What is the Manhattan Marlins Swim Team?
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to be a safe and inclusive environment for all athletes and works in accordance with the USA Swimming Safe Sport guidelines. We are a USA Swimming club that was founded sixty years ago by a group of swim parents interested in competitive swimming. Their goal was to promote the sport of competitive swimming within the Manhattan area. In so doing, our founders thought, the health, fun, & fitness that competitive swimming brings to a community would be a benefit to all.
Since 1965, the Manhattan Marlins has established itself as a premier youth sports program in North Central Kansas and one of the top club swim teams in the Missouri Valley LSC. The Marlins offers a comprehensive program that satisfies the needs of novice swimmers to Olympic hopeful athletes. The Manhattan Marlins is a non-profit organization and is administered through a board of directors comprised of parent volunteers and coaches. The Marlins is built upon a tremendous amount of hard work by many volunteers, coaches, parents, and swimmers.
Our main objective is to offer a comprehensive youth competitive swim team to all of Manhattan and the surrounding area. We aspire to develop all swimmers from beginners to the elite. Our primary goal is to teach lifelong skills that promote advancement in the sport of swimming and result in healthy and productive lifestyles.
People will have diverse opportunities for lifelong enrichment through the sport of swimming at a cost the members and partners will support.
The Manhattan Marlins is dedicated to empowering young people to commit to the pursuit of excellence and self-improvement, and through these pursuits to acquire life enhancing attributes such as integrity, discipline, dedication and sportsmanship.
The Marlins offers competitive swimming opportunities for swimmers ages 5-18, as well as a 10-week Summer League for ages 5-18, and Masters swimming for 18-and-over.
The Marlins is overseen by a parent-run board of directors that works with the Head Coach to ensure its mission and values are upheld.
Swim practice is our favorite part of the day, and it is our goal for swim practice to be your child’s favorite part of the day too!
We Do This:
- The Manhattan Marlins is dedicated to empowering young people to commit to the pursuit of excellence and self-improvement, and through these pursuits to acquire life enhancing attributes such as integrity, discipline, dedication and sportsmanship.
- The Marlins offers competitive swimming opportunities for swimmers ages 5-18, as well as a 10-week Summer League for ages 5-18, and Masters swimming for 18-and-over.
- The Marlins is overseen by a parent-run board of directors that works with the Head Coach to ensure its mission and values are upheld.
Our Vision:
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to:
- Help swimmers develop discipline to achieve their individual goals,
- Create a space where all swimmers feel they belong,
- Equip swimmers with the skills to compete at state and national levels, and
- Train competent swimming instructors and promote swimming safety in the community
Our guiding values:
- Competitive Excellence: Help athletes reach the highest level they can attain in the sport of swimming. Aerobic development and maintenance with proper technique is the foundation for swimming achievement in all strokes over all distances.
- Leadership: Encourage athletes to become leaders in and out of the pool while demonstrating good sportsmanship. Steady, committed, planned progressive training is the only road to ultimate long-term success.
- Accountability: Hold athletes accountable for their actions. The Marlins promote the ideals of honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship, and team loyalty.
- Dedication: Teach the importance of setting long term goals and achieving them through sustained effort and create an environment in which the desire for self-improvement and goal achievement motivates the individual to fully develop his or her natural abilities and to help others to do likewise.
- Diversity: Provide an environment where all cultural backgrounds can work together toward individual goals.
- Stewardship & Promotion of Swimming: Through professional development and coaching classes led by the head coach as well as through organizations such as the American Swimming Coaches’ Association, the Marlins fosters and promotes quality professional education among its coaches for the betterment of the team, the LSC, and the sport.
Our Mission
The Manhattan Marlins conducts its business primarily in cooperation with the City of Manhattan and Ft. Riley Military base. It is also the goal of the Marlins to foster and maintain strong relations with the local business communities and all school districts within the area. The Marlins' achievements are a result of a commitment to the mission of USA Swimming, hard work, passion for competitive swimming, and pride in our community.
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to create a pathway to excellence for athletes, ensuring success in life and in swimming while maintaining a safe, healthy, and positive environment for all. The Manhattan Marlins uses the sport of swimming to teach goal setting, dedication, commitment, and a strong work ethic to athletes of all levels of ability, from novice to highly experienced swimmer. The Manhattan Marlins takes a long-view approach to swimming. We emphasize kicking and technique at the younger ages, and progress to training in all four strokes as the athletes grow within the program. This philosophy allows athletes to become their best in their teenage and college years. The Manhattan Marlins provides the opportunity for all athletes to swim for the love of the sport and to reach their highest potential.
