1. Welcome to Dart Swimming
    
2. Website Tutorial
    
3. USA Swimming Registration
    
4. Parent Participation and Volunteering
   • Away Meets
      
5. Dart Team Fees
    
6. Code of Conduct​ 
7. Safe Sport Policies​
8. Entering Swim Meets
   • Swim Meet Checklist
   • Swim Meet Terminology
      
9. Group Structure
10. Practice Attendance
    • What is Burnout?
    • Can my child participate in other sports as well as the Davis Aquadarts?
       
11. Scholarship Request For
12. Pool Location
13. Reimbursement Form
14. Swimmer Move-up Rubric

 

 

 

 

 

 

Website Tutorial 

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For guidance on the following functions within this website, click here.

• Finding Parent Information
• Updating your Account Information
• Checking your Current Invoice
• Making an Online Payment

 

 

 

 

USA Swimming Registration

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Welcome to the Davis Aquadart Swim Team!

 

All Aquadart swimmers must be registered with USA swimming.  Registrations expire December 31 of each year, and must be renewed prior to that date.  Please click on the link below for instructions on registering. 

USA Swimming Registration Procedure

 

Parent Participation Policy and Volunteer Commitment

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AWAY SWIM MEET VOLUNTEER POLICY  

 

 

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

DART at Davis depends heavily on volunteers to run the team successfully. A swim team cannot function without the support of swim parents and families.  We expect that each family will make every effort to support our team with their time, talents and energy.  Many Sierra Nevada teams, similiar to our team, require parent participation in all of their team hosted meets. As such, DART families are required to meet the following commitments:

1.     Work at least one job at any swim meet hosted by our team that your child attends OR if your child does not attend meets complete 5 hours of parent participation per year.

2.     Timing or Officiating at every away meets your child attends. These hours are not included in the Minimum Volunteer Hours.

3.     Find your replacement if you are unable to fulfill a position committed to.

4.     Contribution to the annual Swim/Sprint-a-Thon or Swim-for-Fun(ds) fundraiser

Minimum Volunteer Hours

The swim year is September 1st to August 15^th.  Hours and requirements must be completed within this timeframe. 

If your swimmer is entered in a DART Hosted meet than your family will be required to volunteer at that meet. This applies to all swim groups.

   Falldart/Springdart Swimmers: families must work 2.5 hours per session.  These hours may be completed at any meet/event their child attends including Friday Fun Meets.

   Families of Swimmers who choose not to attend swim meets must work 5 hours per year at various jobs that will be offered throughout the year.  These include team hosted events/parties, Summerdart help, site clean-up and work parties.  Families will have until August 15^th to complete these hours

Families may have an older child or their swimmer help to fulfill their requirement. The minimum age to volunteer varies for the different volunteer positions. Having an older child volunteer for your family will need to be arranged in advance with permission from the team manager. Permission would depend on the volunteer job, as some can be performed by older children and some such as set up and take down may not be appropriate.  The snack bar and hospitality minimum age is 16. The minimum age to assist with timing is 14.

 

We ask that you plan ahead for team hosted meets your swimmer will attend knowing you will need to work at the meet as well.  We recognize, however, there may be times when you are not able to accompany your swimmer to a team hosted meet.  Please find, if possible, another adult to fulfill your requirement to work a job at the meet.  Families can be granted up to 2 exceptions from this requirement per year-please make this request to the team manager prior to the swim meet. 

Any family not meeting the minimum participation requirement will be charged at a rate of $25 per hour for hours not worked during the year. The amount of hours charged for not working at a meet, after exceeding the 2 meet exception your child attends is 4 hours ($100).  Hours may not be carried over to the following year.

Away Swim Meet Support

Timing or officiating at away swim meets that your swimmer has entered is required. These are shared responsibilities among all teams based upon the number of entered swimmers per team and are assigned by the hosting club.

