KENTGARDENSDOLPHINSSWIMTEAM
HANDBOOK
Aguidefornewandbewilderedswimparents
TABLEOFCONTENTS
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CONTACTINFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
SWIMLESSONS,MINI-DOLPHINSORSWIMTEAM?
PRACTICETIMES
COMMUINICATION–“I’mnotgettingtheemails!”
PARENTVOLUNTEERS
WHATISTHENVSL?
SWIMAPPAREL
YARD/METERCONVERSION
HOWOLDAMI?
TYPICALSEASONCALENDAR
HOWTHEMEETSWORK
o TIMETRIALS
o BMEETS
o AMEETS
o RELAYCARNIVAL
o ALLSTARRELAYCARNIVAL
o DIVISIONALS
o ALLSTARS
o TEAMRECORDS
MEETPROCEDURESFORSWIMMERS
MEETPROCEDURESFORSPECTATORS
WHATTOBRINGTOAMEET
UHOH.MYKIDGOTADQ
JUNIORCOACHES
WINTERSWIM
WHATABOUTDIVE?
FUNSTUFF
CONTACTINFORMATION
Ifyouhavequestions,youcanalwaysasktheTeamRepsorcoaches.We’reheretohelp.
SaraWeinstock–[email protected]
ChrisHintonisourheadcoach,andhasbeensince1999.Hiscommitment,longevityandexceptionalcoaching
aretheleadingfactorsinthesuccessoftheKGRCDolphins.HeteachesatKentGardenselementaryandhis
kidsswimalongsideyours.
INTRODUCTION
Thewhirlwindnatureoftheswimseasoncanleaveanyonespinning,anditcanbeespeciallyoverwhelming
forfamiliesnewtoswim.We'veallbeenthereandwe’rehappytohelpyouthroughit.TheTeamReps,
Coachesandfellowswimparentsallwantyoutounderstandandenjoyoursummerswimprogram.Welcome
totheDolphins!We'regladtohaveyouwithus!
Firstandforemost,wewanttofosterahealthyenvironmentthatencouragesthekidstodotheirbest,gives
themampleopportunitytopracticegoodsportsmanship,recognizestheircontributions,andisfunforthe
entirefamily.
SWIMLESSONS,MINI-DOLPHINSORSWIMTEAM?
Theswimteamdoesnotofferofficial“swimlessons,”thoughmanyofthecoachesandjuniorcoachesdooffer
privatesessions.Youcancontactthemindividuallyformoreinformation,andmanyofthemwillpostflyers
nearthefrontdesk.Thelifeguardswillofferswimlessonsforyoungerchildren;youcansignupatthefront
desk.Thelessonsusuallystartafterschoolletsoutandrunweekdaysfortwoweeksandthepriceis
reasonable.Swimlessonsareintendedforkidswho
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Areafraidtoblowbubblesinthewater
Cannotbeoutofarm’slengthofanadultinthepool
Ingeneral,are3-5yearsold
Ifyourchildcanswimalittlebutcan’tyetswimthelengthofthepool,Mini-Dolphinsistheplaceforthem!
Mini-Dolphinsmeetforahalfhoureachdaytopractice.Theydonotcompeteinmeets.Duringthelastweek
oftheseason,theyareinvitedtotheendofseasonIntrasquadmeettocompleteinaLollipopRace.Eachlane
isstaffedbyajuniorcoachforencouragementandsafety,andeachparticipantgetsaspeciallollipop!During
theregularpractices,thelanesrunaminimumoftwocoacheseach.Mini-Dolphinsareintendedforkidswho
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Canstayafloatastrokeortwo–canpushoffthewalland“swim”toaparentafewfeetaway
Ingeneral,are4-7yearsold
SomekidsstarttheseasoninMini-Dolphinsandmakesomuchprogresssofastthattheymoveuptothe
regularSwimTeampractices.Forolderkids,youdon’tneedtobelegalinallstrokes–orevenknowwhatthey
are-tojointheteam.Ifyoucanswimthelengthofthepool,we’llteachyoutherest.Ifyouhaveaquestion
aboutwhetherMini-DolphinsortheSwimTeamisthebestfitforyourchild,cometothefirstpracticeforan
assessment.TheSwimTeamisintendedforkidswho
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Canswimthelengthofthepool.Doesn’thavetobeprettyorlegal,buttheycangetthere
Areasyoungasfive,butmostaresixorseven
PRACTICETIMES
WestartpracticesthedayafterMemorialDayandcontinueMonday–Fridaythroughouttheseason.While
schoolisinsession,ourscheduleisasfollows:
4:30-5:00pmMiniDolphins
5:00-6:008andunders
5:30-6:309and10's(yes,practicetimesoverlap)
6:30-7:3011andup
Onceschoolletsout,wegiveswimmerstheoptionofamorningpracticeoraneveningpractice.Youcanbe
flexiblebasedoncampschedules,workschedules,etc.
AMSwimPractice
7:30-9:00am11andup
9:00-10:00am9and10's
10:00-10:30amMiniDolphins*newfor2017!MiniDolphinscanpickeitheramorningorafternoon
practice
PMSwimPractice
4:30-5:00pmMiniDolphins
5:00-6:00pm9andunders
6:00-7:00pm10andup
Weunderstandthatwhileschoolisinsessionyourchildwillhavealotofdemandsontheirtime.Theymay
stillbefinishingthesoccerorbaseballseason,orhaveaconcertorawardsnightatschool.Justmakeasmany
practicesasyoucan.Ifyouhavekidsinmultipleagegroups,dependingontheskillleveloftheyoungerone,
theymightbeableto“swimup”withtheolderagegroupatpractice.Otherkidsreallyneedtobeinthe
correctagegroupfortheirskilllevel.TalktoCoachChrisaboutwhetherswimmingupmightbeagood
solutionforyourfamily.Wedonotallow“swimmingdown”forthesafetyoftheyoungerswimmers.
COMMUNICATION–“I’mnotgettingtheemails!”
