Dear Swimmers and Parents,
Welcome to the South Family YMCA’s Thunderbolt team! We are looking forward to having a great season. We have developed this handbook to help you better understand our goals, commitments and objectives.
Communication between team manager, coaches, swimmers, and parents is extremely important. If there are ever any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask and we will do our best to address any issues that arise.
Once again, we welcome you and hope you have a great swimming season. Go Thunderbolts!!
Lindsay Mondick
South Family YMCA
Aquatics Director and Team Manager
651-259-1463
Lindsay.mondick@ymcastpaul.org
The purpose of the YMCA Swim Team is to help swimmers of all ages achieve their full potential. Swimmers reach this potential based on their own hard work along with the leadership, experience and knowledge of their coaches. With hard work, dedication, and consistency, swimmers will improve their stokes and gain self-confidence.
To reach ones full potential as a swimmer, it is important to take advantage of practices and meets. It is the combination of swim meets and competitions that allow each swimmer to truly gage their improvement over the course of the season.
Goals
1. To build a sense of pride in knowing they have done their best, no matter what the outcome.
2. To build a strong sense of responsibility and character through self-discipline and hard work.
3. To develop team spirit and unity.
4. To become better athletes.
5. To make new friends.
6. TO HAVE FUN!
Parent Expectations:
1. Please get your child to practice on time.
2. Parents are invited to watch practice from the viewing area in the lobby (Parents are not allowed on the pool deck during practice). During the summer, parents will be allowed on deck during practice but are asked to refrain from interrupting practice.
3. Get your child to swim meets on time.
4. Make sure your child is signed up for meets by the due date on the meet schedule.
5. Address any concerns to the Aquatics Director (team manager) in a timely manner.
6. Support the team and all of its members.
7. Get involved! Volunteer your time to help the team in useful ways (a list of jobs will be delegated each season and parents are required to volunteer)
8. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the support of all. During home meets, we need all parents help to make it run smoothly and be successful (once again volunteering time is mandatory for every family):
· Set-up and Take-down
· Timers
· Stroke and Turn Judges
· Starters
· Runners and Computer Gurus
· Results/Ribbon Winners
· Concessions
· Locker Room Supervisors
· Several administrative jobs that will be detailed each season
We need every family to do their share.
Swimmer Expectations:
1. Follow all rules: pool rules, swim team rules, and building rules. The lifeguards and other YMCA staff will enforce these.
2. Respect the coaches, your fellow teammates and parents.
3. Be at practice on time. Plan car pools so swimmers arrive at the designated time.
4. Attendance: swimmers are encouraged to attend all their scheduled practices each week. This is one of the best ways to progress in your skill and endurance.
5. Be prepared. Bring your own goggles, caps, towels, fins, and other training equipment!
6. Stay at practice and in the water until it is time to go or until you are otherwise dismissed.
7. Swim whatever workout is posted with an enthusiastic attitude.
8. Sign up for meet events by the due date on the meet schedule.
9. Be courteous when coaches are helping other swimmers – your turn will come.
10. Put forth your best effort during practice and at meets.
11. Each swimmer should congratulate other swimmers and those from other teams. Remember that everyone is a winner if they put forth their best effort.
Team Rules1. The lifeguard on duty has full authority over the pool.
2. Swearing and foul language are not acceptable.
3. Please do not hang on lane lines.
4. Swimmers coming to the first practice time will leave when practice is over. Loitering around on deck will not be allowed as it interferes with the workouts of others.
5. Absolutely no stopping in the middle of the pool unless the set calls for it. Again, this interferes with your teammates’ workouts.
6. Swimmers will conduct themselves appropriately in the locker rooms as well as everywhere else in the building. Horseplay will not be tolerated anywhere.
7. No interfering with another swimmer’s workout. We want everyone to excel.
8. Use the rest room before and after practice – not during practice.
9. Show respect for fellow swimmers. Don’t make fun of, or pick on, each other.
10. Pay attention and give your full cooperation when the coaches ask the swimmers to be quiet and listen.
11. Swim the posted workout.
12. If you do not follow team guidelines, the coaches reserve the right to ask you to leave and/or take away meet privileges.
13. Swimmers may not use the Whirlpool during practice times unless they have the coaches permission (Swimmers under 15 not permitted at any time)
14. If a swimmer is acting inappropriately, the coaches reserve the right to ask you to leave practice for the day.
15. If swimmers would like to socialize, please come early or stay late – during practice is not an appropriate time.
16. Coaches and Team manager have the right to remove any swimmer or family from the team at any point during the season for behavior that is deemed inappropriate and/or harmful to the team or individuals on the team.
