Parents Handbook

	Sharks Parents’ Handbook Sharks Parents’ Handbook 2007 – 2008 Swim Season Welcome from Swim Coach Welcome to the Sharks Swim Team! The following packet contains information on the swim team. This packet will answer some of your questions regarding your partnership as a swim team parent in the program. If you have more questions feel free to ask me when you have a chance. To me, swimming is a life sport, it is an individual sport and a team sport, an aerobic sport, and a sport, that allows one to measure progress against others but more importantly against one’s self.  I wish to thank you for showing interest in the Shark’s swim program. I hope this team will be one that elicits pride from the swimmers and their parent’s as well as the community as a whole. Jim Willis Head Swim Coach Mission Statement The mission of the MDI YMCA is to provide opportunities, which build character, nurture a caring community and promote growth and wellness in spirit, mind and body. Swim Team Philosophy The intention of the Sharks swim team is to teach the skills of competitive swimming, build enthusiasm for the sport and foster the comradely of a team of young athletes so they will feel part of a community where teamwork and individual effort are both valued. The philosophy of the Sharks is to treat each swimmer as an individual and to build their self-confidence and self-esteem through personal accomplishment each time they swim. About The Sharks The Mount Desert Island YMCA Sharks Swim Team was started in 1971, under the direction of Bob Chaplin and Harlow Cameron. Lenny DeMuro was the Head Coach from 1975 – 2001; with a one-year break sometime back in the mid-eighties. This is Jim Willis seventh year with the Sharks and Lenny is still lending a helping hand when needed. There were 90 swimmers on the team last season, making the Sharks the largest team of any sport on the island. Over the years the Sharks have had many swimmers who set records in state and regional competition, including a swimmer who qualified for 1996 US Olympic Trials. The Sharks have also been a strong part of the community, pulling families together from all over the Island to cheer each other on and offer personal support in many ways. Swimming is a life long sport that offers physical and mental challenges, and rewards, to people of any age. For Mount Desert Island, fortunate as we are to be surrounded by the waters of lakes and ocean, swimming can also be a life-saving skill. The Sharks team can do much to both instruct and develop a passion for swimming. The Sharks team members span the competitive spectrum, from recreational competition to national level ranking. Every swimmer can find their niche and level of competition, and still feel accomplishment for doing their best in each practice or race. The YMCA values of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility can be followed by each swimmer and their family, and will help build stronger children and a stronger team. The swim team is very attractive to young children who love the water and enjoy the company of other children. It is one of the few - perhaps only - sports where a team will span the ages of 5 to 18 years, and include people from all over the Island. The friendships that develop within age groups can be long lasting. The bonds that develop between age groups can be especially rewarding for the younger children. Older, middle and high school aged swimmers get a great deal from the program. It is, in many ways, an individual sport where personal goals can be achieved regardless of what teammates might be doing. Unlike other sports, no one gets cut or sits out on the bench much of the time. The regular discipline of practice schedules, combined with increased self-motivation to achieve goals, have had a positive effect on many Sharks swimmers, adding valuable personal attributes to their character which can help them in their academic years and throughout their lives. For those who want to excel in high school or college swimming, starting early on a team such as the Sharks, and continuing through high school has proven most successful. The Sharks swimmers have the opportunity throughout the season to participate not only in YMCA competition, but also USA Swimming meets, which lead to wider regional and national levels of competition. Many team members continue swimming as adults in Masters Swim Team programs. The Coaches Jim Willis is originally from Brockton, Mass. where he swam for a YMCA team for 8 years. He swam and graduated from the University of Maine. Jim coached the Bangor Y from 1984 –89, the Canoe City Swim Club (Old Town-Orono Y) from 1989 – 98, and the St. Croix Dolphins from 1998 – 2001. He is presently ASCA Level 4 coach who has coached at numerous Y National Meets and Eastern Zones Meets. He was the US Virgin Island National Team Coach at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and also the Maine ‘YMCA’ Coach of the Year in 2004. Tony DeMuro is a lifelong resident of Bar Harbor. Tony swam for the Sharks from age 6 until his graduation for MDI High School in 1991. Tony graduated from the University of Maine in 1998. He has been the Head Coach of the MDI HS for the last 7 years. In 2002, Tony was named the Maine High School Class ‘B’ coach of the year. Jeff Walls is lifelong resident of Otter Creek and a former Shark swimmer and team record holder. Jeff swam for Lenny DeMuro in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Jeff has helped out with the Sharks for the last 4 years and provides and added boast of enthusiasm to the program. Jeff was also the MDI HS Assistant Coach last season. Mary Richards will an assistant coach for the upcoming season. Mary is a former Shark swimmer, who also swam for teams in Moscow, Russia and Providence, RI. Mary recently graduated from Springfield College where she was also on the swim team. We are always looking for volunteer coaches, if interested in helping at practice or at meets please speak to Jim. Schedule Instruction through regular practices is tailored to individual ages and abilities. Young children are taught the basics, introduced to team discipline and allowed some fun. Older children are offered more practice time and greater incentives to work harder. Swimming meets are held throughout the season, and are optional but highly recommended for team members. Individual achievements at competitions are rewarded with ribbons, medals or trophies. The season begins Monday, October 22, 2006 and concludes in March with the YMCA State Meet. Practices will be held until the end of March for swimmers who qualify for Regional and National competition. The meet schedule is published separately. The first meet this year will be on November 10 with the MDI Y hosting the Downeast Family Y (Ellsworth), the Canoe City Swim Club (Old Town-Orono Y) and Piscataquis Regional Y (Dover Foxcroft). The Shark season will end with a team and parent celebration – the traditional Pasta Dinner, complete with awards achieved throughout the season at the MDI HS Cafe. The Practice schedule is: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday Green Team 4:15 – 5:15pm Gold Team 5:00 – 6:30pm Tuesday & Thursday (Gold Team) 5:30 – 7:00pm Monday – Friday (mornings) 5:45 – 7:00am Saturday 7:30 – 9:30am Monday – Friday (Senior Team) 2:45 – 4:15pm (Oct. 22 – Nov. 16 & Feb 25 – March 28) There will be special practice schedules for school vacations weeks. A monthly calendar will be available at the pool and also available by email. A spring schedule will be available for all swimmers going to regional & national competitions or attending the team trip this year Types of Swim Meets Invitational Meets MDI Y Sprint Meet and Downeast Invitational are meets where many Y teams are invited. Swimmers may pick their events with some assistance from the coaching staff. Dual Meets The Sharks swim 4 meets in November, December, & January against teams from other Y’s throughout the state of Maine. Swimmers usually compete against swimmers in their age group. A swimmers age is determined by how old they are on December 1 of the current season. Age groups are 8 & under, 10 & under, 12 & under, 14 & under, and Senior, which is actually 12 & older. These meets are scored and require the participation of all the swimmers. The coaching staff will pick the events for each swimmer to assure that the Sharks are able to compete with the other team. Meet ribbons are awarded based on race finish. Y Meet Format 1 & 2 These meets are held at various Y’s throughout the state. We will be hosting one on November 10. Each format will contain different events to all the swimmers a chance to swim the same stroke but at a different distance than the other meet. These meets will not be scored but ribbons will be awarded to the to placing swimmers in each event. Swimmers will be able to choose their events for these meets with the assistance of the coaching staff. YMCA Championship Meets The Y States are the annual championship meet for YMCA swimmers in Maine. It is held at the University of Maine. All Shark swimmers who have participated in three Y meets are eligible and should make every effort to attend. Each swimmer may swim up to three events in the state meet. This is the meet where all the swimmers from the Sharks compete against the other teams in the state to see where we stand overall. The New England’s held in Providence RI and the Y Nationals in Fort Lauderdale FL are meets that swimmers must meet qualifying times to attend. USA Swimming Meets There are swim teams in Maine that are not YMCA teams. They have a national USA-Swimming team charter and are eligible for any USA-Swimming (USA-S) meet held in the U.S. YMCA teams are allowed to charter a team and be a part of Maine Swimming Inc., the governing organization for all Maine USA-S swim teams. USA-Swimming is not