Members Handbook COTTON TREE SWIMMING CLUB INC.
2018 to 2019 SEASON Committee Members President Dean Stuart 0407 967 778 Secretary Treasurer Registrar Race Secretary Uniform/Social Keri Hermans 0437 826 809 Co-ordinator Blue Card Officer Club Night Co-ordinator Fundraising Officer Cotton Tree Swimming Club P.O. Box 869 Cotton Tree Qld 4558 Email: cottontree@widebayswimming.org.au Web: www.cottontree.swimming.org.au Cotton Tree Aquatic Centre: 5443 8939
PRESIDENT S MESSAGE As a fellow parent, having our kids learn how to swim from a young age for safety in the water was paramount as a family living here on the beautiful Sunshine Coast the surf, the backyard pools and the Maroochy River all forming part of our lifestyle. I have seen that develop over time from learn to swim, then into squad training and competitive swimming, building our kids self development along the way. Things that sport and in particular swimming help them to develop like discipline, time management, motivation, team work, competitiveness, encouragement, attitude, dedication. Along with those things comes life skills like fitness, coordination, health, happiness, sadness, frustration, goal setting, planning, interaction, knowledge the list goes on... On behalf of the Cotton Tree Swimming Club committee, welcome to all swimmers and parents for the new season. A special welcome to our new members and parents, and together we can help build a great support network and club around our swimmers of all ages and level of participation. Club Nights are an enjoyable way of learning the skills of swimming in a race format with a focus on swimmers improvement along the way. Our competitive swimmers for this season include a large group of state and national swimmers and this is huge motivation to those stepping into the squad training for the first time. Our junior squad coach Janice McCallum, and new to the club Head Coach James Boyce, work fantastically well with our swimmers and their experience poolside is invaluable. This handbook is designed to assist in answering some questions before you need to ask, however if you need to clarify any club related matters then please let myself or one of the committee mem-
This handbook is for our club members to provide an insight on how our club operates. Should you require any further information do not hesitate to contact the relevant committee member. Support from Parents Our swimming club is run by volunteers for the benefit of all swimmers. Parents are strongly encouraged to help the club by: Supporting the Committee Helping with time keeping on club nights and at swim meets Assisting with the BBQ on club nights Helping with setting up and packing away on club nights and at swim meets Participating in fundraising events Helping in the organisation of club activities Considering other official roles at swim meets Remember: The success of our club depends upon the support from the parents. Membership What s the difference between a Recreational Swimmer and a Competitive Swimmer? Recreational Swimmers are permitted to swim against our club members only. Being a Recreational Swimmer entitles you to swim at our weekly Club Night Races. Competitive Swimmers are permitted to swim against our club members and also meets run by the Regional Association, Qld Swimming and Swimming Australia. Being a Competitive Swimmer entitles you to swim at Club Night Races, Regional Championships, State Championships and Australian Nationals.
Membership Fees for the 2016/2017 Season Competitive 1 st Child $ 190.00 2 nd Child $ 190.00 3 rd Child (or more) $ 190.00 Dolphins Any child 7 and under $100 8 year olds $150 (Can swim competitively in this category) Transfers Anytime of the year $ 100.00 Parents Free One parent per family is required to become a member of the club. Competitive Membership Fees are due on the 1 st July each year. Fundraising All families are expected to help out during the year with fundraising activities. We are always interested in finding new ways to raise money, so feel free to contact Fundraising Officer with your ideas. Compliments and Complaints Compliments are always welcome so tell everyone! However if you have a complaint please approach a committee member for resolution. If the matter cannot be resolved please address your complaint in writing to either the President or the Secretary. This will then be discussed at the next meeting and you will be advised of the outcome.
Disability Swimming Cotton Tree Swimming Club welcomes any swimmer who has a disability to become a member of our club either as a Recreational Swimmer or a Competitive Multi-disability Swimmer. Disability Swimmers must hold a white card issued from Swimming Australia and be classified to compete as a Disability Swimmer. Cotton Tree Aquatic Centre also offers a warm welcome for any Disability Swimmer to train at the Centre. Club Uniforms Wearing the club uniform gives all swimmers a sense of pride and team unity. It is requested that all swimmers wear club togs at swim meets as well as the club hat, t-shirt, shorts and cap. We do however understand that in certain swim meets special race suits may be preferred to be worn but during warm up we do ask that you wear the club togs as we would like to show our team spirit. Our club has a great range of club gear which can be purchased from our Uniform Co-ordinator. Parents, there are also club shirts available for you! Club Photographs Our club photographer will be taking photos of our swimmers (and sometimes the parents) at various times during the season and these photos will be displayed on our Cotton Tree Swimming Club website and Facebook Page and/or on the notice board at the pool.
