Welcome to the SHARKS SWIM TEAM!

This handbook has been prepared to give you and your family information that is needed to know throughout the swim season. Please read it carefully especially if you are a new member of the team. You will find information about the coaches and practice sessions as well as the procedure for letting the team know whether your child will be swimming in the meets. Please review the Meet Procedure section found on page 3 of this handbook. If you have any questions, ask the Swim Team Reps or Head Coach.

The team calendar and all other important information regarding our team can be found on the team’s web site, www.oaksatsonterra.swimtopia.com

The swim team’s goal is to provide the support our swimmers need, to help them have a completely enjoyable and rewarding experience, and to learn the four competitive swim strokes. Swimming is a life skill that each person should master for safety’s sake.

The Sharks Swim team is a member of the Maverick Summer Swim League (MSSL) which organizes the summer swim program for 24 swim teams from all over the greater northern San Antonio area.

We are excited to have you and your family as members of the Sharks Swim Team, and we look forward to another exciting and fun summer swim season.

The handbook does not include MSSL rules or rules for executing the strokes. The Maverick Summer Swim League maintains a web site www.mssl.swimtopia, which contains these rules in addition to useful information for swimmers, parents, coaches, and volunteers.

Note: MSSL follows the USA Swimming policy transgender athletes. Oaks at Sonterra policy is swimmers will swim in the events that align with their sex at birth.

PRACTICES

Practices are Important

Swimmers benefit greatly through regular attendance to practice sessions. At practice swimmers receive instruction in the four competition strokes, racing starts, flip turns, and are given the opportunity to build physical endurance. Regular attendance at practice also helps the swimmers and their families keep up with what is going on as important team information is distributed at practices.

In an attempt to maximize the benefits of the practice sessions, each coach is assigned the responsibility for a particular age or ability group. This enables the coach to get to know the swimmers better, to identify their strengths, and to work on their weaknesses. The coaches are then able to place the swimmers in the appropriate events for swim meets.

Be On Time

Swimmers should be at the pool and ready to swim 15 minutes prior the time their practice session is scheduled to begin, get ready for stretching exercises, and check their name off on the attendance roster. When the practice is over all older swimmers should promptly leave the pool area. Younger swimmers should stay with an adult, team rep, or coach until his or her parent has arrived.

Practice Dos and Don’ts

All of our activities take place in our community pool. We are given special permission to use the pool by the homeowner’s associations. Swimmers are expected to obey all normal pool safety rules during practices and meets. Disruptive behavior not only wastes the coaches’ time, but also may jeopardize future use of a pool by the swim team. If necessary, a swimmer will be asked to leave the pool area. Parents who are present during practice are asked to help keep swimmers in order and to enforce pool rules.

During practice a lane will be open for neighborhood swimmers. They swim at their own risk. The team may have a pool monitor. Baby pool is closed during practice.

Need to Speak With a Coach?

The coaches are responsible for a large number of swimmers during practice sessions, and a lot must be accomplished at the practices. For these reasons, please do not hold conferences with the coaches during scheduled practice times. If you need to speak with a coach, please try to do so before or after the practice session. If you have any concerns about a coach or assistant coach, please contact the swim team reps, Rosanne Oliver [email protected]

Swimsuit Requirements

Team swimsuits are available for purchase either at team registration, at a specifically scheduled team practice, or at Swim Freak 2250 Thousand Oaks #206, San Antonio, TX 78232. However, swimmers should not wear their team suit to practice sessions. Swimmers may wear the previous year’s team suit or any other competition type suit. This will save wear and tear on the team suit.

Other Equipment

Unlike other sports, very little equipment is required for a swimmer. Most swimmers like to wear swim goggles. All girls (and boys with long hair or those who want to swim fast) must wear swim caps. Team swim caps are required equipment at all dual and Championship Meets for girls and boys with long hair. Swimmers should get use to wearing caps at practice.