Generalinformationistypicallysentviaemailseveraltimeseachweek.Besuretocheckyoure-mailforemails
sentfromKGRCSwimTeamorforBMeetsignupssentdirectlyfromACTIVE.Theemailswesendtypically
includeseverallinks,sotheycangetcaughtinspamfilters.Pleaseconfigureyourinboxtoalwaysreceive
[email protected].
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IfyouhaveGmail,youmightneedtomakesureourKGRCSwimTeamemailsarecomingto
yourprimaryboxandnotyourpromotionsorsocial.Directionsonhowtomakesureouremail
getspastyourfiltersappearshere:http://kb.mailchimp.com/delivery/deliverabilityresearch/place-emails-in-primary-tab-in-gmail
IfyouuseOutlook,youneedtolistusasaSafesender:https://askleo.com/how-do-i-stopoutlook-com-from-putting-legitimate-messages-in-the-junk-mail-folder/
SimilarprocesswithHotmail:http://email.about.com/od/windowslivehotmailtips/qt/How-ToMake-Sure-Windows-Live-Hotmail-Does-Not-Ban-Important-Mail-As-Junk.htm
Theemailswillalwayscometotheemailaddressusedtoregistertheswimmer.Ifyouwouldlikeyourworkinbox,spouse,co-parent,grandparentorchildcareworkertoalsoreceivetheemails,justtelloneoftheTeam
Repsandwe’lladdthemtothedistributionlist.
SignupforRAINEDOUTtogettextalertsaboutweatherandotherimportantinformation.Goto
www.rainedout.comandfindKentGardensRecreationClub.YouwillhavetheoptionofreceivingGeneral
Membershipalerts,SwimTeamand/orDiveTeam.SelectGeneralMembershipandSwimTeamforbest
results.
PARENTVOLUNTEERS
Ittakesapproximately50parentvolunteerstorunatypicalmeet.Withoutparentvolunteers,theswim
seasonsimplywouldnothappen.Therefore,itiscriticalforthesuccessoftheprogramthateachandevery
familydoesitsparttoparticipateasvolunteersthroughouttheswimteamseason.Mostotherteamshavea
requirementforthefamiliestoparticipate,withrequiredhoursbasedonthenumberofchildrenyouhave
participating.Wehavetriedveryhardtostayawayfromthismodelwithanunderstandingthatpeoplehave
seasonsoftheirlivesandnoteveryseasonisconducivetovolunteering.Thatbeingsaid,ifyouhaveachild
swimming,someonefromyourfamilyshouldbeinblue/whitevolunteeringforsomeportionofmostmeets.
PLEASENOTE:WATCHINGYOURCHILDRENSWIMISAPRIORITY.IFYOUAREWORKINGAJOBTHATIS
AWAYFROMTHEPOOLDECK(CLERKOFCOURSE,TABLEWORKER,CARDWRITER)YOUAREENCOURAGED
TOTAKEAQUICKBREAKTOWATCHINDIVIDUALRACES.
Volunteersatanymeet–AorBMeet–shouldweartheofficialNVSLuniformofawhitecollaredshirtand
darkblueshorts/pants.
Thevolunteersyou'llrunintothemostinyourswimteamdealingsaretheTeamReps.TheTeamRepsare
volunteerparentswhowerenewtoswimmingatonetimejustlikeyouarenow.TeamRepsrepresentthe
KentGardensDolphinstootherswimteamsandtheNVSL.MostoftheTeamRep'sjobisdonebeforethe
meetevenstarts.
Therearetwotypesofjobsatmeets–thosethatrequirespecialtrainingandthosethatdon’trequireany
particularknowledgeorskillset,justawillingnesstohelpout.NoExperienceRequiredjobswillgooutviaa
sign-upgenius.Allyouneedtodoissignupandyou’llbetrainedon-siteatthemeet.
MeetVolunteers-NoPriorExperienceRequired:
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Timersdetermineeachswimmer'sofficialtimeforeachrace.Beingatimerisagoodentry-level
positionfornewparents,andit’sthebestviewonthedeck!Ifyoucanstartandstopastopwatch,you
canbeatimer.We'llevenprovidethestopwatch&abrieftrainingbeforeeachmeet.Timersstart
theirwatchesonthestrobelightandstoptheirwatcheswhentheswimmertouchesthewall.There
arethreetimersperlaneandallthreetimesarerecorded.Themiddletimeistheofficialtime.
Marshalsareresponsibleformaintainingsafeandappropriateconductbyswimmersandspectators
throughoutthemeet.Themarshalensuresthatwarmupsareconductedsafelyandthatorderis
maintainedduringthewarmups.Marshalshelpkeeporderonthepooldeckduringmeetsbylimiting
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accesstothepooldecktoappropriateswimmers,coachesandvolunteers.Marshalsalsoraisea
“Quiet”signduringracestartstokeepspectatornoisetoaminimumsothatswimmerscanhearthe
startandarelesslikelytofalsestart.Themarshaljobbeginsassoonasswimmersstepintothepool
forwarm-ups,soit’simportanttobeontimeforthisjob.
TheClerkoftheCourseisthe"gatekeeper"forallswimmersinourmeets.Youcan'thavearace
withoutswimmers,andtheclerkofthecoursemakessuretherightswimmergetstotherightplaceat
therighttime.Thesevolunteersalsoassistthecoachesinhandingouttheswimmers’raceentrycards.
Wegenerallyneedonereallyexperiencedclerk,andotherscanlearnonthejob.Weneedmoreclerks
ofcoursefortheBMeetsthanwedofortheAmeetssincewe’rerunningmultipleheatsofmost
events.Thisjobisagreatwaytoputnameswithfaces!
ThetimecardsfromthetimersandanyDQslipsgofromaDQSlipRunnertotheTableWorkerswho
determinetheorderoffinishforeachevent,scorethemeet,andprepareribbonsfortheparticipants.
Severalpeoplefromeachteamperformthesefunctionstoensurethaterrorsarecaughtbeforethe
resultsareannounced.Aswithclerkofcourse,it’sgoodtohaveamixofexperiencedtableworkers
andnewfolks.Thisisagreatjobifyoucan’tbeonyourfeetfortheentiremeet.
