TheDelawareSwimTeam
TeamHandbook
2016-2017
1
TableofContents
Sec%onAIntroduc%onandTeamPhilosophy
MissionStatement….............................................3
Introduc;on….......................................................4
TeamPhilosophy...................................................5
LongRangeObjec;ves….......................................6
Sec%onB:CoachingStaffandTeamPrograms
CoachesBillofRights&Responsibili;es…...........7
Non-Compe;;vePrograms…...............................9
Compe;;vePrograms….......................................10
Na;onalPrograms….............................................11
Sec%onC:SwimmerResponsibili%es&Prac%cePolicies
SwimmerBillofRights…......................................12
SwimmersTrainingResponsibili;es…..................12
TeamUniformandEquipment…..........................13
Prac;ce&AUendancePolicies…..........................14
Prac;ceCodeofConduct…..................................15
ObservingPrac;ces…...........................................16
Sec%onD:Parent’sRole
Parents…YourAthleteNeedsYou.......................17
GuidetoBeaGoodSwimParent........................19
Sec%onE:Volunteer&ServicePointObliga%on
Volunteerism…....................................................21
VolunteerPosi;ons…..........................................21
ServicePointObliga;onSummary…...................22
HowToSignUptoVolunteer…...........................23
BecomeaUSASwimmingOfficial…....................24
Sec%onF:Communica%on:
Communica;on…..............................................25
TheHowTo’sofHealthyCommunica;on….....26
Sec%onG:FinancialObliga%ons&Billing
TypesofFees….................................................27
TeamBilling…...................................................28
FeeStructure….................................................39
ProgramNotes…..............................................30
Sec%onH:SwimMeets
PhilosophyofCompe;;on…...........................31
AgeGroups…...................................................31
Mo;va;onalTimes….......................................32
Types&LevelsofMeets…...............................33
MeetSchedule…..............................................34
HowtoEnterYourswimmersinaMeet….......34
EntryFees&Surcharges…...............................35
ExpectedBehaviorataSwimMeet…..............35
SwimMeetProcedures….................................36
AppendixSec%on
A-TermsandCondi;onsforPar;cipa;on…....37
B-SwimmerCodeofConduct….......................38
C-ParentCodeofConduct…...........................39
D-ServicePointObliga;onPolicy….................40
E-TeamTravelCommitmentPolicy…..............42
F-DSTonTwiUer…...........................................44
2
MissionStatement
• 
Toprovideyoungpeopleposi%veexperiencesthroughcompe%%veswimmingthatwilllastalife%me.
• 
Thecoachingstaffbelievesthatthefollowingconceptsareofgreatvaluetoourstudentathletes.Asan
organiza;on,theDelawareSwimTeamcoachingstaffwillstriveto:
•  Developproperstroketechniqueatanearlyage
•  Teachandemphasizegoodsportsmanship
•  Increaseselfesteemandmo;va;on,encouragehardwork,goalseengandgoalachievement
•  Ins;llthevaluesofdedica;on,commitment,andteamloyalty
•  Encourageswimmerstostriveforexcellenceateachlevelofourprogram
•  Provideanenvironmentforourswimmerstoreachtheirmaximumpoten;al
3
Introduction
Thepurposeofthishandbookistwo-fold:toexplaintonewmembersjustwhattheDelawareSwimTeam
(DST)isandtooutlinevariouspoliciesthataffectallswimmers,yearaheryear.Itshouldbereadbyall
familiessothattheymaybecomefamiliarwithimportantfactsandrulesoftheteam.
Welcome!
Welcome to the Delaware Swim Team! We look forward to working with your swimmer(s) as all of us
progress through our swimming/coaching careers. Our team is a year-round, developmental and
compe;;ve swimming team offering instruc;on, training, and compe;;on to young people of all ages
andabili;es.OurswimteamisownedbyMichaelRamoneandLisaRamonewhohavebeeninvolvedin
theworldofswimmingsince1977.
The Delaware Swim Team has established itself as the top team in Delaware as well as one of the top
teams in the Middle Atlan;c LSC. The team competes in local, regional, and na;onal compe;;ons
sanc;onedbyUSASwimming,thena;onalgoverningbodyforamateurswimminginthiscountry.
This handbook will help familiarize you with all facets of the Delaware Swim Team program and with
compe;;veswimmingingeneral.Asyoulookthroughthefollowingpagesyouwillbeintroducedtoour
history,philosophy,teampolicies,andtothebasicinforma;onconcerningyourday-to-daypar;cipa;on
in the DST program. It is our hope that this handbook will help you beUer understand and enjoy your
family’spar;cipa;onwithourprogram.
Introduc;onandTeamPhilosophy-Sec;onA
4
TeamPhilosophy
TheDelawareSwimTeamviewsswimmingasanimportantpartoftheoveralldevelopmentofayoungboyorgirl.Besides
the most obvious benefit of physical condi;oning, swimming fosters the personal discipline required to persevere, the
confidencebuildingofprogressincompe;;on,thesocialgrowthfromtravel,learningtoacceptwinningandlosingwith
equalgrace,andthesenseofvaluesgainedfromcompe;ngasbothanindividualandateammember.
The Delaware Swim Team program strives to ins;ll in young swimmers an understanding of, and apprecia;on for such
conceptsashighself-esteem,personalaccountability,construc;veself-mo;va;on,goal-seeng,andgoalachievementas
theirideasrelatetotheirsuccessintrainingandincompe;;on.Itisourbeliefthattheprocessofachievingisassignificant
asrealizingtheachievementitself.AteachleveloftheDSTprogram,swimmersareinstructedtostriveforexcellence.
Excellenceinthissenserepresentstheachievementofthatlevelatwhicheachswimmerknowsthattheyhavedonetheir
utmosttobecomethebesttheyarecapableofbecoming.Thisphilosophyisconsistentthroughouttheprograminevery
swimmer, novice through Olympian. We want every swimmer to swim to the best of their own ability and seek the
opportunitytoaUainthelevelofexcellencetowhichtheirdesireandabilitywillmovethem.Webelieveswimmersand
theirparentsalikeshouldenjoyswimmingandrememberitisaposi;veexperience.
5
Introduc;onandTeamPhilosophy-Sec;onA
LongRangeObjectives
PERSONALANDPHYSICALDEVELOPMENT
• 
• 
• 
• 
ToprovideanopportunityforyoungpeopleintheDelawareareatoengageinawholesome,lifesaving,life;mesport
andrecrea;onalac;vity.
Topromotephysicalfitnessandencouragepropercondi;oningandhealthhabits.
Toprovideopportuni;esforhealthysocial,emo;onal,andeduca;onaldevelopment,andtoencouragepeerand
familypar;cipa;on.
Tofosterthedevelopmentofhighself-esteemandhelpcul;vateposi;veself-images
COMPTETITIVEDEVELOPMENT
• 
• 
• 
• 
Tocreateanenvironmentinwhichthedesireforself-improvementandgoalachievementmo;vatestheindividual
tofullydeveloptheirnaturalabili;esandhelpotherstodolikewise.
Toprovideopportuni;estolearnthevaluesofhardwork,dedica;on,self-discipline,andperseverance.
Topromotetheidealsofhonesty,integrity,goodsportsmanship,andteamloyalty.
Toprovidequalityinstruc;on,training,andcompe;;onatallpeerandabilitylevels.
STATE,REGIONAL,ANDNATIONALADMINISTRATION
• 
Par;cipateinthedirec;onandmanagementofMiddleAtlan;cSwimmingandtofurtherthegrowthanddevelopment
ofcompe;;veswimminginthestate.
6
Introduc;onandTeamPhilosophy-Sec;onA
Coaches’BillofRights
1.Eachcoachisaprofessionalandhasarighttobetreatedwithrespectbyallswimmers,parents,andothercoaches.
2.EachcoachhasarighttoexpectthefullsupportofallparentsintheDSTprogram.
3.Eachcoachhasarighttoestablishtrainingprogramswhicharesafeandwhichwillmeettheneedsandgoalsofthe
swimmers,headcoach,andDST.
4.Eachcoachhasarighttobefreefromunnecessaryinterrup;onfromparentsduringtrainingsessionsormeets.
5.Eachcoachhasarighttobecompensatedfairlyforhisorherservicesconsideringthefinancialabili;esofDST.
Coaches’Responsibilities
Thecoaches'jobistosupervisetheen;recompe;;veswimprogram.TheDelawareSwimTeamcoachingstaffisdedicatedto
providingaprogramforyoungstersthatwillenablethemtolearnthevalueofstrivingtoimproveoneself--"tobethebestyou
canbe."Therefore,thecoachesmustbeintotalcontrolinmaUersaffec;ngtrainingandcompe;;on.
1.Thecoachesareresponsibleforplacingswimmersinprac;cegroups.Thisisbasedontheageandabilitylevelofeach
individual.Whenitisinthebestinterestofaswimmer,he/shewillbeplacedinamorechallengingtraininggroupbytheircoach.
2.Soleresponsibilityforstrokeinstruc;onandthetrainingregimenrestswiththeDSTcoachingstaff.Eachgroup’sprac;cesare
basedonsoundscien;ficprinciplesandaregearedtothespecificgoalsofthatgroup.
3.ThecoachingstaffwillmakethefinaldecisionconcerningwhichmeetsDSTswimmersmayaUend.Thecoachingstaffalso
makesthefinaldecisionconcerningwhicheventsaswimmerisenteredinto.
4.Atmeets,thecoachingstaffwillconductandsupervisewarm-upproceduresfortheteam.Ahereachrace,thecoacheswill
offerconstruc;vecri;cismregardingtheswimmer’sperformance.(Itistheparent'sjobtoofferloveandunderstanding
regardlessoftheirswimmer'sperformance.)
5.Thebuildingofarelayteamisthesoleresponsibilityofthecoachingstaff.
6.Eachcoachhasaresponsibilitytoconstantlybeawareoftheswimmers’safetyandwellbeing.
7.Eachcoachhasaresponsibilitytobeaposi;verolemodelfortheswimmers.
8.Eachcoachhasaresponsibilitytobeatechnicalexpertonthesportofswimming.
9.Eachcoachhasaresponsibilitytohelpconstructavisionfortheathleteofwhatispossibleinthesportofswimmingandthe
patheachswimmerwillneedtofollowtoachievethatgoal.
7
Thecoachingstaffisconstantlyupda;ngandimprovingtheDSTprogram.Itistheswimmer'sandparents'responsibilityto
makethemostoutoftheexcellentopportunitythisprogramprovidesforsuccessinswimming.
Introduc;onandTeamPhilosophy-Sec;onA
DSTPrograms
KeepYourFeetWet
HighSchoolPrep,KeepYourFeetWet,SpringCondi%oning
Tradi0onalProgram
DevelopmentalProgram,AgeGroupProgram,SeniorProgram
Na0onalTeamProgram
JuniorNa%onals,SeniorNa%onals
DST
Compe;;ve
Non-Compe;;ve
Tradi;onal
Programs
KYFW
Na;onal
Programs
HighSchoolPrep
Spring
Condi;oning
CoachingStaffandTeamPrograms-Sec;onB
8
KeepYourFeetWet
Thebridgebetweenpart-;meswimmingandfull-;meswimming,thisprogramisdesignedtointroducesummerorlessonsonlyswimmersto
year-roundswimmers.Wealsoofferprogramstoprepareswimmersforhighschoolandsummerseasons.Theprogramisdesignedtobuild
mechanicsandanunderstandingofcompe;;veswimmingconcepts.