Please make sure that every item your swimmer brings to a practice or a meet has his or her name or initials on it including shirts, shorts, towels, goggles, swim caps, water bottles, etc. Fingernail polish works great on goggles and swim fins.

MEET PROCEDURES

Entry Procedures

It is VERY important for parents to let the RSVP to meets on the website a week prior to the meets. Coach organizes the events a week before the meets!

Head coach can enter each swimmer into 4 events for the meet. Coach will give each swimmer an opportunity to compete in a variety of events & relays. Swimming is an individual and team sport. Relays are really important to be there for your team. If a swimmer cannot attend a meet for which he/she has been entered due to illness, etc the team must be informed by calling the Head Coach or team rep as soon as possible. Coach will then have a chance to rearrange the relay so the other swimmers will still have an opportunity to participate! If you have any concerns regarding events please contact the Coach.

Please Check-in On Time!!

Home Meets: Sample Schedule

7:00-7:20 am Check - in with Coach - *So important!!

7:20-7:50 am Sharks team warm-ups (get 30 mins)

7:50-8:20 am Visiting team warm-ups (get 30 mins)

8:20 am Swimmers in Events #1-10 line up at Ready Bench

8:30 am Meet Starts

*It is essential that every swimmer check in on time with the coaches on the day of the meet. If your swimmer shows up late at a meet, he/she will be scratched from that meet. Other swimmers will be given an opportunity to fill in for any scratched swimmer.

It is also essential that all swimmers show up to the pool no matter what the weather is at your house. Only the Meet Referee can cancel a meet due to foul weather conditions. A team that does not show up forfeits the meet.

Away Meets: AM Sample Schedule (note it all depends on start time)

7:20-7:40 am Check - in with Coach - *So important!!

7:20-7:50 am Home team warm-ups (get 30 mins)

7:50-8:20 am Sharks team warm-ups (get 30 mins)

8:20 am Swimmers in Events #1-10 line up at Ready Bench

8:30 am Meet Starts

Away Meets: PM Sample Schedule (note it all depends on start time)

5:00 - 5:20 pm Check - in with Coach - *So important!!

4:10- 5:20 pm Home team warm-ups (get 30 mins)

5:20-5:50 pm Sharks team warm-ups (get 30 mins)

5:50 pm Swimmers in Events #1-10 line up at Ready Bench

6:00 pm Meet Starts

SWIMMERS: STAY WITH YOUR TEAM

During the meets, swimmers should sit with the team in the designated swim team area. Parents & swimmers pay attention to events and swimmers should be at Ready Bench 10 events prior to their event.

An event will begin on schedule whether or not all swimmers are present when the event begins. Swimmers are responsible for reporting to the ready area on time.

Please be sure to listen for events when they are called. We do not want any swimmer to miss his or her event or to lose any points because he or she cannot be found.

Need to Leave Early?

Swimmers should not leave a meet before it is over. Swimmers leaving before completing their events may cause the team to lose points, and a relay team may have to be scratched, denying the remaining three swimmers on the relay team a chance to compete. However, if a swimmer must leave before the end of a meet, the swimmer must notify one of the coaches. Swimmers who leave a meet before swimming all of their events (including relays) without the permission of a coach will not be entered in the next meet.

TEAM PICTURES

The team provides an opportunity to order and pay for a picture package consisting of a group team photo and or an individual photos. Swimmers are to wear their team suit and boys shall also wear their team t-shirt. See the team calendar for the date of the team photo.

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Because a swim team is run by volunteers—with exception of a highly qualified, paid coaching staff—parent participation is essential at every swim meet. The Sharks Swim Team must furnish volunteers for both home and away meets, although more volunteers are required to host a home meet.

