Northern Nevada Aquatics

TeamHandbook

(Updated September 2018)

Table of Contents

Welcome to the Northern Nevada Aquatics.......................................................................................... 3

Coaches..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Pool Location andPracticeSchedule.......................................................................................................................... 4

TrainingGroups......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Training Groups –DevelopmentalPrograms............................................................................................................... 5

Training Groups – Competitive Programs –Seahorses/Squids...................................................................................... 5

Training Groups – Competitive Programs – White/Blue............................................................................................... 6

Training Groups – CompetitiveProgram– 
Black,Junior/PreSenior,Seniors................................................................................................................................. 7

GroupMove-upProcedure........................................................................................................................................ 8

ClubAffiliations......................................................................................................................................................... 9

FinancialInformation............................................................................................................................................... 10

Registration Fees, Developmental Program and Competitive Training Groups, Departing members, Re-joining the Team and Meet Fees

Billing andPaymentPolicy....................................................................................................................................... 11

ParentCommitment................................................................................................................................................ 12

Board of Directors andTeamOperations................................................................................................................... 14

Northern Nevada AquaticsHostedMeets................................................................................................................. 17

Team Communications and ChannelsofCommunication.......................................................................................... 20

Guide forSwimMeets............................................................................................................................................. 21

Meet Entries – MailorHand-delivered..................................................................................................................... 21

Meet Entries -Online............................................................................................................................................... 22

Swimwear Policy and What to bringtoMeets........................................................................................................... 23

Getting Ready for aSwimMeet................................................................................................................................ 24

Types ofSwimMeets............................................................................................................................................... 27

Swim Seasons – Competition Age Classifications andTimeStandards......................................................................... 29

ResponsibleTeammates.......................................................................................................................................... 30

Responsible ParentsandFamilies............................................................................................................................. 31

ComplaintResolution.............................................................................................................................................. 32

USA Swimming Code of ConductandSafety.............................................................................................................. 33

SwimmingGlossary.................................................................................................................................................. 36

Welcome to Northern Nevada Aquatics

Congratulations on joining Northern Nevada Aquatics! You are now a member of the top swimming program in the nation, USA Swimming, as well as a part of “the NNA family”. We hope that you will find, as many families before you have, that your child’s experience here is rewarding beyond just a physical activity. As a member of our community, your child will make great friends, be taught and influenced by top coaches and cared for by all.

Our coaching staff is committed to teaching life skills through swimming and we believe there is much more value to our sport than just learning the physical skills. Swimming provides an arena for children to learn to deal with success and failure as well as the value of hard work and goal setting. In other words, each meet, event, practice, set and repeat serves as a challenge to better oneself. Participation provides an avenue for parents and coaches to praise and encourage a swimmers effort and achievements and over time, a child’s self- esteem can be positively affected.

Our Coaches view themselves as educators first and strive to teach swimmers about various life issues througha curriculum of concepts that are introduced every week. Personal responsibility, integrity, hard work and other concepts are taught intensively over the course of a week, each swim season.  As the seasons pass, swimmers are certain to learn skills and strategies that they can use to enhance their lives far after their participation in competitive swimming isover.

The Northern Nevada Aquatics coaches realize, as you should, that they have a responsibility and opportunity to impact the lives of your children. You will find that they care a great deal about their swimmers and will help them whenever possible. Their commitment to those whom they coach goes beyond the typical coach-athlete relationship.

If you are new to competitive year round swimming, you will most certainly have questions. Please feel free to ask any member of our swim family including coaches, board members or other parents. Once again, welcome to our team!

Regards,

Northern Nevada Aquatics

Northern Nevada Aquatics Coaches

Erik Scalise – Head Coach

Head Coach Erik Scalise is a native Nevadan.  He began competing in swimming at 12 years old and has been a staple in Nevada aquatics programs ever since.  He attended Reed High School and went on to compete at UNLV for 4 years.  During his time at UNLV Erik was captain of the team both his junior and senior years.  Erik won UNLV Athlete of the Year in the 1996-1997 school year and is an NCAA All American athlete.

Erik returned to Reno to continue both his schooling and swimming careers.  He attended UNR and received his MBA with a focus in Finance.  He swam for Reno Aquatic Club and qualified for 4 Olympic Trials, competed in 27 USA Swimming Nationals, and became a 19 time United States Masters Swimming National Champion and Record Holder.

Erik coached first began his coaching career in 1999 with local high school and club teams.  In 2009 Erik decided to take his swimming and coaching careers to the next level by focusing on coaching aspiring athletes and thus began Northern Nevada Aquatics.  Erik not only coaches all ages and ability levels of the swimmers on the team, but also runs the program.  In the short time that NNA has been around it has produced two Olympic Trials qualifiers and has successfully recruited to several NCAA division 1 schools.  Currently NNA is the largest aquatics program in the Northern Nevada.  NNA added a water polo program in 2010, the Incline Aquatic Club joined NNA in 2014, and The High Desert Aquatics joined NNA in 2018.

Erik continues to train daily for swimming and hopes to impress upon his swimmers his passion for the sport and representation for all Northern Nevada Aquatics programs.

Assistant Coaches

Meagan Ballew (Head Incline Coach)

Alex Brown

Dave Hoover

Morgan McCord (Head Age Group Coach)

Joann Porter

Lindsay Robertson

Jared Scalise (Water Polo Coach)

Northern Nevada Aquatics Practice Schedule & Pool Location

NNA Practice Swimming Pools

Caughlin Club is located at:

4100 Caughlin Parkway

Reno, NV 89509

(775) 747-6006

Idlewild is located at:

1805 Idlewild Drive

Reno, NV 89509

(775) 334-2267

NorthWest Pool

is located at:

2925 Apollo Way

Reno, NV 89503

(775)334-220

NNA Practice Times

Practice times for each group change a few times per year. Advance notice of the practice time changes is provided through email. Up to date practice schedules can be found at www.northernnevadaaquatics.com.

Practice is only canceled in the event of electrical storms, severe weather or pool malfunctions. If practice should be canceled, we will try and post a message on our team website and/or on our team phone line.

Additionally, we will try to send an email announcement to all active members. If you are in doubt as to whether practice will be canceled, call the team phone line (775) 331-0123 or one of the above pools.

Northern Nevada Aquatics Training Groups

Requirements to Join the NNA Year Round Program Must be able to complete 25 yards of freestyle or backstroke.

Training Group Descriptions

Developmental:  (Seahorses) – Ages 4 - 10

DailyTraining:            30-45 minutes, 2-4 timesperweek 

DailyYardage:            500-750yards

Goals:                          Introduction to all 4 strokes, drills, streamlining, kickingdevelopment,paceclock, workout etiquette andfun/interest

Dryland:                      Gentle stretching,games

Equipment:                 Practice suit, goggles and a water bottle should be brought to practiceeveryday.Before practice starts, every swimmer should have a kickboard and fins placed at the edge of the pool to use duringpractice.

