be trained in all necessary skills while meeting with the Head Official. Katz JCC Sharks Parent Organization It is important that parents become involved and support our team. This year we have organized a parent committee that will be responsible for helping organize swim meets, help with communication lines between parents and coaches, and most importantly help with fundraising. In advance, we would like to thank the parents for their dedication, time and efforts in partnering with the Katz JCC Sharks Swim Team so we may all grow together in developing both the Katz JCC Aquatic Center, and the members of the team. Anyone wishing to help with the Katz JCC Swim Team, please contact Stephanie Wakefield at 609-822- 1167, Ext. 133 or email swakefield@jccatlantic.org, or Brendan Craig at 609-822-1167, Ext. 144 or email bcraig@jccatlantic.org. Margate Shark Swim Team Meet Schedule 7 P a g e

2011 Fall/Winter Season Saturday, November 5 Sunday, December 11 Saturday, January 7 Saturday, January 14 Sunday, January 15 Saturday, January 28 Sunday, January 29 February 4 & 5 Saturday & Sunday Margate @ Brigantine Cape May @ Margate Margate @ Mighty Marlins Margate @ Gloucester Odd Distance Invite @ Vineland Salem Y @ Margate Tiny Tides Invite @ Gloucester League Championships @ Vineland ***Swimmers who would like to swim at championships must swim in at least 3 meets to qualify*** Dear JCC Sharks Parents: We at the JCC thank you for your support and dedication to this year s swim team. Our talented coaches and staff are determined to make this swim season a rewarding, positive and successful season. The Center s age group competitive swim program competes in the Atlantic County Swim Conference. Members of the swim team build strength and endurance in the program and develop physically, socially, and emotionally. Good sportsmanship and the value of working cooperatively as a member of a team are important components. Work habits formed now are the basis of future achievements. We look forward to working with your child and to a great swim season! Margate Sharks Coaching Staff 8 P a g e