Duringrelays,you'llseefourRelayTake-offJudges(A-MeetsandRelayCarnivalsonly)ateachendof
thepool(twoperlane).Theirjobistoensurethateachswimmertouchesthewallpriortothenext
swimmerintherelayleavingthedeck.EachJudgenotesonaslipofpaperwhethereachswimmerin
hislaneleftbeforeoraftertheswimmerinthewatertouchedthewall.
CardWriterswillfillouttimecardswithnamesandeventnumbersforkidstotaketotheclerkof
course.ThisjobisforBMeetsonly.
MeetOfficials--Experienceand/orTrainingRequired:
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TheAnnouncerhastheimportantresponsibilityofkeepingallparents,officials,coachesandswimmers
informedandonschedulethroughoutthemeetviathePublicAddressSystem.Theannouncersetsthe
toneforthemeetbygreetingeveryone,announcingpre-meetbriefingsoftimersandofficials,aswell
aswarm-uptimes,andannouncingeacheventandheat.DuringAmeets,theannounceralsoreadsout
swimmernames,raceresults,andoverallmeetresults.
Athomemeets,theChiefTimer(NVSLofficialtrainingrequired)collectsthetimecardsfromthe
timers,reviewsthemforaccuracyandcompleteness,andforwardsthemontothetableworkers.The
ChiefTimeralsoconductsapre-meetbriefingforalltimerstoreviewtherulesandproceduresfor
timersandhandoutstopwatches.Atawaymeets,theAssistantChiefTimerassiststheopposing
team’sChiefTimerinthesesamefunctions.
TheComputerOperator/DataCoordinator&Reader(NVSLofficialtrainingrequiredforData
Coordinator)ensuresthatalloftheofficialracetimesarerecordedaccuratelyintotheswimmeet
software,produceresults,scores,andribbonlabels.Theyalsomaintainallswimmers’timesforthe
season,calculateswimmers’improvementandrecords,generatemeetresultreports,andusethe
swimmeetsoftwaretopreparemeetsheets.
TheReferee(NVSLofficialtrainingrequired)isthechiefofficialforeachswimmeet.TheRefereeis
responsiblefortheconductofthemeetsandisthefinalauthorityontheinterpretationand
enforcementofallswimmingrules.
TheStarter(NVSLofficialtrainingrequired)isresponsibleforinsuringthatallswimmersaregivenafair
andequitablestart.Thestarterwillinstructtheswimmersto“Takeyourmark.”Afterallswimmersare
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readyandstill,thestarterwillstarttherace,usingasystemthatconsistsofapublicaddresssystem,a
horn,andastrobelight.
Oncetheracehasstarted,theStroke&TurnJudges(NVSLofficialtrainingrequired)areresponsible
forinsuringthatallswimmersobeyalltherulesforthestrokethattheyareswimming.Thesepeople
arealwaysattheendsofthepool,fromthestartoftheracetothefinish,closelywatchingthe
swimmersintheirdesignatedlanes.IfaStrokeandTurnJudgeseesaviolationoftherules,herecords
thataninfractionhasoccurredonaDQslip.
Ifyou’reinterestedinoneoftheExperienceRequiredjobs,pleasespeaktooneoftheTeamRepsandwe’llget
youconnectedwiththeinstructionyou’llneed.TheseclinicsoccurinMayandJune,sodon’twaituntilthe
meetsbegintoindicateinterestorwillingness!
WHATISTHENVSL?
In1956,8NorthernVirginiaPoolsfoundedtheNorthernVirginiaSwimmingLeague.TodaytheNVSLhasover
17,000swimmerson102teamsandisthelargestsummerswimleagueintheUnitedStates.Duringtheoff
season,theNVSLrankseachteamfrom1to102basedprimarilyonswimmerstimesandtheprevious
season’srecord,andthendividestheteamsbasedontheserankingsinto17Divisionsofsixteamseach.This
meansthatthefastestteamsareinthelowernumberedDivisionsandthelesscompetitiveteamsareinthe
highernumberedDivisions.We’vebeenashighasDivision4andaslowasDivision13.NVSLinformation
(whichcontainsallAMeetrankingsforallthedivisions)andswimmeetresultscanbefoundat:
http://www.mynvsl.com/
SWIMAPPAREL
TheKGRCDolphins,likeeveryotherswimteam,haveanofficialteamsuit.Weencourageallswimmerstobuy
theofficialteamsuitthoughitisnotrequiredatBmeets.Ameetswimmersshouldhaveateamsuit–they
willfeelmorecomfortableandmoreapartoftheteamiftheyaredressedliketheirpeers.Wewillhavethe
companythatsellsthesuitscometoacoupleofpracticesbeforeTimeTrialsandyoucanbuythemon-site.Be
preparedforstickershock–boysuitsareabout$50andgirlsuitsabout$75.Ifyoumissthevendorat
practiceorneedanotherduringtheseason,we’llletyouknowwheretogotobuyone.Ifswimmershavethe
teamsuit,werecommendtheyonlybewornforthemeetsandnotforpracticesbecausetheywillwearout.
Forpracticesswimmersshouldwearacompetitionsuit(one-pieceracingsuitforgirls,briefsorjammersfor
boys).Avoidbikinisortrunksatpracticeasthismakesproperstrokeworkdifficult.Whilenotrequired,caps
andgogglesgenerallybenefittheswimmerbykeepinghairandwateroutoftheireyes.Weencourage
swimmerstousetheseitemsatpracticesaswellasmeets.
Thoughyoucanwearothercaps,asilverKGRCswimcapispreferredforAmeetcompetitions.Ifacapisworn
duringameet,NVSLrequiresthatitnotbethecapofadifferentteam.Ifyouborrowacapfromanother
swimmerthathasanameonit,pleaseturnthecapinsideoutsothatthenamedoesn’tshow.Otherteams
canchallengeiftheythinkthewrongpersonisswimmingtheevent.
Spiritwear–shirts,pajamapants,etc.–willbeavailableforsaleontheKGRCwebsite.
