Creekwood Crocodiles’

Swim Team 101

Table of Contents

Chesterfield Aquatic League

CAL Age Groupings

Swimmer, Parent, Coach Roles

Creekwood Swim Team Code of Conduct

Family Involvement 

Meet Qualifications

Mock Meet Qualifications

Swim Meet Volunteer Job Descriptions

Meet Nutrition

CAL Meet Policies

How to Read A Meet Sheet

Swimmer's Ear 101

Chesterfield Aquatic League

Mission Statement

The mission of the Chesterfield Aquatic League is to provide our swimmers and their families an opportunity to participate in organized swimming in a setting that promotes growth and fellowship.

To our swimmers we will provide a fun and enjoyable atmosphere that encourages the principles of honesty, integrity, and good sportsmanship through competition; enhances physical fitness; builds self-esteem; and allows for the development of new friendships.

To our families we will provide a fun activity that emphasizes the involvement of the entire family and community in a surrounding that encourages camaraderie and a commitment to common goals.

To our teams we will provide an environment that fosters the development of team spirit through the commitment of the group to the above values and principles.

We believe we can best accomplish our mission through a unified effort toward mutual trust, honesty, and integrity between swimmers, families, swim teams and communities.

--Adopted by the Chesterfield Aquatic League--October 18, 1990

CAL Website: www.teamunify.com/team/swimcal/page/home

Swim Meet Results, The CAL Handbook, and other useful information is posted on this site.

Creekwood pool rules are in effect during all home swim meets and lifeguards are authorized to enforce pool and safety rules.

Chesterfield Aquatic League rules specifically prohibit alcoholic beverages and smoking in the pool area during swim meets.

CAL Age Groupings

Birth date by May 31st

6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18

Swimmer, Parent, and Coach Roles

Coaches are teachers. Their role is to teach basic fundamentals and racing strategies. They offer feedback and judgment on performances. Coaches encourage all swimmers to do their best. Parents must understand that coaches must have final responsibility for team matters such as event choices, relay selections, attendance policies, and discipline at practices and meets. Coaches must understand that parents have ultimate authority and rights concerning home matters and related choices.

Creekwood Swim Team Code of Conduct

Parent/Guardian/Swimmer(s)

We understand that a representative of our family is required to work a volunteer position for each of the swim meets our swimmer(s) participates in.

We, and any guests we bring to an event, will display respect and good sportsmanship toward coaches, athletes, parents, and officials at all times.

We will respect the decisions of the coaches and the officials and any disputes will be handled through official channels.

We will respect the authority of the Swim Team Committee and Coaches and abide by their guidelines and decisions.

We understand that if a swimmer is denied access to the Creekwood pool by the Creekwood Owners Association due to disciplinary actions, team membership will be suspended or revoked by the Swim Team Board of Directors.

I have discussed and gone over these rules with all swimmers in our family.

Failure to comply with these standards by the athlete or parent may result in any or all of the following actions as determined by the Swim Team Committee and Coaching Staff:

• Athlete’s removal from a practice, meet event, or entire meet
• Athlete’s temporary removal from the team
• Athlete’s permanent removal from the team

Family Involvement

Families are highly encouraged to help out with the running of the team. The team is run by a board of directors including: Director, Treasurer, Secretary, Parent Representative and a representative from the coaching staff. They each run committees including: Planning, Meet Volunteers, Snack Shack, Meet Concessions, Fundraising, Team Apparel, Registration, Champs, Meet Setup/Cleanup, and Website.

Meet Qualifications

A swimmer may participate in an individual event if he/she can swim the distance of that event (one length for Youth & Mites; 2 lengths for all others). He or she may continue to practice with the team until that distance can be met. This is left to the discretion of the coaches. Swimmers are limited to 3 individual events and 1 relay at each regular meet.

Mock Meet - What to Expect

Purpose: This is a "mini-meet" designed to give all swimmers and parents a taste of what a swim meet is like, and it gives the team a chance to test all the equipment needed for the upcoming meets.