Admittance Requirements:     Must be able to complete 25 yards of freestyle and some skilldevelopmentin backstroke.

Beginning Competitive Program:

SquidGroup:       Ages 4 – 11

Typically 4 years to 11yearsold

DailyTraining:            45- 60 minutes, 3-4 timesperweek 

DailyYardage:            500 – 1500yards

Goals:                          Introduction to all 4 strokes, drills, streamlining, kickingdevelopment,paceclock, workout etiquette andfun/interest

Dryland:                      Gentle stretching,games

Equipment:                 A water bottle should be brought to practice everyday.

Before practice starts, every swimmer should have a kickboard and fins placed at the edge of the pool to use during practice.

Admittance

Requirements:             Must be able to complete 25 yards of freestyle and backstroke.Someskill development in breaststroke, butterfly and I.M. isrequired.

Intermediate Competitive Program:

White and BlueGroups:       Ages (White 7-12) – (Blue 8-12)

Typically 7 years to 12yearsold

DailyTraining:            60- 90 minutes, 4-6 timesperweek 

DailyYardage:            1500 – 3000yards

Dryland:                      Core and More

Equipment:                 A water bottle should be brought to practice everyday.  Swimmers should begin to purchase their own fins, kick board, hand paddles, and band.

Requirements:             Must be able to complete 50 yards of all strokes and 100 IM legally.  

Advanced Competitive Program:

Black and Junior Groups:    Ages11-14

Typically 11 to 14yearsold) 

DailyTraining:            90 minutes, 4 to 7 timesperweek.

DailyYardage:            2000 to 4000yards

Goals:                          Refine technique and efficiency, Promotion of distance free andI.M.training, race tactics, aerobic development, Promotion of distance free and I.M.training, detailed goal setting, heart rate monitoring, timemanagement.

Dryland:                      Varied functional exercises including games, stretch cords,running, etc.

Equipment:                 A water bottle should be brought to practice everyday.

Before practice starts, every swimmer should have a kickboard, fins, hand paddles and pull buoy placed at the edge of the pool to use during practice. Coaches will inform swimmers of any additional special equipment needed, i.e. shoes, shorts, and shirt.

Admittance Requirements and Commitment Requirements:

Black, 50% attendance. 

Junior, 5 practices per week.  Participation in all swim meets

Desire to work hard and commit to the demands of training and competition

Subject to coach’s approval

Pre-Seniors and Seniors:      Ages 14 -18

Typically 14 to 18yearsold 

DailyTraining:            120 - 150 minutes, 5 to 9 timesperweek DailyYardage:    4000 to 8000 plusyards

Goals:                          Focus on preparation for competition including high schoolleague,junior Olympics, Far Westerns, etc., refine racing technique and efficiency, more advanced aerobic and anaerobic development, race tactics, heart ratemonitoring, timemanagement.

Equipment:                 Goggles, fins, snorkel, kick board, mesh bag and waterbottle.

Dryland:                      Varied functional exercises including games, stretch cords,runningand introduction to strengthtraining.

Admittance Requirements and Commitment Requirements:

Pre Senior, 50% attendance. 

Senior, 7 practices per week.  At least 4 Senior times.  Participation in all swim meets

Desire to work hard and commit to the demands of training and competition

Subject to coach’s approval

Group Move-up Procedure

All group moves will be determined by the coaching staff. Swimmers may be held in a group below their grade level if the staff believes it is in the best interest of the athlete.

Once the coach notifies the swimmer that he/she will be promoted to the next group, the swimmer and the parent must initial the notice and return it to the coach.

NNA Swim Club Affiliations

USASwimming:   http://www.usaswimming.org

USA Swimming is the national governing body for amateur competitive swimming in the United States from beginners to the Olympic level. All NNA swimmers must become members of USA Swimming in order to participate in practices and meets. USA Swimming has administrative oversight for the entire nation, which is divided into 59 local Swimming Committees (LSCs). Generally a single LSC governs a single state, but some states have more than one LSC due to their size. USA Swimming is a non-profit organization funded through dues collected from individual swimmers and teams, grants from the United States Olympic Committee, corporate sponsorship, and income earned from events, promotions and merchandise. Meets are sanctioned by USA Swimming through our LSC, Pacific Swimming, Inc., so that the meets are run according to standardized procedures and the swimmer’s times will count for State, Sectional, Zone and National qualification. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting the athletes that will represent the United States in all international competitions.

All Governance, Bylaws, Policies, Rules and Regulations may be found at the above web site.

PacificSwimming(PC)   http://www.pacswim.org

Pacific Swimming is the administrative division (or Local Swim Committee – LSC) of United States Swimming that governs our geographic area. Within Pacific Swimming there are five subdivisions:  Zone 1N, Zone 1S, Zone 2, Zone 3, and Zone 4.   Northern Nevada Aquatics is part of Zone 4.

Zone 4 - Pacific Swimming

As a geographic division of Pacific Swimming, the objectives of Zone 4 shall be to carry out the goals, purposes, and ideals of United States Swimming (USA-S), and to supervise and regulate swimming competition, athletes, and officials in the physical area designed by Pacific Swimming as Zone 4. NNA is part of Zone 4.

A copy of the Bylaws for Zone 4 can be obtained from the Northern Nevada Aquatics Zone 4 Representative.

The eight Zone 4 Teams are: Bishop Swim Team (BST), Carson Tigersharks (CARS), Douglas Dolfins Swim Team (DDST), Lakeridge Swim Team (LAKE), Mammoth Lakes Swim Team (MLST), Northern Nevada Aquatics (NNA), Reno Aquatic Club (RENO) and Tahoe Swim Club (TAHO).

Financial Information and Commitment

This section provides details about the financial commitment families make to the team. Being part of TSC requires payment of monthly dues and annual registration fee, swim meet participation costs and annual fundraising commitment. We also have an annual parent commitment time requirement, which may result in additional fees for any un-met hours. All financial commitment information is available atwww.northernnevadaaquatics.com. Swimmers and their families must be “members in “good standing” in order to attend practices, meets, and other NNA events. Members in good standing have paid all registration fees, adhere to stated team obligations (dues payment, fundraising, and parent commitment hours), and conform to stated codes of conduct.

The following financial obligations may be changed by vote of the NNA board once each year.

Registration Fees

New and returning swimmers are required to pay annual registrationfees to USA Swimming. The USA Swimming registration fee is $73.00 for 2018. We also have an agreement to purchase new equipment for our pools each year.  During yearly registrations, we typically add the amount to your total registration. It is currently $77 per year and this will be charged yearly to all swimmers.  Swimmers may not practice or compete until registration fees are paid.