YARD/METERCONVERSION
WeareaYARDpool,andwewillswimalmostexclusivelyagainstMETERpools.Whatdoesthismean?Our
poolisshorter,sotimesswuminourpoolarefaster.Togetaconversiontime(oradecentapproximation),
multiplyayardtimeby1.1togetthemetertime,andmultiplyametertimeby.91togetayardtime.Make
sureyourswimmerunderstandsthis.IftheyswimatKGRCina36.00,butatanotherpoolwitha39.50,they
actuallygotfaster!
HOWOLDAMI?
Aswimmerisassignedtoaparticularagegroupbasedonhis/herageasofJune1andremainsinthisage
groupfortheentiresummerswimmingseason.Thisisarecentrulechange(2012)andeliminatessituations
whereswimmers“age-up”inanewagegroupduringtheswimseason.Soifyouhaveachildwhoturns9on
June15,theywillswimallseasonasan8year-old.Makesuretheyunderstandthissothattheydon’tconfuse
theclerkofcoursebytellingthemtheiractualageandnottheir“swimage”!Thisisespeciallyimportantwith
8andunderswimmerssincetheyswimshorterdistancesthan9andolderswimmersdo.
TYPICALSEASONCALENDAR
DailypracticesbeginthedayafterMemorialDayandcontinuethroughouttheseason.TimeTrialswilloccur
sometimeinmid-June.ALLSTARSisalwaysthefirstSaturdayinAugust,soyoucancountbackwardsseven
weeksfromtheretofigureoutwhenTimeTrialswillbeheldinanygivenyear.
Sunday
Monday
1stBMeet
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
2ndBMeet
3rdBMeet
4thBMeet
5thBMeet
IntrasquadB
Meet
RELAY
CARNIVAL
ALLSTAR
RELAY
CARNIVAL
SWIM/DIVE
BANQUET
Saturday
TIMETRIALS
1stAMeet
Friday
POTLUCKand
TEAM
PHOTOS
4thAMeet
5thAMeet
DIVISIONALS
ALLSTARS
(firstSaturday
inAugust)
2ndAMeet
3rdAMeet
HOWDOTHEMEETSWORK?
Swimmerstypicallyswimupto2events.8andunderswimmersswimshorterdistances(25yardsormeters)
inallstrokes.9-10stillswimtheshorterdistance(25yardsormeters)inbutterflyonly.Olderswimmers
cannotswimtheshorterdistances.
Age
Group
8&
Under
9-10
11-12
13-14
15-18
25M
50M
25M
50M
25M
50M
25M
50M
Freestyle Freestyle Backstroke Backstroke Breaststroke Breaststroke Butterfly Butterfly
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x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
TIMETRIALS
TimetrialsareheldtheSaturdaypriortothefirstmeetoftheseasonandtheyareforALLswimmers.Atthis
meetonly,swimmersswimeachlegalstrokeforpractice,experienceandseedingpurposes.Theyestablisha
baselinetimeforeachswimmerforeverystroketheyswimandtheresultsgiveeachswimmeratimeupon
whichtheycanbuildandreachapersonalbesttime.Italsoservesasapracticeforourofficialsand
volunteers.Yes,volunteersareneededforthiseventandtheyneedpracticetoo!
SwimmerswhocannotattendtimetrialscanswimeachlegalstrokeatthefirstBMeet.Otherwise,youare
limitedtotwostrokes(plusIMifoffered)perBMeet.Swimmersneedcoach’spermissiontoswim
breaststrokeorbutterfly.Wetrytoonlyswimkidswhohaveareasonableexpectationofbeinglegal.
Theformatfortherestoftheswimseasonconsistsmainlyoftwotypesofmeets–BMeetsandAMeets.
BMEETS
BMeetsareheldeachMondaynightthroughouttheseasonandareopentoeveryregisteredmemberofthe
swimteam.Allswimmersareencouragedtoparticipate.Wetypicallyhave5BMeetsplusa6thIntrasquad
MeettheweekbeforeDivisionals.WetrytohavetheBMeetsatneighboringpools,soweoftenswimagainst
friendsandneighbors.BMeetwarm-upsareat5pmforhomemeetsand5:25pmforawaymeets.Meets
beginat6pmandlastuntilcloseto9pm.TypicalorderformeetsisFreestyle,Backstroke,Breaststroke,
Butterfly.Forthelast2-3meets,wewillalsohaveIndividualMedleys.Thosecaneitherbeginthemeetorend
themeet;it’suptothehostingpool.You’refreetoleavethemeetwhenyourchildisfinishedswimming–as
longasyou’vealsofinishedyourshiftasavolunteer.
Swimmersarelimitedtotwoevents,plusanIMifoffered.Swimmersneedcoach’spermissiontoswim
breaststrokeorbutterfly.
TheBMeetsbenefittheswimmersandthecoaches.Theygivetheswimmerachancetoimplementthe
instructionthatisprovidedduringthepractices.Coacheswillprovideimmediatefeedbacktoeachswimmer
aftertheevents.Thesemeetsareanopportunityforswimmerstogainexperienceinacompetitiveand
supportiveenvironment.Swimmersareencouragedtotryneweventseachmeetandcompeteineachevent
fortheiragegroupoverthecourseoftheseason.BMeetsalsogivethecoachesinformationregardingwho
swimswhichstrokesinthefastesttimestoseedforAmeets.
Swimmersthatplaceinanindividualeventduringtheprecedingweek’sAmeet(i.e.,1st,2ndor3rd)maynot
participateinthateventatthenextBmeetandshouldinsteadswima“non-preferred”stroke.
Each12andunderswimmerwillreceivearibbonforeacheventthatisswum;wedonotprintribbonsfor13
andupswimmers.1st-6thplacewillreceiveplaceribbonsandallotherswimmerswillreceiveaParticipant
ribbon.Theseribbonswillhaveastickeronthebackwiththeswimmer’sname,thestroke,thedateandplace
ofthemeetandtheswimmer’stime.TheseribbonswillbeinaribbonboxattheKGRCfrontdeskusuallyby
theendofpracticethenextmorning.Additionally,themeetresultswillbepostedinabinderatthefrontdesk
ifyou’recuriouswhoelseswamandwithwhattimes.BMeetribbonplacesandmeetresultsareforourteam
only–soyourchildcouldhavebeenbeatenbykidsfromtheotherteambutstillendupwithablue1stplace
ribboniftheywerethefastestKentGardensswimmer.