required of swimmers. If a swimmer is interested in USA-Swimming participation, they must register with USA Swimming at a cost of $54 for 1 year until December 31,2008. Note: Maine Swimming offers a seasonal membership from Oct 17 – March 17 for $32.50. Benefits of USA-Swimming include: swimmers get the opportunity to pick and choose which meets and events to participate in as opposed to a Y meet where the coaching staff may select the events. Full year USA Swimming members will also get a subscription to SPLASH, a magazine devoted to swimming. Additional exposure to more racing and other events has more often than not resulted in more success to a swimmer. Meet notices are posted on the team bulletin board, emailed home, and posted on the website. USA-S meets charge a per event fee to be paid at time of sign up. In USA-S meets, a swimmers age is determined by age on the first day of the meet in question. USA-S also exposes swimmers to many other swimmers and formats of swimming meets they may normally not see. Swimmers may be recruited to participate in USA-S based on the perceived need of the team that season. Swimmers who make qualifying times or other standards may attend other meets such as the Eastern Zone Meet and the US Olympic Trials. Note: This year all swimmers who wish to go to the Zone Meet must swim in 2 USA Swimming Meets from April 15, 2007 – March 5, 2008. Meet Conduct Swimmers/parents should notify Jim as soon as possible if they will not be able to attend meet. If the swimmer is sick on the day of the meet, please phone the Y in the morning to notify the coaches. Swimmers, parents, coaches, and anyone connected with the Sharks are expected to behave at home and away meets in a way that is reflective of the YMCA philosophy of competitive sports. Competitive sports participants learn by example. Parents, coaches, and officials should set the best possible example. It is important that the swimmers report on time to the meets. All Shark swimmers must sit together at each meet. No swimmer may scratch an event without approval of a coach. Swimmers should see a coach before their event for the proper heats and lanes. 10 & under swimmers will usually be escorted to the blocks by someone on the coaching staff. Swimmers should also seek out a coach directly after their event to receive feedback on their performance. Practice Etiquette Please respect the other members of the Sharks and the Y that use the locker room (i.e. no water fights, towel snapping, loud voices, and other horseplay). If you have valuables please place them in a locker with a lock. You may rent a lock from the Y. Arrive on time for practice (late arrivals are always welcome because of other commitments/ transportation problems), plan to stay for the entire practice, swimmers should inform the coaches before practice begins that you must leave early. Swimmers should walk on deck and follow the all the other pool rules. All equipment should be replaced in its proper spot when practice is completed. All swimmers should place their names on their personal equipment (i.e. goggles, bathing suits, fins, towels, water bottles, and any thing else that they bring to practice). Goggles are highly recommended, they allow the swimmers to see better and also prevent the eyes from soreness. Water bottles are also highly recommended; remember water is just like the oil that we use in our cars. It keeps swimmers hydrated (lubricated), allowing them to perform at their best at each practice. Swimmers should respect other swimmers, coaches, and the YMCA staff whenever at the YMCA. Communication We use many channels of communication to facilitate information to all swimmers and their families. The lines of communication are between the swimmers, their parents, and the coaches. If you have any problems with the communications please get in touch with the Head Coach as soon as possible. Newsupdates Each week a weekly update is published to keep swimmers/parents up to date on what will be occurring in the next week or two. This will be emailed out to all families that provide an email address plus there will be copies available at the pool. This will include practice schedules & changes, meet announcements, travel information, upcoming events, and anything else that needs passing along to swimmers and families. Bulletin Board Parents and swimmers should check the bulletin board for announcements and meet results. Sign-up sheets for concessions and meets timers are posted as well. Meets results and lists of swimmers seasonal times are also posted on the bulletin board. E-Mail The best and easiest way to communicate is email. All news updates, sign-up sheets, monthly calendars, and other announcements are sent via mass email (BCC) to all families that provide the team with an email address. This guarantees that the information is at least sent to the home of each family. The most efficient way to communicate with the coach