Is my child ready to swim competitively?
If your child, ages 6-12, can swim at least 25 yards (one length of the pool), he or she is ready to join the exciting world of club swimming. Children 13 and older should be able to swim 50 yards of each stroke. Get your child started in the competitive side of the sport by joining Medford AquaFins Swim Club!
What does my child need for swim club?
1. A tight-fitting swimsuit. You do not need to buy anything expensive; just find one your child likes. If you are not sure what size to order, each company will have sizing guides, so please use those to order a suit that will fit them properly because a loose suit is a drag suit making it harder to swim.
2. A good pair of goggles. When it comes to a pair of goggles, get a nice pair. Coach Jeremy's girls wear Speedo Vanquisher 2.0 and they have had great success with them. The club has goggles for sale for $17.00. Just bring money to the first day of practice. You can also buy a bungee for $1.00 (recommended).
3. Swim cap. Each swimmer will be given a latex swim cap to use at competitions during winter club. Your child may wear this cap at practice. It is optional, but highly recommended, to also purchase a silicon cap for practice. Silicon caps are a little more expensive, but they are a lot more comfortable for the kids. At this time, we don't have any silicon caps for sale.
4. Towel. Your swimmer will definitely need a towel to dry off after being in the water, but it is also a good idea to have a robe or swim jacket to keep warm between events.
Check out our SWIM OUTLET store! http://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/medfordswimteams?frm=fyt
What strokes will my child need to swim?
The coaches will work with your swimmer to find the strokes that he/she is most successful at for competitive swimming. The four strokes swimmers compete in at a meet are freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and breaststroke.
What can I expect at a swim meet?
BEFORE THE SWIM MEET STARTS
1. Arrive at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time begins. This time will be listed in the meet information emailed to all parents/swimmers.
2. Upon arrival, look for your "team area" and find a place to put your swimmer's blankets, swim bags, and/or sleeping bags. The team usually sits in one place together, so look for some familiar faces and your "MEDFORD" sign.
3. Find your coach and check-in. Usually, parents are not allowed on deck so this may be the responsibility of your swimmer. Check for special posted instructions in your team area, if any.
-Event assignments will be posted, so be sure your swimmer knows where to look!
-Most meets are "pre-seeded". You and your swimmer can find heat and lane assignments by purchasing a program.
4. Once "checked in", write or have the swimmers write each event number on his or her hand in marker or ink. This helps him/her remember what events he/she is swimming in and what event number to listen or watch for.
5. Your swimmer now gets his/her cap and goggles and reports to the coach for warm-up instructions. It is very important for all swimmers to warm up with the team. A swimmer's body is just like a car on a cold day-he/she needs to get the engine going and warmed up before he/she can go all out.
6. After warm-ups, your swimmer will go back to the area where his/her team is sitting and wait there until his first event is called. This is a good time to make sure he/she goes to the bathroom if necessary, gets a drink, or just gets settled in.
7. The meet will usually start about 10-15 minutes after all teams have warmed up.
8. According to USA Swimming rules (because of insurance purposes), parents are not allowed on deck unless they are serving in an official capacity. Similarly, all questions concerning meet results, an officiating call, or the conduct of a meet, should be referred to a coach. He or she will pursue the matter through the proper channels.
9. If the swimmer is swimming an event for the first time, he/she will be entered as a "no-time" or "NT". A "no-time" swimmer will most likely swim in one of the first heats of the event. A heat sheet will list the actual heat and lane a swimmer will be competing in.
MEET STARTS
1. It is important for any swimmer to know what event numbers he/she is swimming (this is why they should have the numbers on their hand). He/she may swim right away after warm-up or they may have to wait a while.
2. Most meets are computerized. There are generally two ways a swimmer gets to his/her lane:
-A swimmer usually reports directly to his/her lane for competition a number of heats before he/she actually swims. Check with your swimmer's coach for specific instructions.
-In some novice meets, a swimmer's event number will be called, usually over the loudspeaker, and he/she will be asked to report to the "clerk of course" or “bullpen”. Swimmers should report with his/her cap and goggle.
-Generally, girls' events are odd-numbered and boys' events are even-numbered. Example: "Event #26, 10-Under Boys, 50 freestyle, report to Clerk of Course." The "Clerk of Course" or “bullpen” area is usually where all swimmers checked in before the warm-up.
-The clerk will usually line up all the swimmers and take them down to the pool in the correct order. You can expect at least 4-8 heats of each event.
3. The swimmer swims his or her race.
4. After each swim:
-He/she is to ask the timers (people behind the blocks at each lane) his/her time.
-The swimmer should then go immediately to his or her coach. The coach will discuss the swim with each swimmer.
5. Generally, the coach follows these guidelines when discussing swims:
-Positive comments or praise
-Suggestions for improvement
-Positive comments
6. Things you, as a parent, can do after each swim:
-Tell him/her how great he/she did! The coaching staff will be sure to discuss stroke techniques with him/her. You need to tell him/her how proud you are and what a great job he/she did.
-Take him/her back to the team area and relax.
-This is another good time to check out the bathrooms, get a drink or something light to eat.
7. The swimmer now waits until his/her next event is called and starts the procedure again. When a swimmer has completed all of his/her events, he/she can go home. Make sure, however, you, as a parent, check with the coach before leaving to make sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. It is not fair to other swimmers who may have stayed to swim on a relay where your swimmer is expected to be a member and he/she is not there.
8. Results are usually posted somewhere in the facility. Awards are often gathered for a team and given to the coach at the end of the meet. The coach will give the awards to the swimmers at a later time.
How do I read the heat sheet?
The coach will enter your child into events to swim competitively in a swim meet. The EVENT NUMBER is which event they are in and they go in order as printed on the heat sheet/meet packet. Usually, boys and girls swim separately, where girls are in odd- numbered events and boys are in even-numbered events.
The HEAT number indicates which heat, or group, your child will swim in. Since there are only 6 lanes in a pool, only 6 swimmers can swim at one time. If your child never swam the event competitively before, he/she will probably be in the first heat with an NT listed for his/her time. The fastest swimmers will swim in the last heat.
The LANE number is listed beside your swimmer to indicate which lane he/she will be swimming in. Lanes 1 and 6 are on the outsides of the pool. The fastest swimmers of a heat swim in the middle lanes.
The swimmers will typically write their event, heat, and lane assignments on their arms.
