Glen Allen Gliders

HELP! My child is on the Glider’s Swim Team! Now What?:
A Guide for Bewildered Parents of New Members of the Glider’s Swim Team

Every parent, at their first swim meet, has wondered, "What am I doing here on a Monday evening in the middle of summer, and what is going on?" Hopefully this will answer all the questions that you have and some of those you didn’t know to ask!

The Glen Allen Gliders swim team is a part of the James River Aquatic Club, one of several summer swim leagues in Richmond. (www.jracsummerswim.org)

There is a place on our team for any child that is 18 or younger as of June 1^st, who can swim approximately one length of a pool (25 yards) unaided. The season starts with pre-season practices in May and runs through the JRAC Championship Meet in July. Our goals are to practice hard, to try to do our personal best, to make friends, to show exemplary sportsmanship and, most importantly, HAVE LOTS OF FUN!

Expectations:

This year, the league and the Gliders have a renewed focus on sportsmanship. The following Glen Allen Glider and JRAC League rules need to be adhered to by all swimmers, families and coaches.

1. Everyone will follow all pool rules at all facilities, including instruction from all lifeguards and coaches during any swim team activity.
2. Will display positive and supportive attitudes, proper respect and good sportsmanship to teammates, coaches, officials, spectators and competitors.
3. Everyone will follow all instructions and directions during practice and meets. Behavior (verbal or physical) that may be classified as disruptive, derogatory, profane or harassing is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated at any level.
4. Everyone understands that the use or possession of alcohol, tobacco products, and other un-prescribed controlled substances is strictly prohibited.
5. Everyone understands that negative or offensive behavior could result in suspension from practices and swim meets, with severe or repeated offenses leading to expulsion from the team for the remainder of the summer swim season. Swimmers also understand that if an offense in which I am involved is not in accordance with good sportsmanship, a positive image of the Glen Allen Gliders, the swimmer and their family will have the potential to be removed and/or banned from any and all activities entirely, even after one offense.

Expectations of Swimmers

1. Pay attention to the coaches - Disruptions aren't fair to the other swimmers.
2. Do your best - It is a lot more important than being the best.
3. Demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times, win or lose.
4. Have Fun!

Expectations of Parents:

1. For swimmers under 14, please ensure that a parent or responsible person always remains at the pool during practices and meets. Coaches are focusing on swimmer safety and instruction and cannot be babysitters, especially if weather or other unforeseen circumstances cause practice to be cut short.
2. Make sure to notify the coaches (via email) if your swimmer cannot be at a swim meet. In many events, we have limited entries and a no-show swimmer may take away a spot for another swimmer.
3. Your swimmer(s) can request which individual events they would like to swim at meets, but the final selection of events are the Coaches’ decision.
4. Communication with coaches is to be done through the coach’s e-mail. Parents are not to contact coaches through personal e-mail or their personal phone numbers unless specifically told that to by the coaches.
5. Respect the coaches’ time – especially when they are at the pool and working with children. Parents are not to coach their swimmers during practice or meets. Parents are also not to interrupt coaches during practice. We understand you may have questions, but please either speak with a swim team rep first or use the swim team email address to contact them.
6. Our team emphasizes Good Sportsmanship with the swimmers. Please understand and display appropriate meet and practice behaviors (e.g., watch; make positive remarks; do not berate or argue with swimmers, officials, board members or coaches).

Where you can find all of this and more information:

• On the team website: gagliders.swintopia.com
• By emailing the Swim reps (LeighAnne and Nicole) at [email protected]
• By emailing the coaches at [email protected]
• By talking to any of the other swim team parents

THE BASICS:

Practices:

Practices will be held at the Glen Allen swimming pool (a 25 yard pool) in the evenings while school is in session and in the mornings once school is out for the summer. We do have afternoon practices for the swimmers that cannot make the morning session, but the pool is open to everyone, so we have less lane space and request that swimmers not double up on practices.

May 18 - May 29

(No Friday practices while Henrico schools are in session)

(No practice on Memorial Day or May 29 (last day of school)

8 and Under: 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
9 to 10 Years Old: 5:00 - 5:45 p.m.
11 to 12 Years Old: 5:45 - 6:30 p.m.
13 & Older: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

June 1 - July 14 (July 22 for Champs swimmer)

Mornings (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)

Pre-team: 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
8 & Under: 8:15 - 9:00 a.m.
9 - 10 Year Olds: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
11 - 18 Year Olds: 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Tuesdays after Swim Meets

10 & Under: 9:15 - 10:00 a.m.
11 & Older: 10:15 - 11:00 a.m.

Afternoons (available to swimmers who cannot make morning practices - no doubles!)

6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday & Thursday: 10 & Under
Wednesday & Friday: 11 & Older

Strokes and Turns practices

Strokes and Turns practrices are held Saturday morning - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

These practices are by invite only. This way our coaches can focus on assisting swimmers who need to fine tune their technique or are getting ready to swim a brand new event!