is through email, and the coach’s address is sharks@mdiymca.org. Website Our new team website is www.mdiysharks.com. Most information that is sent via email is also posted on the website. The site also contains links to other swim sites, best times list, meet schedule, and much more information about the Sharks swim team. Ribbon Folders Each family has a ribbon folder in the pool office. After each meet all awards are placed in the folders. Swimmers may pick their awards at any time provided the swimmers are dry. Being a Swim Team Parent Having your child on the MDI YMCA Sharks Swim Team is a commitment not only for your child but for you as well. Parental involvement is key in making the MDI YMCA Sharks an excellent team. Never hesitate to volunteer what ever time and skills you may have; it will be enthusiastically received! When we each do what we can, everyone benefits. All swim team families are expected to work at home meets in some capacity: food concession (providing or making food, selling, and clean up), officials, timers, ribbon organizers, computer operators, announcer, assisting the coaches, and meet set-up & clean up. Other commitments include: providing transportation to and from practices (organizing a carpool is helpful), volunteer coaching, bus driving, fund raising (swim-a-thon, 50/50 raffle, and other events), and offering your help whenever you have the time. *Here are some thoughts for you as a parent to consider:* Do not impose your ambitions on your child. Swimming is your child’s activity and progress occurs at different rates for each child. Do not judge your child’s progress based on the performance of others and do not push your child based on what you think he or she should be doing. The wonderful thing about a sport such as swimming is that every person can strive for his or her personal best! Be supportive. There really is only one question you need to ask your child: “Did you have fun?” If practices and meets are not fun, your child should not be forced to participate. You are not the coach. People have been hired to do that job. Your job is to support, love and give your child a big hug no matter what. Thumper’s Rule: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Cheers and applause are welcome at practices and meets. Criticism to a child or coach is not. If you have concerns, discuss it privately with the person. Acknowledge your child’s fears. The first meet, a new stroke, swimming a new event can be stressful. It is appropriate to be nervous and scared. Assure your child that the coach would not have suggested the event if he or she were not ready to compete in it. Do not criticize the officials. If you do not have the time or the desire to volunteer as an official, do not criticize those who are probably doing the best they can. Respect the coaches. The bond between coach and swimmer is a special one, one that contributes to your child’s success. Do not criticize the coach in the presence of your child; it will only sever to hurt your child’s swimming. Create other goals besides winning. Giving an honest effort, regardless of the outcome, is more important than winning. Do not expect your child to be an Olympian. One million children swim competitively in the United States. Every four years no more than 52 people are chosen for the Olympic team out of 300,000 members of USA Swimming. Swimming is so much more than the competition: swimming teaches self-discipline and sportsmanship; it builds self-esteem and fitness, it provides life-long friendships. Swimming builds good people. How wonderful that your child wants to participate! Your Financial Responsibility COST OF MEMBERSHIP TO MDI YMCA The swimmer must be an annual member of the MDI YMCA, either as part of a family membership or as an individual member. You as a parent are not required to be a member. Membership prices are printed in the YMCA Program Flyer. MDI YMCA SHARKS TEAM MEMBERSHIP DUES: $225.00 for swimmer ages 9 – 14 (Gold), $190 for swimmers 8 & under (Green), and $150.00 for first year swim team members and High School swimmers. This year the Y has set up a monthly autodraft plan to allow families to spread out the cost for the season. Autodraft plans are set up at the member services desk. Each swimmer needs to pay $70 to register for the swim team and then pay 4 payments in December, January, February, and March ($38.75 for Gold, $30 for Green, and $20.00 for 1^st year and HS swimmers). These may be set up with checking accounts or credit cards. The MDI Y pays for entry fees into all YMCA Meets. It is hoped that cost is not a barrier to your child’s participation. If it is an issue the MDI YMCA offers scholarships based on financial need. Forms can be picked up at the membership services desk. EXTRA COSTS: EQUIPMENT: Of course swimsuits suitable for practice and competition are required. A “ Team Suit” is not required but recommended for meets. We will be ordering