Timing or officiating at away meets is not included in the annual Volunteer commitment, but in addition to it.  Per Sierra Nevada Swimming regulations, swimmers on teams that do not fulfill their timing and officiating duties will not receive awards.

• Families with a swimmer entered in the meet will receive an email several days prior to the meet with instructions for job sign-up on the DART at Davis website.

• All shifts are on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Families who sign-up to officiate are not required to time.

• Timing shifts will be 2-4 hours.

• Some meets may require that families cover more than one shift.

Failure to show up for a shift or not volunteering will result in the following penalties:

First time: Written warning
Second time: $100 fine assessed to your account. Swimmer will not be allowed to participate in swim meets until fine is paid in full.
Third time: Swimmer(s) and family are suspended from DART at Davis for practice and swim meets for 30 days without a refund.
Fourth time: DART at Davis membership is terminated and swimmer(s) and their families will be dismissed permanently from the team without a refund.

At the beginning of each swim year, the first through third time offenses will be forgiven.  However, the fourth offense is a permanent action.  A pass may be granted, at the discretion of the volunteer coordinator, for emergencies and unique situations. 

Please contact the volunteer coordinator at least one week prior to a meet you can no longer time at to request a pass. 

Families are required to find their own replacements for all volunteer shifts if they are no longer able to volunteer and must inform the volunteer coordinator of their replacement.

If needed to find a replacement, contact information for team members can be found on our website.  Login, then click on “Members” in the upper left corner of the home page.  You can then search by name or practice group.

 

Swim/Sprint-a-thon/Swim-For-Fun(ds)

All Dart at Davis families are also required to participate in our Swim/Sprint-a-Thon/Swim-for-Fun(ds) fundraising efforts. All swimmers who swim in at least 6 months during the swim year are required to raise a minimum of $75 to support the Swim-a-Thon each summer, regardless of whether they actually swim in the Swim-a-Thon. Those swimmers not meeting this requirement will be assessed a $75 fee. Swimmers who are enrolled in DART at Davis for any part of the year but are enrolled in Summerdarts during the summer participate in the Summerdart Swim-For-Fun(ds) instead of the DART at Davis Swim-a-Thon, and are required to raise a minimum of $75.

Contacts

For more information on volunteering, please contact the Team Manager, Miriam Fisk, at [email protected]

For more information on the volunteering, please contact the Team Manager at [email protected] 

 

Team Fee Policy

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Davis Aquadart Team Fees and Payment Policy

*effective September 1, 2021

 

This page includes policies and procedures related to Davis Aquadarts and USA Swimming fee payment.  The Aquadarts depend on prompt payment of Monthly Fees to meet our financial obligations and appreciate your attention to these policies.  

Please email the treasurer at [email protected] with any questions.   

Team Fees

1.  Annual Registration Fee --The annual DART registration fee for all year-round swimmers is $150.00 per swimmer will be charged on September 1^st of each swim year or upon the start of membership.

2.   Monthly Fees

• The annual cost of the program is broken down into 11 monthly payments.  These are due on the First of September through July.  No payment is required for the month of August.
• Fees will not be prorated for partial months.
• No refunds of fees will be made.
• Credits may be granted for swimmers with medical leaves of 4 consecutive weeks.  A doctor’s note is required.
• Swimmers participating in High School Sports must notify us 14 days in advance if they would like to take a break for the high school season.
• To suspend or terminate membership, email the treasurer at [email protected] or the team manager at [email protected]  14 days prior to the first of the month that you wish to suspend or terminate membership.  Fees will be assessed if the required notice is not given.

