SJAC Swim Team Travel Policy

Swim Team Travel is defined as any trip in which part or all of the team travels to and from a competition which requires swimmers/coaches to stay overnight in a hotel.

To help us offset the expense of travel meets, we will be assessing a team travel fee of no more than $25/swimmer/day for all swimmers attending travel meets (excluding team meals).   The cost of travel meets may be offset or increased depending on the following:

• Amount of money raised through fundraising (i.e. Swim-a-Thon)
• Location of Meet and Coach’s travel expenses
• Number of swimmers attending the meet
• Mid-Atlantic Swimming travel assistance availability
• Whether or not the team organizes meals for the swimmers and/or their families

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• Any swimmers wishing to attend North Carolina, Spring Travel Meets or Summer Travel Meets (Middle Atlantic Long Course Championships, JO's, etc)​​ must carry a practice attendance rate of at least 80% leading into that meet.
• Swimmers whose attendance rate is below 80% without sufficient reason will not be allowed to attend the specified meet.

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• During the designated fine-tuning period prior to the December and/or March/April travel meets (usually 2 weeks prior to the designated meet), swimmers are not permitted to attend practices or swim in meets with teams other than SJAC.
• Swimmers who are found to be in violation of this rule will be pulled from the trip. Any fees already paid will be forfeited. 

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• Team managers and chaperones must be members of USA Swimming and have successfully passed a USA Swimming-administered criminal background check.
• Swimmers must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to all overnight travel meets.  If a parent/guardian is not available to attend, then the parent must designate an adult to be the chaperone and notify a coach IN WRITING prior to the meet of who that chaperone will be and where they will be staying.
• When only one athlete and one coach travel to a competition, at the competition the coach and athlete should attempt to establish a “buddy” club to associate with during the competition and when away from the venue.
• Team members and staff traveling with the team will attend all team functions including meetings, practices, meals, meet sessions, etc. unless otherwise excused or instructed by the head coach or his/her designee.
• The directions & decisions of coaches/chaperones are final.
• Swimmers are expected to remain with the team at all times during the trip.
• The Head Coach or his/her designee shall make a written report of travel policy or code of conduct violations to the appropriate club (LSC) leadership and the parent or legal guardian of any affected minor athlete.

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• Transportation to and from a meet is the responsibility of the team member and their family. 
• Depending on the meet, the coaching staff may provide transportation to the swimmers from hotel to pool and pool to hotel.  Parents will be given advanced notice in either case.
• Athletes should not ride in a coach’s vehicle without another adult present who is the same gender as the athlete, unless prior parental permission is obtained.

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• Unless there is a reason beyond the family/swimmers' control (i.e. the hotel is booked) ALL swimmers are required to stay at the designated team hotel.  
• To ensure the propriety of the athletes and to protect the staff, there will be no male athletes in female athlete’s rooms and no female athletes in male athlete’s rooms (unless the other athlete is a sibling or spouse of that particular athlete).
• Curfews shall be established by the team each day of the trip.
• Regardless of gender, a coach shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with an athlete (unless the coach is the parent, guardian, sibling, or spouse of that particular athlete).
• Where chaperones/team managers are staying in a room with athletes, they should be the same gender as the athlete and written consent should be given by athlete’s parents (or legal guardian)