Competitive Training GroupsAnnual Dues Paid Monthly

Annual dues are assessed in a graduated fee structure depending on training group assignment. Fees increase as swimmers advance and require more pool and coaching time. Families pay dues monthly over a 12-month period. Members leaving NNA during the season must submit a written notice of intent to leaveto the coach and the team treasurer at least 15 days priorto the date of departure in order to avoid being obligated for dues after they have stopped swimming.

Annual dues for September 2018 – August 2019 are:  (Fees effective September 1, 2017)

Departing members

Swimmers leaving NNA during the year must notify the coach and treasurer 15 days prior to leaving the team. Members are responsible for monthly dues for any practice or meets attended up-to and during the last calendar month spent with the team. All outstanding dues and fees must be paid at the time of departure.  Fundraising and volunteer time obligations will be prorated through the end of the departing month.

Re-joining the Team

NNA swimmers who rejoin the team after departing must re-register with NNA and USA Swimming (if their USA Swimming registration has lapsed). The current USA Swimming registration fee must be paid prior to beginning practice. A returning swimmer must have been “a member in good standing” at the time of departure from NNA. This includes having been current in all team dues, fundraising and volunteer obligations, USA Swimming dues, meet fees, and merchandise fees.

Please note that, should you decide to re-join the team, there is no guarantee that there will be available space for your swimmer in his or her age group. We will add your swimmer to the waitlist and as soon as a spot opens, you will be contacted by a member of the coaching staff.

Meet Fees

Each NNA swimmer is charged for swim meets attended and are separate from annual dues. Fees are charged per event, when meet entries are submitted. Meet entries and fees are the responsibility of the swimmer and/or swimmer’s parent.

NNA Billing and Payment Policy

Prompt payment of fees and dues is essential for NNA to meet its financial obligations. Members who are delinquent (60 days or more) in paying team dues may be suspended from practice and/or meet participation until the account is brought current.

Billing

All new and existing members will be required to pay by debit or credit card. To sign-up for auto bill pay please visit the team website (www.northernnevadaaquatics.com)Fees are due to be received on the first of each month regardless of whether or not an invoice has been received. If dues have not been received by the 10th of the month, a late fee of $25 may be charged. After 60 days past due, swimmers will not be allowed to participate until fees are current.

Collections

• If an account has a balance that is 60 days overdue, a written notice will be given to the familyregarding possible impendingcollections.
• If an account has a balance that is 90 days overdue, in addition to the swimmer(s) not being able to practice or attend meets, if the account is not made current nor has a payment plan been arranged or adhered to between the member family and the NNA Board of Directors, NNA will issue a claim forteam charges to a collections agency and NNA membership will beterminated.

Annual Parent Commitment

Northern Nevada Aquatics is a non-profit organization which counts on its members to volunteer their time to promote unity and to enable the club to thrive. Earning volunteer points during the swimming calendar year of September through August is strongly encouraged.

It is important for every parent to be involved with the club and their children’s activities. That is why clubs require members to sometimes meet team hour quotas. We do not want anyone to miss out on the fun! A lot of our first time parents are a little nervous or confused about the many volunteer opportunities there are in a swim club. There is no need for either. We are all amateurs! Besides, everyone is watching the swimmers, not the volunteers.

USA Swimming is the most volunteer intensive sport on the planet. It takes every parent to prepare, run and recover from a big meet. But just what is that worth to the club? If we had to pay minimum wage for every volunteer hour spent to put on a home swim meet this season we would shell out close to $15,000 per meet. It just proves we do things without hesitation for the love of our children we would never do for money.

Northern Nevada Aquatics generally hosts 2 major meets per swim year.  Our meets are generally in March and July of each year. Parents please put these meet on your calendar as your attendance is mandatory. All families are required to work our home meets regardless of swimmer participation. To ensure the continued success of Northern Nevada Aquatics, we rely on the support of our members to fill our many jobs, specifically at these hosted meets. These meets contribute a substantial portion of our fundraising efforts each year. NNA has a reputation of running high quality and efficient meets in a venue that swimmers enjoy racing in and families continued to attend year after year.

Hosting a swim meet ultimately benefits every swimmer on our team.

We recognize there may be meet weekends with other commitments, if you are unable to work a scheduled meet, you may call the meet director to discuss other options. In lieu of working your shifts, you also have the option of donating needed items.

Away Meet Requirements: At away meets we are required to provide timers and officials. While this does not fulfill all of the teams’ commitments, each family is expected to time a minimum of one shift permeet weekendorofficiate.  It is the member’s obligation tovolunteer.

Lastly, we are working on developing an online sign-up/tracking system to make it easier than ever to sign up for positions to fulfill your parent commitment. As we get closer to the summer swim meets we will make this transition as member/user friendly as possible with step-by-step directions. Once this is in place we will let you know.  For questions or suggestions, please contact the Meet Director. 

Participation in Fundraisers

Participation in any fundraisers approved by the board of directors of Northern Nevada Aquatics is required by every swimmer / swim family.

New Parent Coordinator

The New Parent Coordinator is a very important part of our team. They act as a liaison between the NNA Board of Directors and member families. They help members learn the “ins and outs” of club swimming and communicate team information to families. The New Parent Coordinator works closely with the coaches, board of directors, swimmers and families to ensure that the following activities get done. The New Parent Coordinator attends NNA board meetings and communicates to the board any problems he/she observes at the pool and any suggestions or concerns about the team.  The New Parent Coordinator recruits and coordinates with other parents to participate as volunteers to help with the following various responsibilities.

New Parent Orientation– The New Parent Coordinator works with the coaches and BOD to organize new parent orientations to answer questions that new swimmers have regarding the NNA Handbook, Parent Commitment Hours, team web site, contact information, meet entries, paperwork etc.

Age Group and Team Communications– The New Parent Coordinator acts as “triage” for parents’ questions, and if answers cannot be found in the Handbook, website, or newsletter, refers them to the appropriateperson. Sets up a phone tree and maintains e-mail list of member families for when the coach needs to send outlast-minute changes in schedules or other important messages. Maintain pool bulletin board to insure that postings are up-to-date, including practice schedules and meet info.

Age Group Meetings– The New Parent Coordinator holds periodic meetings for parents, during practice or at other convenient times, for ongoing orientation and to explain upcoming events and distribute materials.

Requests participation from coaches or board members as needed for these meetings.

Age Group Activities– The New Parent Coordinator helps organize social activities for the various swim groups, such as a pre/post-meet parties and birthday recognition. Assists and recruits volunteers from the team to assist with all-team activities such as the team banquet. Also, if a swimmer or swimmer’s family has a crisis, coordinates assistance for them with other swimmers, coaches, and families.

Publicity and Marketing Coordinator

The Publicity, Marketing Coordinator is a very important part of our team. They get the word out to the community through newspaper articles, radio announcements, posters, etc. to recruit new members and to acknowledge accomplishments of our swimmers to the public.

Publicity and Marketing

*Write and publish newspaper articles

*Arrange radio announcements

*Oversee and promote the recruitment of new swimmers in our community

*Oversee posters, flyers, and all marketing tools to promote new membership.