The Parent-Swimmer Relationship
It is not the intention of any YMCA coach to advise a parent, or parents, on how to raise their children. No one understands the parent-child relationship better than a parent. In an athletic environment, human nature often prevents a parent from remaining detached and objective in matters concerning their children. The YMCA coaching staff have been competitive swimmers at one time and had to deal with the issues you may be confronting. If you have questions or concerns, please get the coaches involved so they can help.
Everyone involved in the type of training program conducted by YMCA must realize that each individual learns at a different rate and responds differently to the various methods of skill development. The slower developer obviously takes more time to learn and requires more patience on the part of the parents and coaches. Each swimmer will reach their goals at a different rate.
Parent-Swimmer Tips
The ultimate swimming goal for a parent should be a swimmer that is self-motivated, self-confident and feels good about themselves and the goals they have achieved.
Swim parents are Beautiful when...
· You work a full day at a swim meet, and then want to know where the team party is!
· You cheer for athletes who are not your own children.
· You drive carpools that would make a NYC cab driver dizzy.
· You help set-up or breakdown for events that you did not sign-up to help with.
· You ask your swimmer after the race “What did your coach say?”
· You operate a phone tree that helps spread information.
· You say, “What did you learn?” after your ten-year old just got DQ’d.
· You understand that only the four faster swimmers can be on the “A” relay team.
· You emphasize the importance of the “team” and cheering for teammates.
· You help new parents “learn the ropes” in a positive way.
· You promote team unity.
· You applaud everyone’s efforts and comfort those that need it.
· You realize that coaches are human, and feel terrible when they make a mistake - just like you do!
· You know that there is nothing heavier than a great potential and won’t put your athlete under any additional burden.
· You realize that one single swim is not all that important; it’s the process that counts.
· You congratulate your son or daughter’s friend for doing a best time because recognition by another adult, besides a parent, is very important.
· You realize that every swimmer is a winner as long as they try their best.
· You support your child’s swimming by helping support the organization that brings your child the opportunity.
How much of my time is expected as a parent?
§ We expect you to help your swimmer get to and from practice and meets, it is YMCA policy that no coach is able to drive a swimmer to practice or meets. Carpooling is an option.
§ We expect you to help your child be responsible to bring their swim cap, goggles and suit to every practice and every meet.
§ We expect you to get your swimmers entries in on time
§ No successful meet can take place without parent volunteers. Helping sure beats sitting around for 2-3 hours during the meet. Your volunteerism is an essential part of the success of our swim program. Volunteering at meets gets the whole family involved by building team comaradarie and strong relationships throughout the whole team.
§ Our home meets are money making enterprises. We do ask for concession donations, and helping to work the concession stand in order to make money for new equipment and team events.
Practice
§ As a parent it is important to get your child to practice on time, and if possible to three or more practices a week. The practices are set up to train the participant for the championship meets. The less your swimmer attends, the less improvement there will be.
§ Practice times are dependant on which group the swimmer is assigned. Practice locations will be at the South Family YMCA and
Central Squarecommunity Center in § Practices will consist of both water and land activities at the coach’s discression
§ You Must attend at least one practice the week before a meet.
§ Sunday clinics are optional for the swimmers and the theme of the clinic changes week to week. If your swimmer is interested in coming to the clinics, please sign up on the team board for the clinic. Clinic times and themes will be posted 1 month in advance on the team bulletin board for sign ups.
What to Bring to Practice
· Practice suit(s). It is suggested that you have at least 2 practice suits that are not the team suit.
· Swim Cap
· Two pairs of goggles
· Fins (zoomers are the preferred brand)
· Water in a plastic bottle with the swimmers name on it.
What to Take to a Meet
· Team Swim Suit & Team Cap and Goggles (If your swimmer uses them). Extras of each are advised.
· Baby or Talcum Powder. (Used to dust the inside of the cap. It helps to preserve the cap & makes it easier to put on.)
· Towels. (Pack at least 2)
· Something to sit on. (sleeping bag, old blanket or chair)
· Sweat suits.
· Something for the feet. Keeping warm is very important in between events. Warm socks, deck type shoes or sandals are a good idea.
· T-shirts. The larger the better. 2-3 shirts recommended, as they get wet and soggy.
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in