Swim Team 101
THE GATOR GLOSSARY:
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SWIM TEAM SURVIVAL GUIDE
Most Important...
Volunteers to support our swimmers!
VOLUNTEER JOB LIST & DESCRIPTIONS – our team relies on the dedication of our volunteers. Families are required to participate in every meet in which they have a child swimming so we can fill all of the roles required by RSL to run a meet. If roles are not filled, we cannot run a meet. Volunteers choose at least one volunteer job (for a first or second half time slot) or their swimmer(s) will be unable to swim. Please discuss extenuating circumstances with a board member. There are a wide variety of jobs & they require various levels of knowledge about swim, from newcomers to experienced officials. We are happy to match new volunteers with another Gator volunteer to shadow at a meet. Please see volunteer job descriptions online & feel free to ask a board member for more info. Also, it is imperative you sign up for your volunteer slot/position when you enter your swimmer in each meet as we need volunteer roles assigned before the meet day. If you have a swimmer signed up to participate in a meet and don't select a volunteer role to fill, the team will assign a volunteer role for that meet.
VOLUNTEER OFFICIALS – RSL requires certain trained officials (that each team must provide at each meet) to participate in the league. We are always in need of new folks to train for these jobs, as swimmers & their families age out of our team every year. These jobs are head timer, referee (must be stroke & turn judge first), stroke & turn judges, clerk of course, data manager & starter. First year/new families should not sign up for an officials position without proper training (provided online annually by the RSL). We can match folks to shadow trained volunteers before or after training. Please ask us! There are also volunteer helper positions (see descriptions in Swimtopia) at data & clerk of the course as well as lane timers to get familiar with the head/trained positions at those spots before training & certification.
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BANQUET – swim team banquet traditionally held the evening of finals, subject to change based on finals schedule. Families sign up for potluck dish to share. Folks usually swim, eat, and finals awards are handed out by coaches. One of the Gator group tasks chosen by families at registration.
CLERK of the COURSE – area at host pool where swimmers report for individual events (not relays) to be seated (usually bench style) in order of upcoming heats. The clerk will call and seat swimmers individually. Relay swimmers report to end of pool from which they are swimming based on order determined by coaches.
CHST BOARD – volunteer CH members/parents of swimmers who coordinate & organize the swim season. Typically, meetings start monthly in late winter and go through the end of the season. We are comprised of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, in addition to roles for an RSL representative and at-large positions for annual events and tasks as delegated. Please let any board member know if you are interested in learning more and/or shadowing a board member for transitioning into a role; new members are usually needed annually.
COSTS – determined annually based on current RSL (Rappahannock Swim League) insurance requirements, coach salaries, team equipment needs, & scheduled events. Each swimmer pays a swim team fee & each family pays an administration fee to support the team. Additionally, each swimmer pays a fee directly to the league (RSL) set annually. Other optional costs are latex or silicone caps, team suits, goggles, and team t-shirts/gear. The team has an online store linked on our website to swimoutlet.com, and local stores also carry swim gear.
DEVELOPMENTAL SWIM – typically a 30-minute practice from 10:30-11 am, Mon-Fri mornings for newer swimmers who want to learn more of the basics but aren’t quite ready for the team. These swimmers are comfortable in the water, getting their face wet and already have some swimming abilities, able to get across the width of the pool unassisted. They may be placed in meet(s) based on coaches’ recommendation as well as child’s willingness & family availability. However, swimming in a meet is not required for developmental swimmers. Developmental swimmers do not attend evening practices and are not entered into a meet unless discussed with the family in advance.
DISQUALIFICATION (DQ) – this means swimmer was disqualified in a particular event. Every stroke/event has multiple reasons for a disqualification per RSL/USA swimming rules. Swimmers who DQ in an event will not have an official time for that specific event. They are still eligible to swim that stroke/event again at a subsequent meet. Please ask the coaches if you or your swimmer has any DQ questions.