*Oversee Meet Program Advertisements

*Web Site Advertisements

*Oversee any additional marketing tools that will benefits the Tahoe Swim Club and its members

Club Safety Coordinator

NNA shall appoint an Individual Member or a Coach Member to be a Club Safety Coordinator. The Club Safety Coordinator shall be responsible for disseminating safety education information received from Pacific Swimming and USA Swimming to the Club Member’s athletes, coaches, and other members and shall make recommendations to the Club Member concerning safety policy and its implementation. The Club Safety Coordinator shall make any reports requested by Pacific Swimming’s Safety Chair.

The Club Safety Coordinator  shall be responsible for all safety and meet marshal at all home meets.

Zone 4 Representatives

The Zone 4 Representative shall represent Northern Nevada Aquatics to Zone 4 in accordance to the Bylaws of Zone

1. The Zone shall provide a forum for formulation of Zone policies. The Zone shall disseminate informationof general swimming interest to swim clubs in the Zone area and convey to Pacific Swimming attitudes and preferences regarding issues affecting the Zone. The Zone shall award swim meets under its jurisdiction according to the policies set forth in Article V of Zone 4bylaws.

Meet Directors

The Meet Director shall advise and recommend to the board events goals and objectives, select events sponsored by or for the members, including without limitation, swim meets, swim clinics, social events, fundraising events (in conjunction with the New Parent Coordinator and the Publicity Coordinator), award banquets, and the like as determined appropriate by the board, organize and coordinate said events on behalf of the Club to meet those goals and objectives, and provide reports for the board and members regarding any event conducted on behalf of the team, and exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned to him or her by the board of directors or prescribed by the bylaws.

Northern Nevada Aquatics Hosted Meets

Each year, NNA may host several meets. Parents of swimmers are needed for each of the following jobs at our home meets.

Meet Director: This position is required by USA Swimming for every meet held. The main responsibilities include, but are not limited to: obtaining a meet sanction, preparing and distributing meet invitations, organizing meet committees and distributing final results. The director is an overseer, avoiding direct involvement in any one committee. This person needs to be registered with Pacific Swimming either as an athlete, official or non-athlete.

Safety Marshal: Responsibilities include, but are not limited to checking the deck and the stands to make sure exits and walkways are clear. Marshaling ensures the safe environment for swimmers and enforces the USA swim rules of safety by monitoring the deck and facilities from the beginning of warm-ups until the conclusion of the meet.

Head Timer: Head timer works with the timers. He starts 2 watches at the beginning of every heat as backup in case a timer misses the start of the race. Provide the backup for timers who fail to start their watch on time. The Head Timer is responsible for providing team lane assignments and watches for every lane. Once the meet starts, the head timer will run two watches and will switch their watch with the timer who did not get their watch started at the beginning of the race.

Setup/Breakdown: These volunteers transport, assemble, setup canopies, starting systems, timing system, chairs, tables, computer equipment and timing pads prior to and immediately after the meet. This jobrequires the pickup and return of equipment to and from the TSCstorageunit.   Setup also includesliquidhospitality area, food hospitality area and registrationarea.

Hospitality: Shops, prepares and serves meet workers, coaches and officials with snacks, meals and drinks throughout the meet.  Also includes set-up and clean-up for hospitality.

Hospitality Coordinator:  This person plans, prepares and coordinates volunteers for the duration of the meet.

Snack Bar / Concessions workers: Sell food and drinks to swimmers, families and other patrons. Work involves purchasing items, food preparation, barbecue, restocking the food supplies, clean up and selling of food items.  Our concession stand is another big fundraiser for the team when we host meets.

Snack Bar / Concessions Coordinator:  Plan, prepare, shop, delegate and coordinate volunteers.

Awards Coordinator: Orders awards prior to the meet, prepares awards during meet and distributes to swimmers and then to coaches at the end of the meet. Prepare and present High Point Awards at the end of the meet.

Awards: Place labels on ribbons and medals from results sheets and distributes awards to swimmers and coaches.

Program Sales: Develops a Meet Program for participants from documents generated by the Hy-Tek system, listing teams, lane assignments for timing, swimmer entries and advertisements. This job involves overseeing the sale of advertising by each swim family and tracking the collection of money and ad print from swim families. Responsibilities include use of computer skills, coordinating program printing and oversee the sale of advertisements. Programs will be sold during check-in at the check-in desk and then by the Clerk of the Course and the Awards Table.

Announcing: Announces the events currently swimming in the water and any other necessary messages to the spectators at the meet.

Clerk of the Course:

Closing events approximately 30 minutes before the event is to be swum (according to the timeline provided by the Hy-Tek computer operator.

Check-in / Scratch Table: Works with the Clerk of the Course and is responsible for checking-in swimmers arriving at the start of the meet and checking in for the events they entered and scratching events they wish not to swim. Once the meet starts the Clerk of the Course will take the check-in sheets to the pool area for additional check-ins and scratches. Other check-in volunteers will help in food hospitality to assemble lunches for officials, coaches, and our Northern Nevada Aquatics volunteers.   When the check-in opens for the afternoon session at approximately 10:30 – 11:00 check-in volunteers will return to check-in for the second session of the day until the meet starts and the Clerk of the Course again will take the check-in sheets to the pool area.

Runners: There are two types of runners.  One is responsible for obtaining the timed results from the individual lanes and giving them to the Colorado System Operator. The runner also takes the individual lane assignment sheets to each lane as the events are seeded. The second runner takes event heat sheets from the Hy-Tek computer person to the posting boards. Duties include – distributing all swimmer lane assignments to the starter, officials, coaches, announcer, and distributing results to announcer, awards desk and posting results.

Colorado Operation:  Works the computer system that records the results of each heat and event.

Hy-Tek: This person is responsible for creating the meet using Hy-Tek software, receiving and processing all electronic and paper entries until the meet is full (including all deck entries), coordinating with the Meet Director and Meet Referee before and during the meet to ensure a successful meet, processing any changes in entries from the Clerk of Course after check-in, running the computer during the meet and generating results and heat and ribbon labels. After completion of meet, this person is responsible for creating all reports necessary to Pacific Swimming, Meet Referee and any other required reports.

Officiating: Certified, volunteer officials ensure that competition at meets is fair and equitable for all swimmers. USA Swimming and Pacific Swimming require that a number of officials work at each sanctioned meet in order that swims and times may be recorded as official. NNA needs parents to become officials (by taking a short clinic and working on deck at meets as trainees) and to volunteer to officiate at meets where our swimmers compete. Active officials have no trouble fulfilling their volunteer hour obligations. Meet officials include:

Stroke and turn judges (S&T) Electronic timing officials (ET) Starters

Referees

Team CommunicationChannels of Communication

The board and the coaches of NNA work hard to communicate with swimmers and their families. A parent who accesses these different channels of communication will find immediate answers to many questions about swimming with NNA.  The channels that are most useful for your family include:

Team e-mails – Primary Form of Communication

Used to announce and report on meets, team social events and fundraisers, to request volunteers, and to make any urgent or especially exciting team announcements. Please make sure that the team has an e-mail address that you check regularly as this is a primary means of team communication.

