Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Coaches:

  • Who are the coaches on deck?

You can read the bios for each coach on the IFLY coaching staff on our website. We have a staff of professional, experienced coaches who love what they do. They are all certified through USA Swimming and are required to maintain up-to-date CPR, Coaches Safety, First Aid, and other certifications.

We are also a SafeSport accredited team.

Meets: 

  • Should my child only swim in meets on the IFLY calendar?

We prefer it, yes. Occasionally a swimmer or swimmers may travel great distances to a specific national level meet that only applies to a small group of athletes. Otherwise, we aim to compete together as often as possible. Our coaches are professionaly certified and highly invested in the physical, mental, and emotional development of your children. As such, we want to be there on deck to help guide your children, answer questions they may have, and give them feedback related to their performances at meets. When swimmers attend meets alone, the sport can be daunting and parents are left to fend for themselves. 

Our coaches aim to provide a meet schedule and structure that promotes healthy growth, builds confidence, and allows for optimal coaching & feedback. If we can add a meet to our schedule that provides a benefit to the team, please reach out to us so we can discuss the merits of the event. 

  • How does the meet sign up process work if my child says they want to race?

1. Check the Meet Events page on our team website. 

2. Determine which sessions you can/want to attend and "Commit" to the event.

3. Your child's Lead Group Coach will select the proper and appropriate events for that meet. Event selection is an important part of proper development, injury prevention, confidence building, and success. We ask IFLY parents to trust the professional coaching staff to select events, though we are always happy to discuss additional events, edits, or to explain why specific events were chosen. Coaches will always be able to explain the 'why' behind a decision.

4. Double check the entries and selected sessions before the final day commitments are due (listed on the website). Once the commitment period ends, coaches will send out final entry lists for each group. It is vital you let us know if there are concerns or adjustments. Once swimmers are entered, refunds will not be made for individual meet entries. 

5. Check the website in the weeks and days leading up to the meet for detailed team information (arrival times, t-shirt colors, psych sheets, etc). 

6. Arrive at the racing site according to the posted team itinerary and check in with a coach.

7. Sit back and enjoy the racing!

 

Club Participation/Roles 

  • Can I join any time?

Club swimming is a year-round sport. We have different seasons (we typically race in a 25 yard pool, a.k.a short course, from August to March; and in a 50 meter pool, a.k.a. long course, from April to August), but registration generally occurs year round. We do ask swimmers new to the sport, or fresh out of swimming lessons, to complete tryouts before joining.

  • How does registration work?

Tryouts only happen one time per month and sometimes are only offered for specfic groups.

To Schedule a Tryout:

Athletes (ages 6-14): Contact Jackson Leonard

Athletes (ages 15-18, new to the sport or transfers from other USA Swimming clubs): Contact Associate Head Coach Chris Freeman

Coaches will provide you the necessary info to determine if your child is ready for a tryout. 

When you arrive to the CRWC diving well on the day of tryouts, an IFLY coach will be ready for you. They will guide you through a try out and let you know if your child is ready for the Iowa Flyers Swim Club (IFLY).

Your tryout will consist of a few lengths of the pool. Swimmers should come in a suit with goggles and a cap, if necessary. Coaches will look for a variety of skills that relate to your child's ability to safely enjoy our team workouts. The ability to complete swim lessons is different than the ability to safely enjoy swim practices. 

Registration Process

Before you arrive for your tryout, please follow this link and create a free Rec. Services account. Select "Sign In" in the top right corner. Select "Sign Up" at the bottom if you don't already have an account. Fill in the requested information with your information. Add your child as your 'Dependant'. 

Once your child has tried out with IFLY coaches, we will email you with either: a link to register with our club or referrals to local lessons programs to continue developing until our next tryout date. If accepted to the team and sent the link to register, please complete the registration within the given window of time. The "Join IFLY" command button in the middle of our webpage will take you to the link described above; it is not open year-round and is not available to families who have not completed a tryout.

Finally, once you've created a Rec. Services account and filled out the IFLY registration, you'll follow THIS LINK to complete your USA Swimming registration. 

All three registrations must be completed in order to join IFLY.

  • ​Some of my friends with kids on IFLY are Iowa Swimming Officials. They get to go on deck at meets, see their kids race up close, and are engaged in the swim meets. How can I sign up to be an official?​

First, see our "Become an Official" tab under "About IFLY"

1. Attend a Clinic by a certified clinic instructor (CCI) in person or attend a virtual clinic:

Registration is done by clicking the links on the date you prefer. Click HERE to be taken to the IASI Officials home page
 
2. Fill out the apprentice form for a free 60 day USAS membership HERE.
3. Open a free account on usaswimming.org and generate a stroke & turn/timer test and complete it with no less than a score of 80%. It’s recommended to complete this test prior to the clinic or shortly after.
4. Apprentice on deck by signing in 1 hour prior to the start of a session. Attend the briefing, bring your apprentice form, and be assigned with a certified official mentor.
5. Within 60 days of your first apprentice session on deck, complete your USAS membership and submit to a level 2 background check and complete the free athlete protection training seminar online.
 
 
  • What is the Parent Advisory Committee and what do they do?

Information on the Parent Advisory Committee can be found by following this link.

 

  • What if my child is involved in more than one sport? Is club swimming still an option?

We actively encourage multi-sport athletes, especially at a younger age. The exposure to multiple sports allows for growth, physical development, exposure to multiple coaching styles, and well-rounded student-athletes. As swimmers grow to embrace the IFLY team culture, we hope they develop a greater sense of intrinsic motivation related to swimming. That intrinsic motivation to succeed, paired with physical development in high school, often lead our competitive swimmers to dedicate their time more exclusively to swimming. However, we offer tracks and groups for student-athletes with a variety of competitive goals and schedules. Communication with IFLY coaches is important as you navigate which sports to participate in and when.

 

  • Do the boys need to wear "Speedos" (briefs)?

No. Older male swimmers typically wear briefs, but some opt for the longer, knee length tight shorts called Jammers. It is largely a comfort preference. We encourage a black suit, a black and yellow suit, or a suit with an IFLY team logo.

 

Information

  • How do I learn about what's going on with the team?

Coaches provide information through a variety of modes of communication.

Email: You'll receive emails directly from your child's lead coach, as well as broader messages from Coach Amy or Coach Jackson. Make sure to regularly check the email associated with your Team Unify account!

Weekly Updates: News: Every Wednesday, Coach Jackson posts a "News" article to the website, which is automatically emailed to all active accounts. The Weekly Updates include information pertinent to that week and the next. 

Social Media: Coaches post information, pictures, and resources to Instagram and our private Facebook group regularly. Information posted to social media can usually be found in emails and on our website, too.

Team Feed: Smaller, non-essential bits of information will be listed on the "Team Feed," which lives on the team website.