4.   USA Swimming Registration Fee --

• Annual premium membership  $94/swimmer for yearly membership. Required for groups AG1, AG2, AG3, SR Speed, National Development and National Groups
• Annual Flex Membership-$22.00/swimmer.  This is recommended for swimmers in the Bronze, Silver, Gold or SRFIT Group.  These swimmers are limited to 2 swim meets per year.
• This is a required fee.  Swimmers cannot attend practice or meets if USA Swimming Registration Fees are not paid.
• Team manager will register all 1^st time swimmers.  However, renewals and returning swimmers will be responsible for their own registration
• Swimmers must be registered after one week or they will not be allowed to practice.
• USA Registration fee should be paid on http://swim-smarter.com

5.  Swim-a-Thon – Each swimmer is responsible for a $75/swimmer minimum participation fee.  Davis Aquadarts : Parent Participation.  Swimmers are encouraged to seek outside Donations to cover this fee

6.  Volunteer Hours Balance Due -- $25/hour Davis Aquadarts : Parent Participation

7.Monthly Fee Payment Schedule

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Fees are due on the first of the following months:  September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May June and July.
• Crossfit and dryland fees are included.
• Billing statements are available at the end of each month prior to the first of each new month on the Aquadart website.  Please go to My Account > My Invoice/Payment.

8. Payment options

• Families registering after September 1^st, 2016 are required to sign up for Automatic Credit Card Processing or Automatic Checking Withdrawal. This will be done by the parent/guardian during registration on the team website. 
• Families who joined prior to September 2016 are strongly encouraged to enroll in Automatic Credit Card Processing or Automatic Checking Withdrawal.  But have the following options:

1. Payments can be made online with the 'Donate/Pay Fees' button on the website, or
2. Payments may be made by check. Please make checks payable to “Davis Aquadarts”. Deposit your payment in the Aquadarts mailbox at Civic Center Pool near the equipment closet, or

 Mail your payment to:

DAVIS AQUADARTS

P.O. BOX 186

DAVIS, CA  95617

 Multi Swimmers (in the same household) Fee Calculations:

1.     Discounts will be given for families with 3 or more swimmers in Aquadart programs.

2.     Discount is applied to the lowest swimmer fees.    

3.      Swimmer Three and additional swimmer Fees are 50% of that swimmers monthly fees

Late Payments

Fees are delinquent after the 10th day of each month.  Fees paid after the 10^th day of the month will result in a $25 late fee assessment, which should be included with payment.  

At 21 days past due, the swimmer(s) will no longer be permitted to practice or attend meets.

Families not already enrolled in Automatic Payment processing will be required to enroll should they go 2 consecutive months without payment

Any unpaid balances beyond 90 days could result in action by a collection agency.

Please e-mail the treasurer if you feel you have circumstances that need special consideration.

Non-Sufficient Funds

Returned checks for non-sufficient funds (NSF) will result in a $25 assessment to cover Davis Aquadarts charges incurred from processing the NSF item.

You will be notified of a credit card processing failure and will have until the 10^th of each month to communicate a means of payment to either the team treasurer aquadarttreasrer@hotmailcom or Team manager at [email protected].  Failure to do so will result in a late fee assessment.

Two NSF items may result in a requirement to submit fees via money order or with cash.

Fees Suspension/Termination Agreement:

To suspend or terminate membership, email the treasurer at [email protected] or the team manager at [email protected]  14 days prior to the first of the month that you wish to suspend or terminate membership.  Fees will be assessed if the required notice is not given.     

Swimmers cannot attend practice or meets while on fees suspension.

Brady Family Scholarship Fund

Davis Aquadarts offer scholarship opportunities for families based on a sliding scale. For information about the scholarship program and to apply, visit our Scholarship Information Page.

This page includes policies and procedures related to Davis Aquadarts and USA Swimming fee payment.  The Aquadarts depend on prompt payment of Quarterly Fees to meet our financial obligations and appreciate your attention to these policies.  

Please email the team manager at [email protected] with any questions.     

Code of Conduct 

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Please make sure to read the Davis Aquadart's Codes of Conduct!