TheBmeetshavemultipleheatspereventperagegroup.Forinstance,theremaybe27girlsinthe9-10age
groupswimmingfreestyle.Theswimmerswillbedividedintomultipleheats,eachheatoffiveorsix
swimmers.However,alleventtimeswillberankedtogethertodeterminethestandings.Itispossible,
therefore,towinorplaceinaheat,butnotbetheeventwinner.Makesureyourswimmerunderstandsthis
sothey’renotdisappointedifthey“win”onMondaybutaren’tselectedtoswimonSaturday.Theymight
havewontheirheat,butberanked10thoutof27whoswamthatnight.Theymightalsobetheeventwinner
butstillhavepostedaslowertimethanthefastesttimeofotherkidsatothermeetsandnotbechosento
swimattheAmeet.Ifyoueverhavequestionsaboutwhetherornotyourchild’stimeisfastenoughtobe
consideredforanAmeet,pleasespeaktoacoachorTeamRep.
AMEETS
AMeetsarethecompetitivedivisionmeetsheldeachSaturdaymorningthroughouttheseason.Wewillhave
5AMeetsduringtheseason.Ameetwarmupsbeginat8amforhomemeetsand8:25amforawaymeets.
Meetsbeginat9amandtypicallylastuntil11:30amorso.Weoftentrytohavelunchtogetherasateamafter
anawaymeet.
Typicallythethreeswimmerswiththefastestindividualtimesforeacheventwithinanagegroupareaskedto
representtheDolphinsatthatSaturday’sAMeet.SincetheteamsweswimagainstforAMeetsarebasedon
teamstrengthandnotlocation,theAMeetscanbeanywhereinNorthernVirginia,sometimesathomeorjust
downtheroadandothertimesupto40minutesaway.
InSaturdaymeets,thehometeamhaslanes1,3,and5whilethevisitingteamhaslanes2,4,and6.The
fastestswimmersswiminlanes3and4,thenextfastestinlanes5and2,andthenextfastestinlanes1and6.
Lane1isalwaysontherightsideasyoustandfacingthepoolatthestartingend.
AMeetsalsoincluderelays–somethingwedon’tdoinBMeets.8andundersdoafreestylerelay,whileolder
swimmersswimmedleyrelays(oneswimmerswimseachstroke).Weendthemeetwithamixed-age
freestylerelay.TheMixedAgeRelaysareswumby,inorder,an11-12yearold,a9-10yearold,a13-14year
old,anda15-18yearold.
AgeGroup
8&Under
9-10
11-12
13-14
15-18
MixedAges
100MFreestyleRelay
x
100MMedleyRelay
x
x
x
200MMedleyRelay
x
200MFreestyle
x
AMeetswimmersmaycompeteinuptotwoindividualevents,plusteamrelays.Seedingtimeswillbebased
onyourbesttimefromtheseason–eitheryardormeter.
It’simportanttonotethatjustbecauseyou’renotseeded1st,2ndor3rddoesn’tmeanyouwon’tgettoswim
anAmeet!It’snotuncommonforastrongswimmertobeatornearthetopoftheladder(thelistofwho
swimseachstrokefastest)ineverystroke.ButsincethatswimmercanonlyswimtwostrokesattheAMeet,
oftenthe4th,5thoreven6thontheladderwillgetachancetoswim.Peoplealsotakevacationsorgetsick
duringtheseasonandareunabletoswim.That’swhyit’simportanttoupdateyouravailabilitywiththe
coachesandTeamRepforeachmeet.Neverassumeyouwon’tbeneededatanAmeet!CoachChriswilllet
swimmersknowatpracticeonWednesdaywhowillswim.Thosenamesareturnedoverofficiallytotheother
teamonThursdayafternoon.Afterweturnoverourlistofnamestotheotherteam,wecan’tchangeit.We
can“scratch”andswimsomeoneelsewhoisslowerthanyourchildinsteadofthem,butifadifferent
combinationofswimmersandeventsmakesmoresense,it’stoolatetomakethatchange.CoachChrisis
brilliantat“coachingjiujutsu”–decidingwhoshouldswimwhichstrokeinordertoearnthemostpointsfor
theteamatagivenmeet.Helpusmakesurehehasalltheinformationheneedstomakethosedecisions.
AMeetswimmerswillreceiveplaceribbons,andthosewillbeavailableintheribbonboxusuallythedayafter
themeet.ThemeetresultswillbepostedontheNVSLwebsiteusuallysometimelateSaturdayafternoon.
http://www.mynvsl.com/YoucanalsocheckthesitetoseewhereyourA-meetswimmerrankswithinthe
divisionoracrosstheNVSL.
Inaswimmeet,youcompetebothasanindividualandasateam.ScoringanAMeet:1stplacereceives5
points,2ndplacereceives3pointsand3rdplacereceives1point.Nopointsareawardedforplaces4-6.Relay
winnersreceive5points;nopointsforthesecondplacerelay.Intheeventofatie,thepointsaresplit
betweentheswimmers.Inatieforfirstplace,eachswimmerreceives4pointsandnosecondplacewouldbe
awarded.Inatieforsecondplace,eachswimmerearns2pointsandnothirdplacewouldbeawarded.Fora
thirdplacetie,eachswimmerisaward1/2point.
RELAYCARNIVAL
TheDivisionRelayCarnivaltakesplaceontheWednesdaybetweenthethirdandfourthweeksoftheseason.
Allsixteamsineachdivisionconvergeononepoolforaneveningofrelayraces.Theseincludeboth4-person
Freestylerelays(eachswimmerswimsFreestyle)and4-personMedleyrelays(eachswimmerswimsa
differentstroke).Therewillalsobemixedagefreestylerelays.It’sashortmeetsincethereareonly22events.
InRelayCarnivals,teamsarenotseeded.Eachteam’slaneassignmentforthefirsteventisbaseduponluckof
thedrawandtheteamsthenrotateonelanetotheleftaftereachevent.Eachpoolcanonlysendonerelay
teamineachevent,soit’saslightlysmallergroupthaneventheAmeets,butit’salotoffun.
