Truro Swordfish Guide for Parents and Swimmers GO SWORDFISH!! NVSL Team Reps Danny and Melissa Narragon truroswimreps@gmail.com 703-887-6622 Monday B-Meet Rep Theresa Lucado Theresa.lucado@gmail.com Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL ) http://mynvsl.com
Table of Contents Subject Page Welcome 3 Team Communications 3 Eligibility 3 Registration/Apparel 4 Attendance, Practices and Schedule 5 Swim Meets 7 Swimming the Strokes 12 Other Swordfish Fun 14 Volunteering 15 Officials/ Volunteer Training 16 A-Meet Order of Events 19 B-Meet Order of Events 20 NVSL Standards of Conduct 21 2
Welcome to the Truro Swordfish! The Truro Swordfish swim team is part of the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL), http://mynvsl.com, which is one of the nation s largest swim leagues with over 10,000 swimmers on 102 teams. The NVSL is comprised of 17 divisions with 6 teams in each division. The Truro Swim Team provides the youth in our community with the chance to experience competitive swimming in a fun and supportive environment. The competition is healthy, and good sportsmanship is the rule rather than the exception. There is also the added excitement of seeing times measurably improve during the season and cheering on teammates. Fun, friendship, team spirit, self-confidence, and life-long swimming skills are all part of what the Truro Swim Team is all about! Please see the Handbook Appendix for specific cost, practice times, and the swim meet schedule for the current season. Team Communications Swim Team news will be communicated in the following ways: Regular e-mails from the Team Reps to swim team families In person as opportunities present themselves Notices posted on the Swordfish bulletin board near the pool s sign-in desk Posts on our Facebook community page Truro Community Connect (especially for cancellations due to weather) If you have a suggestion, question, comment, or concern, please contact the Team Reps. Whether it is in person, via e-mail, or the phone, we will strive to be as accessible, responsive and as informative as we can. Swordfish Swim Team Eligibility Age groups for swim meets are: 8 & Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18. Swimmers must be 18 or younger on June 1st. The swimmer's age on June 1st of the current swim season determines the age group in which the swimmer competes. Eligibility for the Truro Swordfish is based on the following requirements. These requirements are necessary to support team unity and ensure the safety of all swimmers on the team. Must be a member of the Truro Pool. All swimmers must be able to swim 25 meters (one length of the pool at the diving end) without the aid of a person or device and have the ability to complete a one-hour practice. Evaluations for 8 & Under age group swimmers are held the first two days of afternoon 3
practice. All swimmers who are unable to meet the minimum requirements may be placed in the Mini-Swordfish group designed to help swimmers further advance their swimming skills. Mini-Swordfish Eligibility Our Mini-Swordfish program is designed to give our youngest swimmers the opportunity to be a part of the team, prepare them to be 8 & Unders, and to have fun! The Minis work toward being able to swim 25m freestyle and backstroke. Once they can do this, they are expected to move up to 8-unders and be a part of the "Big Swordfish" team. We believe that we can build a stronger, deeper team by starting swimmers young, and allowing them to be a part of the team and practice every day. Mini-swordfish requirements: Willing to put their head underwater (this is the #1 requirement) Able to leave their parents and participate in practice Can "swim" through the water (not walking on the bottom) about five feet Ready to learn and practice in order to progress through the summer to be able to swim without a kickboard The assessment for all new potential Mini-Swordfish is held on the first two days of morning practice, just after Fairfax County Public Schools end for the summer. The swim coaches will conduct the assessments and have final decision making on all swim team program decisions. Registration Registration fees include team membership and a Truro Swordfish team latex swim cap, and a Truro Swordfish T- shirt. Other team spirit wear will be available to order at the beginning of the season. Team Apparel Suits: We encourage swimmers to wear the team suit to swim meets, but it is not mandatory. A new suit style is introduced every two years; 2015, 2017, 2019 and so on. In the second year of life for the team suit s style, if your child s suit from the previous year is in good condition and still fits, there s no need to get a new one. Consider having at least one practice suit for your swimmer. The team suit will not last two seasons if it is used for daily practice. Team suits can be purchased at our registration sessions or through our vendor, Sport Fair located in Arlington (address below) and can also be found online at various swim vendor sites. Please see the appendix for the current Truro Team Suit. Sport Fair 5010 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207 Phone: 703-524-9500; Online: http://www.sportfairusa.com Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm; Saturday: 9am-5pm; Sunday: Closed 4