KEEPYOURFEETWETGROUP(Sept6th2016throughMay28th2017)
Descrip%on:Thisgroupisalow-intensitygroupthatprovidesacomfortableenvironmentforolderfirst-;meswimmers.Thisgroupisheavily
mechanics-oriented,inordertoallowswimmerstocatchuptotheirpeersinothergroups,orinsummerswimleagues.
Ages:6-14.
Loca%ons:OfferedatDSFCPikeCreekandNewCastle
A^endanceRequirements:None
Compe%%onRequirements:None
HIGHSCHOOLPREP(Sept6–Nov11)
Descrip%on:ThisprogramisdesignedtoprepareHighSchoolageswimmersfortheupcomingscholas;cseason.Coachesbegintheseason
withastrongfocusonstrokemechanics,andgraduallycomplementthatwithinstruc;onwithaprogressivetrainingprogram.Thisprogram
canaccommodatealllevelsofskilldevelopment,individualcommitment,andoffersafallsports/ac;vityfriendlyprac;ceschedule.
Ages:14-18
Loca%ons:OfferedatDSFCPikeCreekandPSDuPont
A^endanceRequirements:None
Compe%%onRequirements:None
SPRINGCONDITIONING(beginsinApril2017)
Descrip%on:Thisprogramisdesignedtoprepareswimmersofallagesfortheupcomingsummerleagueseason.SimilarasHSPrep,Coaches
begintheseasonwithastrongfocusonstrokemechanics,andgraduallycomplementthatwithinstruc;onwithaprogressivetraining
program.Thisprogramcanaccommodatealllevelsofskilldevelopment,individualcommitment,andoffersaspringsports/ac;vityfriendly
prac;ceschedule.
Loca%ons:OfferedatDSFCPikeCreekandPSDuPont
A^endanceRequirements:None
Compe%%onRequirements:None
CoachingStaffandTeamPrograms-Sec;onB
9
TraditionalPrograms
Theleveledageandabilityprogramthatmostyear-roundswimmingfamiliesarefamiliarwith,theDSTTradi;onalProgramdevelops
swimmersfromlearn-to-swimathletestocollegiateathletes.Theprogramisbrokenintosubgroupswithineachleveloftheprogramto
meettheneedsofallswimmers.TheTradi%onalProgramoftheDelawareSwimTeamisthebackboneofthemostsuccessfulprogramin
theMiddleAtlan;cRegion.
DEVELOPMENTALGROUP
Descrip%on:Entrylevel,developmentalswimmerstransi;oningfromasummerswimmingorlessonsexperiencelookingtoswimyear-round
andpar;cipateinmeets.Primaryfocusofthisgroupisstrokemechanicsandworkingtodevelopefficientfreestyleandbackstroke.
Ages:8andunder.
Loca%ons:Offeredatallsites
A^endanceRequirements:2-4;mesperweek
Compe%%onRequirements:DSTHostedmeets,USASwimmingsanc;onedmeets
AGEGROUP
Descrip%on:Focusiss;llonstrokedevelopment.Progressiveemphasisonbuildingtheaerobicbasethroughkicking,theyareintroducedto
anaerobictrainingforthe100-200distances,dependingontheagegroup.Theylearnthebasicsofracingandarechallengedtomaintain
techniqueandfundamentalsunderstress.
Ages:9-14
Loca%ons:Offeredatallsites
A^endanceRequirements:4-5;mesperweek
Compe%%onRequirements:DSTHostedmeets,USASwimmingsanc;onedmeets
SENIORGROUP
Descrip%on:TheSeniorgroupisthehighestlevelwithintheTradi;onalProgramandisdesignedtogiveswimmersthenecessaryskillsetand
physicalcapacitytohandlehigherqualityswimming.Itofferstrainingforhighschoolathleteslookingtoimprovebefore,duringandaher
highschoolseason.ItalsoservesasabridgetotheSeniorNa;onalgroupifaswimmersdecidesandisabletocommittoastrongerregimen
ofswimmingandphysicaltraining.
Ages:15-18
Loca%ons:OfferedatDSFCNewCastle
A^endanceRequirements:5-6;mesperweek
Compe%%onRequirements:DSTHostedmeets,USASwimmingsanc;onedmeets
CoachingStaffandTeamPrograms-Sec;onB
10
NationalPrograms
Theprogramthatnootherclubintheareaoffers,theDSTNa%onalProgramisoneofthemostsuccessfulswimmingprogramsintheUnited
StatesofAmerica–withDSTfinishinglastswimseasonranked35thinthena;onforallUSASwimmingClubs.Inthelast4years,swimmers
fromtheDSTNa;onalProgramhavebecomeOLYMPIANS,OlympicTrialsqualifiers,SeniorNa;onalsqualifiers,JuniorNa;onalqualifiers,
EasternZonesqualifiers,MASeniorTeamChampions,MAJuniorTeamChampions,Na;onalAgeGroupTeamChampions,USASwimming
Top-10andsomuchmore.Ifyouareinterestedinachievingthehighestlevelsofthesportofswimming,therereallyisnootherplace.
JUNIORNATIONALS
Descrip%on:Thisgroupchallengesagegroupswimmerswhohaveprogressedthroughourtradi;onalprogramtoreachthehigherlevelsof
agegroupcompe;;on.MembersofthatJuniorNa;onalGrouparebeginningtoturntheirfocustowardhighperformanceswimming,but
withacon;nuedfocusonthemasteryoffundamentalswimmingskills.
Ages:9-14
Loca%ons:OfferedatUniversityofDelaware
TimesStandards:(9-10)IMXscoreof1800(11-12)IMXscoreof1800(13-14)IMXscoreof2000.Pleasealsorefertothequalifying;mesfrom
theRMSCHolidayInvite(Documentssec;ononourwebsite)asareferencetowhat;mes/eventsareexpectedforthisgroup
A^endanceRequirements:(9-10)4;mesperweek,(11-12)5;mesperweek,(13-14)5;mesperweek
Compe%%onRequirements:DSTHostedmeets,USASwimmingsanc;onedmeets
SENIORNATIONALS
Descrip%on:TheSeniorNa;onalgroupisdesignedforathleteswithaspira;onofswimmingatthena;onalandinterna;onallevel.Swimmers
arechallengedphysicallyandmentallyduringarigoroustrainingschedule.
Ages:15-18
Loca%ons:OfferedatDSFCNC
TimeStandards:TwoEasternSpeedoSec;onalcutsinTWOdifferentstrokesof200andup(LCMorSCY)
A^endanceRequirements:9;mesperweek(3morningprac;cesincluded)
Compe%%onRequirements:DSTHostedmeets,USASwimmingsanc;onedmeets,Junior/SeniorNa;onalMeets
*Groupplacementdecisionisatthediscre3onoftheDSTCoachingStaff.
CoachingStaffandTeamPrograms-Sec;onB
11
SwimmerBillofRights
Swimmershavearightto:
1.Betreatedwithrespectandtobefreeofverbalorphysicalabusefromacoachoranotherswimmer.
2.Expectthathisorhercoach,aherbeingmadeawareofalimi;ngphysicalcondi;on,willnotasktheswimmertoperformor
traininamannerthatthecoachknowswillbeharmfultotheswimmer.
3.Expectthatallprac;ces,bothinandoutofthewater,willbeconductedinasafemannersothattheswimmerwillnotbe
exposedtounnecessaryrisk.
4.Knowthathisorhercoachcaresaboutthemasaperson/individualaswellasanathlete.
5.Beposi;velyencouragedtodobeUer,tobecongratulatedonagoodperformance,andtobecri;cizedconstruc;velywhen
improvementisneededandaUainable.
6.Expectprac;cetobechallengingandthat,overall,compe;;onwillberewarding.
7.Sethisorherownswimminggoalswithhisorhercoach,andtochangethesegoalsascircumstancesarise.
SwimmerTrainingResponsibilities
Asaswimmer'slevelofswimmingabilityincreasessodoeshis/herresponsibility.Theprogramisdesignedtoencourageall
swimmerstobeSeniorSwimmingbound.Asswimmersimprovethisisadeepcommitmentthatrequiresgreateffortonallparts.A
swimmerhasresponsibili;estotheteam,thecoach,his/herparents,andmostimportantlytothemselves.Swimmersneedto
preparethemselvesfora100%efforteach;metheycometoprac;ce.
Swimmershavethefollowingresponsibili;es:
1.Totreathisorhercoachwithrespectatall;mesandtouseproperchannelstoaddressanyproblemsorcomplaints.
2.Toadheretothecoach’srulesgoverningtrainingsessionsandtofocusonthetrainingprogram.
3.Totakehisorhercommitmenttoswimmingseriouslyatwhateverhisorhertraininglevelmaybe.
4.TosupportDelawareSwimTeam,fellowswimmers,andhisorhercoachbyencouragementandaUendanceatprac;ceand
meets.
5.TomaketheminimumnumberoftrainingsessionssetbythecoachandstrivefortherecommendedaUendancepercentage.
6.Totrainandraceashardasheorshecan.Swimmerswillberequiredtobringspecifiedtrainingaccessories(i.e.,
12
goggles,flippers,etc.)toworkouts.Itistheswimmer'sresponsibilitytomakesuretheseitemsareproperlyadjustedandthat
sparesarereadilyavailable.Equipmentadjustmentandrepairwillnotbeacceptedasexcusetomisspartofatrainingsession.
SwimmerResponsibili;es&Prac;cePolicies-Sec;onC
TeamUniform&Equipment
TheDelawareSwimTeamisfortunatetobesponsoredbySpeedo.Thecompanyprovidesourteamwithequipment,coaches’gear,
adver;sing,andmore.Ourrela;onshipwithSpeedoisdependentonthecommitmentbyourteamtowearSpeedosuitsandtotry,
wheneverpossible,touseSpeedoequipment.
ItismandatorythatallTradi;onalandNa;onalgroupswimmerspurchaseanofficialDSTouviengpackagethatisdesignatedbythestaff
atthebeginningofeachswimyear(teamjacket,t-shirtsandswimcap).Failuretocomplymayresultinaswimmernotbeingallowedto
prac;ceorcompeteinameet,eveniftheswimmerhasalreadysignedupforthecompe;;on.Pleaseunderstandthatcoacheswill
enforcethisrequirement.
SwimMeetT-shirtpolicy(forallteammembers)
DSTt-shirtsareavailableinthreedifferentcolors:navy,white,andyellow.Pleasefollowthiscolor-codingforallswimmeets.Allteam
membersmusthavethethreecolorsofDSTt-shirts.
Formeetsthatare1dayinlength:wearyellowDSTshirt
Formeetsthatare2daysinlength:wearyellowt-shirtonday1andnavyt-shirtonday2
Formeetsthatare3daysinlength:wearwhitet-shirtonday1,navyt-shirtsonday2,andyellowt-shirtsonday3.
Formeetsthatare4daysinlength:wearyellowonday1,whiteonday2,navyonday3,andyellowonday4
Formeetsmorethan4daysinlength:coacheswillindicatewhicht-shirtstowearpriortothemeet
OnlyauthorizedDSTteamt-shirtsarepermiUedtobewornatmeets.Homemadet-shirts,pants,jackets,etc.arenotallowedatany;meat
meets.SwimmersarepermiUedtowearDSTjacketsorparkasondeckataswimmeetininstanceswheretheywouldliketostayabit
warmer.Jackets,parkas,bags,warm-ups,t-shirts,shorts,sweatshirts,sweatpantsoranyotherar;cleofclothingthatshowsthename,
slogan,orlogoofanotherteam(includingsummerleagueteams,highschoolteams,andtheMiddleAtlan;cZoneteam)arenotpermiUed
atswimmeetsatany;me.
