Swim And Dive FAQ's

Swimming and Diving Programs  FAQs

The Country Club Swimming and Diving Association (CCSDA) is the league in which we participate.  It was founded in 1950 to promote competitive swimming and diving during the summer months among member private country clubs in the Washington Metropolitan area, to encourage good sportsmanship, and to provide physical training and a healthy competitive environment for children through age 18.  There are currently 15 member clubs which compete in three divisions (A, B, and C).  The CCSDA is a 501©3 organization governed by a Board elected by the member clubs.

 

The Seal Pups Program is for children at least 4 years old who can swim one width of the indoor pool (20 feet).  The purpose of the program is to teach swimming skills through the use of games.  The Seal Pups programs runs three sessions per year.  The fall session runs weekly from October to December.  The winter/spring session runs weekly from February to May. The summer program runs from late June through late July.  Seals Pups swimmers are encouraged to participate in the Lollipop Invitational Meet in July.

 

Private lessons are available for anyone looking to improve their comfort and skills in the water. This can range from learn to swim, up to a competitive level. Lessons are 30 minutes long, with one swimmer per instructor.  Please email dvpalmiotto@ccclub for more information

 

Please visit the Club website to the TeamUnify link to complete the online registration for the swimming and diving teams and volunteer for Meets.  You can also download the TeamUnify app OnDeck to keep you up to date with all swim and dive information now available in the Android store and the iTunes App Store .

 

Through OnDeck, you can access your account/athlete management, update your contact information, pool locations, meet information and your volunteer commitments.  Most importantly, you can commit your athlete for specific meets or let the coaches know if your athlete will not participate in an upcoming meet.  

 

Meet Entries are due 48 hours prior to a meet.  If you fail to commit your athlete by the 48hr deadline, they may not be able to participate in that meet.  Once our entries are submitted at the 48 hr deadline, we may not be able to make changes to the meet entries.  If you wish to participate in a meet after the deadline, you may arrange for a deck entry for your athlete. The option for deck entries is subject to the availability of a lane and at the discretion of the meet host.

 

It takes a minimum of 20 people from each club to run a dual swim or dive meet.  Each family is required to commit to at least 1 volunteer job prior to the July 4th break, and one after. If your child qualifies for Divisionals or Champs. you will be expected to volunteer for those events as well. Failure to meet your volunteer requirement may result in your athlete not being able to compete in Meets.

 

During meets, all swimmers are required to stay in the team area between events. This allows the Clerk of Course to find swimmers when it is their turn to line up for their event. If your child is not in the Team area, they may miss their event. Coaches and Clerk of Course volunteers will not leave the Team area to search for your child.  Swimmers are not allowed to swim in the pool during the meet. 

 

We ask all our athletes to wear a team suit during all competitive meets.  Team Suits are available at Icebreakers in May and at the Pro Shop year round.  Athletes should also bring a towel, goggles and a team swim cap to all meets.

 

Please note: Suits/Caps with private Club insignia (not country club); water polo club insignia; school insignia; and tie-back suits will not be permitted.  These are deemed illegal by USA Swimming and swimmers will be disqualified.  Any and all suits/caps are permissible during warm-ups.   No Technical Suits shall be worm by any 12U Swimming athlete member in competition.  Likewise, any swimmer with KT/Kinesiology Therapeutic Tape or any other type of elastic sports tape will be disqualified.  The use of KT Tape is permissible during warm-ups.

 

We will always strive to hold practices and meets with light rain.  We will communicate with you as quickly as possible any cancellation we can anticipate ahead of time.  We utilize the Club’s Lightening Detection System and clear the deck at the sound of the lightening horn indicating lightening within 5 miles of the Club.  At this point there is a minimum of 30 minutes until the all clear.  During Meets, if it is determined that the storm is moving out of the area, we will wait it out until we are able to resume the meet.  We make every effort to communicate as quickly as possible but as for your patience as summer storms can pop up and dissipate quickly.

 

 

Types of Meets

 

1. Time Trials: A Time Trials Meet is held at the beginning of the summer season.  It is an interclub meet that is open to all swimmers, but is geared towards new members of the team.  This meet provides new swimmers an opportunity to try all events and to create a baseline time in events they may not otherwise have an opportunity to swim later in the season.

 

2. Invitational Meet: The Invitational Meet is held once a season on a Saturday morning on July.  It is intended for beginners and less skilled swimmers and is open to anyone who has not won a first, second or third place ribbon in a regular meet in an event.  It is also open to Seal Pup swimmers.  Participation in the meet is optional.

 

3. Dual Meets: Dual Meets are typically held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  These meets constitute the bulk of the season and swimmers are expected to participate.  In most dual meets, there are unlimited heats in the freestyle event; therefore, every swimmer is given the opportunity to swim freestyle.  In the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley events, the usual limit is two heats per event.  Therefore, only the fastest swimmers are entered in each of these events. 