Swim Caps: Each registered swimmer will receive a Truro Swordfish latex swim cap at the beginning of the season. *NOTE: At meets, swimmers can wear their Truro cap or other cap of their choice, but they cannot wear caps with logos from other teams doing so is grounds for disqualification (DQ) of the swimmer. Goggles: Our swim suit vendor (or other local swim outfitters) will help your swimmer try on goggles to find a good fit if they do not already have a pair that works well for them. Once your swimmer finds a pair they like, you may want to buy an extra pair or two. Goggles frequently break or suddenly start to leak and are easy to lose, especially for the younger swimmers. Label everything! With so many swimmers on the team, the pool s lost and found is well stocked throughout the season with Swordfish belongings that are misplaced during practices and meets. Attendance Our summer swim season lasts just over nine weeks from the first practice, concluding with the Divisionals tournament. Swimmers who qualify for the All-Stars meet will continue to practice for an additional week after Divisionals. We appreciate that there are numerous endof-school year activities, spring sports and scouting are still ongoing, and summer camps happen, but it is important that team members strive to attend as many practice sessions as possible. For each upcoming Saturday A-Meet, we have to finalize the list of who is swimming in each event by the prior Tuesday afternoon so that the list of swimmers can be submitted to the other team. After the list is given to the opposing team, we can only replace missing swimmers with a swimmer who has recorded a slower time in the event where the seeded swimmer is missing. We cannot swap swimmers among events to optimize our swim selections. It is expected that swimmers will be available for all A-Meets. Absences should be the exception. We are a small team, so when we are missing swimmers, this not only can cause our team to lose points, but it also lets down the swimmers who have made the effort to be there. Can t make it to a meet? Let us know! If you will not be available for any Saturday meet, please notify the Team Reps in writing (email) as soon as possible, but no later than the Tuesday afternoon before that meet. Also, let the Team Reps know in writing if you will not be able to attend either of the two relay carnivals by the Saturday prior to that event. Since we select events for Monday B-Meets at practice on Mondays, if you can t attend practice on Monday, but want to swim at the B-Meet on Monday night, it is important that you communicate with the coaches or the B-Team Rep. 5
Practices & Schedule Practice times are arranged by the swimmer s age (please see the appendix for the current practice schedule). Practice is held every weekday afternoon when Fairfax County Public Schools are still in session. After schools close for the summer, practice is held every weekday morning. Practicing regularly is the best way for a swimmer to improve. There are no shortcuts. You will be amazed at the progress swimmers make by attending practice consistently. All swimmers are encouraged to practice as often as possible. Parents and Practices: You are welcome to observe practices, but we ask that you remain off the deck during practice. During morning swim practice, the pools, including the baby pool, are closed. Unless a child is at swim or dive practice, they are required to keep out of the main swimming pool AND baby pool until 11:00 am when the pool opens. During morning practices (when the pool is not yet open), the coaches are busy coaching and are not responsible for unattended children. Please be prompt in dropping off/picking up your children. If you have a question or concern about something that occurs at practice, either bring it to the attention of the Team Reps, or discuss it with the coach after the practice. 6
Meets The several types of meets held throughout the swim season are explained below. Time Trials On the Saturday before the first A-Meet, Truro holds our Time Trials meet. The main objective of Time Trials is for each swimmer to be timed in every event. This gives our coaches a baseline time for each swimmer, which helps them assemble the lineup for the first A-Meet. Time Trials also helps the meet officials, timers, and Reps fine-tune their skills for the first A-Meet. Time Trials follows the standard meet format, except that only Truro swimmers compete and there are no relays. All swimmers (except for the younger children) are encouraged to attempt to swim all four individual events. We encourage swimmers to participate in all events, even if they are not yet legal in the stroke. Time Trials also gives the swimmers a chance to swim under Meet conditions. Therefore, attendance at Time Trials is important, and