Families: Probably most important, this meet gives parents a chance to try out the jobs they will be doing during the meets. Descriptions of the jobs are listed on the next few pages.

If you are new (or need a refresher), you will be taught everything you need to know about how to do the jobs you are interested in doing. Most jobs are easy, some require a bit of training, but all are important. Every family is required to help out in some way during the home and away meets. You will have lots of help and guidance. Equally important - setting up and taking all the equipment down after home meets requires many hands. The Meet Director will help everyone know what needs to be done. The coach will be very busy coordinating swimmers before the meet and finalizing meet results after the meet.

Swimmers: Go to the check-in table as you arrive. Write your event numbers on the back of your hand. We will have 18 events, or races, at the Mock Meet. (Normal meets have 64 events, give or take.) Event 1 will be ages 8 and under 100 yard freestyle relay, where groups of four swimmers will form relay teams that will race against each other. These teams will be made up of boys and girls together. 8 and under teams will race against each other. Event 10 will be boys 6 and under 25 yard freestyle. Event 11 will be girls 6 and under 25 yard freestyle...up to event 21, which is girls 15-18 50 yard freestyle. The list of events for each swimmer will be posted on a bulletin board (see below). For the mock meet, every swimmer will swim one individual freestyle event, and each swimmer will be "racing" against other swimmers in his/her gender and age group. The last events will be 200 yard relay races for ages 9 and up. Again, age divided teams will race against each other and so on up to the oldest swimmers. (In regular meets, most swimmers will swim 1 to 3 events and 1 relay race depending on age, skill level and swimmer preference. Final lists for relay teams are left to the coach's discretion.)

Swimmers will listen for the announcement of each event. When they hear their event number called, they will report to the Clerk of Course (Mite Parents assist the Youth and Mite swimmers). This will be in the corner nearest the 11 foot section of the pool. Once they arrive at the clerk, they will be told the event number and what the race will be (which they will already know from check-in). They will also be told what lane they will swim in for the race. If the event is a relay, the Clerk will put the swimmers in order (based on what lane they are in) and the swimmers will sit until it is time to go to the blocks. The clerk will tell the kids when to go to the blocks and a Mite Parent will lead the swimmers to the blocks and help them stay in order. Once at the blocks, the timers will ask the swimmer's name, and the starter will announce the event number and what the race will be. At that point, the starter will tell the swimmers to get on the blocks (or beside the blocks for those kids that are not comfortable with the blocks yet), take your marks, and a buzzer will sound to start the race. At that point, the swimmer will swim the race. When the swimmer touches the wall, the timers will stop their watches and record the swimmer's time on the card. When all swimmers have finished the race, all the swimmers will be told to exit the pool (or wait for dive-over start), and the next event will begin. Swimmers will go to the waiting area to rest. Swimmers then listen for their next event to be called.

Swimmers are expected to cheer for their teammates as they swim. This can be the most fun part of the meet. It is our hope that we can do some team cheering and yelling before the meet starts. Team spirit is a great morale builder and it helps calm the nerves before the meet.

Swim Meet Volunteer Job Descriptions

TABLE WORKERS (NON-POOLSIDE)

Meet Director (1) - Directs set up and tear down of the home meets, including all team equipment. In the pre-season, he/she ensures all equipment is meet-ready.

Volunteer Coordinator (1) - Recruits parent volunteers to fill all swim meet jobs.

Computer Operator/Recorder (1) - Generally your Head table worker operates the computer. They are responsible for running the meet in Meet Manager. Drawing in times, adding/modifying relays and making adjustments/DQ’s per the verifiers are the Recorders main tasks. Running heat sheets and lane timer sheets are usually done before the meet but you may need to do these tasks also. Printing the results and finalizing the meet are among the other responsibilities you need to be familiar with.

Sorters (2) - Arrange all of the events by heats and DQ’s for the verifiers.

Verifiers (2) - Check the times on the results with the back-up times, make sure all times fall within the .30 allowable difference, and if needed remove any outliers and average the remaining times. They also proof the results to make sure the DQ’s have been properly administrated and ensure that there are no swimmers with an NT seed time, that swim Gold or Silver times final times are scored in the bronze category.