suits through Cadillac Mountain Sports for the 2007 – 08 season. We will still get a Forest Green Speedo, the same suit that we have had in for the past 3 years. We make a mass order in late November for suits. If a swimmer does not get a suit in the mass order, Cadillac will have extra suits available but without the MDI screen-printing. Woodlands Studio in Ellsworth will do the screen-printing for an extra charge fro those who don’t participate in the mass order. A flyer will be sent via email and handed out to all the swimmers for the team suits. have not decided on a team suit as of yet. The team suit information will sent out via email and flyers to the swimmers. Costs of other suits are between $20.00 - $80.00 for girls, and $12.00 - $30.00 for boys. Swimmers due to prolonged time spent in the pool require goggles that cost from $5.00 - $15.00 a pair. Practice suits and goggles can be purchased at Cadillac Mountain Sports or other sporting goods stores. Two online sites provide good prices for suits, www.discountswim.com and www.homeswimschool.com. Swim Caps: If a cap is worn at a meet it must either be a sharks cap or a cap with no lettering. These are inexpensive at $2.00 / Cap and can be purchased at the member service desk at the Y. Swim Fins: This year we requesting that all swimmers to get a pair of fins. You can order these online as well, but you can also get these at a variety of stores in the area. The coaches want all of the swimmers to bring their fins to practice everyday. There will be days that we use fins are used for most of the practice and days when they are hardly used but it will make for better practices if all swimmers have fins & goggles everyday at practice. We do have some extra pairs of fins, if someone forgets them, but it makes it much easier for swimmers to bring their own to practice. Other equipment includes towels, water bottle, and athletic bag. *It is also highly recommend that swimmers names be placed on all their equipment* SOME NOT SO OBVIOUS COST: Wear and tear on your vehicle; transportation to and from practice and meets. Donating food items at concession for home meets. Money for food for your child at out of town meets. Money for overnight expenses for travel meets. Donations for: Fundraisers, awards Banquet, and Coaches presents. We ask that each swimmer raise $125 each year for the Sharks Swim-A-Thon, to help offset the high cost of operating the swim team. Remember even though monetary donations are greatly appreciated, donations of time are equally valuable and important. Volunteers are always needed at swim meets and swim practices. Many parents comment are the high cost of the swim program. It is an expensive sport due to its requirement for a well-maintained indoor pool as well as its intensity and length of season (offering at least 2 practices a day each week for at least 6 Months). ` GLOSSARY OF SWIMMING TERMS AGE GROUP SWIMMING- Nationally recognized age groups for competition are: 8 and under, 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, and 15-18. The Maine Y’s age groups are 8 & under, 10 & under, 12 & under, 14 & under, and Senior (12 & older). BLOCK- The starting platform. BRONZE CLASSIC- USA-S states championship for 8 and unders, USA-S swim meet for swimmers not eligible yet for J.O. ( Junior Olympics). CIRCLE SWIMMING- Performed by staying to the right of the black line when swimming in the lane to enable more swimmers to swim in each lane. COACH- A person who trains and teaches athletes in the sport of swimming. CODE OF CONDUCT- An agreement signed by a swimmer/ coach/ parent stating that the swimmer will abide by certain behavioral guidelines. CONSOLATIONS- The second fastest heat in the finals. These swimmers can not move in to the finals for places. CUT- Slang for qualifying time. A time standard necessary to attend a particular meet or event. DISTANCE- Term used to refer to events at least 400 meters/500 yards or longer. DQ- Disqualified. This occurs when a swimmer has committed an infraction of some kind; e.g., freestyle kick during butterfly. A disqualified swimmer is not eligible to receive awards, nor can the time be used as an official time. DRILL- An exercise involving a portion or part of a stroke, used to improve technique. DRYLAND TRAINING- Training done out of the water that aids and enhances swimming performance; usually includes stretching, calisthenics and / or weight training. ENTRY FORM- Form on which a swimmer enters a competition. Usually includes USA-S number, age, sex, event numbers and entry times. EXHIBITION- Competing in a heat as a “ practice,” no points earned by exhibition swimmer, but the time is official. FALSE START- Occurs when a swimmer is moving before the start gun is sounded. In USA-S and YMCA, one false start will result in a disqualification. FINAL- The championship heat of an event in which the top swimmers from the preliminaries compete. FINISH- The final phase of the race; the touch at the end of the race. FLAGS- Backstroke flags placed 5 yards (short Course) or 5 meters (long course) from the end of the pool. The flags enable backstrokers to execute a backstroke turn more efficiently. GOAL- A specific time achievement a swimmer sets and strives for. Can be short or long term. GUTTER- The area along the edge of the pool in which water overflows during a race and is recirculated through the filtration system. HEAT- Specific race in an event. Each race is numbered by heat, usually the last heats are the fastest times. I.M.