Swimming apparel & gear:

Swimmers should wear a swimsuit that does not restrict their movement in the water. Most swimmers will need goggles, but they are not required. Swim caps are also not required, but the team does provide them for all swimmers. Team suits are not required but can be ordered on our team store: https://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/gliders.

If you choose not to get the team suit, please use an appropriate swimsuit (no bikinis, as they do not race well!) in black or black/yellow.

Swim Events:

Girls and boys compete in separate events in specific age groups. The eligibility of a swimmer for a particular age group is determined by their age as of June 1 of that year. For example, a child who turns nine on June 2nd will compete as an 8 and under for the entire season.

• Ages 8 and under
• Ages 9-10
• Ages 11-12
• Ages 13-14
• Ages 15-18

Ages 8 and under individual events are 25 yards (or meters), or one length of the pool
Ages 9 and up events are 50 yards (or meters) as well as the 100 yard (or meter) Individual Medley
Ages 13-18 may also swim 100 yard (or meter) freestyle

Swimmers may also swim in mixed relays. JRAC rules stipulate that each relay team have at least 2 girls on the team. Either a Freestyle Relay (all swimmers swim freestyle) or a Medley relays (each swimmer swims a different stroke) will be in each regular season meet. Ages 8 and under swim 100 yard/meter relays (25 yards/meters per swimmer) while Ages 9+ swim 200 yard/meter relays (50 yards/meters per swimmer)

Classifications of Swimmers within age groups

In an effort to maintain competitive balance and fairness for new swimmers and experienced swimmers, swimmers are divided into speed classifications within age groups. This is done so that a first year swimmer is not competing against a year round experienced swimmer. In JRAC, swimmers are broken into 4 speed categories based on their best time in an event. As swimmers get faster, they can move up in a speed category. You cannot drop back down to a lower category.

• Novice: generally a swimmer’s first level of competition on our team. In a regular dual meet, each team may swim an unlimited number of swimmers in the novice events with the exception of the IM where no more than three Novice swimmers may swim the IM event each week. Freestyle is a novice stroke in all meets. The other 3 strokes rotate each meet. A swimmer is a Novice unless he or she has made the regular cut-off time in that event
• Regular: in a dual meet, each team may enter only three Regular swimmers in each event. Any swimmer may swim in the Regular heat of an event, provided that the swimmer has not made an X time or faster in that event. (A Novice swimmer can be entered into a Regular heat, though, at the Coach’s discretion)
• X – a swimmer must swim in the X heat of an event if that swimmer has made an X qualifying time in that event previously. Those who place in X events earn more points for the team than those in the Novice and Regular events. X times are generally equivalent to United States Swimming B or BB times.
• XX – any swimmer who has made an XX qualifying time in an event must swim in an XX heat of that event. XX times are generally equivalent to United States Swimming A times.

In certain events, we may swim novice swimmers in a Regular event. This is because we are allowed to swim up to 3 swimmers in regular events. If this happens, the swimmer is given an artificial seed time, but this does not affect their ability to swim in novice events in the future. The benefits of this are that we can swim more swimmers, and the swimmers bumped up to regular are likely to place in the top 6 (provided they do not DQ) therefore scoring more points for the team. This is more prevalent in older age groups.

JRAC Championship Meet

• The Championship Meet gathers selected swimmers from all the teams in the league to compete again each other. Swimmer may participate in four events, including a relay. Trophies are given for overall Champs team winners, division winners and sportsmanship award for each division. Swimmers who score in the top 6 in their event receive a medal. Not all Gliders can be chosen to participate in Champs. Minimum qualifying times (listed later in this handbook) must be achieved and coaches are limited as to the number of entries per event.

Meet Schedule

The swim meet schedule is posted on the website.

Swim meets are generally scheduled on Monday evenings. Starting times are communicated out before each meet, but warmups are usually 30 minutes prior to the start of the meet for away meets and 45 minutes before for home meets. Check-in starts usually about an hour or so before the meet. Swimmers have to check-in or they may be removed from their events.

Please let your coach know if your child will not be attending a swim meet, as coaches plan the events and relays ahead of time.

What to bring

• Shelter from the sun: Many families bring portable sun shelters to protect themselves and other teammates and spectators from the sun. These shelters are usually large enough to host more than one family, so if you don't already own a canopy, you do not have to purchase one (but you might want to invest in one - it's a great way of making friends!)
• Lawn Chairs
• Towels
• Swim suit, goggles & swim cap
• Extra goggles and extra swim cap (just in case)
• Plenty of water to drink
• Light snacks for consumption by your swimmer and family during the meet (fruit, granola, etc...) – most swim meets have food available to purchase that supports the teams
• Sunscreen
• Sharpie – To write the swimmers events on their hands to help them remeber
• Entertainment for children: (i.e., books, games, cards), as meets run anywhere between 3-4 hours in length. Don't forget entertainment for yourself as well!
• Sweatshirt/pants/pajama pants – swimmers do get chilly in the evenings after swimming – even in the summer!