Ribbon Labeler (1) - Place labels on the ribbons during the meet. This task often is not done during the meet due to a shortage of volunteers. At the conclusion of the meet it is acceptable to print each team’s ribbons and have each team responsible for their own awards.

Clerk of Course and Assistant (2) - Collect, organize and deliver the swimmers to their event in the appropriate heat and lane. This may include in relay events: checking in swimmers, seeding the event, preparing the cards or lane timing sheets and distributing the cards or forms to the timers. The Clerk should personally oversee any seating operations and should appoint Mite Parents to ensure younger kids get behind the block in the appropriate lanes.

Concessions Coordinator (1) - Coordinate menu and buying of items, oversee setup and teardown.

Concessions Worker (6) - Sell and/or cook at the concession stand.

Check-in (3) - Checks in swimmers and volunteers as they arrive.

POOLSIDE WORKERS

Referee (1) - The Referee is the final authority when it comes to enforcing the rules in accordance with the meet. The Referee has a tremendous amount of authority, but this authority is tempered with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Enforcing the rules with the thought of educating the swimmers rather than as punishing the swimmers who are swimming in violation of the rules. Arrange an Officials Meeting approximately 30 minutes prior to start time to go over S/T officials positioning on deck, jurisdiction, who is handling relay take offs, and a strokes briefing. Inform your officials if there are any swimmers with disabilities and how you want them to handle/assist in those situations. It is good practice during the meet to watch the officials instead of the swimmers. When a hand goes up, watch the area the official is responsible for to verify that the call was within their jurisdiction. When possible, try to confer with the officials on their calls. This will aid you in case you need to adjudicate the call with the coach. In cases where a DQ is overturned, sign on the card that the DQ was overturned and make sure it gets to the tables so a proper record can be kept. DQ slips are generally not torn up or thrown out because of a clerical error. If the error can be identified and corrected then the DQ should be upheld.

Strokes and Turns Officials (6) - Ensure that the rules relating to the style of stroke designated for the event are being observed when swimming, turning, and finishing. When possible, officials standing on the start end (2) and the turn end (2) with 2 additional officials walking the sides from flag to flag should be used. Pool volunteers and deck setup may make this difficult. Turn Judges (on the ends) should be standing in the middle lane of their jurisdiction. Stroke Judges (walking the sides) jurisdiction should mirror each other depending on the design of the pool.

Starter (1) - The primary responsibility of the starter is to ensure that all swimmers receive a fair start. The starter does not “command” the swimmers to start, rather the starter invites the swimmers to swim. Always speak in a calm voice; never raise your voice or yell. Do not penalize the swimmers because you are in a hurry and are not patient. Do not worry about the timeline after you have been given swimmers behind the block, as rushing the start will often lead to an unfair start. The Clerk of Course’s job is to make sure you have swimmers to start in a timely manner. Your job is to make sure every heat gets the best start they can. Utilize dive-over starts for 50 yard/meter swims.

Head Timer (1) - Responsible for preparing the watches, gathering the timers together, assigning lanes and conducting a Timers’ Briefing no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of the meet. The HT may also be assigned to distribute the timer sheets prior to the events starting. The HT also maintains multiple running watches at the start of each race in case a lane timer needs one because of a malfunction.

Lane Timers (divided equally amongst the lanes between participating teams) - (Example: odd lanes should have 2 home timers and 1 away timer; even lanes should have 1 home timer and 2 away timers. Double dual meets should have one timer per team per lane) - The most important job on the deck is getting an accurate time on the swimmers. Be in a position to see the light on the starter go off, making sure your watch is started correctly, and closely watching the finish until the swimmer touches the wall. Watching the swimmer touch the wall cannot be done from behind the blocks. Timers are expected to lean over the wall and watch for the touch. Please note that timers are not watching for a legal touch, but rather a touch of any kind. The legality of the finish is judged by the S/T Official. Make sure the swimmer in the next heat is the correct swimmer and ready to swim. This will assist the starter and allow for a quicker meet. When the race is over, timers should record the time from the three Dolphin watches on the timer’s sheet. If a malfunction with the Dolphin watch takes place during the start or swim of the race, the timers should record the manual backup watch time and specify “WT” beside the time. Only record times to the hundredth; do not round up.