TherewillbeateamorderfornamesiliconecapsandteamtowelsintheFallandanotherorderintheSpring(justforcaps)forthose
swimmersandfamilieswhowouldliketopar;cipate.
13
SwimmerResponsibili;es&Prac;cePolicies-Sec;onC
PracticeAttendancePolicies
Thefollowingguidelinesaretoinformparentsandswimmersofthecoaches’policiesregardingprac;ce.Thesepoliciesaredesigned
toprovidethebestpossibleprac;ceenvironmentforall.
1.EachtraininggrouphasspecificaUendancerequirementsappropriatefortheobjec;vesofthatgroup.Asageneralrule,
theleastpossibleinterrup;oninthetrainingschedulewillproducethegreatestamountofsuccess.Theexpecta;onlevelofthe
coaches’thateachswimmeraUendsprac;cesincreasesasswimmersmovetohighergroups.
2.Forthesafetyandprotec;onoftheswimmerstheyshouldarriveatthepoolnomorethan10minutesbeforethestartofprac;ce
andbepickedupimmediatelyaherprac;ce.Itisimpera;vethattheswimmersarriveon;mesothatthecoachingstaffcan
efficientlyusethealloUed;me;howeveritisalsoextremelyimportantthatchildrennotbelehunsupervisedatthepoolpriortoor
aherprac;ce.ThecoachingstaffisNOTresponsibleforsupervisingathleteseitherpriortoorfollowingaprac;cesession.
3.Eachswimmershouldplantostaytheen;reprac;ceaseachprac;ceisdesignedtobemostbeneficialwhencompletedinits
en;retyandcoachesohenmakeannouncementsattheendofprac;ce.Intheeventthatyourchildneedstobedismissedearly
fromprac;ce,pleaseno;fythecoachpriortothebeginningofprac;ce.
4.Allprac;cegroupsareexpectedtobeattheirdesignatedstar;ngplacewiththeirprac;ceequipmentreadytostartprac;ceon
;me.
5.Swimmersmustno;fytheircoachiftheyleavethepooland/orpooldeckatany;meduringtheprac;ce.
6.Occasionallysomeormostofaprac;cegroupmaybeatameet,inwhichcaseyourswimmerwillbeno;fiedofaprac;cechange
orcancella;on.Suchno;cewillbeprovidedthroughemail,postedonDSTwebsite,and/orsocialmedia.
7.Swimmersandparentsarediscouragedfromdisrup;ngthecoachorotherswimmerswithunnecessarycommunica;on,unlessof
course,anemergency.
14
SwimmerResponsibili;es&Prac;cePolicies-Sec;onC
PracticeCodeofConductforSwimmerandFamilies
1.Swimmersareexpectedtosupporttheirteammatesatprac;ceaswellasincompe;;on.Workingtogetherasateambenefits
allindividualsinthegroupandisanimportantpartofDST.Swimmersareencouragedalwaystobeposi;veatprac;ce.
2.Swimmersareexpectedtofollowtheinstruc;onsofthecoachingstaffatall;mes.
3.Abusivelanguage,lying,stealing,and/orvandalismwillnotbetolerated.Thesebehaviorsaredirectlycontrarytothe
objec;veofDSTandmaywarrantstrictdisciplinaryac;ons,uptoandincludingexpulsionfromtheteam
4.Swimmersmayleaveprac;ceearlyonlywiththecoaches'permission.
5.AtthePikeCreekandNewCasteSites,swimmersarenotpermiUedinthestrengthtrainingorotherfitnesscenterareaunless
amemberofthecoachingstaffispresent.
6.Duringworkouts,thepooldeckisforcoachesandswimmers.Ifyouneedtospeakwiththecoaches,pleasecalloremailthem
atleasttwohoursbeforeprac;ce.
15
SwimmerResponsibili;es&Prac;cePolicies-Sec;onC
ObservingPractices
Whileweunderstandaparent'sdesiretoseetheirchildlearntoswim,itisnotencouragedthatyouremainatthepoolduringprac;cesto
observeeach;meyourswimmerisinaUendance.Thinkaboutthis:youdonotsitintheirclassroomandobservethemlearninginthat
environment,itshouldbethesameinthisenvironment.ForNewCastleparentsmustsitinthelobbyareaorontheupstairsbalconyand
cannotapproachthesideofthepoolduringtheprac;ceorobservefromthelockrooms.ForPikeCreekparentspleasestaybehindtheglass
windows.UniversityofDelawareparentsshouldseatontheupstairsstandsandPSDuPontparentsmayseatonthebleachers.
However,werespecvullyrequestthatyoudonotinterferewiththeprac;ceandremainabystanderwithoutmakinganyverbalornonverbalcontactwithyourswimmerduringtheprac;ce.Ourhighlytrainedcoachesknowthebestwaytoinstructyourchildandparental
guidanceisnotnecessaryduringthis;me.Duetoinsuranceregula;ons,parentsarenotallowedonthepooldeck.Also,pleasenovideo
tapingofanysortduringprac;ces.
1.Parentsarenotallowedonthepooldecktoobserveprac;ce.Ifyouareonthepooldeckyouwillbeaskedtoleave.Insurancedoesnot
coveryouobservingprac;cefromthepooldeck.ParentsareONLYallowedonthepooldeckinthefollowinginstances:
a)Anemergencysitua;on.Wewillcometogetyouifthisoccurs.
b)ParentsofDevelopmentalswimmersatourUDsitearepermiUedto“dropoff”and“pickup”theirswimmerbeforeandaherprac;ce.You
maystaywithyourswimmerondeckbeforeprac;ceun;lthecoacharrives.Pleasedonotwalkontothepooldeckaherprac;ceun;lthe
coacheshavereleasedtheswimmers.Communica;onwithcoachesisnottohappenonthepooldeckatany;meunlessinanemergency
situa;on.Ifyouwouldliketomeetwithyourswimmer’scoach,pleasearrangeamee;nginadvanceviaemail.
2.Itisnotgoodforthedevelopmentoftheswimmerforparentstobeintentlywatchingeverylapofeveryprac;ce.Thereareotherareasof
oursiteswhereyoucansitoutoftheviewofyourswimmersothattheycandevelopontheirown.YoucanalsojointheDSFCandu;lizethat
duringprac;ce;mes.Duringprac;ces,parentsshouldhaveabsolutelynocommunica;onwiththeirswimmers(unlessinthecaseofan
emergency)beitverbalornon-verbalcommunica;on.
3.IfitbecomesapparenttoDSTcoachesthatswimmersarecon;nuallylookingintothestandsattheirparentduringprac;ce,weaskthe
parenttorefrainfromaUendingprac;ces.Swimmersshouldnevertrainorcompetefortheapprovaloftheirparents,regardlessoftheirage
orabilitylevel.
4.Parentsobservingprac;cesshouldrespectthisprivilege.AnyconductinthebalconydeemeddetrimentaltoanyaspectoftheDST
programbythecoachingstaffwillcausetheparenttolosetheprivilegeofobservingprac;ces.
5.Parentsshouldnotengagecoachesinanyconversa;onordiscussiononthepooldeckorduringprac;ce;meunlessamee;nghasbeen
pre-arranged.
16
SwimmerResponsibili;es&Prac;cePolicies-Sec;onC
Parents…YourAthletesNeedsYOU
Asuccessfulswimmingprogramrequiresunderstandingandcoopera;onamongthecoaches,swimmers,andparents.This
rela;onshipcanbecri;caltoyourchild’ssuccessfuldevelopmentontheteam.
Thecoachingstaffunderstandsyourcommitmenttoyourchild.Manyofthecoachesarealsomothersandfathers.Thecoachesunderstand
thatyouwillalwaysbelookingoutforyourchild’sbestinterests.WhilethecoachesarealsocommiUedtoensuringthatyourchild’sbest
interestsareserved,theirresponsibilityistoserveeachathleteontheteam.Yourperspec;veandthecoaches’perspec;vemaydifferwhen
itcomestoyourchild’sdevelopment.Pa;ence,understanding,andmostimportantly,communica0onarethecornerstonesofthis
rela;onship.Withthisinmind,pleasereviewandconsiderthefollowingguidelines.
1.Individualslearnatdifferentratesandindifferentways.Someathleteswillquicklypickupaskillwhileothersmayrequiremore;meto
learnthesameskill.Pleasebepa;entwithyourchildandhis/herdevelopment.Directanyques;onstothecoach.
2.Progressisrarelyimmediate.Newteammemberswillalwaysgothroughaperiodofadapta;on,nomaUertheirage,thatmayimpede
immediateprogress.Thiscouldbecausedbygreatertrainingdemands,astrongeremphasisontechnique,orsimplynerves.
Pa;ence,trust,andcommunica;onamongcoaches,swimmers,andparentswillhelpanystrugglingswimmerthroughsuchaperiod.
3.Plateauscanoccuratone;meoranotherineveryswimmer'scareer.Plateauscanbebothincompe;;onandtraining.Aplateausignifies
theswimmerhasmasteredlower-orderskills,buttheyarenotyetsufficientlyreadyaUacknewer,higher-orderskills.Itisimportantto
explaintotheathletethatplateausoccurinallfieldsofphysicallearning.Themoresuccessfulathletesarethosewhoworkthroughthis
momentarydelayinimprovementandgoontoachievegreaterperformancetoapproachtheirpersonalpoten;al.
4.Swimmerstenyearsandyoungerarethemostinconsistentswimmers.Thiscanbefrustra;ngforparents,coaches,andswimmersalike!
Wemustbepa;entandpermittheseyoungsterstolearntolovethesport.
5.Parentsmustrealizethatslowdevelopmentofthecompe;;vedriveatanearlyageisnormalandperhapsmoredesirablethanprecocious
orforcedearlydevelopment.Itisimportantthateveryonelearntocompeteanddevelopsomecompe;;vespirit.Itisalsoimportantfor
childrentolearntoadapttoreasonablelevelsofemo;onalstress.Thesmalldisappointmentswemustlearntohandleasyoungstersprepare
usforthelargeroneswearecertaintoexperienceasadults.
Parent’sRole-Sec;onD
17
6.Itisthecoaches'jobtoofferconstruc;vecri;cismofaswimmer'sperformance.Itistheparents'jobtosupplylove,recogni;on,and
encouragementnecessarytohelptheyoungathletefeelgoodabouthimorherself.
7.Parents’aetudesohendictatethoseoftheirchildren.Achildmightnotbeconsciouslyawareofwhatistakingplacewhilesubconsciously
absorbingpowerfulmessagesabouthis/herparents'desires.Forexample,beenthusias;cabouttakingyourchildtoprac;ceandmeets,
volunteering,teamevents,mee;ngs,etc.–don’tlookatthesefunc;onsaschores.
8.Ifyouhaveanyques;onsaboutyourchild'strainingorteampolicies,contactthecoach.Cri;cizingthecoachinfrontofthechild
underminesthecoach'sauthorityandbreakstheswimmer-coachsupportthatisnecessaryformaximumsuccess.
9.Noparentshouldbehaveinsuchawayastobringdiscredittothechild,theteam,orcompe;;veswimming.Anydisagreementwitha
meetofficialshouldbebroughttotheaUen;onofthecoachandhandledbythecoach.