Volunteers

The swim meets require the participation of as many volunteers (parents, older siblings, grandparents) as possible. It takes anywhere from 35 (away) to 75+ (home) volunteers to run a smooth meet. We have roles that require no experience/training at all up to roles that require experience and training.

• Each family is expected to sign up for a volunteer position, four shifts total. We ask that families with older children work the second half shifts if possible.
• Hosting a swim meet is a very labor-intensive process and requires the assistance of many parents’ volunteers. Most jobs are not difficult and, with enough volunteers, not time consuming.
• Swim meets cannot begin until all required stations are staffed, so parent involvement here is critical.
• Some volunteer positions require attendance at a training clinic prior to the first meet, Clerk of Course, Head Table, Strokes and Turns Judges, Referee, Starter and Head Timer.
• Three timers, representing both teams, will staff each lane. All three timers in each lane will use a digital stopwatch. The stopwatch times will be written on the swimmer’s card. The middle time will be the swimmers official time. A swimmer can ask the timers for their times as soon as the heat is finished.

Communication

• Email is the preferred form of communication. Group emails (with new information and updates) are sent out as necessary. The coaches will send out swimmer specific emails and the swim reps focus on logistics, volunteers, direction, etc.

"My kid says he's supposed to swim like a butterfly..."

• While the Stroke & Turn rules may seem complicated to us, the coaches make sure that they explain them in a manner that is simple enough for a 5 year old to understand. However, as we adults may be less gifted at grasping these rules, we will briefly describe each stroke. Please note that other leagues (High School, USA Swimming, etc.) may have slightly different rules.

FREESTYLE

The freestyle is defined as any means of swimming across the pool. Any stroke or kick is acceptable. There are, however, a few "don'ts" associated with this stroke:

• The swimmer cannot walk on the bottom of the pool.
• The swimmer cannot use the lane lines to pull themselves ahead.
• In a 50 yard (or meter) race, meaning two pool lengths in short course racing, a swimmer must touch the wall with some body part - hand, foot, head - at the 25 yard (meter) end before touching the wall at the 50 yard (meter) end.
• A swimmer must finish the race in the same lane that he/she started in

Causes for disqualification:

It is hard to get disqualified in freestyle, but it does happen. Apart from the above, a swimmer can get disqualified, for instance, for swimming under the lane line into another swimmer's lane and interfering with that swimmer.

BACKSTROKE

Like the freestyle, almost anything goes with the backstroke, as long as you stay on your back. Backstroke starts are different because the swimmer is in the water with feet planted against the wall, hanging on the edge of the pool or off of the blocks. The backstroke flip turn is the only exception to staying on your back and can be used only as a part of a turn. The backstroke flip turn is optional, so if your child has not learned it yet, do not panic. The coaches will make sure that they learn it when they are ready.

Causes for disqualification:

Disqualification in backstroke is most often related to the swimmer turning onto their stomach before touching the wall. A swimmer must finish the race while on their back. Swimmers will learn “their count” which is the number of strokes that it takes them to get from the backstroke flag (hung above the pool) to the edge, so that they won’t run into the wall.

Touching the lane lines is allowed, but not propelling off the line.

BREASTSTROKE

The breaststroke has three components: the kick, the arm pull and the glide. The kick is a "frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. The arm pull reaches forward underwater - once the arms are in full extension ahead, the swimmer pauses (or glides) and waits for the legs to finish the kick, with legs together. The arm pull and kick must be in alternating sequence and the elbows must stay below the water. Breaststroke turns and finishes require a simultaneous, two-hand touch. For other rules, such as the underwater pull, please attend the Stroke & Turn clinic.

Causes for disqualification:

The frequent cause for disqualification is the swimmers use of a "scissor kick" - an asymmetric kick, or any other kick that is not a breaststroke kick. The other major cause of disqualification is a one-hand touch.

BUTTERFLY

A well-executed butterfly (or Fly) is the most beautiful exhibition of power you will ever see in a swimming pool. The fly is the hardest stroke for most swimmers to perfect, and while they are learning it, they may look like they are drowning. There are two components to the fly: the arm pull and the kick. The arm pull must be an over-the-water recovery (elbows breaking the surface of the water) with the arms moving simultaneously. The kick is a dolphin style kick, with both legs moving simultaneously. Unlike the breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick and the pull. Turns and finishes require a simultaneous, two-hand touch on the wall.

Causes for disqualifications:

Asymmetric arm pull, asymmetric kick, any kick other than a dolphin kick. The other major cause for disqualification is a one-hand touch.