Mite Parents (varies among team size) - Help the young swimmers get processed while in the clerk of course and then proceed with them behind the blocks (usually with 8 and unders) until the event is swum.

Runners (3/4) - Collect the lane timer slips from the timers and deliver them to the tales. Collect DQ’s from the S/T officials, deliver them to the Referee, and then deliver them from the Referee to the tables. Additionally, Runners may be asked to distribute any extra reseeded heat sheets to the officials on deck and post results in the appropriate area.

Hospitality (2) - Delivers water to the poolside workers.

Meet Nutrition

GOOD EATS BEFORE THE MEET

Cereal --- Toast --- Bagel --- Pancakes --- Juice --- Fruit --- Protein Bar

Ideally the pre-meet meal should be eaten 2-4 hours before the first race to allow the food to be digested and leave the stomach. If there is still food in the stomach when it comes time to race, oxygen-rich blood will be going to the stomach to aid digestion instead of the muscles where it is needed. The meal should be about 500-1000 calories and should be high in complex carbohydrates and low in fat and protein. The most important thing to remember about the pre-race meal is to eat – and eat mostly carbohydrates.

AVOID processed sugars and “Energy” drinks.

DURING THE MEET

The most important thing to remember when eating during the meet is to drink plenty of fluids and eat small amounts of carbohydrate-rich foods. If you have less than an hour between events, stick to water, diluted sports drinks and fruit juices, part of a high carbohydrate energy bar, fruit or a few low-fat crackers. If you have missed the pre-meet meal you can eat something more substantial such as a bagel, fruit and granola bars, or dry cereal. Avoid anything that has too much fat, fiber, or protein as these nutrients slow down digestion. Remember, that if there is food in your stomach there is blood aiding in digestion that could be supplying the muscles with oxygen.

EATS DURING THE MEET

• Cup–o–soup
• Dry Cereal or Oatmeal in a cup
• Fruit & Fruit Juices (Diluted)
• Yogurt or Fruit Smoothies (Small and avoid sugar filled)
• Breads – bagels - muffins
• Pretzels, Trail Mix, or Jerky
• Sandwiches of turkey or other low-fat meat
• Vegetable

CAL Meet Policies

1. Weather - The host pool rules for inclement weather shall be followed. All other issues are discussed in Swim Meets Rules and Regulations #20.
2. Accidents - If an accident that needs, or possibly will need, medical attention please contact the Safety Committee Chairperson as soon as possible to make them abreast of the situation. An email the night of the event will be acceptable with follow up contact the next morning.
3. Parent/Coach/Officials/Swimmer Interaction
   1. Any issue that deals with the operation of the meet, should be discussed between Parent Representatives from both teams.
   2. Any issues regarding legality of the strokes should be discussed between the affected coach or parent representatives and the Referee.
   3. There should be no agitated interaction between a “Parent” and the Officials.
   4. If a swimmer is showing improper conduct during an event the Referee has the authority to have them DQ and removed from the event. If a swimmer is showing improper conduct not associated with the meet then an official may issue a verbal warning to the swimmer and notify the team/coach of the witnessed behavior.
   5. No physical interaction is acceptable on any level.
4. Protests
   1. If in the course of the meet, a dispute should occur, a protest must be filed with the Referee within 24 hours of the conclusion of the meet.

NOTE: The judgment of an official’s call may not be protested. The interpretation of how a rule is enforced may be protested.

1. If a Referee’s decision is in dispute, a written protest must be filed with the President of the league, within 48 hours of the conclusion of the meet.

How to Read a Meet Heat Sheet

WHAT IS A HEAT SHEET?

This is the printed listing displayed before and during a meet that tells swimmers what events they will compete in. It also defines the swimmer's lane assignment per event. Lanes are typically assigned based on seed times, with the fastest swimmers in the center of the pool.