competing in time trials after a solid two weeks of practice will get our season off to a great start. If a swimmer is not able to attend Time Trials, please inform the Team Reps at least one week in advance. If a swimmer is unable to attend, they may be able to be timed at practice if time allows. One Team, Two Meets Per Week In addition to the beginning of the season Time Trials (which is Truro only), there are two basic meets per week: Saturday A-Meets, which are scored NVSL dual meets, and Monday B- Meets, which are un-scored dual meets. B meets are not sanctioned by the NVSL, and therefore swimmers times are not recognized by the NVSL. Saturday Morning A-Meets NVSL Dual A-Meets are held on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and typically last about three hours. Swimmers are required to report earlier for warm-ups; the coaches will communicate the warm-up start time prior to each meet. These meets consist of 52 events (40 individual and 12 relays). Boys and girls swim separately in five age groups (8-and-under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18). Swimmers will compete in the group corresponding to their age as of June 1 st of the season year. Each age group competes in four strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly). There are relays for each age group, plus a mixed-age relay. Each team enters three swimmers in each individual event and one team in each relay event. Swimmers can swim up to two individual events (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, or butterfly), plus one relay per meet. NVSL Ribbons are awarded for first through sixth place. 7
Scoring for individual events is as follows: First place earns 5 points, second place earns 3 points, and third place earns 1 point. For relays, first place earns the team 5 points second place earns 0 points. The team with the most accumulated points at the end of the meet wins. Because these meets are a team effort and scored, the coaches decide who swims in each event. Swimmers may be asked to swim something other than their best or favorite event in order to score points for the team. Swimmers are notified of the events they will be swimming in the A-Meet during practice on Friday morning and the Team Reps will send out the meet information via email. Please consider that the Head Coach sometimes has to make difficult decisions these decisions are made using various factors, with the goal of winning the meet. ** Please notify the Team Reps in advance if you will be unable to attend an A-Meet. Notifying the reps in advance will allow the next eligible swimmer to swim and will ensure we don t have empty lanes. Please make every effort to be available for every A-Meet! Monday Evening B-Meets In addition to NVSL meets, the Swordfish compete in Monday evening B-Meets. B-Meets allow ALL swimmers the chance to swim competitively with other NVSL teams. B-Meets consist of the same events in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly as the A-Meets. B-Meets do no not have relay events, but include the individual medley (IM). The IM is a 100-meter event composed of 25 meters of each of the four strokes in this order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. Swimmers may participate in a maximum of two strokes plus the IM. All swimmers receive ribbons for the events they swim. However, although swimmers who competed in NVSL Saturday A-Meets prior are permitted to swim in Monday B-Meets, they may not swim in events where they placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd the previous Saturday. All swimmers can swim the IM (individual medley), an event not held at the Saturday A-Meets. Scores are not kept at Monday B-Meets and times are not recorded on the official NVSL website. At Monday morning practices, coaches will discuss with each swimmer the events they will swim that evening. These developmental meets give all swimmers a chance to compete, earn ribbons, and develop their strokes in a meet environment. All Monday B-Meets start at 6:00 pm unless otherwise announced. The meet warm-up times are generally as follows: the home team warms up from 5:15-5:30 pm, and the away team warms up from 5:30-5:45 pm. Other Swim Meets 8
Divisional Relay Carnival The Relay Carnival is held in the middle of the season. All six teams in our Division participate. Each team may enter one (1) four- person team for each relay event. There are boys relays, girls relays, and mixed relays spread out over the age groups. Coaches prepare the lineup for the Relay Carnival based on the swimmers fastest times to date but may also use their discretion to place swimmers where they are needed most to help the team win. It is extremely important to notify the coaches if you cannot attend this meet. If one swimmer doesn t show up, the entire relay team can t swim their event. Invitational Relay Carnival The Invitational Relay Carnival is a new event that started in 2015. It is usually held the week after the Divisional Relay Carnival season. Unlike the divisional relay