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team strives to create a pathway to excellence for athletes, ensuring success in life and in swimming while maintaining a safe, healthy, and positive environment for all. The Manhattan Marlins uses the sport of swimming to teach goal setting, dedication, commitment, and a strong work ethic to athletes of all levels of ability, from novice to highly experienced swimmer. The Manhattan Marlins takes a long-view approach to swimming. We emphasize kicking and technique at the younger ages, and progress to training in all four strokes as the athletes grow within the program. This philosophy allows athletes to become their best in their teenage and college years. The Manhattan Marlins provides the opportunity for all athletes to swim for the love of the sport and to reach their highest potential.
Our mission is to develop abilities in our young people that will inspire and empower them to achieve excellence in life through a positive competitive swimming experience. We believe that our sport teaches fundamental life skills that are invaluable beyond the pool. By molding, teaching, and instructing our athletes, we aim to develop in them the self-discipline, personal responsibility, physical fitness, and personal excellence necessary for success in competitive swimming and beyond. The Marlins is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and positive environment for athletes as they seek to achieve their goals in our sport.
Who can join the Manhattan Marlins? Beginners Welcome!
All swimmers are welcome: from beginning level swimmers to the truly elite. A professional coaching staff ensures that each swimmer receives the instruction and training necessary to advance and excel in the sport. From the basic fundamentals of learning the four strokes to arduous training to tapering for Championship meet and developing winning race strategies, all Marlins swimmers are coached to reach their full potential.
Website
The Manhattan Marlins website is the most amazing tool. It is your link to all things Marlins - and the entire swimming world - all in one place! From the Home Page, everything you will ever need is at your fingertips.
In the upper left corner are tabs for the Coaches & Members. To the left is an icon for USA Swimming & Missouri Valley Swimming. Both serve as links to those organizations.
The Main Tool Bar across the top of the page gives access to everything you can imagine. The Links tab has just that: links to all sorts of businesses, organizations & functions that serve all aspects of a swimmer's needs. The New Swim Family tab is just that - a place to find useful information, especially if you are new to the sport and the Marlins. The Practice Groups tabs defines our Practice Groups, and the Practice Times tab lists where & when the Marlins practice. Our Events tab is your ticket to all Team Functions, especially swim meets. This is where you sign-up for & read about our Marlins swim meets, as well as other team functions.
The Register Now! tab on the left is where you join the Marlins. But the most important tab of all is the Team News tab. This is where the Head Coach & Team Administrators post timely & vital information about matters that affect you! Practice changes, new swim meets, team apparel orders, team trip news, etc., it's all posted here. So if you are not checking the Team News daily, you are out of touch with the Marlins!
What does it cost?
To join the Manhattan Marlins, participate in team activities & register with USA Swimming does incur some cost. Currently, the annual registration to join USA Swimming stands @ $68. That membership affords the opportunity for that swimmer to compete in any USA Swimming swim meet whatsoever in which that swimmer is eligible to compete. USA Swimming membership also provides the insurance coverage for all members at USA Swimming events.
There is also an annual team registration cost of $50 (after initial registration, the annual registration is paid in September). Registration comes with a team t-shirt and cap
The costs associated with the Manhattan Marlins are dues, meet entry and coach fees & some equipment. Swim families pay the dues monthly on with an ACH bank withdrawal or credit card automatically. An Itemized monthly bill & statement is emailed. The meet entry and coach fees are also itemized there. Currently. the Marlins monthly dues are based upon Practice Group Placement in the following amounts:
September - May
Minnows Group: $130
White Group: $150
Blue Group: $180
Platinum Group: $195
June-August
Minnows Group: $130
White Group: $150
Blue Group: $180
Platinum Group: $195
Masters Group: $75
Summer League: $200 (Summer)
What are the Practice Groups?
The Manhattan Marlins offers 4 different Practice Groups: Minnows, White, Blue, and Platinum. They are designed to deliver efficient instruction in the sport and an orderly environment for training. It is the goal of the Manhattan Marlins to offer ability specific instruction and training for all of our swimmers. Group descriptions and related information can be found on the website under the Practice Groups tab, as well as their practice times and locations under the Practice Times tab. All new swimmers are required to be evaluated by the coaching staff for proper group placement.
Where are practices offered?
Fall Practices are offered currently at Genesis with group practice times listed under the Practice Time Tab. We will relocate to City Park Pool in Manhattan City Park in June for the summer season.
What gear will I need?