Events are listed in order, usually alternating girls and boys events.

Sample Individual Event from a Heat Sheet:

IMPORTANT TERMS

Seed time is the fastest time a swimmer or team of swimmers has swum an event prior to the submission of entries for the meet. For individuals, this is the time entered for the swimmer for the event, and is a good goal to try to beat. It also factors into lane placement and heat number.

An “NT” listed for seed time means no seed time has yet been recorded for that swimmer, i.e. that swimmer has not competed in that event, or was disqualified during the event.

An X in front of seed time means the swimmer is swimming an exhibition heat.

In exhibition heats, swimmers receive a time, but do not score points for the team. Exhibition heats are performed so that more swimmers can participate in events, and are a valuable opportunity to get a legal time for championship eligibility, or achieve one’s personal best.

Note: Individual Medleys are swum in order:

1) Butterfly, 2) Backstroke, 3) Breaststroke, 4) Freestyle.

It’s important for swimmers to know the order, because any other order will result in a “DQ” or disqualification.

As in the example above, swimmers in age groups 6 & under and 8 & under swim one length of the pool, whereas older swimmers swimtwo lengths, down and back. In their relay medleys, swimmers 1 and 3 enter the water at one end of the pool, and swimmers 2 and 4 at the opposite end. Older swimmers start and finish at the same point.

Relay medleys are swum in the following order:

1) Backstroke, 2) Breaststroke, 3) Butterfly, 4) Freestyle.

Accordingly, in the relay event below, Nicholas Wolf will swim backstroke, Keith Miller the breaststroke, Ryan Anthony the butterfly, and Chris Carlin the freestyle. They will swim in Heat 1, Lane 4. Their team has not yet received a legal seed time, so they have “NT.” This team is in the age group that swims two lengths of the pool, or 50 yards or meters, each, which is reflected in the 200 meter event distance.

Swimmer’s Ear 101

Acute otitis externa — commonly known as swimmer’s ear — occurs when water is trapped in the outer section of the ear canal, resulting in inflammation and infection. When water remains in the ear, it creates a moist environment that aids bacterial growth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Associate Director for Healthy Water Michael Beach, swimmer’s ear is responsible for millions of dollars in medical costs each year.

Ear infections are caused by swelling in the middle ear cavity — as opposed to the outer ear — due to a blocked eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the throat. Fluid builds up in the ear, allowing bacteria to grow. Symptoms may include difficulty hearing and sleeping, ear drainage, fever, fussiness, loss of balance, and pain or discomfort in and around the ear.

If your child has swimmer's ear, you may notice him or her holding their ear not long after getting out of the water. A clear fluid may also be leaking from the ear. Infected ears may itch, be red or swollen, or feel “plugged up” and painful when the ear is moved up and down. Swimmer’s ear can be distinguished from an ear infection by tugging on the ear lobe, which is usually painful to those with swimmer's ear. Usually, a deeper ear infection would also likely not cause pain and swelling on the outer sections of the ear.

While over-the-counter ear drops for swimmer’s ear are available, once the ear is swollen, these drops may not reach the affected part of the ear. Treatment is important to prevent the infection from spreading and to ensure that hearing is not altered. If you think that you or your child has contracted swimmer’s ear, see a doctor. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotic ear drops, which heal most cases of swimmer’s ear. The pain will begin to subside within 24 hours, but most patients are asked to continue treatment for up to two weeks. In some cases, your doctor may need to clear the discharge from the ear. At home, over-the-counter pain medications or a warm compress may help with the pain.

PREVENTION

Wearing a swim cap or ear plugs can keep water out of the ear. Putting drops in the ear of 50 percent rubbing alcohol and 50 percent vinegar before hopping in the water (and/or after getting out) may also prevent swimmer’s ear. Once you’re out of the water, tilt your head to each side to ensure that all the water has drained from your ears. You may need to tug at your earlobes and try out different head positions to drain it all. Then towel dry your ears.

*Information gathered from rxwiki.com