ALLSTARRELAYCARNIVAL
ThesolecriterionforselectiontotheAll-StarRelayCarnivalistohaveoneoftheeighteenfastesttimesin
eventsswumintheDivisionRelayCarnivals.Rememberthereare102poolsintheNVSL,sobeingoneofthe
top18isarealhonor!TheAllStarRelayCarnivalistheWednesdayaftertheRelayCarnival.It’samuchlonger
meetthatstartsinthemid-afternoon.Same22events,butwith3heatsofeacheventittakesalotlongerto
getthrough.
DIVISIONALS
Duringthesixthweekoftheseason,eachDivisionhasanIndividualChampionshipmeet,commonlyreferred
toas"Divisionals."Eachteamisallowedtoenteronlytwoswimmersineacheventandaswimmercanenter
nomorethantwoevents.Seedingforthismeetisbasedontheswimteamladder.Theswimmerswiththe
fastesttimesforaparticulareventhavepriorityinchoosingtoswimthateventatDivisionals.Remember,just
becauseyou’re#3or#4doesn’tmeanyouwon’tgettoswim!Oftenthesamekidis#1or#2inmultiple
events–andtheyhavetopickjusttwo.DivisionalshaveIndividualMedleyeventsinadditiontofreestyle,
backstroke,breaststrokeandbutterfly.Inolderagegroups,somepoolshavetroublefillingtheirlanes,sowe
sometimesgettoaddswimmersbasedontheirbesttimesoftheseason.1stthrough6thplacefinishersreceive
awallplaquethatyoucanhaveengraved.7th-12thplacesreceivearibbon.YourDivisionalstimecouldqualify
youforALLSTARS.
ALLSTARS
ThesolecriterionforselectiontoAllStarsistohaveoneoftheeighteenfastesttimesswuminaneventatthe
DivisionalmeetsacrossALLdivisions.Remember,102teamsmeans204swimmerspereventtoselectonlythe
top18swimmers.AllStarsisanamazingexperience-approximately600swimmersplusparents,coaches,and
officialsconvergeonapoolforameetthattakesaboutsixhours.Ifyourswimmerisfastenoughtobenamed
anAllStar,it’sathrilltheywillneverforget.1st-6thplacereceivemedals,7th-18thplacereceivespecialribbons
withrosettes.
TEAMRECORDS
Foreachpool,andNVSL-wide,therearebothmeterandyardrecords.We’reluckytoswimatayardpoolso
wegetalmostasmanychancestosetyardrecordsaswedometerrecords!TheNVSLmaintainstheirown
recordsforthefastesttimeseverswumintheleague.NVSLrecordscannotbebrokenatBMeets,onlyatA
Meets.OurteamhasitsownrecordsforjustKGRCswimmers.ThoserecordscanbebrokenatAMeetsoratB
Meetswhenanotherteamispresent.KGRCteamrecordscannotbebrokenatTimeTrialsoratourIntrasquad
meet.
MEETPROCEDURESFORSWIMMERS
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BEFORETHEMEET:Ruleofthumbis—thenightbeforeameet,carboload(eatahighcarbohydrate
meallikepasta,noodles…)anddrinkLOTSOFFLUIDS.Gotobedontimeorearlyandgetagoodnight’s
sleep.OnthemorningofanAmeet,eatalightbreakfast,andontheeveningbeforea‘B’meeteata
lightdinner.Tryeatingatleastonehourbeforemeettimeifnotearlier.Theworstthingforyour
swimmertodobeforeanymeetisspendanafternoonatthepool,swimmingorsunning.Ondays
beforemeets,relaxathomeoranynicesun-freespot!Andtrynottoclosedownthepoolonthe
FridaynightbeforeanAmeet!
DURINGTHEMEET:Swimmersshouldstayintheteamareaduringthemeetandbeavailablewhen
calledfortheirevent.Whencalledfortheirevent,swimmersgototheClerkofCoursetocheckinand
arenottoleavetheareauntiltheclerkescortsthemtotheirstartingspotfortherace.Swimmers
shouldreporttothecoachimmediatelyaftereachraceforfeedbackontheirswims.Whenall
swimmingeventsforanindividualaredoneandthatindividualhascheckedinwiththecoach,he/she
mayjointheirfamilyandcheerontheirteammates!!
MEETPROCEDURESFORSPECTATORS
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Whentherefereeblowsthewhistleforthestartofanevent,absolutesilencemustbeobserveduntil
theraceisunderwaytoensurethateachraceisstartedaccuratelyandfairly.
TURNOFFALLCELLPHONESANDPAGERS!
NOFLASHPHOTOGRAPHY
Aftereitherahomeorawaymeet,swimmersandparentsaretoensuretheareaisclean.Afterhome
meets,everyoneistopitchintogetareasreadyforgeneralmembershipswimming.
NoparentsarepermittedonthedeckorintheClerkofCoursearea,unlessvolunteering.
Theareabehindthetimersmustbekeptclearsothatswimmersmaybepositionedforthenextrace.
Tableworkerscannotprovidespectatorswithinformationonscoresandtimes.Resultsareannounced
periodicallyduringthemeet.MostpoolshavelaneTimeBoards,whichwillindicateeachswimmer’s
time.
WHATTOBRINGTOAMEET
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Capandgoggles(wearyourswimsuit)
Twotowels
Cardsandother“disposable”quietamusement
Teamshirt&shorts(sweatshirtforcoolerdays)
Shoesorsandals
DRINKINGWATER!
SUNSCREEN!
Money—thereisasnackbar(butsavesweetsuntilafterthemeet!)
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UHOH.MYKIDGOTA“DQ”
Sometimesyourchildwillgetdisqualified.Thismeansthattheyhavenotswumthestrokelegally,sotheir
timedoesn’tcount.ThestrokeandturnjudgewhosawtheinfractionwillwriteoutaDQslipandthatslipwill
makeitswaybacktothecoaches.Thecoacheswillbeabletotellyouandyourchildhowtheycanimprove
theirstrokefornexttime.Herearethebasicsofthestrokesandcommonreasonsfordisqualifications.