- Slang for Individual Medley, an event in which the swimmer uses all four strokes in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle. JUNIOR OLYMPICS- “J.O.’s” USA-Swimming state competitions to qualify for Zones and Nationals. Also call Age Group Championships. LAP COUNTER- A set of plastic display numbers used to keep track of laps during a distance race. ( Also, the person who counts for the swimmer, stationed at the opposite end from the start.) LONG COURSE- A pool 50 meters in length. USA-Swimming conducts most of its summer competition in long course pools. The YMCA also holds a Long Course Nationals in the summer. The Olympics are held in a 50-meter pool. LSC- Local Swimming Committee. Governing body for swimming at the local level. Maine is one of the 59 LSC’s in the country, that under the control of USA-Swimming. MEET- Competition designed to be a learning experience. By implementing what has been learned in practice, the swimmer tests himself against the clock to see how he is improving. NATIONAL AGE GROUP TIME STANDARDS- Time standards derived from the previous years results that are broken down by age and sex as well as B, BB, A, AA, AAA, AND AAAA, divisions. These designations are NATIONAL and should be used as motivational times. NATIONAL REPORTABLE TIMES / TOP 16 - Times standards set for both short and long course based on previous years achievements. Only times meeting these standards may be submitted for consideration each year. The Top 16 submitted times in each event are recognized. NEGATIVE SPLIT- Swimming the second half of the race equal to or faster than the first half. NEW ENGLANDS- YMCA championship for top swimmers in New England- Maine, NH, VT, MA, RI, & CT. OFFICIAL- A judge on the deck of the pool at a sanctioned competition who enforces rules. There are stroke and turn judges, administrative officials, starters, timers and referees. OPEN WATER SWIMS- Any freestyle event over 1500 meters, normally conducted in a natural body of water, such as a lake, river or ocean. PACE CLOCK- Large clock with a large second hand and a smaller minute hand, used to check pace or maintain intervals in practice; may also be digital. PRELIMS- Slang for preliminaries, also called Heats or Trials. Those races in which swimmers qualify for the championship and consolation finals in the events. Q-TIME- Qualifying time necessary to compete in a particular event and / or competition. RELAY- An event in which 4 swimmers compete together as a team to achieve one time. SAFETY- The condition of being safe. Safety procedures are designed to prevent accidents. SENIOR SWIMMING – Swimmers 12 & older who compete in open (no age group) competition. SCRATCH- To withdraw from an event in a competition. SHORT COURSE- A pool 25 yards or 25 meters in length. USA-S and YMCA conducts most of its winter competition in short course yards. SPLIT- A time recorded from the official start to the completion of an initial distance within a longer event. Also the time for one of the four individual in a relay. Under certain conditions, splits may also be used as official times, for example, the lead off swim in a relay, or the lead off portion of an event. SPRINT- Describes the shorter events (50 and 100). In training, to swim fast as possible for a short distance. TIME TRIAL- A time-only swim which is not part of a regular meet. TOUCH PAD- A large sensitive board at the end of each lane where a swimmer’s finish is registered and sent electronically to the timing system. USA-SWIMMING – (USA-S) The national governing body for amateur competitive swimming in the United States. WARM DOWN- Low intensity swimming used by swimmers after a race or main practice set to rid the body of excess lactic acid, and to gradually reduce heart rate and respiration. WARM UP- Low intensity swimming used by swimmer prior to a main practice set or race to get muscles loose and warm. Warm up gradually increases heart rate, respiration and helps to prevent injury. WATCHES- Stopwatches used to time swimmers during a competition. When totally automatic timing equipment is used, watches serve as a back-up method. Y STATES- Championship swim meet to include all YMCA swim teams in State. Y NATIONALS- National Championship meets held in Florida (Short Course) and Maryland (Long Course) where swimmers must achieve a qualifying time in order to compete.