though teams must qualify to qualify for this event; Truro does not automatically send one relay team for each age group. Truro will be notified after the Divisional Relay Carnival has been completed which Truro teams have been invited to participate. Individual Medley (IM) Carnival The teams of our B-Meet League meet to compete on an individual basis in the Individual Medley (IM) Carnival. At the IM Carnival, all swimmers swim the Individual Medley - one length of the pool of each of the four stokes in the following order: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle. The IM is an event not swum in Saturday A-Meets, but times can be used to qualify swimmers for Divisionals. Divisionals Championship Meet Every year on the last Saturday in July, each of the 17 NVSL divisions holds an Individual Championship Meet (referred to as Divisionals ) at one of the division s pools. Each of the six teams in the division sends its two fastest swimmers in each event, for a total of 12 swimmers or two heats for every event. In addition to the individual events that are part of the A-Meets, swimmers also compete in the Individual Medley (IM). Swimmers chosen for Divisionals can swim a maximum of two individual events. Just like in A-Meets, time trials and performances during the season determine the fastest swimmers in each event in each age group. If either swimmer with the best time chooses not to swim in a given event, the swimmer with the next best time is then given the opportunity, and so on. Coaches discretion may be used when making entries for the Divisionals Championship Meet to place swimmers where they are needed most to help the team win. Individual All-Star Swim Meet The NVSL Individual All-Star meet is held the week following Divisionals Championship Meet. NVSL swimmers with the 17 fastest times swum in an event during Divisionals (league-wide) are selected to compete in the All-Stars meet. Approximately 600 swimmers from the group of 10,000 NVSL swimmers compete in this ~ 6-hour event. If a swimmer earns the chance to compete at the All-Star Meet, it is a thrill they will never forget. 9
Showing Good Sportsmanship at Swim Meets In addition to the requirement of all swimmers, coaches, parents and spectators to abide by the NVSL Standards of Conduct (found at the back of this guide), Truro encourages and promotes good sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship on the part of parents, guardians, and swimmers is a critical part of developing and maintaining a strong and reputable swim team. All swimmers, from the 8 & Unders to the 15-18 year olds, are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that represents the Swordfish Team and our community in a positive light, both at practice and during meets. Here are just a few examples of ways to show good sportsmanship: During Meets: Swimmers should remain with the swim team in the designated Swordfish Team area during the meets. If a swimmer would like to get a snack or quickly visit with their parents after their race, they should return to the team area as soon as possible. Swimmers are encouraged to watch fellow teammates swim and cheer them on; they will do it for you too! Remain in the water until the last swimmer in your heat completes the race. For example, if you are the first one to complete your heat, wait until the very last swimmer hits the wall before getting out of the water. To leave the pool before the last swimmer completes the race is considered disrespectful. After each swimmer finishes a race, they should congratulate the swimmer on either side of them by leaning over and shaking his or her hand. Don t wait for them to offer their hand make the first move in being a good sport! Meet FAQs Which meets will my swimmer participate in? This is usually the first question most new swim parents ask. Time Trials and performances during the season determine the fastest swimmers in each event in each age group. Times (including B-Meet times) are evaluated each week to give every swimmer an opportunity to demonstrate improvement and compete in A-Meets. Coaches discretion will be used when making entries for A-Meets to place swimmers where they are needed most to help the team win. Not all swimmers will be asked to swim in the A meets. The coaches will notify each swimmer of their upcoming meet participation and will have the final say on who will participate in any meet. Those swimmers who are not selected to swim in the A-Meets are welcomed and encouraged to join the team during the event and cheer on their teammates. What should my swimmer bring to the meet? Every swimmer needs at least one towel for swim meets, at least one swim cap and at least one pair of goggles. Other accessories you should consider are sweatpants, flannel buffalo pants and sweatshirts to keep warm in between swims on cool mornings. Also, swimmers 10