 

4. Divisional Relays: Divisional Relays is a meet devoted exclusively to relay races amongst the teams within the Division.  Each club is permitted to enter one relay team per age group and event; therefore, participation is limited to the fastest few swimmers in each age group.  Coaches will notify the swimmers who are selected to swim.  Selected swimmers are expected to make every effort to be available to participate in this meet.

 

5. Divisional Championships: This is a championship meet amongst all the teams in the Division.  Each team is permitted to send two swimmers per event and, in most cases, swimmers with the fastest times are selected to swim.  Coaches will notify the swimmers who are selected to swim.  Selected swimmers are expected to make every effort to be available to participate in this meet.

 

6. CCSDA Championships: CCSDA Championships is the final meet of the summer and is held in July.  It includes all fifteen teams with the CCSDA.  Each team is permitted to send two swimmers per event and, in most cases, swimmers with the fastest times are selected to swim.  Coaches will notify the swimmers who are selected to swim.  Selected swimmers are expected to make every effort to be available to participate in this meet.  Each swimmer can participate in no more than 2 individual events.  To be eligible to swim in the CCSDA Championships, a swimmer must have competed in three officially scheduled CCSDA meets during the season.  Championships take place over two days.  The first day is preliminaries for all age groups; the second day is the finals for qualified swimmers in all age groups.  Finals are comprised of two heats, a Championship heat and a Consolation heat, in each individual heat and a single heat for relay events.  All final heats are scored, and it is the overall team scores from this meet that determine the division placement for each team for the following swimming season.

 

7. “Just For Fun” Meets : Three Cs Meet – Each year Congressional participates in a Friday evening swimming meet against Columbia Country Club and Chevy Chase Country Club.  The clubs take turns hosting, and the format of the event varies, but it is just for fun and not scored.  Typically, it is a simple freestyle or relay meet, and it is followed by a dinner and dance.  All swimming and diving families are invited to attend.  Charges for the evening are posted to your club bill.  Participation in the meet is optional.

 

 

GIRLS	EVENT	BOYS
Event #		Event #
1	Junior Individual Medley	2
3	Senior Individual Medley	4
5	Freestyle : 8 & Under	6
7	Freestyle : 10 & Under	8
9	Freestyle : 12 & Under	10
11	Freestyle : 12 & Under	12
13	Freestyle : 18 & Under	14
15	Backstroke : 8 & Under	16
17	Backstroke : 10 & Under	18
19	Backstroke : 12 & Under	20
21	Backstroke : 12 & Under	22
23	Backstroke : 18 & Under	24
25	Junior Medley Relay	26
27	Senior Medley Relay	28
29	Breaststroke : 8 & Under	30
31	Breaststroke : 10 & Under	32
33	Breaststroke : 12 & Under	34
35	Breaststroke : 12 & Under	36
37	Breaststroke : 18 & Under	38
39	Butterfly : 8 & Under	40
41	Butterfly : 10 & Under	42
43	Butterfly : 12 & Under	44
45	Butterfly : 12 & Under	46
47	Butterfly : 18 & Under	48
49	Graduated Free Relay	50

 

 

 

Junior Individual Medley: 4 lengths (1 Butterfly, 1 Backstroke, 1 Breaststroke, 1 Freestyle in the order named) for 12 & under 

 

Senior Individual Medley: 4 lengths (1 Butterfly, 1 Backstroke, 1 Breaststroke, 1 Freestyle in the order named) for 18 & under 

 

For Individual Strokes: One length for all 8 and 10 year age group events. Two lengths for all 12, 14 and 18 age group events. 

 

Junior Medley Relay: 4 swimmers, 1 length each. (1 Backstroke, 1 Breaststroke, 1 Butterfly, 1 Freestyle in the order named). One swimmer 8 & under, one swimmer 10 & Under, one swimmer 12 & Under, one swimmer 14 & Under; strokes of each swimmer to be determined by the coach 

 

Senior Medley Relay: 4 swimmers, 1 length each. (1 Backstroke, 1 Breaststroke, 1 Butterfly, 1 Freestyle in the order named). One swimmer 10 & Under, one swimmer 12 & Under, one swimmer 14 & Under, one swimmer 18 & Under; strokes of each swimmer to be determined by the coach 

 

All Ages Graduated Freestyle Relay: 5 swimmers, 1 length each for swimmers 8 and 10, and 2 lengths for each swimmer 12, 14 and 18. The term “graduated” shall mean that the swimmers participate in order of age, youngest to oldest. (5/12/96) 

 

A swimmer shall be permitted to compete in three individual events, one medley relay, and the All Ages Graduated Freestyle Relay.

 

Prior to the start of every meet, the host club provides an opportunity for the swimmers to warm up.  Each team is allotted 30 minutes.  Home team warm-ups begin at 5:30 p.m.; visiting team warm-ups begin at 6:00 p.m.

 

Practice is the key to swimming success.  Regular attendance will improve your child’s strength, stamina and skill which ultimately results in fasting swimming.  We encourage all swimmers to attend practice as regularly as possible.  We recognize that many of our swimmers also swim on other teams and may not be able to attend our practices.  In that case, please talk to the coaches and work with them to formulate an appropriate practice schedule for your child.