10.Childrenshouldswimbecausehe/shewantsto.Itisnaturaltoresistanythingthey“havetodo.”Self-mo;va;onisthes;mulusofall
successfulswimmers.
11.Theetymologyoftheword''compe;;on''goesbacktotwoLa;nwords:''com''and''petere,''whichmeans“togethertostrive.”Close
compe;;onprovidestwogreatservicesfortheathlete:itbringsoutthebestinhim/herandshowswhereimprovementisneeded.
12.Thecommunica;onbetweencoachandswimmerisveryimportant.Atwo-wayrela;onshipmustexistdailyatprac;ce.Itisimpera;ve
thatthecoachhastheswimmer’sfullaUen;onatthese;mes.Forthisreasonparentsareallowedtowatchprac;ceonlyfromthe
designatedwatchingarea.TheyareNOTpermiUedtopar;cipateorinstruct.Parentswhoa^empttocoachtheirchildduringaprac%cemay
beaskedtoleavethepooldeck.
Pleaseleaveallcoachingtothecoachingstaff.Ifyouhaveques;onsabouttechniqueorcoachingstrategies,weencourageyoutoarrangea
;me(NOTduringprac;ce)tospeaktoyourchild’scoach.
Remember,par;cularlyinthecaseofyoungerswimmers,thataetudeandbehavioroftheparentsinregardtotheiroutlookonthesport
hasanimportanteffectonthechild.Inswimming,asinlife,nobodycan“win”orsucceedallthe;me–therewillalwaysbesome
disappointments.Everychildcangainfromthisexperience,whetherornothe/sheeverwinsasinglerace.Theimportantthingistokeepon
strivingtodobeUernext;me.
18
Parent’sRole-Sec;onD
GuidetobeaGoodSwimParent
Theparent’sprimaryroleisthatofuncondi;onalloveandsupportfortheirswimmer.Therearemanywaystofulfillthisrole:
1.Thefirstistoremindyourchildthatyoulovethem,nomaUerhowtheyperformeitheratprac;ceoratameet
•  Supportyourchild’sgoalsbyfirstallowingthemtomakegoalsoftheirowninconsulta;onwiththeircoach
•  Rememberthatthisisyourson’sordaughter’schildhoodandnotyourown:Recognizetheirdreamsandsupporttheirambi;ons,but
don’tcreatethemforthechild
•  Makesurethatyourchildishaving“fun!”Ifthisisn’tfun,thenwhydoit?Iftheyarenothavingfun,findoutwhyoraskthecoachtofind
outwhy
•  Donotletyourchild’sperformanceaffectyouraetudetowardsthem.IfyourchildswimspoorlyitwillnotmakethemfeelbeUertosee
disappointmentintheirparents.Beforetheyraceencouragethemtohavefunandahertheyracetellthemyoulovethem.Simplewords
canhaveadras;cimpactonachild’soutlook
•  Understandthatswimmingcanbedaun;ng,especiallytonewswimmersoryoungerswimmers.Afihymeterpoollooksawfullylongtoan
eightyearold!Ifyourchildisafraidtoswimaneventremindthemthatthecoachwouldonlysuggestitorentertheminitbecausethey
believeinyourchild
2.Itisimpera;vethatyourswimmerbelieveyousupportthecoach,evenwhenyoudisagreewithhim/her
•  Disagreementsarenaturalandwhentheyexisteveryonewantsresolu;on,butthereisa;meandaplacetodiscussdisagreements.The
pooldeckisnottheplacetoargueorconfrontthecoachaboutanydisagreement.Allcoachesareavailableawayfromthepooldeckand
willrespondtoeitheremailortelephonecalls
•  Duringprac;ceacoach’saUen;onmustbefocusedonthegroup.Ifyouwishtomeetinpersonwithyourchild’scoachpleaseschedulea
;metodoso;donotarriveatprac;ceassumingthateitherthecoachwillbeavailabletomeetwithyouorthatitistheappropriate;me
andplacetomeet
•  Supportthecoachbyunderstandingtheydohavealifeoutsideofthepool.Thissportrequireslonghoursofwork.Respectthecoach’s
desiretogohometohis/herfamilyaherprac;ce
3.Bepunctualforprac;ceandmeetsandplanforyourchildtospendtheen;reprac;ceatthepool.Itisdisrup;vetohaveachildarrivelate
orleaveearly.Italsodiminishesthevalueofteachingachildthevalueofcommitment.
Parent’sRole-Sec;onD
19
4.Supporttheteamatprac;ce,atawaymeets,andathome
•  Suppor;ngtheteammeanseverythingfrommakingsureyourchildwearsteamapparelatmeetstovolunteeringyourown;meatanyof
ourhomemeets.Donotleaveittootherstodothiswork.Ourteamextendsbeyondthecoachesandswimmersandweneedeveryone’s
involvementtobesuccessful
•  Suppor;ngtheteamalsomeansbeingaposi;veinfluenceatanymeetfromthesidelines.Thereareoheninstanceswhereparentsfrom
opposingteamsdonotgetalong,whichonlycreatesmoretensionforthechild.Wewanteachswimmertobeagoodsport,whichmeans
weneedourparentstobegoodsports
•  Inordertosupporttheteamonemustbeanac;vemember,beyondjustdroppingyourchildoffbeforeprac;ceandpickingthemup
aherwards
·AUendparentsmee;ngs ·Makedona;onsformeets
·Volunteeratmeets ·Payallbillspromptlyandinfull
·Becomeanofficial
5.Donotcoachfromthesidelinesorstands
•  Leavetheracingstrategiestothecoach
•  Allowthecoachtodiscusstechnicalissueswiththeswimmeranddonotsecond-guessthemeitherwithorinfrontofyourchild.Ifyou
haveques;onspleasediscussitwiththecoach
•  Donotcompareyourchildtoanyoneelseontheteam.Yourchildisunique,wonderful,andfullofpoten;al.Rememberthateveryone
achievespoten;alindifferentwaysandatdifferent;mes
•  Don’t;meyourchildfromthestands.Thereareenough;mingdevicesaroundatmeetsandatprac;ce.Whenaparent;mesfromthe
standsitsimplyaddspressureonthechild
6.Donotcri;cizeofficials.Most;mesofficialsareparentsjustlikeyou,commiUedtotheirchildrenandcommiUedtotheirsport
7.WinningisNOTeverything.Themostimportantthingsachildcandoinaraceare:
•  Havefun!
•  Trytoemploythecoach’stechnicalinstruc;onsandracingstrategy
•  GivetheirbesteffortandRACE!
•  Congratulatetheothercompe;torsnomaUerwhattheoutcome
8.Encouragehealthyea;ng.Makesmartea;ngdecisionsforyourchildandforyourself.Yourchildrenwillemulatethepeopletheyrespect
andlovemost,theirparents.Allowtheirdesiretoswimtomakeaposi;veinfluenceonyourownlifeandhealthbyusingitasanotherreason
tomakegoodea;ngdecisions.
20
Parent’sRole-Sec;onD
Volunteerism
ToensurethatTheDelawareSwimTeam(DST)swimmershavetheopportunitytopar;cipateinteamac;vi;es,swimmeets,andUSA
Swimmingsanc;onedcompe;;ons,aswellassupplementopera;ngexpenses,DSTmusthostseveralswimmeetsthroughouttheyear.All
teamaffiliatedeventsarestaffedtotallybyparentvolunteersandcannotrunwithoutfamilypar;cipa;on.DSTisveryfortunatetohavean
incrediblegroupofverycommiUedmemberswhohavevolunteeredgenerously,howeveritdidbecomenecessarytoimplementaVolunteer
PointSystempolicytoensurethatALLfamiliespar;cipate.
Afamily’swillingnesstovolunteerwillhaveagreatimpactontheirchild’sathle;cexperienceandloveforthesportofswimming.Regardless
ofwhetherornotaswimmeractuallypar;cipatesinameet,itistheposi;veexperienceofbeinginvolvedinthewholeTEAMeventthatwill
giveeachathletethesupportandfellowshipofferedbybeingavaluablememberofDST.
VolunteerPositions
Cer;fiedPosi;ons:
1.  Referee/Starter
2.  StrokeandTurnofficial
3.  ComputerHytek/SSTOperator–managesthe;mingsystemaswellasHytekMeetManagersystem
4.  MeetDirector.istheorganizerandcoordinatorofallmeetac;vi;es
5.  Administra;veOfficial(AO)onewhoworksdirectlywiththeMeetRefereeandsupervises/directsthefollowingposi;onsonthedryside
ofthemeet:EntryandRegistra;onPersonnel,ClerkofCourse,TimingSystemOperator,ScoringPersonnel,TimingJudge,Meet
ManagementSohware(Hy-tek,Touchpad,etc.)Operator
Non-Cer;fiedPosi;ons:
1.Announcer–announcesevents,heats,andno;fica;onsduringthesessions
2.HeatSheetSeller–SellHeatSheetstospectators
3.Hospitality–ProvidedrinksandmealsforCoaches,Officials,aswellashandoutwaterandsnackstovolunteersworkingonpooldeck
4.Meet/SafetyMarshal–Supervisethepooldecks,keepareabehindstar;ngblocksandofficialsstandsclearofnon-athletes,direct
spectatorstoproperrestrooms
5.HeadTimer–supervises;mersandrunners.Ensuresthatall;mersandtheirwatchesarefunc;oningproperlythroughoutthemeet,
replacing;mersorwatcheswhennecessary.
6.Timer–Startandstopwatchasaback-uptothe;mingsystem,recordwatch;me
7.Runner-shuUlematerial(e.g.,seedcards,results)fromsta;ontosta;onduringthemeet.
8.Admissions–Collectadmissionfees
9.VolunteerCoordinator–Greetandassistvolunteerstosignin,handoutandcollectbadges
10.Awards–Organizes,labelsanddistributesawards.
Volunteerism–Sec;onE
21
VolunteerServiceObligatoryPolicySummary
LocatedattheendofthishandbookisAPPENDIXD;“ServicePointObliga%onPolicy”Pleasecarefullyreadthisformasmembersare
requiredtoagreetothiscontractduringonlineregistra;on.ThisservicepointsystemappliesONLYtoUSASwimmingregisteredswimmers
(Tradi;onalandNa;onalPrograms)
Thecompe;;veswimgroupaswimmerpar;cipatesinwilldictatethetotalnumberofVolunteerPointstheswimmer’sfamilywillbe
responsibleforprovidingatDSTsponsoredswimmeets.
FAMILIESWITHMULTIPLESWIMMERS:.Familieswithmorethanoneswimmerwillberequiredtofulfilltheobliga;onforthehighestpoint
groupthattheirswimmerbelongs;thenfiveaddi;onalpointsforeachaddi;onalchildontheteam,withamaximumof45pointsrequired
*Unfulfilledservicepointswillbebilledatarateof$25/hourbyJuly1st2017.
Belowaretherequirednumberofvolunteerpointseachfamilyisrequiredtoearnduringtheseason.Ourteam’sbillingsystemtracksthem
as"hours",althoughtheyarenotnecessarilyhourlybased.
Developmental:12Points
AgeGroup:30Points
Seniors:25Points
JuniorNa%onals:20Points
SeniorNa%onals:15Points
*Ifaswimmerchangesgroupsthefamilyillberesponsibleforthenewgroup’sServicePointsresponsibili;es.