should bring sunscreen, liquid refreshments (water or sports drinks), and a labeled bag to carry everything. Staying hydrated is crucial to swimmers performing their best and avoiding the uncomfortable effects of dehydration. Finally, make sure your swimmer s bag is clearly labeled! How long do meets last? Saturday A-Meets generally last 2 ½ to three hours. There are 52 events in a Saturday A-Meet divided into different events by age group and swim stroke. Details are in the Saturday A- Meet - Order of Events of this guide. Monday B-Meets generally last 3 hours. The meet is divided into different events by age group and stroke, and there may be several heats (races) within each event to accommodate all of the swimmers competing. Details are in the Monday B-Meet - Order of Events. We encourage you to stay until the end of each A-meet to cheer on the rest of the team; however, please don t leave without checking with your coach your swimmer may not have completed all of their events! How will I know the events in which my swimmer(s) will compete? During one of the last practice s before a meet, the coaching staff will tell swimmer(s) which events they will swim. In addition, the Heat Sheets are emailed to the team prior to the meet. The Heat Sheet lists each event (race), the swimmers from each team who will be swimming in the event, and the lane in which they will swim. When a swimmer arrives at the meet, they should go directly to the coaches to confirm their event assignments. Are concessions sold at the swim meets? Concessions are provided by the host ( home ) team. The concessions stand is a major means of raising funds for swim team activities. Over the course of the season, every Swordfish family will be asked to contribute food items. We will be looking for food donations for our Saturday morning HOME meets for the team to sell at the concessions stand. Some popular items are baked goods, bananas, fruit, muffins and donuts. Travel to Meets: For away Saturday morning A-Meets and away Monday B-Meets, swimmers and parents may go directly to the host pool and meet the team in the team area. 11
Swimming the Strokes If you're not an experienced swimmer, the strokes and their rules can be a cause of bewilderment. The rules below are the US Swimming rules as modified for use in the NVSL. These rules are the same regardless of a swimmer s age or skill level. Freestyle The freestyle stroke is defined as any means of swimming across the pool. Any stroke and kick are acceptable. There are, however, a few don'ts associated with this stroke, specifically: (1) you cannot walk on the bottom or pull yourself along using the lane lines, and (2) in a 50 meter race (two lengths) you must touch the wall at the 25 meter end before touching the wall at the 50 meter end. Backstroke Like the freestyle, almost anything goes on the backstroke as long as you stay on your back. Backstroke starts are different from the others because the swimmer is in the water, feet planted against the wall, and hanging on to either another swimmer's legs or the lip on the pool awaiting the Starter's signal. Breaststroke The breaststroke has two components - the kick and the arm pull. The pull and its recovery must both be under the breast and cannot extend further back than the waist area. The kick is a "frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. The arm pull and kick must be in an alternating sequence and the elbows must stay below the water except for tagging the wall at the finish. Breaststroke turns and finishes require a simultaneous two-hand touch at the wall. Butterfly There are two components of the butterfly; the arm pull and the kick. The arm pull must be an over the water recovery (elbows breaking the surface of the water) with the arms moving simultaneously. The kick is a dolphin style kick with legs and hips moving simultaneously. Unlike the breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick and pull. Turns and finishes require a simultaneous two-hand touch at the wall. Individual Medley The individual medley (or IM) is when an individual swims each of the four strokes in the sequence butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. We swim a 100 Meter IM, which means 25 meters, or one pool length, of each stroke is swum. In a 100 Meter IM, every turn is a stroke change and stroke finish rules apply. This means no backstroke flip turns. 12
Relays There are two kinds of relays: freestyle and medley. Both involve a team of four swimmers, each swimming one-quarter of the total distance. In the freestyle relay, each swimmer swims the freestyle. In the medley relay, the sequence is backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. In all relays, each swimmer must wait to take off until the previous swimmer touches the wall before the swimmer s feet leave the wall. Running starts or pushes from teammates are not allowed. Important: when you're done with your leg of the relay get out of the pool! Whoever swims the last leg of a relay swimmer stays in the pool and shakes their opponents hands on both sides of their lane. The unfortunate DQ In swimming, the rules must be followed or a disqualification, or DQ, may result. This can be traumatic the first