Each family is expected to work at least three times during the swim season. At registration, parents are given the opportunity to sign up to work in various positions. Please be on time for your job and shift.If you have a schedule conflict or must be absent,it is up to you to schedule a replacement.The best way to do this is to contact people assigned to your same job at another meet and arrange a switch or if you become available at the last minute please, contact the Volunteer Coordinator to assign a substitute in your place. Please do so as soon as you know you will not be able to attend the meet you signed up for.

No Experience Needed

Parents of new members are encouraged to sign up for these jobs. There are easy jobs to fit everyone’s skills or abilities. Even mothers with small children can bake for the concession stand or do other odd jobs like coordinating the photo day or Rewards Dinner or running the Website. Each job is important and can be fun!

Board Members

Should meet in the beginning of March to prepare for the upcoming season. They work together to hire Coaches & finalize the budget.

Team Rep Manager- Liaison with MSSL and attends their quarterly meetings Jan., March, Sept. & Nov. Oversees Home meets with the Dolphin system, scorekeeper and communicates with the Visiting Team.

Team Co Rep – Works alongside with Team Rep to take over the next year. Focuses on sending volunteer emails out and make sure they are full. Helps with staffing the meets with volunteers.

Team Operations Manager – Organizes Set-up for home meets. Makes sure blocks are set-up correctly and meet is ready to go with other set-up volunteers. Oversees clean-up.

Treasurer – Manages finances of team. Jan. submit taxes (2 hrs). Feb. pay commitment fee. May collect registration money. Finalize budget. May-June pay coaches & reimburse people. Time is off and on but maybe 2 hrs per week during season.

Concessions Coordinator – Organizes concessions for 2 home meets by purchasing food & running the stand during the meet with other volunteers. 5 hrs per week on home meets +meets

Scorekeeper – Helps with using the Dolphin system to keep score for the team. 5-10 hrs the week before a meet. Runs home meets and helps at away meets.

Assistant Scorekeeper - Assists Scorekeeper

Volunteer Descriptions outside of the Meets

There are additional instructions that can be requested by the Team Rep

Sponsorship – Reaches out to sponsors at the end of March. Collects money and gathers logos for website & team banner. After the season makes sure to say thank you to all sponsors.

Website Manager - Sets up Registration in the middle of March for registration to start usually the 1st week of April. Also sends reports to T-shirts and Trophies. Time commitment is heavy in April with set up but easy during season just needs to help send documents to Trophy and Treasurer in May.

T-shirt Coordinator - Design & purchase t-shirts for the team within the team budget.

Trophies Coordinator - Work with Monarch Trophies to purchase for the Rewards Night. Needs to start at the end of May or first week of June to be ready for the Party.

Rewards Night Coordinator - Plans & executes the Rewards party that is held on the last evening of practice from 7-9pm before Champs.

Photographer Coordinator - schedule team photo shoot with Don Fotos. Contact him in April to schedule the first week of June so photos are ready before Rewards night.

Donut Coordinator - purchases donuts for the team for ribbon days. Donuts need to be at the morning practice the day after the meet, usually 9-9:30am. Can ask for donations or purchase within our budget.

Volunteer Descriptions during the Meets

**You are responsible to find the Team Rep or Coach at the Meets to find your position**

For more details look under News Tab to find more details on job descriptions and reimbursement forms.

Set-up Parents set up equipment, moves furniture, set up pop up tents, sets up ready benches, sponsor banners, etc. before meets

Clean-up Parents put the pool back together after a meet (all chairs, tables, lounge chairs, etc.) and clean up of the pool area and parking lot after home meets.

Concession Workers aid in setting up the concession stand, selling refreshments, and cleaning up the concession stand at home meets.

Team Ready Bench Parents call swimmers to the ready area and help the coaches get swimmers lined up for the next events and maintains order in the ready area. SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFO ABOUT READY BENCH.

Events Counterkeeps track of the event number and heat on board (either writes or flips chart)

Timers use digital stopwatches to time and record the time on the lane timer sheets. Each lane has three times – one is in charge of the clipboard and legibly writing down the watch times, a second timer watches to ensure the times are correctly transcribed, and the third timer asks the swimmer his or her name to be sure the correct swimmer is in their event, heat, and lane.