EVENTS – the same events (1-68) for each meet. Freestyle, butterfly, backstroke & breaststroke, done by age group in the that order at each meet excluding finals. Freestyle relays are at the beginning while medley & graduated relays are the last events. Girls swim odd numbered events, boys swim even. 10 & under swimmers typically swim 25 meter/yard distances (but are eligible to swim the 12 & under 100 free & 100 IM at coach discretion). 11 & up swimmers swim 50 yard/meter distances except in relays, & also the 100 free & 100 IM. We also swim two freestyle relays (one by age group & one graduated by age) & one medley (a swimmer per stroke) relay. We often swim multiple relay teams in each age group chosen by coaches, based on skill level & also to get as many swimmers swimming as possible. Typically called A & B relay teams. Event writers (a volunteer position) will write all events in order on every swimmer’s forearm prior to start of meet/warmups. This allows parents, swimmers, volunteers & coaches to immediately know which events a swimmer is swimming. FYI, the medley relay is the only event that begins in the shallow end of the pool (backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle) thus the only relay where the #1 and #3 swimmer are in the shallow end.
FALSE START – if a swimmer false starts in an event (starts prematurely), then the starter will notify the swimmers by sounding the starter & that heat will stop. Depending on the situation the referee & starter may change the order of the heats to give the affected heat a rest before re-swimming that heat. If the same swimmer false starts twice for same event, they are eligible for a DQ.
FINALS – set by RSL, typically a Saturday in mid-late July, locations TBA each season by division. Event order does not follow dual meet schedule. 10 & unders swim am session arriving usually by 7am, relays & 100-meter events held midday & 11 & up swimmers swim the afternoon session. Usually concludes by 5pm. Many schedule & rule changes apply so please ask folks if you have questions. Few important ones – swimmers can only swim events for which they have a time in current season & coach must absolutely know if swimmer is not swimming (attending finals is not required but encouraged). There are three brackets for each individual event (not for relays or 6 & unders) – A, B, & C. Swimmers can in fact score points & ribbon when placed in what they feel are not their best events as each bracket scores completely independently. Coaches do their best to seed swimmers where they feel each swimmer has best chance of scoring/placing to help the overall team score. Please feel free to ask for clarification with questions regarding finals events.
GAME DAY – morning after meet practice only (does not apply to evening practice). Variety of water games are played based on ability/age group (ie - Marco Polo, line tag, beaver). Ribbons from meet the night before usually handed out to swimmers.
GATOR GROUPS – during online registration each season, families select one Gator Group to be part of to ensure tasks are covered for the team, including being early to the home meets for meet set up, staying until the end of a home meet for clean up / reset pool for next day, and helping with annual season-end events such as Pep Rally before Finals and Team Banquet and Awards after Finals.
HEAT – group of like-age swimmers swimming an event at the same time, each in a pre-assigned lane. Girls heats are first per event, then boys, alternating by events (1-68).
HEAT RIBBONS – given to swimmer who finishes their heat first regardless of overall finish or DQ. Depending on RSL ribbon availability, some meets these may only be given for younger swimmer events.
HEAT SHEETS – paper listing of all swimmers in event order (numbered 1-68) broken down by heat & lane. Meets usually swim heats slowest and/or no time swimmers first, then fastest time swimmers.
HOME & AWAY MEETS – typically, our home meets start an hour earlier (5pm) than the rest of the RSL meets when they host at home meet (6pm). This is due to a noise ordinance with the neighboring development apartment complex by CHP. Generally, home meets wrap up by 9pm, away meets usually end by/before 10pm. You are free to leave when your child has completed their events/volunteer commitment is completed, though we encourage folks stay & cheer on their teammates. Away meet locations are on the RSL website & info from the host team about parking or other details will be sent out prior to the meet via email.
LANE – one lane per swimmer per heat (many swimmers share lanes in practice). CH has a four-lane pool. Other teams have a 4, 5, 6 or 8 lane pool. Teams generally alternate swimmers (home/away) per lane depending on number of lanes available.