time a swimmer is DQ'd for just one mistake, but just about every swimmer has DQ d at some time. DQ s should be viewed as a learning experience and not a failure. Swimmers should discuss this with their coach after the race and together they will formulate a plan to correct the mistake. What causes a DQ to be called? A DQ may result if any violation of the rules is observed by any appropriate official. Some of the common reasons for a DQ occurring are: Freestyle: Failure to touch the wall at the turning end of the pool; walking on the bottom; pulling on the lane lines; exiting the pool before swimming the specified distance for that race/leg Backstroke: Rolling past vertical towards the breast at any time except during a flip turn; leaving the wall after a turn past vertical towards the breast; improper flip turn Breaststroke: Incorrect kick, such as a Scissors kick or Flutter kick; non-simultaneous twohanded touch or one-handed touch at turn or finish; toes not pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick; more than one stroke underwater with arms fully extended at start or turn; head didn't break surface by conclusion of second arm pull underwater after a start or turn; arm recovery past waist except on first stroke after start or turn Butterfly: Non-simultaneous or one-handed touch at the turn or finish; nonsimultaneous leg movement during kicks; arms don't break water surface during recovery (judged at the elbows); non-simultaneous arm movement during recovery A Word about Officials and DQs NVSL officials are trained to give the benefit of the doubt to the swimmer. There can be a fine line between legal but ugly and illegal. For a DQ to be formally recorded, an official must be able to say "I saw," not "I think I saw." 13
Other Swordfish Fun The Truro Swordfish like to win, but it isn't our reason for being. Spending social time together strengthens teamwork, builds friendships, and is fun! Here are some season social events: Pep Rallies & Meet Themes Every Friday evening before a Saturday A-Meet, all swimmers and their families are invited to the pep rally at the pool to get ready for the next day s meet. Coaches rally the swimmers together to do cheers and show their spirit. Swimmers also get a chance to have some fun with themed pep rallies such as karaoke and crazy-hair night, the Cake Bake contest, and decorating the pool parking lot. Team Pictures The date for Picture day is communicated each year via email and is on the meet schedule. There will NOT be practice after the picture session, so please make child care plans accordingly. We hire a professional photography company to take a team picture every season and we'd like every swimmer to be in it. Individual pictures are also available at the same time. Families are not obligated to purchase a picture. However, many of the swimmer families in the neighborhood have beautiful pictures displayed of their swimmers from their inaugural year through their senior season! If your child is having an individual picture taken, he/she must be accompanied by a parent or guardian / sitter. Please remember, there will NOT be practice after the picture session, so please make child care plans accordingly. Wednesday Social Events Over the course of the season, the kids can see a movie, go rock-climbing, take a trip to Splashdown Water Park and join in other fun events with other team members and coaches. These Wednesday social events will be marked in the calendar all parents/guardians will receive. Wednesday activities are NOT chaperoned events - rides and supervision for each swimmer is the responsibility of their parent or guardian. Awards Banquet We cap off the season with an Awards Banquet the evening of the Divisionals Championship Meet. This is a celebration of the good times and the hard work our swimmers, coaches and volunteers have put in over the season. We ll have food, a slide show, and the swimmers will receive recognition for outstanding performances and accomplishments. Graduating seniors are given special recognition. Calling All Photographers! We need volunteers to take pictures throughout the season, for the end-of-year slideshow! The slideshow is put together by the coaches and is a memorable and fun recap of the 14
season on Awards Night. The more pictures we have, the more we can ensure that every swimmer is featured in the slideshow, so please snap pictures of any and all Truro swimmers! A reminder will be sent out once the season has started, with directions for posting and/or sharing the photos. VOLUNTEERING I m a Swim Parent/Guardian What Can I Do to Help? When a child joins a swim team, so do the parents and guardians! We ve all taken our kids to soccer, baseball, lacrosse, or other sports and may have stood by as two or three parents ran the team. Swimming isn t like that. A community simply can t run a swim program without help from the swimmers parents. In fact, it takes over 40 adults to time, officiate, and score a typical swim meet. And that doesn t include pool set up and tear down, or running