In order to practice effectively with the Manhattan Marlins, swimmers will need the use of certain items. A well-constructed practice suit, cap & goggles are needs for all swimmers. Fins, paddles, kickboard & pull-buoy are equipment which will be recommended by the coach based on group. And a mesh bag to store the items in is also recommended.
Do I need to give up other sports if I swim with the Marlins?
The Manhattan Marlins recognize that young children may wish to participate in a variety of sports and other activities. Most people are under the impression that if you swim year round that you do not have enough time to participate in other sports and activities. This is not necessarily the case. Over the many years of USA Swimming, thousands and thousands of competitive swimmers have engaged in other sports. And although it is true that the very top elite swimmers normally focus on just competitive swimming exclusively, many of our Marlins swimmers choose instead to maintain a balance in their list of activities. So your athlete need not turn away from the Manhattan Marlins if other activities share your swimmer's time and interest.
Registration
Fall Registration will open on September 1st! The Marlins will start swimming at Genesis in Manhattan on the Tuesday after labor day. If you have questions about group placements, evaluations, and which group to register for, please contact Head Coach Reid Carlson at [email protected].
What about swim meets?
Swim meets are the focus of USA Swimming. Swimmers practice hard to enjoy the fun, excitement, comradery, and achievement that competition brings. The Manhattan Marlins is a USA Swimming club, and competitive swimming is the sport. So swim meets figure greatly into the Marlins program. It's what we swim for! Swim meets are the reward!
Our Marlins Swim Meet Schedule is posted under the Events tab of our team website. That is also where parents may enter their swimmer in a meet. In most months, at least 2 meets are posted for competition. The meets vary in all sorts of ways. Travel, eligibility and duration represent the normal differences. The website will identify which meets are appropriate for which Marlins swimmers. All Marlins swimmers are encouraged to compete. So feel free to ask the coaches about which meets are right for you!
All that being said, there are no minimum meet attendance requirements to swim with the Marlins. (There are also no minimum practice requirements as well.) Marlins swimmers are simply encouraged to swim as much as possible.
How do I sign my child up for a swim meet?
It all happens under the Events tab on our website. Log-in and select the meet you are interested in You may then click on the Attend button to Declare your swimmer(s) for the meet by clicking on their name and selecting “Yes, please sign [child's name] up for this event” or “No, thanks, [child's name] will not attend this event”. There is also a Comment Box where you can communicate with the Head Coach. Be certain to mention here what days you plan to attend.
Once the deadline has passed, if space is available, athletes may be entered into the meet at meet management and coach discretion. Deck entries are an administrative challenge, so they are extremely discouraged and a last resort. Please make every reasonable effort to enter the meet by the deadline in order to secure a spot in the meet. Also, once the deadline is passed, athletes can NOT de-commit from the meet and will be liable for charges regardless of participation. Any circumstances that results in scratches from a committed meet will result in meet fees. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to: illness, change in plans, or commitment error.
Where can I find more specific information about each swim meet?
On the Meet Event Page, there will be a Forms & Documents section at the bottom of the page. If you click on the Meet Information or Meet Invitation link, this document will contain all the specific information as to where and when the meet will take place, as well as exactly how the meet will be run. It is a good idea to read over this document before each meet. Please note that there is nothing for you to fill out or return in the Meet Invitation, it is purely for your informational purposes. Meet entries and billing are both done electronically.
In the Performance Reports folder of the Events tab you will find all of our Marlins post-meet reports. Be certain to keep pace with your swimmer and the rest of our team!
Are parents allowed on deck at a swim meet?
For safety and security reasons, swim meets do not usually allow parents on the pool deck. Parents may ask the coaches questions before or after the session, but not when the coach is on deck.
In addition, parents should refrain from directly speaking with the meet officials about questions or concerns specific to their child. These issues need to be communicated to a Marlins coach at an appropriate time. Your coach will, if necessary, address issues with the officials. Swim officials can expel swimmers and parents from meets if they feel they are being challenged or harassed.
What is the difference between Short Course (SC) and Long Course (LC)?
Very simply, short course takes place in a 25 yard or meter pool whereas long course takes place in a 50 meter pool. Short Course is normally noted as SCY for Short Course Yards or SCM for Short Course Meters. Long Course is sometimes noted as LCM for Long Course Meters. Short Course season normally runs from September to March. Long Course runs from April to August.
How do I sign up to volunteer for home swim meets?
Volunteer Opportunities are available online for all of our Marlins hosted meets by clicking on the Job Signup button on the Meet Event Page. This is the only way you can sign up for specific volunteer opportunities and sessions that you want to work. Some jobs require you to be certified, such as officiating. rate heat sheets for each session.