IM (Individual Medley)

In the individual medley (or IM), a swimmer completes each of the four strokes in the following sequence: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle. We swim a 100 yard IM in JRAC - 25 yards (one pool length) for each stroke.

RELAYS

There are two kinds of relays: The Medley Relay and the Freestyle relay. Both involve four swimmers, each one swimming one quarter of the distance. In the Medley Relay, the sequence is: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. In the Freestyle (or Free)Relay, each swimmer swims freestyle. In all relays, each swimmer must wait until the previous swimmer touches the wall before leaving the deck or block. The touch must be appropriate to the stroke - for instance, two-hand touches are necessary to finish the butterfly and breaststroke portions of the relay legally, and touching the wall with the swimmer still on the back is needed for a legal backstroke touch. The total distance of the relay depends on the age of the swimmer. Younger swimmers (8 & under) only swim 25 yards per leg of the race, older swimmers must complete 50 yards per leg of the race.

Who are all these people at the swim meet?

Your first swim meet can be an overwhelming experience as you encounter a horde of adults and children who all seem to know what's going on, leaving you feeling like you are the only one who does not belong. Do not panic! We are all a "first timer" at some point, and we are all here to help! It is a good idea to show up on time (or even a little early) to set up your lawn chair/shade/etc... in the team common area while your child is warming up with the team. Sometime before the swim meet starts, look for the team whiteboard - the schedule of events and each swimmer's scheduled swims for the day will be posted. We also try and send out entries prior to the meet by email, but these are subject to last minute changes. Always check at the pool and with the check-in person, who will have the final entries.

Familiarize yourself with the pool, for example, get to know which end of the pool the swimmers will start from, which side of the pool Lane 1 is on, where clerk of course is located, etc. If you are not volunteering, please consider helping your child and other children in your child's age group get to their respective events/lanes on time. If you are volunteering, please check in with the volunteer coordinator to let everyone know you are here and ready to help!

CLERK OF COURSE (home meets only)

This is the gatekeeper for the meet – confirming lane assignments for each heat/event. They will make last minute adjustments based on missing swimmers, empty lanes, etc.

We also use “Clerk of Course” as the gathering area for each event. The announcer will announce event numbers and if your swimmer is in that event, then they will gather at the clerk of the course with the other swimmers in that event. Please pay attention to the announcements. It is difficult to track down individual swimmers and if they are not at the clerk, they will be scratched. Multiple announcements will be made before that happens.

THE CALLER (home meets only)

The callers are located at the clerk of course and will help get the swimmers into their correct lane/heat in the staging area.

THE STARTER (home meets only)

The Starter is responsible for making sure that all the swimmers are given a fair and equitable start. The Starter will instruct the swimmers to "take your mark". When all the swimmers are ready and still, the starter will start the race using a "Colorado System" consisting of a loud speaker, a horn and a strobe light. They are located on the side of the pool.

STROKE & TURN JUDGES (home and away meets)

These people are responsible for ensuring that all swimmers obey the rules for the stroke that they are swimming. There are four Stroke & Turn judges, two from each team. If the Stroke & Turn judge sees a violation, he/she records it on a DQ (Disqualification) slip and hands it to the Referee. If your child receives a DQ, please remain calm. The reason for the DQ is noted on the slip and the coacjhes will review them with the swimmer at the next practice. DQ slips are common during meets and are a welcome reminder to pay attention to that mistake and work on it during the upcoming practices. Even the best swimmers occasionally get DQed. It is nothing to be ashamed about.

TIMERS (home and away meets)

Timers are the most important people to the swimmers. Volunteering to ‘time' is an opportunity to reserve the best seat in the house-on the pool deck! Timing is a good entry-level volunteer position, and it comes with many perks, one of which is getting to know many of the swimmers.

HEAD TIMER (home meets only)

The Head Timer manages the timers and helps out in the case that a watch is defective, or a timer needs a break.

HEAD TABLE WORKERS (home meets only)

This is another great entry level position, with the added perk that you may get shade. Table workers receive the time cards and DQ slips and validate the correct time for each swimmer.

COMPUTER (home meets only)

These volunteers enter the times into the swim software where the results are scored. The software is fairly easy, but some free training is provided if needed.

VERIFIERS (home and away meets)

Also work at the head table, validating that the computer output matches the timing sheets.

OTHER ROLES NEEDED

We also need concession workers, water delivery, 50/50 raffle, announcers, check-in, mite parents,and several other roles to make meets go well.

COACHES

During the swim meet, the primary responsibility of the coaches is to encourage, instruct and praise the swimmers. Please try to limit talking to the coaches at length during the swim meet, as coaches have a lot of swimmers to pay attention to.

We also have roles outside of the meets that we would love help managing:

Pancake Parents – Help with making/supervising pancake cooking at fun practices on Tuesday morning