concessions, or other non-swimming-related team activities. Additional volunteers allow everyone to take breaks. There are opportunities for everyone, and as a wise person once said, Many hands make light work. If a child in your family is swimming in the meet, please sign up to volunteer in some way. There is a fun and rewarding job choice for everyone! We use a simple online service called SignUp Genius to manage our volunteer signup sheets for each meet in order simplify the volunteer process. An email invitation will be sent to all swim families prior to each meet. Please make sure that at least one member of your family works a shift at each meet your child swims. Once you are assigned a position, you are responsible for fulfilling that duty or finding a replacement. Avoid scheduling conflicts by signing up early and getting first choice! How Can I Become a Meet Official? Tell a Team Rep that you are interested! Clerk of Course, Relay Takeoff Judges, Timers, and Table Workers do not require formal training. A few instructions from our existing officials will be enough to get you started. Stroke-and-Turn Judges, Starters, and Referees DO require some training for which the NVSL offers clinics. Swim Officials Needed at Every Meet 15
Referee (home team) Starter (home team) Chief Timer (home team) Announcer (home team) Team Data Coordinator (home team) Four (4) Stroke & Turn Judges (2 from each team) Clerks of Course (1 from each team) 18 Timers (9 from each team) Marshals (1 from each team) Eight (8) Relay Take-off Judges (4 from each team) Six (6) Table Workers (3 from each team) Team Reps (1 from each team) The Truro Swim Team will be looking for help from every family during the course of the season, and we re sure that every parent can find a meet job that he/she enjoys doing. A description of each swim meet role is provided in the Volunteer Position Descriptions section of this guide. ALL DECK OFFICIALS AND VOLUNTEERS SHOULD WEAR NAVY BLUE SHORTS/PANTS/SKIRT AND WHITE SHIRTS. No logos of any kind are allowed on hats or clothing. This is an NVSL regulation. Officials/ Training The NVSL mandates that an individual working the Stroke & Turn, Starter or Referee function MUST have attended league training within the last two (2) years. For all other positions, training may be offered but is optional. The NVSL holds training clinics for the various positions each year (late May or early June). We encourage you to attend if you can. It is a great way to meet other people in the league, to share information, and to gain practical knowledge about the application of both existing and new rules. And remember, the training is free! For a more detailed description of any of these positions, as well as educational materials of each position visit http://mynvsl.com. Volunteer Position Descriptions Referee: (1 for each home meet) ** TRAINING REQUIRED The Referee runs the meet and is in charge of all of the officials. To be a Referee, you must have formally attended the league training for Stroke & Turn, Starter, and Referee. We have only one Referee at this time and would like to have at least one additional volunteer sign up for this season. 16
Starter: (1 for each home meet) ** TRAINING REQUIRED Starter The Starter is responsible for ensuring that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start. The Starter will instruct the swimmers to take your mark. After all swimmers are ready and still, the Starter will start the race using a Colorado System consisting of a public address system, a horn, and a strobe light. Training is required and will be provided per the 2014 NVSL Officials Clinics section of this guide. Stroke & Turn Judges: (2 for each meet) ** TRAINING REQUIRED The stroke & turn Judges monitor the swimmers during the race, ensuring they are performing a legal stroke and legal flip turns (for the 9 & older swimmers). Yes, this involves disqualifying kids if they aren't swimming a stroke correctly. This is part of the learning process for the kids. Do not be concerned if you are not familiar with each stroke and how it should be done - that is what they teach at the clinics!! Announcer: (1 for each home meet) The announcer broadcasts each event, the swimmers, and the results. The announcer, along with the Referee, is responsible for keeping the meet moving in a steady fashion. The announcer is provided by the home team. Clerk of Course: (1 for every meet) (plus assistant Clerk makes for a great meet). As a swimmer nears the start of their event, they are sent to the clerk of course. The clerk of course makes sure that all swimmers for the event are present, and guides the children safely to their lanes just prior to their events. Timers: (9 from each team for every meet!) In an NVSL meet, 3 timers work each lane. That's 18 timers for each meet, with each team providing 9. The Timers are the most important people to every swimmer because they determine each swimmer s official time for each race. Timers do not have to attend NVSL training - they can learn on the job. Being