WHSC Mission Statement

The West Haven Swim Club is a competitive swim team dedicated to sportsmanship, teamwork, self-improvement and fun, and is committed to helping each swimmer reach their fullest potential in and out of the water.  

 

Questions, comments or request for any information not in this site can be sent to [email protected] 

 

 

2021-2022 Staff

 

 

Head Coach

Sean McCauley, Head Coach 815-5889;

email: [email protected]

 

Parents’ Club Officers

 

President: Cecily Shubin [email protected]

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/westhavenwizards

Team Website: www.westhavenswimclub.org

League Website: www.yankeeswimleague.org

 

 

Practice Schedules

Unless otherwise noted or announced practices will be held Monday through Friday at the following times:

 

5:30 Group: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

 

6:30 Group: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on M,W,F*;

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tues. & Thurs;

 

All swimmers will be assigned a regular practice time to attend on the first day.

 

 

 

A NOTE ON PRACTICE TIMES: Swimmers are assigned practice times based on age and ability. Each swimmer is evaluated by the coaching staff and put in the time slot in which we feel each swimmer can be the most successful. Swimmers may be moved up at coaches’ discretion throughout the year. We sincerely apologize if your child’s practice time presents difficulties for you, however, please be advised that these times are non-negotiable.

 

MEET FEES: Registration fees include a $20.00 flex USA Swimming membership for each swimmer. It does not include any additional meet fees including trials fees.

 

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES

 

The West Haven Wizards Swim Club is an activity organized and run by the Department of Parks & Recreation. Any boy or girl up to the age of 18 may join. The coaches evaluate the swimming skill at the outset of the season to assure that the child is ready to join the team. Expertise is not necessary, but the child must be independent enough not to need a coach in the pool with him/her.

 

The team is a USA Swimming certified team and is applying to be a member of the Yankee Swim League and plans to compete in meets against other teams from across the state. Dual meets start in November and end in early February. If your child qualifies, he or she will also compete in Championship meets in late February and early March. Meets are usually held on Saturdays. The Yankee League abides by the rules of the U.S. Swimming Association.

 

Please read this handbook carefully. It contains most of the rules and information you will need to know to get the most out of this season.

 

 

 

 

 

Season Timeline

 

1. Regular Practices: September – March;

 

2. Dual Meets: November – January/February; Against other teams from the Yankee League; home and away. (No transportation is provided to away meets, but the parents club can help arrange car pools, etc.). ALL MEETS ARE MANDATORY AND ALL SWIMMERS REMAIN ON DECK UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF THE FINAL CHEER. We are a team and we remain as one throughout the course of the meet.

 

3. Special Meets (some require minimal entry fee):

 

1. 1. February: Trials and Finals, held by age group, elimination rounds. ALL SWIMMERS ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN TRIALS AND ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED INTO THE EVENT BY THE COACHES. Swimmers must participate in a minimum of 4 meets to qualify for trials.

 

1. 2. March: All-Stars – a pentathlon meet for top league swimmers from each age group; swimmers must qualify at Finals.

 

4. Social Activities: September – March; Run by the parents club, including a ziti dinner to kick off the season and a Holiday party.

 

5. Annual Awards Banquet: usually held in April or early May; includes presentation of awards designated by the coaches and the annual gift from the Parent’s Club.

 

 

Meet Participation: Meets are Mandatory

 

All swimmers are required to attend all scheduled meets. A swimmer’s absence can have serious effects on the rest of the team. The coaching staff works hard to ensure that all swimmers swim as often as possible (99.9% of the time this means each swimmer swims the maximum of 4 times in each meet). All swimmers are required to stay on deck in swim gear until the very end of the meet after the final cheer. We are a team and must remain together – in meet gear - during the entire duration of the meet. Unexcused absences will result in a swimmer’s removal from the team.

 

Team policy requires attendance at a minimum of four meets. High School Boys cannot compete in meets with the West Haven Swim Club after their first High School Meet due to C.I.A.C. and Yankee Swim League regulations.

 

Contact Coach Sean if illness or family emergency occur. PLEASE let him know as soon as possible. The coaching staff spends hours before each meet setting up relay events and deciding what individual events each swimmer will swim. Coach Sean’s cell phone number is in this handbook and on every copy of meet directions we hand out.

 

We are monitoring current conditions and meeting with the League to discuss meets, and more information will be provided shortly.

 

 

Meet Rules

 

• Wear team suit, shirt, cap (if you have long hair) and goggles

• Arrive on time – for stretching and warmup

• No swimmer may leave the deck without coach permission. All swimmers stay from beginning to end of meet, except with coach permission, to cheer on teammates and help the younger swimmers. Swimmers may not get dressed in street clothes before the end of the meet. It is disrespectful to opponents and teammates.

• IPODS, Cell phones, handheld game systems, etc. are not allowed on deck.

• Swimmers with asthma should have their inhalers in a safe, accessible location

• Swimmers should not bring valuables to the pool.

• Only small food items, such as granola bars and water bottles, are allowed on deck. http://www.westhavenwizards.org/nutrition.htm for more information.

• Swimmers should have their name on everything they bring on deck.

 

 

 

Practice Rules:

 

• If a swimmer arrives more than 20 minutes late for practice, they will not be allowed to swim;

• The 6:30 group will be required to have the TYR Burner EBP Floating Fin https://www.swimoutlet.com/p/tyr-burner-ebp-floating-fin-22453/ ASAP The fin can be purchased at the swim outlet store using the link above.

• Swimmers are required to attend at least 3 practices per week. Contact Coach Sean if this is not possible. 3 practices a week is the minimum time a swimmer needs to spend in the pool to improve. If cancellations, illness, or homework prevent swimmers from attending 3 practices in a week, it will not be held against them. Attendance is taken at practice.