Travel and Accommodation Policy This policy is to maintain a safe environment for all our members swimmers, parents and support staff. Parents are encouraged to attend meets wherever possible to support their own children, the Cyclones Team and help fulfil the requirements our club may have in attending the meet. Remember: Many hands make light work! Cotton Tree Swim Club does not organise accommodation for away meets. Typically a source of accommodation will be posted on the Club Notice Board or emailed prior to any away meet. Individual families will be required to book and pay for their own accommodation. Cotton Tree Swim Club does not provide team managers at either local or away meets. Consequently parents are required to take full responsibility for their own children. Private arrangements between families are encouraged; however, an adult must accompany children at all times, to provide transport and primary care. No one person can take responsibility for more children than they can legally transport at all times (this is a basic safety requirement). Member Welfare Policy Cotton Tree Swimming Club endeavours to create a safe and friendly environment for all its members. We will not tolerate violence, harassment or unethical behaviour in any form. Cotton Tree Swimming Club requires all adult members to have a valid blue card. For any enquiries in relation to the Welfare Policy or if you have any issues or concerns please contact our Member Welfare Officer cottontree@widebayswimming.org.au. Privacy and Email Policy Cotton Tree Swimming Club is committed to complying with the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988. The club uses personal information to facilitate entries into swim meets and provide you with information related to swimming club activities. Once you choose to provide us with personal information, the club will not sell, rent or lease your personal information to others.
Codes of Conduct Cotton Tree Swimming Club fully supports and requires all members to follow the codes of conduct as set out by Swimming Australia. General Code of Behaviour As a person involved in any way with the sport of swimming, the following standard of behaviour is expected:- Respect the rights, dignity and worth of others. Be considerate, fair and honest in all dealings with other people and organisations. Be professional and accept responsibility for your actions. Make a commitment to providing quality service. Be aware of Swimming Australia s standards, rules and policies. Operate within the rules and spirit of the sport, including the national and international guidelines that govern Swimming Australia. Understand the possible consequences of breaching Swimming Australia Member Welfare and Child Welfare Policies. Immediately report any breaches of the Swimming Australia Member Welfare and Child Welfare Policies to the appropriate authority. Refrain from any form of abuse towards others. Refrain from any form of harassment toward others. Refrain from any form of discrimination toward others. Refrain from intimate relations with members whom they have a supervisory role or power over. Refrain from any form of victimisation toward others. Provide a safe environment for the conduct of activities in accordance with any relevant Swimming Australia policy. Show concern and caution toward others that may be sick or injured. Be a positive role model.
Parents/Guardians Code of Behaviour As a parent or guardian of a swimmer you should endeavour to conduct yourself in an appropriate manner and in a way that will not bring disrepute to the club. Please: Remember that children participate in sport for their enjoyment not yours. Encourage children to participate do not force them. Focus on the child s efforts and performance, rather than winning or losing. Encourage children always to play according to the rules and to settle disagreements without resorting to hostility or violence. Never ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or losing a competition. Remember that children learn best by example. Appreciate good performances and skilful plays by all participants. Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities. Respect officials decisions and teach children to do likewise. Show appreciation for volunteer coaches, officials and administrators. Without them, your child could not participate. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every young person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion. Disregard of any code of behaviour will be addressed by the executive committee and result in a written warning; on a second offence (within the same season) your membership will be terminated without refund of fees.
Club Night Swimming What are club nights? Club Nights are an integral component within the Club to help build team spirit, provide swimmers the opportunity of developing skills and experience with racing, and not to mention the great social aspect for parents. Club night is held at the Cotton Tree Aquatic Centre each Thursday night 5.30pm from October through to the end of March coinciding with the school terms. Swimmers take part in races with their team mates. Club night is a great opportunity for swimmers to meet and socialize with other members and also to learn and practice the correct race procedures which are required at official swim meets. The main aim of these races is for swimmers to assess their own overall progress and to try new events. The events are held in racing format. Swim Club nights will commence in October at 5.30pm-7pm. Who can attend club nights? All financial club members can attend club nights. If you would like to try out our club nights, you can come along and have 1 Free Club Night this means you can swim in the 4 or 5 races before paying your membership fees. Unfortunately due to insurance reasons, after your 1 Free Club Night if you do not register as member you will not be able to participate any further. Parent Help The help of parents and caregivers is needed for time keeping, marshalling, running, starting and BBQ. Without your valuable help Swim Club cannot happen. A BBQ will be available on club nights to purchase sausage sandwiches and other items, so keep this in mind when planning your Thursday nights.
