Hempfield Stingrays Handbook

Hempfield Stingrays Handbook 2011 In order to stay up-to-date on the latest swim team information, please check the following on a regular basis: The Swim Team Bulletin Board located at the pool. The Swim Team Facebook page Hempfield Stingrays. The swim team Website at www.hempfieldstingrays.com Every swimmer will have a file folder in a portable file container. A newsletter is mailed electronically and posted on the bulletin board weekly. This handbook was compiled to give you an overview of the Stingrays program. If you have any questions before or during the season, please feel free to contact one of the officers or board members for more information. Contents Page 1 Coaches and other people to know Page 2 2011 Dual Meet Schedule Page 3 2011 Invitational Meet Schedule Page 4 Stingray Swim Team Basics; Practice Information Page 5 Information regarding Dual Meets; Scoring Dual Meets Page 6 Dual Meet Order of Events; Disqualifications Page 7 Volunteer Opportunities Page 9 Meet Directions

HEAD COACH Brittany Bertoli 333-5904 ASSISTANT COACHES Tiffany Farmer 892-4935 Bonnie Fissella 898-9781 Jon Youssef OFFICERS President: Larisa Garpstas 892-1415 Email: larisagarpstas@comcast.net Vice-President Kathleen Williams 397-7745 Email: Kathleenwilliams@53@msn.com Secretary Rachel Grove 285-4441 Email: maximimi123@aol.com Treasurer Mark Loiseau 898-9566 Email: lousnik@yahoo.com BOARD MEMBERS Jen Bennett 898-9097 Russ Glass 892-7041 Tina Bowman 892-1383 1

2011 Dual Meet Schedule DATE OPPONENT LOCATION June 21 Adamstown Adamstown Pool June 23 Mountville Home June 28 Conestoga Valley Home June 30 Millersville Millersville Pool July 5 Potential Make-up Day (if needed) July 12 East Petersburg East Petersburg Pool July 14 Conestoga Home July 19 Ephrata Home July 23 July 29 & 30 Divisionals All Swimmers encouraged to attend!! All-Leagues Qualifying time required to compete. Adamstown Pool TBA Dual Meets are held rain or shine, except for thunderstorms. Check the Facebook page prior to the meet if thunderstorms are occurring. All dual meets will begin at 6:00 p.m., with warm-ups at 5:15 for the home meets and 5:30 for away meets. Meets usually last 2 ½ to 3 hours. More Information about Dual Meets are on pages 6 & 7 of this handbook. The 2010 Stingrays 2

2011 Invitational Meet Schedule DATE EVENT LOCATION June 11 YMCA Mini Meet Lampeter YMCA 8 and Unders and 10 and Unders only June 18 Conestoga Valley Invitational Leola Community Park 23 East Main Street, Leola July 9 Lititz Springs Invitational Lititz Springs Pool 1 Orange Street, Lititz July 16 Black Knight Invitational Landisville Pool 50 Elmwood Avenue, Landisville The Stingrays arrange a Buddy program every year where an older Stingray swimmer is matched with a younger swimmer. Often, the buddies will bring each other fun gifts prior to a meet. Here, Alexa and Sarah show off a gift they received from their younger buddies. INVITATIONAL MEETS An invitational meets is one attended by many teams, to which our team was invited to participate. Invitational Meets are optional for Stingray swimmers, but tend to be a lot of fun for them. There is a fee per entry, which we must pay at least a week ahead of time. Our team is willing to pay for most of these events, however if you do not show up at the meet to swim your events, you will be charged for them the cost is usually $3 per individual event and $5 per relay. These meets are fundraisers for the host team. These meets are APPROXIMATELY 4-6 hours in length, starting early morning. There is usually an admission fee of $2-$3 for non-swimmers who are not volunteering in the meet. There is also usually an additional cost for a heat sheet. There is usually a concession stand and opportunities to buy suits, caps and goggles and various other items. It is recommended that swimmers and spectators bring things to do as they wait for their events: healthy snacks and drinks, chairs to sit on, blankets, towels. If the weather is chilly, it is helpful to bring several bathing suits and warm ups. That way, swimmers can change out of wet suits after events while waiting for their next event in order to stay warm. All events are live at invitational meets. 3