*Volunteersmayberequiredatawaymeetsbythemeethost,mostlychampionshipmeets(SeniorChamps,JO’s,Silvers,etc)
*Allfamiliespar;cipa;nginhomemeetsmusthaveaparent(orrepresenta;ve)volunteer.Evenifyourfamilyhasfulfilledallrequiredhours,
youmusts;llvolunteerifyourswimmerispar;cipa;nginahomemeet.
22
Volunteerism–Sec;onE
MeetWorkerRequirements
1)Personcomple;ngtheworkmustbeatleast15yearsofage
2)Ifsomeoneoutsideofyourfamilyiscomple;ngasessionrequirement,youmustno;fyteamadministra;onsoyouraccountcanbe
properlycredited
3)Youmustsignuptoworkthesessionviathe“JobSign-up”func;ononourwebsiteatleast5dayspriortothefirstdayofthemeet.Failure
todosodoesnotrelinquishyoufromyourworkingobliga;on.Howeveranyonewhosignsuptoworklessthan5dayspriortothestartof
themeetmayonlyreceivehalfcreditforthesessionstheyworkatthatmeet.(Thisisbeingdonesothatwehaveourworkerssetandready
togowellinadvanceofthemeetandsothatwedonothavetosendoutmul;pleemailsremindingeveryonetosignupand/ormakephone
calls.)
HowtoSignUptoVolunteer
Eacheventispostedonwww.delawareswimteam.comundertheEventstab.Lookfor“JobSignUp”underthedateoftheevent.Whenclicked
theuserisdirectedtoapagethatoffersthedifferentjobsavailable,withvarious;meslotstosignupfor.
KEEPINGTRACKOFYOURSERVICEPOINTS
Inthedaysfollowingameetallvolunteersigninsheetswillbecomparedtotheonlinesignupandcorrespondingpointswillbecreditedtoeach
member’sServicePointaccount.Allvolunteersmustsigninandouttoensurethattheyreceivethecorrectamountofpoints.Amembercan
logintotheirDSTaccountany;methereahertochecktheirstatus.
23
Volunteerism–Sec;onE
BECOMEAUSASWIMMINGOFFICIAL!
USASwimmingOfficialsareparentvolunteerswhoarecommiUedtosuppor;ngandobservingswimmingbyensuringfairandequitable
compe;;on.Theseofficialsarerequiredinordertohavea“legal”sanc;onedmeet.(Meetsinwhichtheswimmer’s;mefortheireventis
recognizedbyUSASwimmingformeetqualifica;onssuchasWinterNa;onals,Championshipmeets,JuniorOlympicoranymeetwhich
requiresa;mestandardforanevent.)
DelawareSwimTeamandMiddleAtlan;carealwayslookingfornewvolunteerstojointheranks.Beinganofficialisagreatwaytoserve
yourclubandsupportswimmingintheLSC.NOEXPERIENCENECESSARY!SwimmeetsarevitalforDST’sswimmersandwecannotruna
safe,fairandequitablemeetwithoutcer;fiedofficials.BecomingapartoftheDSTofficial’steamisagreatwaytoservetheswimming
community.Asmostclubs,werelyonourownparents/guardians/volunteerstoprovidethemajorityofofficialstooverseeourmeets.
FiveReasonstoBecomeanOfficial
1.You’llbeworkingwiththegreatestgroupofvolunteersinallsports.
2.You’llbeclosetotheac;on.Thebleachersaren’tcomfortableanyway!
3.Highsa;sfac;on;lowpay.
4.It’sagreatwaytomeetfutureOlympians—unlessyoualreadyhaveoneinyourhome
5.Greatfoodinhospitalityandyoucan’tbeattheprice!
Tobecomeacer;fiedofficialonemustcompletethefollowing:
HowDoIBecomeanOfficial?
1.AUendaStroke&Turn/Administra;veOfficialclinicfacilitatedbyamemberoftheMAOfficials
2.CompletetheCoaches/OfficialsBackgroundCheck.TheMiddleAtlan;cSwimmingOfficewillbeno;fiedofsuccessfulcomple;onofthe
backgroundcheck.ThefeeforthebackgroundcheckwillbereimbursedbyMiddleAtlan;cSwimminguponcomple;onofallofthe
requirements.
3.RegisterwithUSASwimmingasaNon-AthleteMember.Membershipsrunannually;anyonejoiningaherSeptember1willhaveavalid
membershipthroughthefollowingcalendaryear.Membershipscannotbeprocessedun;ltheBackgroundCheckiscompleted.
4.CreateanonlineaccountwithUSASwimming.Clickon"SignIn"attheupperrightcorner,thenfollowthelinksto"CreateanAccount."
ThiswillallowyoutocompletetheAthleteProtec;onTrainingandtheonlinecer;fica;ontests.
5.CompletetheAthleteProtec;onTrainingCourse.Yournon-athletemembershipmustbeprocessedbeforeyouwillbeabletoaccessthis
onlineprogram.TheMASwimmingOfficewillbeno;fiedonceyouhavecompletedtheprogram.
6.CompletetheUSASwimmingonlinetest:"Cer;fica;on-Stroke&Turn/Timer"or"Cer;fica;on-Administra;veOfficial"any;mebetween
aUendingtheclinicandcomple;ngtherequiredappren;cesessions.
7.Appren;cewithacer;fiedofficialatsix(6)sessions(AdminOfficials-2sessionswhichmaybeatthesamemeet).ForStroke&Turn
judgesthesesessionsmayincludeuptotwo(2)dualmeetand/orMinimeetsessions.Youmayreceiveappren;cecreditforuptotwo
sessionspermeetregardlessoftotalnumberofsessionsobserved.Youdonotneedtocompletetheonlinetestbeforebeginningthese
ssessions,butitisrecommendedthatyoudoso.
24
Volunteerism–Sec;onE
Communication
TeamWebsite–www.DelawareSwimTeam.comDST’swebsiteiskeptuptodatedailyandmaintainedbytheteam’swebmasterand
coaches.ALLinforma;oncanul;matelybefoundonthewebsiteandanyneworimportantupdateswillbeontheHOMEpage,listedas
“News.”
Theteamwebsite,a.k.a.TeamUnify,alsoservesastheaccountandbillingsystemforalloftheteammembers.Membersareabletologinto
theiraccountstoviewmeetentries,servicepointsbalance/history,swimmer’s;mes,andallbillingac;vity.Group-specificandgeneralteam
emailsaresentviaTeamUnify.ThewebsiteanddatabaseareNOTtobeusedforunrelatedac;vi;es.
Coach/StaffEmail–Emailingisapreferredmethodofcommunica;onunlesstheissueisanemergencyorextremelysensi;ve,requiringa
directphonecall.Thecoaches’emailscanbefoundontheteamwebsite.Itisacoach’spersonalpreroga;vetogiveouttheircellphone
number.Intheeventyouu;lizethisformofcommunica;on,pleasebeconsiderateofboththeirpersonal;meandlifeoutsideofthepool.
Believeitornot,theyarerealpeoplewithfamiliesandfeelingsjustlikeyou!
Announcements–ItismostcommonfortheSeniorgroupstobemadeawareofallthingsswimthroughdirectannouncementsbytheir
Headand/orAssistantCoach.Theexpecta;onsforourSeniorswimmersistopayaUen;on,retain,andcommunicatetotheirparentsany
andallteaminforma;on.
Twi^er–Changes,cancella;onandupdatedmaybecommunicatedviaTwiUer(@DelSwimTeam).Pleaseseetheappendixofthismanual
forinforma;ononregisteringforTwiUer,howtofollowDSTonTwiUer,andhowtogetupdatesfromussentdirectlytoyourcellphoneor
othermobiledevice(standardtextmessagingratesapply).
Facebook–News,ar;cles,picturesmaybepostedthroughourFacebookpage.
Pleasenotethatwewillgiveyouinforma3ononemergencyclosingsassoonasitisgiventous.Some3mesUD/BrandywineSchoolDistrict/
DSFC’smakeadecisiononclosingbuildingoralteringhoursduetoinclementweatherorthethreatofinclementweatherveryclosetoour
prac3ce3mes.Thisisallintheinterestofsafetyanddueto3mingoftheeventcausingthecancela3onsorchanges.
Wewilldoourabsolutebesttoletyouknowwhatisgoingonassoonaspossible.MostoIenweareatthewhimofthesitesandcanonly
presentinforma3onwhenithasbeengiventous.
Communica;on–Sec;onF
25
TheHowTo’sofHealthyCommunication
Ifanymember,parentorswimmer,hasques;onsorconcerns,thelinesofcommunica;onwitheverycoachisopen.Itisbestto
communicatewiththecoachmostinvolvedwithyourchild’sprogram.
Oneofthetradi;onalswimteamcommunica;ongapsisthatsomeparentsseemtofeelmorecomfortableindiscussingtheirdisagreements
overcoachingphilosophywithotherparentsratherthantakingthemdirectlytothecoach.Notonlyistheproblemneverresolvedthatway,
butinfactthisapproachohenresultsinnewproblemsbeingcreated.Listedbelowaresomeguidelinesforaparentraisingsomedifficult
issueswithacoach:
1.Trytokeepforemostinyourmindthatyouandthecoachhavethebestinterestsofyourchildatheart.Ifyoutrustthatthecoach'sgoals
matchyours,eventhoughhis/herapproachmaybedifferent,youaremorelikelytoenjoygoodrapportandaconstruc;vedialogue.
2.Keepinmindthatthecoachmustbalanceyourperspec;veofwhatisbestforyourchildwiththeneedsoftheteamoratraininggroup
thatcanrangeinsizefrom20-200members.Onoccasion,anindividualchild'sinterestmayneedtobesubordinatetotheinterestsofthe
group,butinthelongrunthebenefitsofmembershipinthegroupcompensateforoccasionalshortterminconvenience.
3.Ifyourchildswimsforanassistantcoach,alwaysdiscussthemaUerfirstwiththatcoach,followingthesameguidelinesand
preconcep;onsnotedabove.Iftheassistantcoachcannotsa;sfactorilyresolveyourconcern,thenaskthattheheadagegroupcoachor
headcoachjointhedialogueasathirdparty.
4.Ifanotherparentusesyouasasoundingboardforcomplaintsaboutthecoach'sperformanceorpolicies,listenempathe;cally,but
encouragetheotherparenttospeakdirectlytothecoach.He/sheistheonlyonewhocanresolvetheproblem.
DiscussionswiththecoachingstaffARENOT/WILLNOTbeheldduringprac;ceormeets.
26
Communica;on–Sec;onF
TypesofFees
CoachingDues:Thetrainingfeesarebasedontheprogramgroupaswimmerisenrolled.
AnnualRegistra%onFee:Thereisa$50annualDSTRegistra;onfee($25forthesecondswimmer,$10.00foraddi;onalfamilymembers).
USASwimRegistra%onFee:Dueatthe;meofregistra;on,thiswillestablishtheswimmer’samateurstatusasacompe;;veswimmer,as
wellasprovideinsurancecoverageduringswimprac;ceandmeets.
Meet/EntryFee:Aswimmerischargedforeacheventtheyswiminatameet.Thismayalsoincludeafacilitysurchargeperswimmerbythe
hos;ngteam.
BoostersRegistra%onFee:Thereisa$25annualregistra;onfeeforBoostersperfamily.
MeetCoachingFees:Coachingfeeswillbeappliedtoeachswimmersaccountintheamountof$10.00forUSASwimsanc;onedDSThosted
swimmeets,and$20.00forUSASwimsanc;onedawayswimmeets,thattheswimmerpar;cipatesin.