 

1. DART Code of Conduct

2. DART Team Travel Policy

 

SAFE SPORT POLICIES

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1. Locker Room Monitoring Policy
2. Photography Policy
3. Electronic Communications
4. USA Swimming and DART Action Plan to Address Bullying

 

 

Entering Swim Meets

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Aquadart age-group swimmers are encouraged to enter swim meets.  The team generally competes in one or two meets each month.  Meets are usually in the Sacramento area. The meets are listed on our calendar, and are announced via our Weekly Announcements and monthly newsletters. Coaches also announce meets at practice. 

To enter meets, parents must first open an account with swim connection, our online meet entry company.  Click on this link: How to Set Up an Account with Swim Connection.

Once you have an account with swim connection, you can easily enter and pay for swim meets.  For easy instruction on how to enter meets on our online registration system, please click on the following link: How to Enter Your Swimmer(s) in Meets.   We suggest entering swimmers as soon as the meets open for registration, as they often fill up quickly. 

Additionally, many of our younger swim groups will have periodic Friday Fun Meets held at swim practice. In the summer, swimmers who have not yet achieved any BB (Junior Olympic qualifying times) are eligible to compete in Summerdart meets.  These are held on Saturday mornings in June and July; check the calendar for exact dates. No sign ups are necessary for these meets.  Swimmers with less than AAA times can enter the Davis City Championships, held the first weekend in August. Signup information is sent out via email. 

 

 

Swim Meet Checklist

 

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• Team Suit - Always pack a spare suit (they do fall apart sometimes!).  For championship meets, remember to pack your performance suit and warm-up suits.
   
• Team Swim Cap - Pack two, they tear easily!
   
• Team T-Shirt - To ward off the chill and look like a team.
   
• Goggles - At least two pair (straps break!).  You can also pack extra straps, so favorite goggles can be saved (but, replacement takes time - thus the need for an extra pair).  Always alternate two pair during practice.  NEVER wear untested, new goggles at a meet.
   
• Deck Sandals - There’s plenty of ways to pick up infection and get injured around the pool.  MAKE them wear sandals on EVERY pool deck - inside or outside!
   
• Gloves/Socks - meets during cold weather require you to keep your hands & feet warm for better performances.
   
• Towels - Pack at least two (big ones).  Everything around the pool gets wet!
   
• Something Warm to Wear  - Team parka or warm up suit, or sweats and Team fleece jacket; if it’s not a article of team apparel at LEAST make sure it has team colors!
   
• Ear Drops – (for those prone to ear infections) Usually, a vinegar/alcohol solution in a glycerin base - you don’t want to deal with swimmer’s ear.  Use after practice and meets.
   
• Baby Powder  - To lightly dust inside of swim caps after drying them; keeps them from sticking together and makes them easier to put on! (A sample size will last a long time).
   
• Toiletries  - Swim shampoo, conditioner, hairbrush, comb, contact solution, girls-only stuff,   deodorant, and other bathroom stuff.
   
• A DRY Change of Clothes  - For after the meet (to remain dry in a swim bag they must be in a separate compartment or Ziploc bag!).
   
• INHALERS  - If your child is asthmatic, this is the most important thing they own.  Different environments have different triggers that can set off an attack.  Tell the coach if your child has asthma and where they can find their inhalers!  Pack their inhalers!  Same for other medications.
   
• Entertainment Items - Books (for reading and school work), MP3/CD player (with earphones), CDs, Gameboys, playing cards, etc.  There’s lots of time between events!
   
• Extra Plastic Bags - For keeping things dry (various sizes)
   
• Sunscreen - Get a waterproof type and put it on before you get to the meet (it needs time to soak in).  Put it on again after a couple of hours. It’s a good idea to have Sunglasses and a Hat.