STINGRAYS - THE BASICS Every Swimmer has a file folder mailbox located in the Stingrays area of the pool (to the right under the bulletin board). Please check this DAILY. Important papers, and ribbons will be placed in the folder. Check your folder as often as possible for updates and information. Email newsletters go out regularly with information regarding the upcoming week: meet locations and directions, volunteer duties, etc. You MUST show your membership card at the front desk when arriving for practice. Swimmers - Here are some guidelines to make the swim meet experience a fun one for you, your teammates, and even your opponents. Your behavior is a reflection on the entire team AND your coaches. Make your parents and Coaches proud! Be on time. Sit with your team in the team area. Don t be missing in action when your event is called. If you re not there at the start of the race, it will go on without you. Cheer for your teammates! Find out what event your buddy is swimming in and cheer him or her on! During your event, try to remember to not jump out of the pool until every swimmer finishes. Shake the hand of and congratulate the person in the lane next to you on a good swim. Without them, swimming would not be nearly as exciting. Also be sure to thank the timers for your lane. Without their volunteer time, this meet and your race would not be possible. Stay positive. Everyone has bad swims! Clean up ALL of your mess. Leave your area just as you found it. Throw away your empty bottles and wrappers. If your teammates leave a mess, help them pick it up! Do NOT leave the meet before checking in with your Coach. Most important - HAVE FUN The butterfly event at a Dual Meet. 4

The 2010 Stingrays were undefeated in Dual Meets. For our end-of-season picnic, team parent Krysten Zaenglein, mom of 8U s Zoe and Sophie Eckman presented our swimmers with this beautiful cake that tasted as good as it looked. PRACTICE INFORMATION Swimmers do not need to wear their team suit for practice. Daily practices begin PROMPTLY at 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. PLEASE BE ON THE DECK READY TO SWIM AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR. It is a good idea to plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early so that you can be on deck on time. The executive director of the Rec. has requested that swimmers who need to wait before or after practice (for their ride, for a younger siblings, etc.) please wait in the pool area and not in the lobby, locker room or hallway. If you are remaining before or after practice, please remain in the pool area and NOT the lobby, hallway, or locker room areas. Prior to away Dual Meets, Stingrays can meet up in the HARC parking lot to decorate cars and each other and caravan to the meet. 5

DUAL MEETS A dual meet is between the Hempfield Stingrays and one other team. No entry fee is required for either swimmers or attendees. Dual meets begin at 6:00pm. Please arrive no later than 5:15 p.m. to Dual Meets for warm-up time. Dual meets last about 3 hours. Usually, the home team provides a treat for the visiting team after the final score is announced. All swimmers are encouraged to stay for the entire meet. IF YOU MUST LEAVE BEFORE THE END OF THE MEET, PLEASE SEE A COACH FIRST SO WE KNOW YOU ARE LEAVING. Packing for a Dual Meet extra towels, water bottle, extra warm-ups, books and other quiet activities, playing cards, healthy snacks, two pairs of goggles, flip flops or crocs, and a blanket. Please put swimmer s name on all items. The pool area is usually very warm. Therefore, you need to make sure you dress appropriately. Nothing is worse than being hot at a swim meet. It makes the time pass very slowly! Also, feel free to bring folding chairs to sit on. DISQUALIFICATIONS A swimmer may be disqualified by the judges for not swimming a stroke correctly, making an improper turn, touching the bottom of the pool, or failing to touch the wall with both hands if required. Most swimmers get disqualified at some point in their swimming careers! Often, the judge will approach the swimmer to advise him why he was DQ ed. Parents should be supportive, rather than critical, treating the disqualification as a learning experience. 6