TeamTravel:Whenteammemberstravelasagroup,thecostsoftransporta;on,accommoda;on,andmealsaresplitbetweenthe
swimmers.Thisfeeisduepriortoleavingforthemeet.Aseparateconfirma;onformwillbesenthomeoremailedtotheswimmers
guardiansforpayment.
UnfulfilledServicePoints:willbebilledat$25/pointnotcompleted.
LateFees:Ifamember’saccountisnotpaidbythe15thofthecurrentmonthanextrafeewillbeappliedtotheaccount.
InsufficientFunds/DeniedCreditCard:afeeof$30willbeappliedtotheaccount
TransferFee:TransferringfromanotherUSAClubarerequiredtopay$10transferfeetoMiddleAtlan;cSwimming.Thetransferfeeapplies
forathletestransferringfromoneclubtoanotherorfromaclubtoUnaUached.NofeetotransferfromUnaUachedtoaclubortotransfer
fromacluboutsideourLSC(MA).
FinancialObliga;ons&Billing-Sec;onG
27
TeamBilling
AllDSTbillingisenteredandprocessedthroughourwebsiteandtheTeamUnifysystem.
1.Pleaseregisteronlineatwww.delawareswimteam.com.Thesystemwillcreateanaccountforyouwiththeemailaddressyou
provideatregistra;on.Thisaccountgivesamemberaccesstotheirbillingsummaries,invoices,charges,andpayments,aswellas
othervaluableinforma;onontheirswimmersprogress.
2.MembersarerequiredtoenteraBankCardorCreditCardonfilethatwillautoma;callybeprocessedfortheaccountbalance
andanynewfeesonthefirstofeachmonth.
3.Aslongasanaccountremainsingoodstanding,membersmay“charge”itemssoldintheSwimOfficetotheirDSTaccount(Tshirts,caps,carmagnets)withtheexpecta;onthattheiraccountwillbepaidinfullonthefirstofthefollowingmonth.
28
FinancialObliga;ons&Billing-Sec;onG
FeeStructure
CoachingDues
Monthly
PaidinFull*
(11monthcontract)
Fee
Amount
CoachingDues
DueDate
FirstofEachMonth
(unlesspaidinfull)
KeepYourFeetWet $99
NA
HighSchoolPrep
NA
$350
EndsNov11th
Registra;onFee
$50/$25/
$10
AtRegistra;on,per
swimmer
SpringCondi;oning
NA
BegininApril2017
$25
AtRegistra;on
Developmental
$125
$1,300
Registra;onFee
KYFW
AgeGroup
$150
$1,600
Boosters
$25
AtRegistra;on
Senior
$200
$2,100
USASwimming
Registra;on
$70
AtRegistra;on
JuniorNa;onal
$200
$2,100
SeniorNa;onal
$250
$2,600
UnfulfilledService
Hours
$25/hr
July1st
*DoesnotincludeBooster,USASwimmingorDSTregistra;onfees
Thereisa5%discountforaddi;onalswimmersinafamily
Payinfull,11monthcontract,discountapplied
Fee
Amount
DSTAccountbalancenotpaidby15thofeachmonth
$10
CreditCardDenied/Expired
$30
ContractCancella;on
$50
Ifyouhaveanyques3onsaboutbillingoryourDSTaccountpleasecontactthe
SwimOfficeatDSTswimoffi[email protected]
FinancialObliga;ons&Billing-Sec;onG
29
ProgramNotes
1.Foryourconvenience,wehaveestablishedamonthlypaymentschedule.Itisthecustomer’schoicewhethertopayfortheir
contractinadvanceormonthly.Allmonthlypaymentswillbeautoma;callywithdrawnfromacheckingaccountorchargedtoa
creditcard.
2.DSTTradi;onal&Na;onalProgramsoffers3standardcontractlengths:7month(throughMarch);9month(throughMay);11
month(throughJuly)
3.Atregistra;on,inaddi;ontoannualUSA,team,andboosterfees,FIRSTandLASTmonthpaymentsofeachcontractare
required.
4.DSTKeepYourFeetWetProgramoffers2standardcontractlengths:7month(throughMarch);9month(throughMay).USA
Swimming&Boosterfeesdonotapply.Acompleted“ReleaseofLiability”formmustbeonfile.
5.Contractsmaybemodified.AwriUenrequestmustbeturnedintoDST’soffice(30daysno;cerequired)
6.Swimmerschanging/cancelingaprepaid11monthcontractwillforegoanyprepaymentdiscounts.
7.UniversityofDelaware&PSDuPontprac;cesaresubjecttochangebasedonpoolavailability,SchoolDistrictSchedulesand
Closings.Alternateprac;ceswillbemadeavailableandwillbepostedontheDSTwebsite.
8.Satelliteloca;oncommitmentsarebaseduponthenumberofregisteredswimmersneededforeachgivenfacility.
9.Prac;ceschedulesmaybemodifiedthroughouttheseasonbasedonseasonaltrainingcyclesorgroupsize.
10.USASwimmingregistra;onisnotrequiredforswimmersinHighSchoolPrep&KYFW.Acompleted“ReleaseofLiability”form
mustbeonfileforthesegroups.SwimmersinthesegroupsarenoteligibletocompeteinUSASwimmingcompe;;ons
11.Thereisa$50contractcancella;onfeeperswimmer.
FinancialObliga;ons&Billing-Sec;onG
30
SwimMeets
PHILOSOPHYOFCOMPETITION
TheDelawareSwimTeamengagesinamul;-levelcompe;;onprogramwithUSASwimmingthat,likeourtrainingprogram,
aUemptstoprovidechallenging,yetsuccess-orientedcompe;;vesitua;onsforswimmersofallagesandabili;es.
1.Weemphasizecompe;;onwithoneself.Winningribbons,medals,ortrophiesisnotourmaingoal.Evenifourswimmer
finishesfirst,buthasswumpoorlyincomparisontopastperformances,theyareencouragedtodobeUer.Theindividuals'
improvementisourprimaryobjec;ve.
2.Sportsmanlikebehaviorisofequalimportancetoimprovedperformance.Respectforofficials,congratula;onstocompe;tors,
encouragementtoteammates,determinedeffort,andmatureaetudesareexamplesofbehaviorpraisedandrewardedbythe
DSTcoachingstaff.
3.Swimmersaretaughttoberealis;c,yetsetchallenginggoalsformeetsandtorelatethesegoalstoprac;ceanddirecttheir
trainingefforts.
4.Swimmersarepreparedandencouragedtocompeteinallswimmingevents,distances,andstrokes.Thispolicypromotes
versa;lityandencouragestheswimmerstoexploretheirpoten;alinthewiderangeofeventsofferedincompe;;ve
swimming.
AGEGROUPS
Therearesevendifferentagegroupclassifica;onsrecognizedbyUSASwimming:8-Under,10-Under,11-12,13-14,15-16,17-18,
andSenior.Theseniorclassifica;onincludesanyageregisteredswimmerwhohasachievedthequalifying;mefortheevent.Not
allagegroupclassifica;onsareofferedateveryswimmeet.Theswimmersageonthefirstdayofameetwillgovernthe
swimmersagefortheen;remeet.
SwimMeets–Sec;onH
31
SwimMeets
MOTIVATIONALTIMES
Withineachage-grouptherearedifferentna;onallyrecognizedlevelsofachievementbasedon;mes.These;mesaredesigned
tohelpagegroupswimmerstobeUerunderstandtheir;mesandtosetrealis;cgoal;mesfortheirfuture.Theclassifica;onsare
"B","BB","A","AA","AAA",and"AAAA".The;mesrequiredforeachabilitylevelarepublishedeachyearbyUSASwimmingInc.
Thispermitsfair,yetchallenging,compe;;ononalllevels.
Insomecases,aswimmermaybeinadifferentclassineachstroke.Anexample:a"C"breaststroke;me,a"B"freestyle;me,
andan"AA"backstroke;me.Someswimmeetssetcertainqualifica;onstandards.Inordertoswiminacertainclassifica;on,a
swimmermusthaveachievedthequalifying;meforthatpar;cularclassifica;on.
Thesecanbefoundinourwebsitewww.DelawareSwimTeam.com
TYPESORLEVELOFSWIMMEETS
A/BB/CMeets:Swimmeetwith3divisions.ThistypeofmeetincludeseveryabilitylevelofswimmerfromNovicetovery
experienced.
Invita;onalMeets–Thesecompe;;onsmaybeopentoanyUSASwimmingregisteredteamfromanywhereintheUnitedStates,
whileothersmaybelimitedtoonlyteamsthatarespecificallyinvited.Thesetypesofmeetstypicallyrangefrom1to3daysand
canfeatureaprelim-finalformatorjust;medfinals.
MiddleAtlan;cJuniorOlympics(JO’s).JO’sareheldtwiceayear;Marchina25-yardpool,Julyina50-meterpool.Par;cipants
mustbe14yearsoldoryoungerandhaveachievedatleastonequalifying;metopar;cipateinanindividualevent.JO’sisthe
fastest14&undercompe;;oninwhichourteampar;cipates.
EasterZoneAgeGroupChampionships(Zones).Heldattheendofthewinterandsummerseasonsforselectagegroupand
seniorswimmersforLSCswithinthatzone.“Zones”arethezonalchampionshipmeetsforagegroup.AtZones,MiddleAtlan;c
32
compilesateamofitsfastestagegroupswimmerstocompeteagainstotherLSCsinthesamezone,andtheseswimmers
competeunderMA(notDST).
SwimMeets–Sec;onH
SwimMeets
MiddleAtlan;cSeniorChamps–SimilartoJO’s,SeniorChampionshipsareheldtwiceayearaswell.SeniorChampionshipsare
onlyopentoMAregisteredswimmers.Thiscompe;;onfeaturesteamsfromacrosstheregionandrepresentsaseason-ending
championshipmeetformanyofourathletes
EasternZoneSec;onals–Thismeetisheldtwiceayear.IntheSpringtherearetwoseparatesec;onalmeetsheld,oneinLCM
andoneinSCY.IntheSummerthereisonlyoneSec;onal.SwimmerscompeteagainstswimmersoftheEasterZoneonly.
JuniorNa;onalChampionships-Thisisthehighestlevelmeetfor18&underswimmersintheUnitedStates.Ashortcourse
championshipistypicallyheldinDecemberwithalongcoursechampionshipheldinAugust.Thisisaverycompe;;veand
exci;ngteammeet.Anyswimmerwithaqualifying;meforthismeetisencouragedtoaUend.
Na;onalChampionships(SeniorNa;onals)–OtherthantheOlympicsTrialsandWorldChampionships,eachofwhichisheldonce
everyfouryears,thehighestlevelofcompe;;onforourseniorswimmersistheUSNa;onalChampionships.Swimmersmee;ng
thena;onal;mestandardstraveltovariousci;esintheUStocompeteagainstAmerica’sbestswimmers.Thismeetohenserves
asaselec;onmeetforathletesstrivingtomakeUSNa;onalteams,suchasthePanAmericanTeam,WorldUniversityGames,
andPanPacificteam.
33
SwimMeets–Sec;onH
SwimMeets
MEETSCHEDULE
TheTradi;onalandNa;onalgroupmeetscheduleispostedonourwebsiteatthebeginningofeachswimyear.
1.Themeetschedulehasbeenestablishedwiththeexpecta;onthatswimmerswillaUendeverymeetavailableattheir
classifica;onlevel,bothlocallyandoutoftown.Wedonotscheduleameetunlesswefeelitisimportanttopar;cipate.