Team Web Site:www.northernnevadaaquatics.com

You can look here to find practice schedules, calendars describing upcoming meets and team events, team records, contact information for coaches and board members, minutes from board meetings, links to state and national swimming organizations, etc.

Pool Bulletin Board

The Team Bulletin Board is located in the pool area of Northwest Pool. This bulletin board may contain forms, announcements, and/or awards from past meets. Most information regarding meets is posted on the website or sent via e-mail.  It is still a good idea for you to check the bulletin board.

Team meetings

Generally, there is a mandatory team meeting once a season. It is critical that one parent from each family attend this meeting. This is your chance to meet the board and parents of other swimmers to discuss budget issues, board positions and make important team announcements.

Coach conferences 1-on-1

Call or e-mail your coach to set up a time to meet. Please understand that during practice is not a good time to attempt an involved conversation with your child’s coach. The coach is responsible for all the swimmers at practice, and must devote his or her attention to them, rather than to their parents.

Guide for Swim MeetsBasic Meet Facts

Meet Entries

Swim meets are an opportunity to test training benefits, to develop and use sportsmanlike conduct, and to give/receive team support. All swimmers are encouraged to participate in meets each season.

Entering a Meet by Mail or Hand-delivery

In USA Swimming parents/swimmers are responsible for entering their swimmer(s) in the majority of the swim meets that we compete in. The process is standardized for every meet and is fairly simply. It is highly recommended that when you enter a meet you use www.swimconnection.com. There is a small processing fee but you receive an immediate confirmation number that you have successfully entered the meet. The swim meets fill fast and we encourage you to enter the meet as soon as possible.

In some cases, you may need to register for a meet by manually filling out an entry form. Most meets use the SAMMS Card for entries. You can find the SAMMS CARD on our team web site, on the Pacific Swimming web site at www.pacswim.organd generally on the last page of the meet sheet for the meet you are entering.

When you complete the SAMMS CARD, there are some critical points to remember:

• The swimmer must have a valid “USS Number”. The number is acquired when you register with USS. The typical USS number is MMDDYYAAABCCC,where:

MMDDYY = the birthday of the swimmer

AAA = 1st  three letters of first name

B = middle initial

CCCC = first four letters of last name

(If you are new to USA Swimming and have not received your USS registration number, enter “Pending” instead of the number.  Bring the USS registration card to the meet.)

• NNA is a member of Pacific Swimming (PC).  Where it asks for the LSC, fill inPC.

• The team’s id is“NNA”

• A swimmer’s age is determined by their age on the first day of themeet.

• Have your child work with their coach to determine which events areappropriate.

Meet sheets with event order, costs, directions, etc. are generally emailed to each family and found on the websites www.swimconnection.comand www.pacswim.org.Parents/swimmers should enter only a swimmer’s best time. If they have not participated in an event before, enter “No Time”.  Parents/swimmers should also enter only using a child’s full name as it appears on their USA Swimming card.

Parents/swimmers should refer to the meet schedule and look for meet sheets 3-4 weeks prior to the meet. The staff will attempt to email a meet sheet to each family and place copies of the meet sheet under the bulletin board or on the pool deck. If parents/swimmers cannot find an upcoming meet sheet, they should check with a coach.  Meet sheets can also generally be found online at www.swimconnection.comunder “enter meets”.

Please be sure to read each meet sheet carefully. If you have any questions, feel free to talk with a coach or more experienced parent/swimmer (everyone has been there!).

Enter a meet on-line

Go to www.swimconnection.com.

About 1” from the top of the Club Pages Center is a line that reads: LSC   PacificSwimming        EnterMeetsSwimmers   . . ..

Select:      EnterMeets

Select the gray bar:   Go to the new Online Meet Entries siteFind the meet you want to enter on the list of meets and select it.

At the top of the pages is Meet Sheet. Select the Meet Sheet and either print it out or read through it for instructions as to where the meet is, start times, events, rules, etc.

To enteryourswimmer:    Select the orange tab that reads Online MeetEntry.

Select I am NOT a Registered OME Userand enter your name and email address, and then press continue. Select the gray tab that says Guide me on how to enter a swimmer to this meet.

Swimming Association: The pull-down selection should say Pacific Swimming and answer the question, Is your swimmer registered with USA Swimming?Yes

Do you know the USA Swimming Registration Number of your swimmer? Yes

Enter your swimmers registration number:  ( MMDDYYFIRMLAST) andselect   Enter.

(The registration number is the swimmers date of birth, first three letters of the first name, middle initial, and four letters of the last name)

A list of events that your swimmer can swim in will come up.

Select the gray tab that says Get All Best Times. If this is the first meet attended, there will be no best times and in the future, any events that the swimmer has not done will come up with a “NT” in the Entry Time space. NT stands for no time. Go through the list of events and clear the NT or best time from the events that your swimmer will not be swimming. Leave the NT or the best time in the events that they will be swimming.

After you select the events that the swimmer is going to swim, select SAVE.

Check the meet summary that it is correct and then select “Go to Payment Page”. Enter credit card information to pay the meet entry fees and select Submit Payment.

A confirmation entry should appear, print it out. You should also receive in your email a confirmation from www.swimconnection.com. It is a good idea to print out and bring to the meet to keep track of your swimmers best times.

NNA Team Swimwear Policy

NNA colors are royal blue, black and white. Pink is also acceptable.  All team members are required to wear one of the team caps.  This is primarily for the visibility of the athletes and team comraderie. A team parka is recommended during the winter months but not required.

To orderteamparkas:     https://truespeedathletics.com/team/nna/index.php

What to bring to a meetA minimum of 2 towels per day Swimmer’s USA Swim Card Team swim cap, suit,goggles

Cash to buy heat sheets, snacks, water bottles, replace broken goggles, etc. Water bottles and nutritious snacks

Sunscreen and shading devices (hats, umbrellas, tents for outdoor meets)

Warm clothing for the swimmer, even during the summer, usually sweatshirts and pants, sometimes long- sleeved T-shirts, flannel pajamas, swim parkas, socks and shoes. You will learn what your swimmer prefers over time, but warm clothes for both top and bottom are essential. Your child will also need socks and waterproof shoes.  Label everything – kids lose things!

Optional items:  Sleeping bags, blankets, tents, stadium chairs or foldout chairs, games and books.

Due to fire and safety concerns, many meets do not allow the use of propane heaters on deck, please be sure to leave these at home.

Getting to the meet

Swimmers are responsible for their own transportation to and from most meets. Location and directions to pools are found in the “Meet Sheet”. Meet Sheets are available atwww.pacswim.organd on www.swimconnection.com.  Watch for e-mails from other parents who would like to carpool to away meets.