Dual Meet Scoring Points are awarded to the top 3 finishers of the live heats: 1st place 5 points 2nd place 3 points 3rd place 1 point Relays are scored 7 points for the winning team only. (In a dual meet, a team cannot sweep an event. In the instance that one team gets 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in an event, the 3rd place point will go to the opposing team. The 3rd place finisher will still get their 3rd place ribbon. DUAL MEET ORDER OF EVENTS Event #1 Girls 8 and under 25 free Event #2 Boys 8 and under 25 free Event #3 Girls 10 and under 25 free Event #4 Boys 10 and under 25 free Event #5 Girls 12 and under 50 free Event #6 Boys 12 and under 50 free Event #7 Girls 14 and under 50 free Event #8 Boys 14 and under 50 free Event #9 Girls Open (15 and older) 50 free Event #10 Boys Open (15 and older) 50 free Events #11 - #20 Backstroke Events in the same age order as above Events #21 - #30 Breaststroke Events in the same age order as above Events #31 - #40 Butterfly Events in the same age order as above Event #41 - #50 Relay events in the same age order as above [For all events, exhibition (no points awarded) heats swim before live (points awarded) heats] Typically, the fastest 3 or 4 swimmers in each event will swim against the opposite team in a live heat for points. Other swimmers will have the opportunity to swim in exhibition heats. While exhibition races do not count for points, they are certainly just as important as they give swimmers an opportunity to get valuable racing experience! Swimmers take this opportunity to improve their skills and time before entering a live heat. At the end of the meet, the team with the highest points is the winner. 7

Committees and Chairpersons A swim meet requires many volunteers. Please call one of the persons listed if you are interested in helping in the following areas! There is a lot of work that goes into running the Stingrays Swim Team and we need all the help we can get. KATHY WILLIAMS 397-7745 JEN BENNETT 898-9097 Scoring Coordinators Make sure league and swimming regulations are met at home meets, keep pool and team records up to date, bring required scoring forms and supplies to away meets, Arrive at 4:30 p.m. for home meets and assist in preparing scoring sheets, arrive at 5:00 p.m. for away meets to assist with scoring sheets. CHRIS SAVICKY 285-7247 Food and Beverage Coordinator Home snack bar, picnic, and breakfast your buddy event. Coordinate Sheetz fundraiser LISA SEMPSEY SHERYL HAERTTER 892-1008 Spirit Coordinators Spirit week, Best Time Program, Treats for Home Meet, Buddy Program, Caravans, Poster Contest, Swim for Cancer, Breakfast event, etc. JULIE MCKENNA 285-4308 Ribbons Coordinator purchase requisite ribbons for all home meets, arrange for persons to sit in vicinity of scoring table and fill out ribbons during home meets, make sure opposing coach receives ribbons following the meet, pick up and sort ribbons from away meets, trophies and awards for picnic. RACHEL GROVE 285-4441 LARISA GARPSTAS 892-1415 Timing Coordinator Times for all meets and invitationals, runners, and watches. Supplies watches, clipboards, and recording slips for home meets. Supplies clipboards and recording sheets for finish judges and time recorders. Arranges runners for home meets. Picks up and takes watches to away meets. Serves as back-up timer or arranges back-up timer at home meets. 8

VACANT Safety, Set-up, and Tear Down Coordinator Assure set up for home meets (tables, P.A. System, extra lane lines to protect swimmers from ladders), transports and sets up tent for away meets and invitationals, arranges announcers, ensures clean up and put away after home meets, assists pool staff in removing trash to Dumpster, ensures that Stingray area is cleaned up after away meets. Maintains first aid kit and ensures its availability at all meets and invitationals. Have someone designated at home and away meets to deal with minor injuries. 9