2.ThecoachingstaffreservestherighttomakethefinaldecisionconcerningmeetsDSTswimmerswillaUend.
3.AllDSTswimmers,regardlessofageorabilitylevel,willtrainwiththeinten;onofcompe;nginaseason-endingchampionship
meet.Wehighlyencourageallathletestomakethecommitmenttopar;cipateatthehighestlevelmeetforwhichtheyhave
achievedqualifying;mes.
HOWTOENTERASWIMMERINTOAMEET
Themeetentryprocesstypicallybeginsonlineatwww.DelawareSwimTeam.com.EachDSTfamilyhasauser-nameandpassword
toaccesstheirpersonalaccount.Onceloggedintothewebsite,simplyclickontheEVENTStabandclickthe“EditCommitment”
underthemeetdate.Certainchampionshipmeetsrequirethatthecoachingstaffu;lizeUSASwimmingOnlineMeetEntry
system.
Thecoachingstaffwilldesignateameetsign-updeadline.WeaskthatALLSWIMMERSandPARENTSabidebythisdeadline.The
deadlineisestablishedtoprovidethecoachesanopportunitytoreviewthemeetentryforanymistakesorpoten;alchanges.In
theeventaswimmerforgetstoenterameetinwhichtheyshouldpar;cipatepleaseno;fythecoachimmediately.Ifspaceis
availableandthemeetdirectoriswilling,alateentrymaybepermiUed,buttherearenoguarantees.Thefeeisusuallydouble
thenormalentryfeeandmustbepaidtothemeetadministratoronthepooldeckbytheswimmer.
ULTIMATELYTHEDSTCOACHINGSTAFFRESERVESTHERIGHT,ATALLTIMES,TOALTERANYSWIMMER’SMEETENTRY.The
coachingstaffisbestequippedtounderstandthecompe;;veneedsoftheathletesandwillmakealldecisionsbasedonwhatis
intheathlete’sbestinterests.
SwimMeets–Sec;onH
34
SwimMeets
ENTRYFEESANDSURCHARGES
Eachevent/raceaswimmerentersataswimmeetcarriesanentryfee,alsoknownasmeetfee.Swimmeetssanc;onedbyMiddleAtlan;cin
accordancewiththegoverningrulesofUSASwimming,maydeterminetheamountthatmaybechargedforeachevent.Thisfeecanrange
from$3to$10perrace.Inaddi;ontothemeetfeeforeachindividualevent,thehos;ngteammayrequireasurchargeorfacilityfeefor
eachswimmerpar;cipa;nginthemeet.
Meetentryfeesandsurchargesareduetothehos;ngteampriortothestartoftheswimmeet.At;mes,DST,onbehalfofitsentered
swimmers,paysthefeesupfrontandaheadofeachindividualmember’saccountbeingcharged.Other;mes,DSTwillchargeassoonasthe
registra;ondeadlinepasses.Eachswimmer’smeetfeesarechargedtotheirDSTaccount.Oncetheentryandpaymenthasbeensenttothe
hos;ngteamtherewillbeNOrefundsformeetfeesforanyreason.
EXPECTEDBEHAVIORATASWIMMEET
1.Athletesandparentsalike,wearingDSTapparelrepresentourteam.Pleaseletyourac;onsreflectyourprideinyourteam.
2.AsamaUerofcourtesytotheofficialsandmeethost,itisstronglyencouragedthatswimmersandparentsstayoffthedeckandoutofthe
compe;;onareaunlesstheyarecompe;ngorservinginanofficialcapacity.
3.Similarly,asamaUerofcourtesy,allques;onsswimmersorparentsmayhaveconcerningmeetresults,anofficia;ngcall,ortheconduct
ofameet,shouldbereferredtothecoachingstaff.They,inturn,willpursuethemaUerthroughtheproperchannels.
4.AsamaUerofpride,leavetheteamareaandthepoolinaneatandcleancondi;onattheconclusionofeachsessionofthemeet.
5.Pleaseconsultwiththecoachingstaffpriortoscratchinganeventordeck-enteringanevent.Thecoachingstaffwillalwaysmakethefinal
decisiononanyscratchesordeck-entries.
6.Swimmerswhoqualifyforchampionshipfinalsinprelim-finalsmeetsareexpectedtocompeteinthefinals.ALWAYSconsultyourcoachif,
forsomereason,aswimmerwouldliketoscratchfromafinal.
7.Swimmersareexpectedtoofferencouragementandsupporttoallmembersoftheteam.Posi;vecommentsandteamspiritarebeneficial
toeverybody.Nega;vethoughtsandcommentsshouldbekepttoyourself.
SwimMeets–Sec;onH
35
SwimMeets
SWIMMEETPROCEDURES
1.ReviewtheMeetAnnouncementfoundbyclickingtheEventstab,nameoftheswimmeetaUending,andtheMeetInfolink.Thewho,
what,andwhereofanymeetwillbefoundinthepagesoftheMeetAnnouncement.
2.VerifyyourswimmersmeetentriespriortothemeetandreportanymistakestoCoach.
3.Thewarmupschedulewillbeemailedorposted.The;meshownisthe;meswimmershavetobeonpooldeckreadytodoteam
stretchesand/orfeetshouldenterthewater,thereforeplanahead!Itisimportantthatswimmersandparentsalikeunderstandthatagood
warm-upisanessen;alpartofasuccessfulperformance.Allwarm-uprulesmustbeadheredtosuchas,feetfirstentry,circleswimming,
etc.
4.Swimmersshouldsitinthedesignatedteamareawiththeirteammates,wearingthemandatoryteamshirts,cap,anduniform.
ParentsarerecommendedtopackhealthysnacksfortheirswimmersalongwithplentyofWATERforhydra;ng.
5.ItisrecommendedthatparentspurchaseoracquireaHeatSheetandverifytheevent,heatandlaneyourswimmerissignedupfor.Each
swimmerwillberesponsibleforknowingwhicheventstheyareswimmingandreporttotheblockson;meandprepared.
6.Beforeaswimmerreportstotheblockspriortotheirracetheymustconferwithamemberofthecoachingstafftodiscussstrategyand
goals.
7.Attheconclusionofeachrace,theswimmershouldaskthelane;merfortheirwatch;me,andthenwarmdownperthecoach’s
instruc;ons.Followingwarmdown,theswimmershouldreporttothecoachtodiscusstherace.
8.Betweenraces,swimmersareaskedtostayinthedesignatedteamareatorestandstaywarm.Allenergyshouldbefocusedonracing.
9.Astheofficialresultsarepostedpleaserecordyour;meintheeventthereisamistake.
10.Itisveryimportantthattheathletecheckwiththecoachingstaffpriortoleavingtheswimmeet.Swimmerswillohenbecountedupon
topar;cipateinrelayswhicharegenerallythelasteventsofasession.Ifaswimmerleaveswithoutno;fyingthecoachtheresultcouldbe
threeotherswimmerslosingtheirchancetocompete.
SwimMeets–Sec;onH
36
AppendixA–TermsandConditionsforParticipation
1.TheDSTRegistra;onFeeandtheUSASwimmingregistra;onfeearenotrefundableandmustbepaidpriortonewswimmersjoiningthe
team.
2.MonthlyCoachingduesaretobepaidbythefirstdayofeachmonth(unlesspaidinfull).Theywillnotbeprorated.Ifaswimmerswims
evenonedayduringamonththeyareresponsibleforthatmonth’scoachingdues.
3.Accountscarryingabalancepastthe15thofeachmonthwillbechargedalatefee.Ifthebalanceremainsunpaidbythe15thofthe
followingmonththeswimmerwillnotbeallowedtoswimun;lthebalanceoftheaccountispaidinfull.
4.Anypaymentsreturnedforinsufficientfundsorcreditcardsdeniedwillbechargeda$30.00feetothatmembers’account.
5.Intheeventaswimmeris“moved-up”intoanewgroup,theyarethenresponsibleforthatgroupsmonthlycoachingfees.
6.Meetentryfees,officeitemcharges,meetcoachingfees,andteamtravelareinaddi;ontothemonthlydues.Nonpaymentofanyofthese
feeswillalsonecessitatenon-par;cipa;onfortheswimmer(s)un;lpaymentismade.
7.Shouldaswimmerdecidetodiscon;nuepar;cipa;onintheprogramwithDST,themonthlyduesforthemonthofwhichhe/sheswims
anypor;onthereofandanyoutstandingfeesareconsideredanobliga;ontoDST,andarepayableupontermina;onofpar;cipa;on,
includingbutnotlimitedtounfulfilledServicePoints.Thereisa$50contractcancella;onfeeperswimmer.
8.Eachparent,guardian,andswimmerisresponsibleforreadingandunderstandingthecontentsoftheDelawareSwimTeamHandbook.
9.Eachparent,guardian,andswimmerwillberequiredtoreadandabidebythe“ParentsCodeofConduct,”“ServiceHoursObliga;on
Policy,”and“SwimmersCodeofConduct.”Failuretocomplywiththeappendicesoftheteamhandbookmayresultinpenaltyfeesand/or
expulsionfromtheDelawareSwimTeam.
Iunderstandandagreetotheabovetermsandcondi;onsoftheDelawareSwimTeaminexchangefortheprivilegeofmychild(ren)to
par;cipateintheac;vi;esandswimprogram.
BycheckingtheboxofthisHandbookthroughtheregistra%onprocessofthe2016-17seasonwillstandasagreementtotheabove
condi%ons.
AppendixA
37
AppendixB–SwimmerCodeofConduct
1.TheDelawareSwimTeamrulesaretobefollowedatall;mes,inallfacili;es.
2.Theconsump;onorpurchaseofalcohol,smokingorchewingtobacco,oruseofanyotherillegaldrugorsubstanceofanykindis
prohibited.Anyteammemberfoundorsuspectedtobeinthepresenceofothers(regardlessofteamaffilia;on)partakinginanyofthe
aboveac;vi;eswillbesubjecttoexpulsionfromtheDelawareSwimTeam.
3.Disrespecvul,indiscreetordestruc;vebehaviorwillnotbetolerated.Itistheresponsibilityofeachswimmertomakeeveryefforttoavoid
guiltbyassocia;onwithsuchac;vi;esatany;me.
4.Useofproperlanguageisexpectedatall;mes.
5.Allathletesareexpectedtotreatteammembers,coaches,staff,andcompe;torswithrespect,support,andkindness.
6.Anypersonguiltyofthievery,onandoffofaDSTsite,willbesubjecttoexpulsionfromtheteam.
7.Eachswimmerisresponsibleforreplacingaccidentallylostordamagedequipment.
8.Eachswimmermusthavetherequiredteamgear:swimbag,warmup,T-shirts,caps,suitsandequipmentasdeterminedbytheDST
coachesatthebeginningofeachswimyear.
9.AllathletesareexpectedtoabidebythedresscodedeterminedbythecoachingstaffoftheDelawareSwimTeamatallprac;ces,
compe;;ons,andduringteamtravel.
10.Beon;meandpreparedforeachprac;ce,compe;;on,andteamevent.
11.ALWAYSrepresenttheteamposi;velyinyourbehavior,appearance,andsportsmanship.
Toachieveourgoals,wemustworktogetherasateam.Thosewhocannotfollowtherulesstatedabovewillnotbewelcomeaspartofour
program.Failuretocomplywiththesecodesofconductmayresultinfinancialpenal;es,suspensionordismissalfromtheDelawareSwim
Team.