a Timer is a good entry-level role for new parents to help out and get a great view of the meet. Marshal: (1 per team for every meet) The primary function of the Marshal is to ensure the safety and relative good behavior of the kids in the team area before and during warm-ups. This job does not require official NVSL training, and duties are largely restricted to the time the kids arrive for the meet and the warm-up period before the meet. Relay Take-Off Judges: (4 for each A-Meet; 2 from each team) The Relay Take-Off Judges watch the relay teams to ensure legal takeoffs are performed (one swimmer has touched before the next swimmer takes off). Since fewer timers are needed for relays, we usually use four of the 'extra' timers to monitor the relays. This position does not require formal training, although you should be familiar with the rules regarding relays and relay takeoffs. Every family will receive a copy of the NVSL rules book prior to the beginning of the season. 17
Concession Stand: (Every home meet - Help Always Needed!). The Truro concession stand is open for every home meet - A and B. Volunteers are needed to coordinate workers, to contact parents and ask for donations and contributions, to work the concessions stand during the meet, and to purchase and prepare items for sale at the meet. Concession sales are an important source of raising money for the team, for end-of-the-season awards and other expenses. And, you get to meet our community s kids and parents. Pep Rally Supplies & Support: Pep rallies are held on Friday evenings at the pool before Saturday A-Meets, each with a different theme. We are always looking for ways to make this experience fun and different for the kids. If you would like to assist with a pep rally, to coordinate the theme, or provide supplies and enthusiasm, please let us know! 18
Saturday A-Meet - Order of Events Boys Age Group Distance/Stroke Girls 1 8 & Under 25M Free 2 3 9-10 50M Free 4 5 11-12 50M Free 6 7 13-14 50M Free 8 9 15-18 50M Free 10 11 8 & Under 25M Back 12 13 9-10 50M Back 14 15 11-12 50M Back 16 17 13-14 50M Back 18 19 15-18 50M Back 20 21 8 & Under 25M Breast 22 23 9-10 50M Breast 24 25 11-12 50M Breast 26 27 13-14 50M Breast 28 29 15-18 50M Breast 30 31 8 & Under 25M Fly 32 33 9-10 25M Fly 34 35 11 12 50M Fly 36 37 13-14 50M Fly 38 39 15-18 50M Fly 40 41 8 & Under 100M Free Relay 42 43 9-10 100M Medley Relay 44 45 11 12 100M Medley Relay 46 47 13-14 100M Medley Relay 48 49 15-18 200M Medley Relay 50 51 Mixed Age 200M Free Relay 52 19
Developmental B-Meet - Order of Events Boys Age Group Distance/Stroke Girls 1 6 & Under 25M Free 2 3 7-8 25M Free 4 5 9-10 50M Free 6 7 11-12 50M Free 8 9 13-18 50M Free 10 11 6 & Under 25M Back 12 13 7-8 25M Back 14 15 9-10 50M Back 16 17 11-12 50M Back 18 19 13-18 50M Back 20 21 6 & Under 25M Breast 22 23 7-8 25M Breast 24 25 9-10 50M Breast 26 27 11-12 50M Breast 28 29 13-18 50M Breast 30 31 8 & Under 25M Fly 32 33 9-10 25M Fly 34 35 11 12 50M Fly 36 37 13-18 50M Fly 38 39 10 & Under 100M IM 40 41 11 & 12 100M IM 42 43 13 & Over 100M IM 44 20
NVSL Standards of Conduct The following Standards of Conduct shall guide swimming and diving within the Northern Virginia Swimming League (NVSL). They promote respect, fairness, civility, honesty, responsibility, and appropriate behavior. These Standards foster a positive environment at all swim and dive meets; establish an atmosphere of respect for all participants, officials, and spectators; produce positive learning outcomes for all; build participant and team spirit; and enhance the sports of swimming and diving. All Athletes, Coaches, Team Representatives, Officials, Parents / Spectators, and NVSL Leadership shall: Abide by the established rules of the NVSL. Respect all officials at all times, and address them in a courteous manner. Avoid using inappropriate language, profanity, humiliating or intimidating remarks or behavior, verbal or physical assault toward any athlete, coach, Team Representative, official, NVSL leadership representative, or spectator. Follow applicable management, pool, and facility rules, respecting others property at all times. Display respect, courtesy, and good manners toward athletes, coaches, Team Representatives, and spectators. Team Representatives shall assist officials in maintaining control of spectators during meets. Demonstrate humility in victory and courtesy in defeat. Head Coaches shall: Ensure athletes and assistant coaches demonstrate maturity and good sportsmanship toward other athletes, officials, coaches, and spectators at all times. Lead by example to instill a love for the sport, advanced aquatic skills, teamwork and good sportsmanship in their team. Spectators shall: Maintain an appropriate distance from the competition area by remaining in established viewing areas and shall not encroach the pool deck or interfere with any officials. Not engage in loud, intimidating, disrespectful, or negative behavior toward officials, athletes, other spectators, support personnel, or pool staff (including lifeguards). 21