Time is so that you arrive 15 minutes before warm-ups begin so that you have time to check in and check with the coach about warm-up procedures.

If your swimmer is unable to attend a meet at the last minute due to illness or emergency, notify the coaches immediately. If you have some advance notice, e-mail or cell phones are good avenues. If you have little advance notice, tell another parent who is attending the meet, and ask them to convey the message to the coach as soon as they arrive.

Relay team selection

Northern Nevada Aquatics coaching staff shall select the swimmers for each relay conducted at any meet with relays. In selecting the relay teams, the coaching staff shall consider all available information, including but not limited to each team member’s qualifying performance, past relay performances, personal best performances, event schedules, individual workload, other recent results and performances, consistency of performances, health, fitness levels, training preparation and team chemistry. Selection of swimmers for relays shall not be subject to challenge.  There may also be an additional fee for swimmers competing in relays.

Preliminary and Finals Meets

Championship meets sometimes have 2 rounds of competition with preliminary heats in the morning and finals at night. The number of finals can vary between one, two or even three heats including the top 8, 16, or 24 competitors.  Team points and individual awards are determined by the placing achieved in the finals only.

Swimmers can only achieve the place determined by their heat. For instance, a person who is in the consolation final can only achieve up to 9th  place even if the swim faster than someone in the top 8 during finals.

Getting Ready for a Swim Meet

Swim meets are a great family experience. They're a place where the whole family can spend time together.

Listed below are some very in-depth guidelines geared to help you through your first couple of swim meets. It may seem a little overwhelming, but we tried to be as specific and as detailed as we possibly could. If you have any questions, please ask your coach.

BEFORE THE 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 meetinformation.

1. Upon arrival, find a place to put your swimmer's blankets, swim bags and/or sleeping bags. Theteam usually sits in one place together, so look for some familiarfaces.
2. Find the check-in place. Usually, parents are not allowed on deck so this may be a responsibility ofyour swimmer or your swimmer’s coach. Make sure your swimmer checks in with his or her coach! Check for special posted instructions in the check-inarea.
   • Usually one will need to circle the swimmer's name or "#" before each swimmer's name, ineach event he or she is swimming, that day. If this is not done, the swimmer will not be allowed to swim that event. Check-in is required so that the people running the meet know who is actually at the meet. After check-in, the meet administrators "seed" the swimmers into heats. Heat and lane assignments will be posted, so be sure your swimmer knows where tolook!
   • Sometimes the meet is "pre-seeded" and no check-in is required. You and your swimmercan find heat and lane assignments by purchasing aprogram.
3. Once "checked in", write or have the swimmers write each event-number on his or her hand in ink. This helps him/her remember what events he/she is swimming and what event number to listen or watchfor.
4. Your swimmer now gets his/her cap and goggles and reports to the pool and/or 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.
5. After warm-up, 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 settledin.
6. The meet will usually start about 10-15 minutes after warm-ups areover.
7. 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 in turn, will pursuethe matter through the properchannels.
8. Psyche Sheet or Heat Sheets. A psyche sheet is usually available for sale in the lobby or concession area of the pool. It lists all swimmers in each event in order of "seed time". When the team entry is sent in, each swimmer and his/her previous best time (up to the date that the entry was submitted) in that event is listed. 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 may be available close to the start of the meet that lists the actual heat and lane a swimmer will be competingin.

MEET STARTS

1. It is important for any swimmer to know what event numbers he/she is swimming (again, why they should have the numbers on their hand). He/she may swim right away after warm-up or they may have to waitawhile.
2. Most meets are computerized. There are generally two ways a swimmer gets to his/herlane:
   • 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 specificinstructions.
   • 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 andgoggle.
     • 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 thewarm-up.
     • The clerk will usually line up all the swimmers and take them down to the pool incorrect order. You can expect at least 4-8 heats of eachevent.
3. The swimmer swims his or herrace.
4. After eachswim:
   • He/she is to ask the timers (people behind the blocks at each lane) his/hertime.
   • The swimmer should then go immediately to his or her coach. The coach will discuss theswim with eachswimmer.
   • Depending on the coach’s instructions, the swimmer may be asked to do some recovery swimming if a "warm down" pool or lanes areavailable.
5. Generally, the coach follows these guidelines when discussingswims:
   • Positive comments orpraise
   • Suggestions forimprovement
   • Positivecomments
6. Things you, as a parent, can do after eachswim:
   • Tell him how great he did! The coaching staff will be sure to discuss stroke technique withhim. You need to tell him how proud you are and what a great job hedid.
   • Take your swimmer back to the team area andrelax.
   • This is another good time to check out the bathrooms, get a drink or something light toeat.

1. The swimmer now waits until his next event is called and starts the procedure again. When a swimmer has completed all of her events she and her parents get to 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 she is notthere.
2. Results are usually posted somewhere in the facility. Awards are often gathered for a team and givento the coach at the end of the meet. The coach will give the awards to the swimmers at a latertime.

Meet Types

Age Group Open

These meets do not have qualification time standards. Typically, these meets offer each one of the competitive strokes in the two distances offered by each group. Some events may be open to multiple age groups. Each swimmer is allowed to enter 3-5 events per day.

BB+/- Meet

Same as the Age Group Open except only age group events are offered.  Open events are not offered.

Intrasquad Meets

Competitions between TSC swimmers. These are good practice meets for beginning swimmers and are held to build team spirit and camaraderie, and to introduce beginning swimmers to competition.

Duals, Tris, and Quad Meets

Dual meets are competitions between two clubs. Tri-meets and quad-meets include the number of teams indicated. Dual meets MUST be finished in 4 hours, though they may take as little as 2.5 hours. Duals, tris and quad meets are IDEAL and highly recommended for young and new competitive swimmers. Beginning swimmers participate mostly in these smaller, shorter, less chaotic meets. Advanced swimmers may participate in any level of meet, depending on personal schedules, qualifying times, the athlete’s personal training needs and the team’s need for their participation.

Invitational’s

An invitational is a meet hosted by one team, which may invite many other teams to compete. Several hundred swimmers may attend these meets. Frequently, only swimmers with certain qualifying times may attend (see time standards section, below).

Junior Olympic Championships

All swimmers who have reached qualifying time based on the Pacific Swimming Junior Olympic time standards may compete in the Junior Olympic Championships, held at the end of the short and long course seasons.

Athletes who meet certain time standards may qualify for additional championship meets such as Far Westerns, Sectional, Zone and National Championships. Each successive level of championship meet brings the swimmer against larger and larger pools of competitors, so that the qualifying time are progressively faster to gain entry into these meets (see time standards, below).

Far Western Championships

This meet serves as a top level competition for age group swimmers from around the United States, Canada and Mexico. The meet is held in Pacific Swimming (Bay Area) and serves as a high priority meet for our top age group swimmers.