BycheckingtheboxofthisHandbookthroughtheregistra%onprocessofthe2016-17seasonwillstandasagreementtotheabove
condi%ons.
AppendixB
38
AppendixC–ParentCodeofConduct
1.Prac;ceteamworkwithallparents,swimmersandcoachesbysuppor;ngthevaluesofDiscipline,Loyalty,CommitmentandHardWork.
2.Donotcoachorinstructtheteamoranyswimmerataprac;ceormeet(fromthestandsoranyotherarea)orinterferewithcoacheson
pooldeck.
3.Demonstrategoodsportsmanshipbyconduc;ngoneselfinamaUerthatearnstherespectofyourchild,otherswimmers,parents,officials
andthecoachesatmeetsandprac;ces.
4.Maintainself-controlatall;mes.Knowyourrole.
a.Swimmers-Swim
b.Coaches-Coach
c.Officials-Officiate
d.Parents-Parent
5.Cri;cizing,name-calling,useofabusivelanguageorgesturesdirectedtowardcoaches,officials,and/oranypar;cipa;ngswimmerwillnot
bepermiUedortolerated.
6.EnjoyinvolvementwiththeDelawareSwimTeambysuppor;ngtheswimmers,coachesandotherparentswithposi;vecommunica;on
andac;ons.
7.Duringcompe;;ons,ques;onsorconcernsregardingdecisionsmadebyameetofficialaredirectedtoamemberofourcoachingstaff.
ParentsmayaddressUSASwimmingOfficialsviathecoachingstaffONLY.
Toachieveourgoals,wemustworktogetherasateam.Thosewhocannotfollowtherulesstatedabovewillnotbewelcomeaspartofour
program.FailuretocomplywiththesecodesofconductmayresultinsuspensionordismissalfromtheDelawareSwimTeam.
BycheckingtheboxofthisHandbookthroughtheregistra%onprocessofthe2016-17seasonwillstandasagreementtotheabove
condi%ons.
AppendixC
39
AppendixD–ServicePointObligationPolicy
Theintentofthispolicyisnottoraisemoney,buttoensurethatTheDelawareSwimTeam,(DST)swimmershavetheopportunityto
par;cipateincompe;;onaswellasemphasizehowveryimportantitisthatasmembersofateam,thevolunteereffortrequiredisshared
equallyamongitsmembers.DSTisveryfortunatetohaveagroupofverycommiUedparentswhohavevolunteereduncondi;onally;
however,thosefamiliesnotdoingtheirfairshareduringeventscri;callyjeopardizethesmoothmanagementandopera;onoftheseevents.
Weneedhelpfromeveryonetocon;nuetoprovidetheservicethattheswimmingcommunityhascometoexpectaswellassupportthe
missionandvisionofourteam.
MINIMUMSERVICEPOINTSOBLIGATIONPERGROUP
Minis:12Points
AgeGroup:30Points
Seniors:25Points
JuniorNa%onals:20Points
SeniorNa%onals:15Points
Unfulfilledservicehourswillbebilledatarateof$25perhouronJuly1,2017.
HOWTOSIGNUPFORSERVICEHOURS
Gotowww.DelawareSwimTeam.comclicktheEVENTStabandundereachlistedeventdateclickontheJobsignuplink.
KEEPINGTRACKOFVOLUNTEERHOURS:
Pointswillbeavailableforsign-uparoundoneweekpriortoaDSThostedeventandwillbetrackedthroughouronlineTeamUnifysystem.It
isnecessaryhoweverthatyouSIGNINandOUTatthecontroltableateachevent.Thesigninsheetsareusedasverifica;onthataperson
hasindeedworkedthehourstheysignupfor.
40
AppendixD
AppendixD–AdditionalServicePointInformation
1.FAMILIESWITHMULTIPLESWIMMERS:ServicePointObliga;onsforfamilieswithmul;pleswimmersarebasedupontheswimmer
par;cipa;nginthehighestpointlevelgroup.
2.VOLUNTEERPOINTSANDGROUPCHANGES:Ifaswimmerschangesgroupsduringtheyear,thefamilywillberesponsibleforthenew
group’sServicePointsrequirementsfortheremainderoftheseason.
3.SWIMMERSTHATDONOTCOMPETEINMEETS:Regardlessofwhetherornotyourswimmerpar;cipatesinswimmeets,thefamilyiss;ll
responsiblefortheirServicePointobliga;ontotheteam.
4.SWIMMERSTHATDEACTIVATEOR“TAKEABREAK”:wills;llberesponsiblefortheassignedservicepointsandwillbebilledthefinancial
differenceatdeac;va;on.Transferswillnotbegrantedun;laccountsareseUled.
5.VOLUNTEERHOURSATAWAYMEETS:TheremaybeoccasionswhereDSTisrequiredtosupplyvolunteersatawayandchampionship
meets.ThesevolunteerhourswillNOTcounttowardsyourDSTaccountaswecannotkeeptrackofthesepoints/hoursatawaymeets.
6.Familymembers,rela;ves,neighbors,andfriendsareallwelcometovolunteeratourswimmeetsandevents.
7.CommunityServicecreditisavailableforanyonewhovolunteersandneedstoearncommunityservicehours.
8.Allfamiliespar;cipa;nginhomemeetsmusthaveaparent(orrepresenta;ve)volunteer.Evenifyourfamilyhasfulfilledallrequired
hours,youmusts;llvolunteerifyourswimmerispar;cipa;nginahomemeet.
Toachieveourgoals,wemustworktogetherasateam.Thosewhocannotfollowtherulesstatedabovewillnotbewelcomeaspartofour
program.FailuretocomplywiththesecodesofconductmayresultinsuspensionordismissalfromDelawareSwimTeam.
BycheckingtheboxofthisHandbookthroughtheregistra%onprocessofthe2016-17seasonwillstandasagreementtotheabove
condi%ons.
AppendixD
41
AppendixE–TeamTravelCommitmentPolicy
TheDelawareSwimTeampar;cipatesincompe;;onsforwhichtheteamprovidesaTeamTravelservice.AthleteswhoelecttoTeamTravel
toanyofthesecompe;;onswillbeunderthedirectsupervisionoftheDSTcoachingstaffandanydesignatedchaperonesfromthe;methe
teamdepartsforthecompe;;onun;lthe;metheteamreturnsfromthecompe;;on.
ThisTeamTravelservicewillcomeatacosttothosewhoelecttopar;cipate.Thiscostwillalwayscovertravel(flight,bus,and/orrentalcar)
andhotelaccommoda;ons.Itmayalsocoverfoodexpensesandanyrelatedmeetfees.Whencoordina;ngTeamTravel,theDSTcoaching
staffwill:
·Arrangealltravelandhotelaccommoda;ons
·ProvideaTeamTravelCommitmentForm
·ProvideacommitmentdatebywhichallathleteswhowishtoTeamTravelmustturnintheTeam
TravelCommitmentFormtothecoachingstaff
·Providethees;matedcostofTeamTravelinadvanceofthecompe;;on
·Provideafinalcostonceallexpenseshavebeenfinalized
DelawareSwimTeammemberswhoelecttoTeamTravelwillberequiredtopayallTeamTravelexpensesbythedateprovidedontheTeam
TravelCommitmentForm.DelawareSwimTeammemberswillhavethebenefitofhavingallTeamTravelcostschargedtothecreditcard
associatedwiththeirDSTaccount.
DelawareSwimTeammemberswhoqualifyformeetssuchasJunior/SeniorNa;onalsahertheTeamTravelCommitmentFormduedatewill
begiventheop;ontoTeamTravelunderstandingthattheymayincuraddi;onalcostsbecauseofhighertravelexpenses.
AnyDelawareSwimTeammemberswhowishtou;lizetheTeamTravelservicebutcannotpaythefullexpensebythedesignateddatemust
makewriUenarrangementswithDST’officebeforeturningintheTeamTravelCommitmentForm.
Somecompe;;onsqualifyforAthleteSupportfundingfromMiddleAtlan;c.OnlyathleteswhohavebeenmembersofMiddleAtlan;cfor
morethanoneyearmayqualifyforAthleteSupport.
42
AppendixE
AppendixE–TeamTravelCommitmentPolicy
TheDelawareSwimTeampar;cipatesincompe;;onsforwhichtheteamprovidesaTeamTravelservice.AthleteswhoelecttoTeamTravel
toanyofthesecompe;;onswillbeunderthedirectsupervisionoftheDSTcoachingstaffandanydesignatedchaperonesfromthe;methe
teamdepartsforthecompe;;onun;lthe;metheteamreturnsfromthecompe;;on.
ThisTeamTravelservicewillcomeatacosttothosewhoelecttopar;cipate.Thiscostwillalwayscovertravel(flight,bus,and/orrentalcar)
andhotelaccommoda;ons.Itmayalsocoverfoodexpensesandanyrelatedmeetfees.Whencoordina;ngTeamTravel,theDSTcoaching
staffwill:
·Arrangealltravelandhotelaccommoda;ons
·ProvideaTeamTravelCommitmentForm
·ProvideacommitmentdatebywhichallathleteswhowishtoTeamTravelmustturnintheTeam
TravelCommitmentFormtothecoachingstaff
·Providethees;matedcostofTeamTravelinadvanceofthecompe;;on
·Provideafinalcostonceallexpenseshavebeenfinalized
DelawareSwimTeammemberswhoelecttoTeamTravelwillberequiredtopayallTeamTravelexpensesbythedateprovidedontheTeam
TravelCommitmentForm.DelawareSwimTeammemberswillhavethebenefitofhavingallTeamTravelcostschargedtothecreditcard
associatedwiththeirDSTaccount.
DelawareSwimTeammemberswhoqualifyformeetssuchasJunior/SeniorNa;onalsahertheTeamTravelCommitmentFormduedatewill
begiventheop;ontoTeamTravelunderstandingthattheymayincuraddi;onalcostsbecauseofhighertravelexpenses.
AnyDelawareSwimTeammemberswhowishtou;lizetheTeamTravelservicebutcannotpaythefullexpensebythedesignateddatemust
makewriUenarrangementswithDST’officebeforeturningintheTeamTravelCommitmentForm.
Somecompe;;onsqualifyforAthleteSupportfundingfromMiddleAtlan;c.OnlyathleteswhohavebeenmembersofMiddleAtlan;cfor
morethanoneyearmayqualifyforAthleteSupport.
43
AppendixE
AppendixF–DSTonTwitter
HOWTOFOLLOWDSTONTWITTER
Gotowww.twiUer.comandcreateaTwiUeraccount,ifyoudonotalreadyhaveone.Searchfor“DelSwimTeam”attheirwebsite(typeit
exactlyasitiswriUenhere)andclickthe“Follow”buUon.EdittheseengssothatTweetsfromDelSwimTeamaresenttoyourmobile
device.Youcanalsoadjustyourseengstospecifywhentextsaresenttoyou.
OR
Text:followDelSwimTeamto40404
Onceregistered,youwillreceiveDSTannouncementsviatextmessage.
DoesTwi^erChargeMeForTextMessages?
ThisiswhatyouneedtoknowaboutusingTwiUerandchargesfortextmessages:
TwiUerdoesnotchargeyoufortextmessages.However,dependingonyourserviceproviderandyourtextplan,youmightseeusage
chargesfromyourcarrierfortextmessaging
StandardratesdoapplywhenyouaddyourphonetoTwiUer.YourserviceprovidermayhavefeesforsendingandreceivingSMS/text
messages.Whenindoubt,contactyourcellphoneserviceprovider.
44
AppendixF