Head Timer uses a manual stopwatch to time each event and records the time of the slowest swimmer for each heat.

Hospitality/Runners collect lane timer sheets and disqualification slips from timers and judging officials and takes them to the scorekeeper’s table. Also delivers water to people working the meet (timers, meet ref, ready bench moms for both teams, lifeguard, etc) at least once each half.

Volunteer Substitute will fill in for any position (except those requiring training) any time during the meet.

Schedule for Pre- Meet Review

6:15 am Set-up comes. Must be done for warm-ups which start at 7:00am

7:00-7:15 am Check-in volunteer meets with Coach Ruth

7:30 am Concessions open and volunteers will start rotation

8:00 am Scorekeepers arrive and set up

8:00 am Runners, event turner, timers gather pre - meeting

8:10 am Ready Bench & Lane Liners meet to prep heat sheet for the event. Start to organize kids at 8:20am

POSITIONS REQUIRING TRAINING At A Free, Annual MSSL Clinic

**Strongly recommended that you have swimming knowledge/background before signing up as a stroke and turn judge. Starters should have at least one year experience as a stroke and turn judge. Meet refs should have at least 2 years experience.

Meet Referee has complete responsibility for a speedy and impartial conduct of the competition, knows the MSSLand swim stroke rules, is familiar with the whistle start procedures, inspects the pool and equipment, and conducts an officials’ meeting before the meet begins. The Meet Referee usually has worked as a Stroke & Turn Judge for at least two swim seasons and could be, but DOES NOT have to be a nationally certified official.

Starter’s primary job is to ensure all swimmers have a fair and equitable start, knows the MSSL rules and how they are applied, and is familiar with the whistle start procedures.

Stroke and Turn Judge observes the swimmers in their assigned lanes, makes disqualifications when applicable, and understands the MSSL and swim stroke rules and how they are applied.

Scorekeeper takes the data from the lane timer sheets and inputs it into the Meet Manager software. Periodically through the meet, the scorekeeper will print the ribbon labels for swimmers who place 1st-6th. At the end of the meet, the scorekeeper asks the Referee and the 2 Head Coaches to sign the final score sheet.

Again, the Oaks Swim Team cannot continue to exist without the assistance of parent volunteers. ALL PARENTSMUST PARTICIPATE FOR CONTINUED SWIM TEAM SUCCESS at Oaks of Sonterra!

Ready Bench Additional Information

The Ready Bench (RB) is the area where swimmers are gathered and organized into their heats and lanes, and are then taken to the blocks for the various events they will be swimming. These tasks are critical to keeping the meet on schedule and to ensuring a smooth and efficiently run meet. We thank you for volunteering for this important job!!!

------------------------ RESPONSIBILITIES OF READY BENCH VOLUNTEERS ------------------------

Head Ready Bench

• Lead the Ready Bench volunteers in performing their functions and ensure that the Ready Bench is running efficiently.
• Ensure all volunteers have an updated Heat Sheet.
• Mark absent swimmers on Heat Sheet.
• Notify Coach of any missing swimmers or issues.
• Perform all Bench Volunteer duties and assists with Runner duties as needed.

Bench

• Organize swimmers on the benches in order of event, heat and lane position according to the current Heat Sheet.
• Notify the Head Ready Bench volunteer of any missing swimmers.
• Help with any last minute changes or things that might come up like broken goggles or caps.
• Maintain order at the Ready Bench area.

Runner

• Walk the swimmers in the correct order from the Ready Bench to the staging area behind the Dive Blocks.

Blocks

• Work towards having 1 swimmer on blocks and 3 swimmers lined up behind them, preferably no more. (This may change during Individual Medleys/IM’s.)
• Keep Runner informed as to when to bring the next heat(s).

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