MAGIC BROWNIES – team tradition for Gators to get a brownie after morning practice on the day of a meet. Please make us aware of any dietary concerns. Supported by Gator families volunteering to bake & bring to the pool by end of 1st am practice (delivery to pool for coaches to give out anytime 0815-0845).
MEET ENTRIES – posted in Swimtopia prior to meet & swimmers also listed alphabetically for boys & girls on lists available at meet for event writers. Events are listed by event number with any previous time from current season/previous season (new 11/12 swimmers will have no previous times (NT) as changing from 25m to 50m distance). Usually, entries are posted at the pool the morning of each meet for swimmers / families to see which events they'll be swimming in each meet. The lane number for the host pool affects the number of entries a coach can enter. Each swimmer can only swim a max of three individual events & three separate relays total per meet. The events may vary meet to meet to get swimmers times in many events prior to finals.
MEET ESSENTIALS – CHST sits on the street side of the pool; the visiting team sits on the creek side. Please bring plenty of water & sunblock. We split our chairs & umbrellas with the visiting team. You may want to bring tents, blankets, & additional chairs. Towels, goggles, swim caps, & swimsuits are a must. Cooling towels, games & books are also helpful. Feel free to bring your own food/drinks for your family. There may be a food truck at home meets & away meets provide their own concessions – usually pizza, chips, etc.
MEET HALVES – meets are broken into two halves. Most volunteer positions are split into 1st half & 2nd half jobs. Take note of which half you sign up for when volunteering. Younger swimmers usually finish swimming earlier in the meet & 2nd half officials stay until the end of the meet, but their perk is working when it’s generally cooler!
MEET SURVIVAL – prepare for it to be hot & hectic. The pool deck can be crowded & volunteers from both teams come together to run a meet as smoothly as possible. Swimmers & young siblings are expected to be inside the pool gates as traffic is a safety concern. We have a safety marshall on deck for meets, but each child must have a responsible adult present (whether that is parent, grandparent or another swim parent). Children often play with friends between events. For safety, the baby pool is closed to all families & only swimmers entered in the meet are allowed in the main pool during warmups/meet.
NO SWIM (NS) – typically on result sheets. This means the swimmer did not show for that particular event.
NO TIME (NT) – typically on heat sheets or event listing. This means a swimmer does not have a time for a particular event this season. If a swimmer was previously disqualified in an event, that time did not count. If a coach places a child in that event again during the season, it will show up as a NT until the swimmer has a legal swim in that event.
PARKING – absolutely no parking allowed past our parking lot during home meets under any circumstance. The neighboring complex could tow your vehicle. You can park on the entrance road & the road toward the Armory (not inside the Armory gates & not blocking their new access road across the street from the pool). Carpool whenever possible. If there are specific parking directions for away meets, they will be sent by email prior to each meet after CHST gets them from the host team.
PEP RALLY – typically held one evening during the week immediately prior to the finals Saturday. Usually a food truck/pizza, cake & drinks at the pool. Gator families come with their swimmers to eat, swim, & play games/relays. If you are interested in helping to coordinate this event, please let us know! One of the Gator group tasks chosen by families at sign up.
PLACE RIBBONS – at regular season meets, swimmers receive ribbons for dual meets (1st-6th receive place ribbons, 1st-3rd place score for individual events). 1st place for relays scores points. At finals, usually medals for 1st-3rd, ribbons 1st-6th.
POOL CLOSURES – (meets, weather, accidents in the pool) – our pool closes to members on the days of home meets only, (typically at 3pm, to allow for set up). Dates will be posted at the pool & on the pool website. CH does not have a covered area for waiting out a weather delay. If a meet is suspended due to weather, participants & spectators wait in their vehicles until an all clear. In event of vomit or stool in pool the guards suspend the meet, treat the water & restart meet after required allotted time has passed.