• Do not wear team suit or team cap

• Use goggles and caps

• No food or drink (except water bottles) on deck or in locker rooms

• BE READY TO ENTER THE WATER AT THE START OF PRACTICE

• Swimmers and other children are not permitted in the hallway during practices.

• Swimmers with asthma should have their inhalers in a safe, accessible location

 

Anytime Rules:

 

• Leave all valuables (money, jewelry, etc.) at home

 

• Locks may be used on pool lockers, but must be removed and taken home after the conclusion of practice.

 

• No improper behavior – including swearing, stealing, chewing gum or eating on deck, disrupting others, showing disrespect to coaches or teammates.

 

• The back hallway of the pool is OFF LIMITS AT ALL TIMES. No swimmers or parents are allowed in this area

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE CHANGES

 

High school meets, football games, school holidays, and other events may prompt cancellation or modification of the practice schedule. To make sure you are at the pool at the proper time please consult the calendar on the website.

 

 

INCLEMENT WEATHER

 

During the winter months, foul weather may cause cancellations. If the West Haven school system is cancelled or given an early dismissal due to inclement weather, practice is cancelled. If weather forces a cancellation of a meet, parents will be notified by notice, phone call and/or email and the meet will be rescheduled ASAP. To be sure you receive the most up to date announcements please be sure you include your e-mail address on the contact info sheet.

 

PARENTS

 

Unless acting as a timer or scorer, or have been asked by coaches to help supervise, PLEASE stay in the stands. It gets crowded and distracting if parents are on deck. The coaches have a great system for keeping the kids safe and helping them to be in the right place at the right time. The older swimmers accompany the younger to the blocks for their events and no one is allowed into the locker room alone.

 

Parents are welcome to watch practice from the stands but cannot be on deck during practice.

 

Coffee or food cannot be consumed on deck. An area in the bleachers is reserved for this purpose. Please keep this area clean or we will lose this privilege.

 

Check the locker rooms periodically during practice, especially if things are taking longer than is normal. You may be required to be in the locker room with your child if the swimmer has difficulty following locker room procedures and directions. The coaches cannot always leave the deck to monitor locker room activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAFETY RULES FOR PARENTS

 

Parents must escort their children in and out of practice.

 

Do not leave your child at the pool unless a coach is present. Coaches will not allow children to leave the pool unless a parent or authorized adult is there for pick up.

 

SWIMMERS NEED TO REMAIN IN THE BUILDING UNTIL THEIR RIDE ARRIVES AFTER PRACTICE. It is dark and swimmers cannot be properly supervised if they leave the building. Coaches will wait after practice until all swimmers are picked up, but please make sure your child knows to stay in the building until you arrive.

 

Please do not expect coaches to be babysitters for the swimmers or other siblings, please drop off and pick up promptly. Do not allow swimmers or siblings to run in the facility, play ball or other games. The pool facilities were not designed for these activities. All children must be directly supervised and watched.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EQUIPMENT

 

Swimming has the fortunate benefit of requiring little equipment to purchase in order to compete. There are certain items that parents will be responsible for purchasing.

 

 

For Practice

 

Suit: Swimmers are required to wear a suit in the pool! For girls, a one piece suit is best and is required. For boys, we highly encourage parents to purchase the “jammer”, which is a form fitting suit resembling bicycle shorts. Baggy ‘trunks’ provide too much resistance and make practice very difficult. Team suit fittings will be held during the season.

 

Caps: Latex caps are recommended, and caps are required for any boy or girl with longer hair

 

Goggles: Goggles are highly recommended for meets and practices – it helps to see where you are going. Coaches recommend Speedo Hydrospex Juniors

 

Towel: It helps to be dry when you leave 

 

 

For Meets

 

Team Suit: The team suit is required for all parents and is the largest expenditure you will make, prices are generally in the $50 - $70 range for girls and $30 - $40 range for boys. It is required for ALL swimmers to be worn at ALL meets. TEAM SUITS CANNOT BE WORN DURING PRACTICE. -

 

Team Caps: Team caps will be provided to swimmers prior to their first meet. A cap is not required for meets, but if one is to be worn, it must be the team cap.

 

Goggles, Towels, Shorts, T Shirts & Water Bottles are all recommended for on deck and in the pool during meets.

 

PARENTS – WRITE YOUR CHILDS NAME ON EVERYTHING HE OR SHE BRINGS TO THE POOL: Many items can get misplaced and many look the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PARENTS’ CLUB

 

 

The Wizards Parents’ Club is an integral part of the team’s success. The WPC is in charge of providing workers during meets and organizing our fundraising activities and special events. We ask that all parents help the team by becoming involved in the Parents’ Club throughout the season. The more who volunteer, the easier it is for everyone and the more successful our team will be!

 

 

Swimming Tips and Definitions

 

Children compete only against other children of their own gender and age. The age groups are as follows:

 

8 & under

9&10

11&12

13&14

15&over

A child’s age is determined as of November 1^st.

 

There are four strokes – butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle. One length of the pool is 25 yards.

 

A dual meet has approximately 80 events. An event is a particular race for each gender and age group. For each type of race, the events progress from youngest to oldest swimmers; then the next type of race starts over with the youngest swimmers.

 

A heat is one race with 6 swimmers. Often there is more than one heat for each event.

 

The IM means Individual Medley which means one swimmer does all four strokes in one race. The medley relay means each swimmer does a different stroke in one relay race.

 

DQ means “disqualified”. This is VERY COMMON, especially with newer swimmers, and parents and swimmers should not fall apart – it is part of the learning process. Doing the wrong stroke, standing up, missing the wall on a turn, or not touching the wall properly, if seen by the official, will result in a DQ. The officials will also tell the swimmer what he/she did wrong to help the swimmer learn.