 

Swim Meet Terminology

The following is a list of terms that you may hear at a swim meet. Terms are in alphabetical order:

 

 

 

 

Group Structure

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DART GROUP STRUCTURE

AGE GROUP PROGRAM (13/U)

 

DEVELOPMENTAL GROUPS

Bronze: Monday through Friday practices; 45 minutes each session

These are our youngest Aquadarts. This group is working to master all four competitive strokes. The emphasis is on teaching the FUNdamentals by means of drills and games that make swimming fun. Swimmers should be five to eight years of age and able to swim 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke comfortably. Swimmers can advance to Age Group 1 or Silver. There are no mandatory practice requirements and USA swim meets are encouraged but not required. Low-key, fun intrasquad meets are offered through the year.  Falldart and Springdart swimmers join this group. 

 

SILVER: Monday – Friday practices; 1 hour each session.  

This group is designed for beginning and intermediate training with a focus on learning skills in a fun environment. Swimmers will learn all four competitive strokes, starts and turns. Swimmers must be able to swim 50 yards of freestyle and backstroke comfortably. There are no mandatory practice requirements; swimmers are encouraged to attend 3 times/week. USA Swim meets are encouraged but not required. Low-key, fun intrasquad meets are offered through the year.  Falldart and Springdart swimmers join this group. 

 

GOLD: Monday - Friday practices, 1.5 hours each session

This group is designed for more advanced swimmers who desire a longer and stronger workout. There are no mandatory practice or meet requirements.  The group will focus on stroke technique with a heavier emphasis on endurance and overall fitness.   Swimmers will be asked to set a goal of 3 workouts per week.  This group will host swimmers who have advanced beyond the Silver level;  water polo and other sport participants desiring cross-training;  and teens new to competitive swimming. 

 

COMPETITIVE GROUPS

 

AGE GROUP 1: Monday-Friday practices; 1 hour each session

This group is designed for our top 9/U swimmers who possess all four competitive strokes and the ability to swim 100 Individual Medley.  They will begin to work on gaining endurance and racing skills.   Swimmers in this group are expected to attend three practices weekly and meets regularly. Swimmers can advance to AG 2 or Silver.

 

AGE GROUP 2:  Monday-Saturday practices with dryland; sessions are 1.5 - 2 hours in length

This group will be focused on an introduction to a higher level of training with a major focus on stroke technique and race development.  This group will be designed for our top 9, 10 and 11 year old swimmers.  Swimmers will be asked to attend a minimum of three workouts a week with a goal of 4 to 5 workouts, and are expected to attend swim meets regularly. Swimmers can advance to AG 3 or Gold.  

 

AGE GROUP 3: Monday-Saturday practices with dryland; sessions are 1.5 - 2.5 hours in length

This group will be focused on an introduction to a higher level of training with a major focus on stroke technique and race development. This group is for our top 11-13 year old swimmers. Swimmers will be asked to attend a minimum of four workouts a week with a goal of 5 to 6 workouts, and are expected to attend meets regularly.  11 & 12 swimmers must have 3 BB time standards to be eligible for this group. Swimmers can advance to SR 1 or Gold groups. 

 

 SENIOR PROGRAM (12/OLDER)

 

SENIOR 1 (12/older): Daily practices AM & PM + Saturday

The Senior 1 Team is for the swimmers looking to develop a training background for Senior 2 or competitive high school level swimming. Careful attention is still given to technique, but an equal emphasis is placed on learning how to train. Stretching and dry land exercises are included, as well as routine mental and physical challenges. Regular attendance is required at FIVE workouts per week, as is participation in meets.

 

SENIOR 2 (13/older): Daily practices AM & PM + Saturday

The Senior 2 Team is for the swimmers with goals of college swimming or national level qualifying.  Members of this group have selected swimming as their primary activity for at least three training quarters of the year. Members of this group have the ability to do double workouts during the school year, and the attendance to handle peak training loads.  Swimmers should have SNR level standards and are required to attend a minimum of SEVEN workouts a week. 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice Attendance

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Consistent practice attendance will play a key role in your child's success at every level of the Davis program.  Each group in the Aquadart program is offered a practice schedule that is appropriate for the age, and skill level of the swimmers in the group. If you want to get the most out of the program and maximize your child's opportunity to improve, attendance at every practice offered is ideal.  With that said, the DART coaching staff has provided some guidelines for each training group within Swim Groups section of the website for those swimmers who are unable to attend 100% of the practices due to other activities or commitments.