Directions All directions begin with a starting point of the Hempfield Sports Complex pool and are, in many cases, only one of several routes you can take. Adamstown Swim Team The Gators Adamstown Pool West Main Street, Adamstown 484-2175 Travel to Route 30 and turn left onto Route 30 East. Merge onto 222 North for about 20 miles. Take the PA-272 South Exit ( Turnpike exit). Turn left at the bottom of the ramp. Go to Route 272 and turn right. Go past Route 897 and into Adamstown. Turn left at Mom's Diner on Poplar Street. Go one block and make another left on Main Street. Adamstown Pool is on the right. Conestoga Swim Team The Sharks Conestoga Township Community Pool Ehrlich Park 49 Kendig Road, Conestoga 872-9851 Left on Marietta Avenue (Route 23) Right on Rohrerstown Road (Route 741) Follow Rohrerstown Road (Route 741) for about 6 miles. Right on the New Danville Pike. After about 2 miles, this road will turn into Main Street. Follow Main Street for approximately one mile. Turn right onto Stone Mill Road at the Conestoga Wagon Restaurant. Bear right onto Kendig Road and the pool is located at 49 Kendig Road on the right. Conestoga Valley Swim Team The Aquabucks Leola Community Pool 23 East Main Street, Leola 656-0746 Travel to Route 30 and turn left onto to Route 30 East. Take the exit for New Holland Pike (Route 23) and turn left. Travel about 6 miles. The pool is on the right after Maple Avenue. East Petersburg Swim Team The Frogs East Petersburg Pool 2575 Graystone Rd., East Petersburg 560-4980 Left on Church. Right on Bowman. Right on Harrisburg Pike. Left on State Road. Left on Main Street (Route 72). Right on Graystone to 2575 Graystone Road on the left. 10

Ephrata Swim Team The Tidal Waves Ephrata Community Pool 418 Vine Street, Ephrata 738-9268 Travel to Route 30 and turn left onto Route 30 East. Merge onto 222 North. Take the Ephrata exit. Make a left at the light, 322 West - (Main Street.) Quick right onto Cocalico Street. Follow Cocalico Street to the parking lot. The pool is beyond the parking lot. Lampeter YMCA Mini Meet 800 Village Road, Lancaster 464-4000 Travel to Route 30 and turn left onto Route 30 East. Merge onto 222 North. Take the Ephrata exit. Make a left at the light, 322 West - (Main Street.) Quick right onto Cocalico Street. Follow Cocalico Street to the parking lot. The pool is beyond the parking lot. Landisville Swim Team The Dolphins Landisville Pool 50 Elmwood Drive, Landisville 898-1983 Left on Church Street. Right on Harrisburg Pike. Left on Elmwood Avenue Lititz Springs Pool Lititz Springs Invitational 1 Orange Street, Lititz 626-8484 Left on Church Street. Right on Harrisburg Pike. Left State Road. Right to merge onto 283 East. Merge onto 30 East. Take the Exit for Lititz Pike (501 North) Travel into Lititz. Left on Orange Street. Make the first right after the High School. Follow the signs for the Lititz Community Center. Pass the Comm. Center and the pool will be down the street. Millersville Swim Team The Sea Lions 314 Prince Street, Millersville 872-2071 Take a left out of the main Parking Lot. Travel to Route 462 East (Columbia Ave.) & turn left. Turn right onto Donnerville Road Turn left onto Rt. 999 Turn right onto Prince Street and go about 3 blocks. The pool will be on your left. 11

Mountville Swim Team The Wave Mountville Community Pool 350 West Main Street, Mountville 285-2747 Make a right on Route 462 (Columbia Avenue) The pool is on the right after you pass through Mountville. Overlook Park Pool All-Leagues 2040 Lititz Pike, Lancaster 560-7665 Left on Church Street. Right on Harrisburg Pike. Left State Road. Right to merge onto 283 East. Merge onto 30 East. Take the Exit for Lititz Pike (501 North) Turn left into the Overlook Community Campus. The pool is ¼ mile back past the golf course. A popular event in 2010 was Rita s Ice by the pool. Swimmers got to vote for their favorite flavors and then enjoy a frosty treat after practice. One Fun Friday included games in the pool and Raft Relays. Swimmers also always enjoy the annual Breakfast with your buddy event. In 2010, it was chilly and rainy, but swimmers braved the weather to enjoy some breakfast treats. 12