Sectionals

The Tahoe Swim Club participates in the sectional championship which includes all teams from Californiaand Nevada. Sectional Championship meets are held at the end of both Short Course and Long Course seasons for swimmers with qualifyingtimes.

Western Zones

USA Swimming also divides the United States into Zones (groupings of Sections) for the purpose ofconducting a Zone Championship meet.  This meet occurs only at the end of Long Course season.   To be eligible, swimmers must first obtain a qualifying time. Then swimmers submit an application including qualifying times and coach recommendation. A committee of coaches then selects the team that will represent Pacific Swimming in competing in the Western ZoneChampionships.

USA Swimming Junior National Championships

Junior Nationals are exclusively for swimmers age 18 and under and the meet is held each December (short course) and August (long course). This meet serves as a stepping stone to the top national and international level meets for 18 and under athletes.

USA Swimming National Championships / Olympic Trials/US Open

These top national level competitions are held at different times throughout the year and serve as qualifying meets for international level competitions.

National Junior Team

The National Junior Team is comprised of the top 18 and under swimmers in the country and serves as the first step in the National Team hierarchy. Team members typically attend a National Team camp and an International Competition.  Making this team is a goal for many top athletes.

Meet Awards

Swim meets are scored for both individuals and teams. At most dual meets no awards are given. However, dual meets offer the opportunity to earn qualifying times for championship meets. Meets generally award ribbons or medals to individuals. Occasionally, individuals and teams may be awarded trophies. Meets vary regarding how many individual awards they provide, please refer to the meet sheet for details.

Swim Seasons – Competition Age Classifications and Time Standards

Swimming Seasons

Short-Course Seasons

These season run from August to December and from January until April each year.  Meets are generally swum in a 25-yard pool.

Long-Course Season

This season runs from May to August each year.  Meets are generally swum in a 50-meter pool.

Competition Age Classifications

There are seven different age group classifications recognized by United States Swimming: 8 & Under, 10 & Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 18, 18 and Senior. The senior classification includes any swimmer who has achieved the prescribed qualifying time for the event. Not all age group classifications are offered at every swim meet. The swimmer’s age on the first day of the meet will govern the swimmers age for the entire meet. Within each age group, there are recognized levels of achievement based on times. All swimmers begin as “Notice” swimmers. As they improve, they advance from “Novice” to “B”, “A”, “AA”, and so on. Pacific Swimming publishes the time standards for each level yearly. A swimmer might be at different levels in each stroke.

Time Standards

Time standards assist swimmers with measuring their improvement. They also establish minimum entry requirements for some meets. Time standards are different for each season and for each type of pool. “SCY” means Short Course season times attained in a 25-Yard pool. Most NNA Short Course events are held in 25- yard pools. “LCM” means Long Course times obtained in a 50-Meter pool. To locate the time standard for a swimmer’s event, you must know what season it is, what type of pool it is (25 yards or meters, or 50 meters), and you must know the swimmer’s gender, age and event. Copies of PC time standards are posted on Pacific Swimming website (www.pacswim.org).

Pacific Swimming Time Standards

USA Swimming, Inc. also sets national motivational time standards by age group beginning with 10 & Under. These also begin with a “B” time designation. The standards get progressively faster and more difficult to achieve as a swimmer moves through “A”, “AA”, “AAA” and “AAAA” times. Pacific Swimming has set “B” and “A” time standards for each gender and age group. An A time qualifies a swimmer 9 and older to compete in the Junior Olympic Championships in the event. The B standard is the first goal most swimmers strive to attain. Achieving a B time means that the swimmer is getting strong in an event, and may want to focus on that event to get an A time.  For current PC time standards refer to website for standards. www.pacswim.org

Responsible Teammates

At practice, as a swimmer and a teammate I will:

1. Arrive on time. This means: be on deck, with suite, cap and goggles on, and with allappropriate equipment at the time practice is scheduled tobegin.
2. Be considerate of other swimmers during practice. This means: swim on the right side of the lane,start and finish at the wall, use the pace clock to calculate send-off times and allow other people in your lane to complete the set withoutdisruption.
3. Give the coach your undivided attention when he/she is speaking. This means: your head isabove water, your eyes are on the coach, and your voice isOFF.
4. Return all equipment borrowed from the pool facility to its appropriate storage place at the conclusionof practice.
5. Follow all pool rules at the practice facility. Follow the directions of any pool staff member at the pool.  If there is a question, speak to the coachimmediately.

At meets, as a swimmer and teammate I will:

1.          Check-inimmediately.

1. Arrive early for warm-ups. Give yourself enough time to check in with the coach, locate the teamarea, purchase any necessary equipment, dress and stretch prior to the scheduled start ofwarm-ups.

1. Sit with the team in the team area so the coach can find you whenevernecessary.
2. Wear a team cap andsuit.
3. Complete the entire warm-up with the team and under the direction of thecoach.
4. Compete in all events for which you are scheduled, both individual and relayevents.
5. Speak with the coach both before and after yourrace.
6. Follow the directions of meet staff and officials, regardless of which team the staff/official represents.If there is a question, consult an NNA coachimmediately.
7. Have healthy food and liquids (water is best) to maintain energy during theday.
8. Participate in Team Cheers whenappropriate.
9. Cheer for fellow NNA Swimmers whenpossible.
10. Congratulate other competitors at the completion of therace.

Responsible Parents and Families

This section refers to all adults, family members and other spectators attending NNA practices and events. The overall expectation is that all those associated with NNA will treat each other with respect.

NNA maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment or offensive behavior of any kind.

Parent and Family Expectations

Support, praise and encourage your swimmer at every opportunity. Notice what your child does well relative to his or her level. For any swimmer, improving times and improving technique are almost always good sources of praise andencouragement.

Avoid criticism. If a swim didn’t go well, the child is usually painfully aware of it and doesn’t need you to say so. If you want to discuss a tough swim, it often helps to start with asking the child how they felt about the swim, and then empathize with their frustration, discouragement or sadness. Remind your child that everyone struggles at times and that you’re proud of him or her for hanging in there and trying hard. Do your best to assure that your swimmer(s) arrives at practice and at meets ontime.

Support the team by volunteering. Each family is required to perform parent commitment hours. Our team hosts two swim meets each year. Each of these meets involves lots of volunteer opportunities. Parents are also needed at away meets to volunteer as timers and officials.. See the list of meet jobs along with  brief descriptions found below. There are also year-round jobs such as board members, volunteer coordinators, meet directors, stroke and turn officials, timers, etc. Contact a board member (names and contact info listed on the NNA web site www.northernnevadaaquatics.comif you are interested in one of the year-round positions.

Help out at away and home meets by timing. Timers are always needed during away swim meets. All timers are shown exactly what they need to do prior to the start of each session. Timing is an important part of any swim meet. Timers get an excellent view of the action, and it is a good way to meet other parents.