FREESTYLE-Thefreestyleisdefinedasanymeansofswimmingacrossthepool.Anystrokeandkickare
acceptable.Thereare,however,afewdon'tsassociatedwiththisstroke,specifically:
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Youcannotwalkonthebottomorpullyourselfalongusingthelanelines
Ina50Meterrace(twopoollengths)youmusttouchthewallatthe25meterendbeforetouchingthe
wallatthe50meterend(Thismayseemobvious,butsometimesswimmersmissthewallatthe
turningendofthepool)
BACKSTROKE-Likethefreestyle,almostanythinggoesonthebackstrokeaslongasyoustayonyourback.
Youngerbackstrokersoftenbounceofflanelinesandwonderwheretheyare.Eventually,theywilllearnto
guideoffthelanelines,usetheoverheadbackstrokeflagsandthelanelinemarkingstoknowwherethey'reat
inthepool,andcountstrokesfromtheflagstothewall.Backstrokestartsaredifferentfromallothers
becausetheswimmerstartsinthewaterwithfeetplantedagainstthewallandhandshangingontoeither
anotherswimmer'slegsortheliponthepoolawaitingthestarter'ssignal."Legs"mustbegrabbedbelowthe
knee.Personsservinginanofficialcapacity(suchastimersorcoaches)maynotserveas“legs.”Ifyour
swimmerisabackstroker,heorshewilleventuallylearnthebackstrokeflipturn.Thisistheoneexceptionto
stayingonyourbackandcanbeusedonlyaspartofaturn(notafinish)atthepoolwall.Commonreasonsto
DQinclude:
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Flippingontoyourfrontatthefinish(youmustfinishonyourback)
Flippingontoyourstomachtooearlyattheturn
Pullingyourselfonthelaneline
BREASTSTROKE-TheBreaststrokehastwocomponents,thekickandthearmpull.Thepullanditsrecovery
mustbothbeunderthebreastandcannotextendfurtherbackthanthewaistarea.Thekickisa"frog"kick
andthetoesmustbepointedoutwardduringthepropulsivepartofthekick.Thearmpullandkickmustbein
analternatingsequenceandtheelbowsmuststaybelowthewaterexceptfortaggingthewallatthefinish.
Breaststroketurnsandfinishesrequireasimultaneoustwo-handtouch.CommonreasonstoDQinclude:
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Incorrectkick,suchasaScissorskickorFlutterkick
Non-Simultaneoustwo-handtouchorone-handtouchatturnorfinish
Toesnotpointedoutwardduringthepropulsivepartofthekick
Morethanonestrokeunderwaterwitharmsfullyextendedatstartorturn
Armrecoverypastwaistexceptonfirststrokeafterstartorturn
Headdidn'tbreaksurfacebyconclusionofsecondarmpullunderwaterafterastartorturn
BUTTERFLY-Awell-executedbutterfly(orFly)isanamazingexhibitionofpower,butit’salsothehardest
strokeformostswimmerstoperfect.Therearetwocomponentsofthefly;thearmpullandthekick.Thearm
pullmustbeanoverthewaterrecovery(elbowsbreakingthesurfaceofthewater)withthearmsmoving
simultaneously.Thekickisadolphinstylekickwithbothlegsmovingsimultaneously.UnliketheBreaststroke,
thereisnorequirementtoalternatethekickandpull.Turnsandfinishesrequireasimultaneoustwo-hand
touchatthewall.CommonreasonstoDQinclude:
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Non-Simultaneousoronehandedwalltouchattheturnorfinish
Non-Simultaneouslegmovementduringkicks
Incorrectkick,suchasaScissorskickorFlutterkick
Armsdon'tbreakwatersurfaceduringrecovery(judgedattheelbows)
Non-Simultaneousarmmovementduringrecovery
INDIVIDUALMEDLEY(IM)-Weswima100MeterIM,whichmeansthat25Meters,oronepoollength,of
eachstrokeisswum(fly-back-breast-free).Ina100MeterIM,everyturnisastrokechangeandstrokefinish
rulesapply.ThismeansnoBackstrokeFlipTurns.CommonreasonsforDQsareanincorrectturnorsimplynot
engagingthebrainsoonenoughwhenyougotothenextstroke(doingaflutterkickforthefirstfewstrokes
onthebreaststrokeleg,forexample).
TEAMRELAYS–Bothrelayshave4swimmers.Forfreestylerelays,eachswimmerswimsfreestyle.Inthe
medleyrelay,thesequenceisBackstroke,Breaststroke,ButterflyandFreestyle.Inallrelays,eachswimmer
mustwaituntilthepreviousswimmertouchesthewallpriortoleavingthedeck.Runningstartsorpushes
fromteammatesarenotallowed.ThemostcommonreasonforaDQisaswimmerstartingbeforethe
previousswimmerhastouchedthewalloroneoftheswimmersswimmingtheirlegincorrectly.
FALSESTARTS-Afalsestartcanoccurinanystrokeorrelayandhappenswheneveraswimmermovestoward
thepoolafterassuminga“set”position(takinghis/hermark)andbeforetheStarterhasstartedtherace.
Whenthisoccurs,aswimmerisusuallytryingtoanticipatethestartingsignalandbeattheotherswimmers
intothewater.Ifthefalsestartisdetectedbeforethestartingsignalissounded,theoffendingswimmercan
beremovedfromtheracepriortoitstarting.Ifafalsestartoccursbutthestartingsignalhassounded,the
racewillnotbestopped.Insteadthefalsestartingswimmer(s)willbenotifiedoftheirfalsestartatthe
conclusionoftherace.