Information Club Night will be on a Thursday Night commencing in October. Arrive by 5.30pm to be ready for a 6pm start. Club night events are arranged according to age group and male and female. Club night events are and races in each stroke. At the end of the night there will be a race, which will be a different stroke each week. A swimmer can swim in a maximum of 5 events per night which include 1 race of each stroke in either the or distance, PLUS: The race at the end of the night. Nominations will be on the night. Nominations are free and pool entry is included in your membership; there is no fee for spectators. Club night may be cancelled due to bad weather; please check the clubs Facebook page for information or phone the pool after 4pm on: 5443-8939 for confirmation. All events are conducted under Swimming QLD Rules. All children attending club night must be accompanied by an adult and that adult must stay within the complex. At least 1 parent per family must assist in the running of club nights eg: timekeeping, runner, marshaller etc. Results will be available on Meet Mobile, you can download this app.
Swim Club Awards To be eligible to compete at Club Champs each swimmer must attend 50% of all club nights. This being from the time they are financial members to the time Club Champs are run. This is to encourage our swimmers to join in the fun and experience of club night on a regular basis. An Age Champion trophy with be awarded to each male and female, in each age group. Under 8 Under 9 Under 10 Under 11 Under 12 Under 13 Under 14 To calculate the Age Champion on Club Champs night, points will be awarded for positions, in each stroke (), for each age group; 1st fastest 10 points 2nd fastest 9 points 3rd fastest 8 points 4th fastest 7 points 5th fastest 6 points 6th fastest 5 points 7th fastest 4 points 8th fastest 3 points 9th fastest 2 points 10th fastest 1 point
There will also be an Encouragement Award trophy in each age group. This is awarded to the swimmer that shows consistency at club nights, improvement in personal best times, willingness to learn and a great team member. This will be chosen by the Club Coach, race referee and swim club committee. Dolphins (U7, U6, and U5) will all receive a participation medal. Presentation Day & AGM At the end of the swimming season (typically April or May) there will be a presentation day where swimmers will receive awards for their efforts during the season. This is a time where we as a club celebrate the swimmers hard work and success. Cotton Tree Swimming Club will also hold the AGM on presentation day to enable maximum attendance. Information regarding this presentation day will be given out to all members as the time nears.
Competitive Swim Meets Cotton Tree Swimming Club attends many swim meets throughout the year. We would like to be known as a great club with fantastic team spirit. All members can help us achieve this by following our Swim Meet Expectations, which have been put together by the Committee and the Coaches. When attending swim meets, Cotton Tree Swim Club expects that members:- All sit together under the club tents swimmers before parents. Keep our tent area clean of rubbish. Be respectful of others. Be respectful of property both your own and others. Be enthusiastic and encouraging towards team mates cheering for one another is a great way to do this. Wear club shirts, shorts, hats, club togs and swimming caps when competing. Show your pride! REMEMBER: Parents if you have a child swimming in a meet it is your obligation to time keep. At most meets some parents will be required to time keep for more than one session. Please do so willingly. Please help with the setting up or packing up of the tents. Don t leave it to the same people each Meet. Pack enough nutritious food for the duration of the Swim Meet. Have plenty of water throughout the day. Slip, Slop, Slap don t forget the sunscreen! Any swimmer, who wishes to upgrade their membership from recreational to competitive, may do so but will need to pay the additional membership fee. Swimmers are able to enter any swim meet they wish, but there are some meets that have restricted qualifying times/conditions. There are different swim meets for various age groups including under 8 s. If you have any questions about these please ask our Coach or Race Secretary. Information about our club target meets will be emailed out to all competitive swimmers. You can view the full Queensland Meets Calendar on the Swimming Queensland Website. www.qld.swimming.org.au or our local ones on www.widebayswimming.org.au
Swimmers name Date FREE FLY BACK BREAST IM
Swimmers name Date FREE FLY BACK BREAST IM
Swimmers name Date FREE FLY BACK BREAST IM
Swimmers name Date FREE FLY BACK BREAST IM
COTTON TREE SWIMMING CLUB Would like to thank SWIM FIT and the staff of the Cotton Tree Aquatic Centre for their continued support and assistance.