Spectator Policy Guidelines/General Pool Deck Management

  • *No spectators are permitted on the deck during SPY Swim Team practices.
  • Chairs will be provided to sit in the hallway outside of the pool area.
  • Coaches will invite parents on deck approximately once a month to view specific practices and/or assist with timing and record keeping for test sets, at which time the bleachers will be rolled out
  • If your child has a medical condition (asthma, diabetes, etc.) please insure the coaching staff is informed.
  • In case of an emergency, parents are permitted to enter the pool area.
  • The portable bleachers will be placed on the far side of the pool so the near side can be used for stretching, core work and other dryland activities.
  • Upon arrival, swimmers will be directed to store bags on the far side of the pool on the bleachers.
  • Swimmers arriving more than ten minutes early to practice should sit on the bleachers and wait for practice to begin; swimmers should not be in the recreation and therapy during lessons.

*This is a policy that has been discussed with administration since 2010. It’s a policy that used to be in place many years ago at this very YMCA and it is a policy that many other swim teams follow. We believe this policy is the best course of action. Our goal is to create an environment that is more conducive to teaching and learning, as well as limit distractions during practice. Not only will this policy allow us to provide better coaching, but it will allow the lifeguards to better supervise the activities on the pool deck and in the water and enact the facility’s emergency action plan if needed. All of our lifeguards and coaches are trained as first responders as it relates to CPR, First Aid and Oxygen Administration certification. In addition, all YMCA employees have background checks, DCFS fingerprinting and child abuse prevention training upon hiring.

General Lap Pool Use Policies

  • Lifeguards reserve the right to swim test any member under the age of 18 in the recreation and therapy pool prior to use of the lap pool.
  • All members are permitted to use the lap pool provided they are lap swimming.
  • During SPY Swim Team practice lanes 7 and 8 will be designated as Adult Lap Swim (ages 16 and older).
  • If swim team members cannot make their scheduled practice time, their parents are encouraged to contact a coach to make other arrangement instead of occupying this lane space.
  • Private lessons will not be conducted during SPY Swim Team practice.
  • Instruction given to swimmers by persons other than employees must be contracted through YMCA administration.

In designating the two lap swimming lanes as Adult Lap Swim it is our goal to prevent the complaints or loss of membership due to the impression that the swim team is occupying more than the assigned six lanes. These occurrences are not limited to swim team members as swimmers participating with high schools also use the lap lanes. Ultimately this may be unavoidable, but the YMCA will not rent these lanes during practice or permit organized high school team practices at this time. Similar to the policy regarding personal training on the Health and Wellness floor, the YMCA does not permit instruction to be given by persons other than employees as it is a liability issue.

Electronic Communication Policy

  • Communication with coaches should take place between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM unless there is an earlier practice or meet start time.
  • Swimmers are encouraged to copy in a parent or both Rob and Alex if communicating with a coach directly; a parent and/or coach will be copied on any response from a coach to a swimmer.
  • Coaches’ personal social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, etc.) will not be used to interact with swimmers and will be set to private.
  • Team Facebook and Twitter accounts are available for swimmers, families and friends to like or follow.
  • The proper medium to contact a coach is in one of the following three ways:
  1. YMCA Phone: (217) 679-1625, Swim Team x184
  2. YMCA Cell Phones:  Rob (217) 588-9360; Alex (217) 502-0461
  3. SPY Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

As coaches, we like to be accessible but do not wish have our personal numbers used as a medium for contact for various reasons. We would like all communication to be transparent, accessible and professional.