 

FAQ:

What about burnout?  Will practicing every day cause my child to burnout?

Answer:

Burnout is a term that is improperly used in most cases.  I would suspect that any of us would be hard pressed to honestly explain how putting a young person in an environment where they are learning and mastering skills, spending time with teammates and coaches who care about them, and exercising daily is cause for burnout.
 

"Burnout" typically occurs when swimmers stop getting faster at a rate that keeps them excited about competing.  With that said, we find very few swimmers who are getting faster and talking about "burnout" at the same time. There are a variety of good reasons for these "plateau" periods and the key to navigating through them is good communication between athletes and coaches. 

Coaches spend a lot of time helping their athletes keep their competitive results and training in perspective.  In fact, it is often during the times of struggling that the young person will learn the most valuable lessons the sport has to offer them. 
 
“Burn-out” became a popular term in the 70’s and 80’s when yardage based swimming was popular vs. technical and speed related training.  Our program is based around great technique instead of huge volumes of yardage.

While there are certainly real instances of "burnout" in the sport, they are very rare.  The DART coaching staff is committed to working with each swimmer on the team through the ups and downs the competitive swimming career has to offer.  If you are concerned about "burnout", please feel free to contact your child's primary coach to discuss the matter more thoroughly. 

 

Can my child play other sports and swim for DAVIS?

Answer:

The short answer is yes.  However, we do have guidelines for swimmers at different levels of the program to consider when they are planning to participate in another sport.

10&under swimmers
We do not discourage our swimmers from participating in other sports in this age group.  In some cases it may even enhance athletic ability and overall physical development.  We do encourage our swimmers to continue to swim while participating in the other sport instead of taking time off so that their swimming skills do not regress significantly. We also ask our swimmers to consider our competitive calendar (especially the team focus meets) when making commitments to competitive events offered by the other sport. 
 

11-13 year old swimmers
This age range includes a vital "window" of time for the aerobic development of a swimmer.  Swimmers who have any kind of long term goals in the sport such as national level swimming or swimming in college should be very wary of activities that take them away from consistent training during these ages.  While additional sports are not necessarily frowned upon at this stage, the decisions that will shape how far the swimmer progresses in the sport are certainly made during this time frame in most cases.  

14-18 year olds
Swimmers who have the talent and commitment levels necessary for upper level success in swimming are typically committed to excluding other sports from their schedule at this point.  However, there are many swimmers at this age who still want to compete in club swimming while experiencing other sports and activities offered at the high school level.  Davis will not discourage them from doing so and our coaching staff will be supportive as they make these decisions during their latter high school years.

  

 

 

 

Scholarship Request

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Information regarding our scholarship program can be found at the link below.Please download the application form and return (with supporting documentation) to our team manager.  You may email it fo [email protected] or mail it to: Davis Aquadarts, PO Box 186 Davis Ca 95617.

 

SCHOLARSHIP FORM

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Head Coach Billy Doughty at [email protected].

 

 

 

 

Pool Locations

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Davis Aquadarts Practice/Meet Locations

The Davis Aquadarts use multiple pools in the Davis area.  Below is some information regarding these pools and their addresses.

 

Reimbursement Form 

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Reimbursement Form

 

If you have any questions please contact the Treasurer
[email protected].

Swimmer Move-up Rubric:

Below you will find the rubric DART @ Davis coaches use to determine which swimmers are ready to move up to the next group. We use this in combination with the swimmers age to be sure that they are ready for the challenge of the next group and to be sure that they will excel when they begin practicing with the group. Each of the 6 categories is weighted equally.