PRACTICES – broken up by age group; start Tuesday after Memorial Day through July finals, as set by RSL. Held Mon-Fri mornings & Mon/Tues/Thurs evenings (no Wed/Fri evenings), swimmers typically only attend one practice per day (but can do both); families can choose am or pm to allow for flexibility with camps, work, etc.) *no evening practices on meet days, Most meets on Wed (last meet on Mon, occasionally moved for holidays also). Evening practices limited to two lanes as pool remains open to all members. Evening usually not recommended for new swimmers as can be more crowded than mornings given limited lanes. Developmental swimmers do not attend evening practice.
REMIND TEAM UPDATES – team updates will be sent by Remind app. Sign up for the current season Remind group to get important messages about schedule changes due to weather or any last-minute team updates.
RAINBOW RIBBONS – time improvement ribbons awarded to a swimmer in any event in which they improve their time (none awarded after first meet & only applies to current season).
RSL – Rappahannock Swim League; our local summer swim league comprised of about 25 teams from the City of Fredericksburg & Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, Caroline & Orange counties. Their Swimtopia website is https://rsl.swimtopia.com/ where you can find info on teams, locations, meet results & records as well as official training links. RSL announces which teams are in each division each year, broken up generally by size of team & previous year records. The division we are placed in can change year to year. Finals are within each division only.
RSL REP – a team representative that attends monthly RSL meetings. The team reps vote on upcoming changes or rules that affect our team & meets. One RSL rep (or designee) is required to be present per team at all meets.
SCORING – events are scored & points are given by place finish. Points are tallied & the winner of a meet is declared by whichever team scores the most points (boys & girls combined). Points are scored for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in individual events in dual meets. 1st place for relays score points in dual meets. Please ask if you have questions regarding finals scoring, as it is much more involved.
STARTING BLOCKS – also called diving blocks. Most swimmers dive from blocks, but swimmers are not required to dive or use blocks. New swimmers can jump in beside the block in their assigned lane or start in the water with a hand on the wall.
SWIM BIRTHDAYS – swimmers swim the age bracket based on the age they are on or before June 1 of that season. Age bracket doesn’t change during season regardless of summer birthdays.
SWIM BUDDY – program varies from year to year depending on enrollment. Typically for 10 & unders/new swimmers. An older swimmer informally matched to a newer swimmer specifically for meets (as am practice times are different for age groups). This builds team relationships & provides guidance for new swimmers. The older swimmer helps the younger swimmer get to their events, answers their questions & introduces them to teammates. Please ask if you or your swimmer has any questions.
SWIM CAPS, SUITS, GOGGLES & GEAR – Caps are also strongly encouraged at practice. They are not required for meets however greatly improve a swimmer's visibility. Team caps will be handed out prior to first meet for swimmers that do not have one. If upgraded silicone cap is desired, they are available to purchase most years through online team store or at local stores. Swimmers must not wear a cap with another team/logo because it will disqualify (DQ) the swimmer for that race/relay. Team suits & goggles are available for purchase from our online team store. Purchase is completely optional. Our team colors are green & purple, so our team suits follow our colors but vary slightly year to year. Swimmers can wear any suit of their choice, preferably in green, purple, black/white colors. Per RSL rules, all suits must be well-secured. Not allowed: tie back suits, two-piece suits or other team suits (ie – high school or other team logos). Also, wearing a swim shirt is allowed, however, any swimmer opting to swim in a swim shirt during the regular season must wear the same attire at finals per RSL rules. Currently, we are using swimoutlet.com for our team store (link on our website). Many swimmers & families wear team shirts at meets, and a portion of proceeds from our Swim Outlet account supports the team.
WEATHER CONCERNS – if thunder/lightning occurs, meets may be suspended until the weather passes & safety is ensured (at least 30 minutes after last thunder and/or lightning). If a meet has finished all events through backstroke (event 48), the officials may call a meet (end early). The current score will determine the winner. If prior to event 48, the meet is either suspended until weather resolves or postponed for conclusion, (usually to be finished the following evening, & restarted at the event where the previous evening was suspended).