Carefully tie your discussions with coaches. Please respect the fact that on deck during practice, coaches are attending to the needs of multiple swimmers within multiple training groups. Likewise during a meet, coaches are trying to time swimmers and watch their technique in virtually every heat of the meet. These are NOT good times to talk. When you talk to coaches during these times, you compromise their ability to give coveted individual attention to the swimmers. The 5 minutes just before and just after practice are good times for quick check-ins. During a meet, you might mention briefly that if they get a chance you would like to chat for a second. Then wait patiently for them to let you know they can give you a moment’s attention. More involved business should be attended to during an individually scheduled appointment.

Be constructive if you are unhappy with some aspect of your coach’s performance of the team’s functioning. Constructive solutions include calmly discussing the issue with the coach, talking to the New Parent Coordinator to get more information or ideas about solutions, or approaching a board member with questions or suggestions. When approached with questions, concerns or constructively phrased suggestions (versus anger), the coaches, team parents and board members will do their best tohelp.

Avoid talking to your swimmer(s) during practice. This is distracting. Parents are expected to maintain the role of “observer”, “supporter”, and “cheerleader” for swimmers. The coaches have the authority to limit a parent’s participation in practice, meets and other team activities if they feel any parent’s actions are detrimental to a swimmer or to the team.

Complaint Resolution

Complaints regarding coaching issues

The coach is always the first person to approach regarding coaching of your child. If the issue cannot be resolved via the coach, please contact the Head Coach. If still unresolved, the issue can then be taken to the board.  If you are unclear about how to handle the matter you may always go to the New Parent Coordinator.

Complaints regarding other issues - (Team policies, board decisions, etc.)

Please go to the New Parent Coordinator, who can suggest the appropriate person to whom your issues should be addressed.

We are happy to welcome you to Northern Nevada Aquatics. We know you and your child will benefit from the time you spend on the team. You can expect professional coaching, encouraging and life shaping experiences, camaraderie for the whole family and A WHOLE LOT OF FUN!!!

USA Swimming

CODE OF CONDUCT AND SAFETY

Protecting Athletes

We believe that the experience of children and young athletes in all organized sports should be guided by what is best for the safe and healthy development of the young person. Young athletes who participate in organized sports activities have a unique opportunity for learning. In working with each child, it is essential that we are mindful of their physical, emotional, and developmental needs. We must also be particularly diligent in recognizing the unique vulnerabilities that are an inherent part of childhood. It is the responsibility of all adults to, not only recognize these vulnerabilities, but also to develop the knowledge and skills needed to create and maintain a safe and child-centered sports environment.

We recognize the important role that USA Swimming plays in providing leadership and creating an organizational culture that is focused on the safety and wellbeing of young people. The protection of children requires that all adults work together to support young athletes. As the child’s first and enduring resource for safety, parents and guardians play a critical role in athlete protection. When parents participate they are able to help educate other adults about the needs of the child, and help prepare the child to participate in sports programs in a way that promotes safety, enjoyment, and learning.

Adults, including coaches, officials, staff, facility workers, volunteers, chaperones, and others who interact with children, are in also positions of great trust and influence. The ability to use this position of trust to support the well-being of children is critical. The overwhelming majority of these adults fulfill their roles in a positive and responsible manner. Nonetheless, we must also understand that a few adults may seek to use the trust and authority that comes with their access and status to take advantage of a child.

USA Swimming strives to continually improve the programs and services it offers to its members and among these some of the most important relate to the safeguards for protecting young athletes. Because we aspire to foster safe and positive environments within all our member clubs, we believe it is especially important to provide our member adult leaders with policies and best practice guidelines that help define elements of appropriate behavior and conduct.

USA SWIMMING - Best Practice Guidelines

The following Best Practice Guidelines are strongly recommended for all USA Swimming members.

1. Parents should be encouraged to appropriately support their children’s swimmingexperience.

1. All swimming practices should be open to observation byparents.

1. Two-deep Leadership: One coach member and at least one other adult who is not in the water should be present at all practices and other sanctioned club activities whenever at least one athlete is present.Clubs and coaches should evaluate their seasonal plans and map out how to best accomplish this strongly recommendedguideline.

1. Open and Observable Environment: An open and observable environment should be maintained for all interactions between adults and athletes. Private, or one-on-one situations, should be avoided unless theyare open and observable. Common sense should be used to move a meeting to an open and observable location if the meeting inadvertently begins inprivate.

1. Coaches should not invite or have an athlete(s) to their home without the permission of the athlete’sparents (or legalguardian).

1. During team travel, when doing room checks, attending team meetings and/or other activities, two-deep leadership and open and observable environments should bemaintained.

1. Athletes should not ride in a coach’s vehicle without another adult present who is the same gender asthe athlete, unless prior parental permission isobtained.

1. During overnight team travel, if athletes are paired with other athletes they shall be of the same gender and should be a similar age. Where athletes are age 13 & Over, chaperones and/or team managers would ideally stay in nearby rooms. When athletes are age 12 & Under, chaperones and/or team managers may stay with athletes. 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 legalguardian).

1. 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.

1. Communications between non-athlete adult members and athletes should not include any topic orlanguage that is sexual or inappropriate innature.

1. Non-athlete adult members should respect the privacy of athletes in situations such as changing of clothes, showering, etc. Non-athlete adult members should protect their own privacy in similarsituations.

1. Relationships of a peer-to-peer nature with any athletes should be avoided. For example, coachesshould avoid sharing their own personal problems with athletes. Coaches and other non-athlete adult members should avoid horseplay and roughhousing withathletes.

1. When a coach touches an athlete as part of instruction, the coach should do so in direct view of others and inform the athlete of what he/she is doing prior to the initial contact. Touching athletes should be minimized outside the boundaries of what is considered normal instruction. Appropriate interaction would includehigh fives, fist bumps, side-to-side hugs andhandshakes.

1. Coaches should not initiate contact with or accept supervisory responsibility for athletes outsideclub programs andactivities.

1. Coaches should not engage in sexual intimacies with a former athlete for at least two years after the cessation or termination of professional services. Because sexual intimacies with a former athlete are frequently harmful to the athlete, and because such intimacies undermine public confidence in the coaching profession and thereby deter the public’s use of needed services, coaches should not engage in sexual intimacies with former athletes even after a two-year interval except in the most unusual circumstances.The coach who engages in such activity after the two years following cessation or termination of the coach- athlete relationship bears the burden of demonstrating that there has been no exploitation, in light of all relevant factors, including: The amount of time that has passed since the coach-athlete relationship terminated; The circumstances of termination; The athlete’s personal history; The athlete’s current mental status;  The likelihood of adverse impact on the athlete and others; and any statements or actions made by the coach during the course of the athlete-coach relationship suggesting or inviting the possibility of a post- termination sexual or romantic relationship with the athlete or coach.  Both the athlete and the coach must be 18 years of age orolder.