HOWWILLIKNOWADQHAPPENED?Unlikefootball,wedon'tblowawhistleandannouncetotheworld
thatarulesviolationoccurred.WhenaStrokeandTurnJudgeobservesaviolation,heraiseshishandto
signifythathehasobservedaviolationthenwritesituponaDQslip.Thejudgethentakesthesliptothe
referee,whoverifiesthatarulehasbeenbrokenandcanquestionthestrokeandturnjudgetoensurethathe
wasabletoseetheviolationthatwascited.Disqualificationsforearlyrelaytakeoffsaredoneslightly
differently.Therefereereceivesallthetake-offslipsfromalltheRelayTake-Offjudges.Ifbothjudgesona
laneagreethatanearlytakeoffoccurred,thentherelaywillbeDQ’d.Butit’sverypossiblethatyourchildmay
knowaboutaDQbeforeyoudosincetheTeamReptellsthecoach,whotellstheswimmer.Thecoacheswill
explaintotheswimmerwhyhe/shewasDQ’d.ADQ’dswimmer(nomatterwhatplacetheyfinish)willnot
placeinthatevent,allowingotherqualifiedswimmerstomoveupinthefinishorder.IftheyDQataBMeet,
theywillstillreceiveaParticipantribbonforthatswim.
AWordaboutOfficialsandDQsEveryOfficialonthedeckwillalwaysgivethebenefitofthedoubttothe
swimmer.Althoughthedifferencebetween“legalbutugly”vs.“illegal”issometimesclosetocall,any
violationcalledbyanofficialisan"Isaw"notan"IthinkIsaw."TheTeamRepistheonlypersonwhocan
officiallyquestionadisqualificationoranyothercallbyanofficial.Ifsomethinghappensinvolvingyour
swimmerthatyoudonotthinkisright,talktothecoachortheTeamRep.Ifappropriate,theTeamRepwill
initiateactioninaccordancewithNVSLrules.
JUNIORCOACHES
Weofferolderswimmersopportunitiestobecomejuniorcoaches.Teensearnservicehours,alittlebitof
pocketmoney,orboth.JuniorcoachesmustattendNVSLtrainingandspendoneseasonasavolunteerin
ordertobehiredasajuniorcoach.Ifyourteenisinterestedinthis,pleaseencouragethemtoattendthe
informationsessionpriortothebeginningoftheseasonand/orspeaktotheTeamRepformoredetails.
WINTERSWIM
Hopefullyyouhavesuchagoodtimethatwhenthesummerendsyoucan’tbearthethoughtofalongwinter
withoutus!KentGardensoffersaonce-per-weekwinterconditioningprogram.Thepriceisreasonable,and
werentspaceatanearbyindoorpool.RegistrationusuallygoesoutsometimeinAugust,andwepracticeon
Sundaysbeginninginmid-SeptemberandgoinguntilMemorialDay.Ifyouwanttoreallyleanintotheswim
seasonandfeelthatonce-a-weekisn’tenoughforyourchild,theTeamRepsandotherswimparentscanoffer
lotsofgreatadvice.Withateamthislarge,wecanputyouintouchwithsomeonewhoswims/hasswumwith
everyprogramintown.
WHATABOUTDIVE?
WhiletheDiveTeamisseparatefromtheswimteam,theyareanimportantpartofourKGRCfamily!We
coordinatecloselywiththeDiveTeamtomakesurethatanyswimmerwhowantstodivemaydoso.Weuse
thesamefacilitiesandsameswimapparel.Ingeneral,bigkids(11andup)practicedivewhilethelittlekids
swimandlittlekids(10andunder)practicedivewhilethebigkidsswim,soyoucangofromonepractice
straighttothenext.Manyofourkidsarebothswimmersanddivers.DivemeetsareheldonTuesdaynightsso
thattheydon’tconflictwithswimmeetsandotherscheduledactivities.Ifyou’reinterestedinDiveTeam,we
canhelpputyouincontactwiththeircoachorTeamRep.
FUNSTUFF
Allswimandnofunmakesforanunhappykid!Herearesomeofthewaysweenliventhesummerswim
experience!
Peprallies–OnFridaynights,weoftenwillhaveapeprally.Pepralliesoftenincludeaskitbytheolderteens
andALWAYSincludecheersandcowbell!Ifwe’rehostingthemeetthenextday,weoftendecoratesignsto
welcometheopposingteam.Sometimeswehaveapotluckdinnerorsellpizzaorfrozenyogurtattheevent.
PepralliestakeplaceimmediatelyaftertheFridayeveningpractice.
TuesdayTreats–Tuesdays,themorningaftertheBmeet,isour“fun”practicewithgamesandwaterpolo.It’s
apracticethekidsneverwanttomiss!WesometimeshaveTuesdayTreatsaftermorningpracticeforeach
agegroup–bagels,muffinsorsomeotherbreakfasttohelpourswimmersreplenishthoselostcarbsfromthe
previousnight’smeet!
PancakeBreakfast–Afterthefinalmorningpracticeoftheseason,wewillhaveapancakebreakfastafter
morningpracticeforeachagegroup.
ThemeMeets–EachAMeetwillhaveatheme.Swimmers(andsometimesofficials!)getintothespiritofthe
meetwithcostumesorotherdecorations.PastthemeshaveincludedSuperheroes,80’s,Aloha,Patriotic,etc.
Movies,Bowlingorotheractivities–Sometimesifwedon’tdoapeprally,we’lloftenplananoutingtoa
movieortoplaylasertag.
EndofyearAwardsBanquet–TheSundayafterDivisionals,wehostaSwim/DiveAwardsPotluckBanquet.
WerecognizeALLswimmersandespeciallycelebrateoutstandingachievements,effort,sportsmanshipand
spiritduringtheseason.
IntrasquadMeet–ThefinalBMeetoftheseasonisanIntrasquadMeet.It’sjusttheDolphins,sothemeet
endsabitearlierthanusual.ThemeetalsoincludesLollipopRaces.ThisisachanceforourMini-Dolphinswho
havebeeneagertoswiminameettoshowtheirstuff!Eachlaneisstaffedbyajuniorcoachfor
encouragementandsafety,andeachparticipantgetsaspeciallollipop!WefollowthemeetwithanIceCream
Social.
Andyes,theseevents,justlikethemeets,don’thappenwithoutyouractivehelpvolunteeringandbringing
foodandotheritemswhenneeded.It’sateameffort,bothinthepoolandoutsideofit.
Ihopethishelpsyouunderstandabitmore.It’sanaction-packedfewweeks,butyou’llhearmorethanonce
duringthewinter,“Ican’twaitforswimseasontostart!”