Meeting Minutes

JSSC Coaches Meeting – Spring 2025

5/12/2025 – Homewood Community Center – 6:00-8:00 p.m.

 

Attendees:

 

  • Dawn Todd, BHRC, head coach + board – virtual
  • Steven Sewell, BST, head coach
  • Mary Miller Goldberg, head coach, CCB
  • Sarah Chapman, head coach, GGCC
  • Porter Davis, coach, GGCC
  • Kerrie Johnson, aquatics director, GGCC
  • Bella Doll, head coach + board, HCC - virtual
  • Robbie Gibbons, head coach, HPR
  • Anna Grace Gibbons, assistant coach, HPR
  • Cal Elder, head coach, ICC
  • Jason Reed, head coach, JST
  • Jason Lynn, coach, JST - virtual
  • Miriam Sokol, head coach, MBC
  • Chaz Carter, RCC, head coach + board
  • Dena Richards, head coach, SBY
  • Hailey Grant, coach, SBY
  • Claire Rozick, coach, SBY
  • Sam Wenning, head coach, SCST
  • Jocelyn Reynolds, coach, VCC
  • Austin Stallworth, coach, VCC
  • Andrea White, aquatics director, VCC
  • Patrick Ball, coach, VSA
  • Steve Lebo, JSSC, board
  • Amanda Limbaugh, JSSC board - virtual
  • Brad Hilsmier, JSSC, board

  

  • Welcome / Introductions / Welcome to New Coaches and New Team, Jasper Swim Team / Shared What We Look Forward to This Summer

 

  • Review of Requirements from Rules
    1. Recommended all coaches read JSSC Rules, be familiar, updated rules (based on results of Delegates mtg) posted to JSSC site:  Jefferson Shelby Swim Council - Bylaws, Rules Certs
    2. Certifications – Head Coach and Assistant Coaches
      1. Requirements listed in the JSSC Rules, Section 3
      2. Documentation must be uploaded to:  Jefferson Shelby Swim Council - Forms.  Easy to do, can upload multiple times as docs available, need Google login as this is a Google form
      3. Requirements have not changed; ensures adherence with requirement to turn in certification
      4. Discussed certification requirement for Coaches Safety Training
        1. Clarification:  JSSC will accept for Coaches Safety Training requirement:
          1. Head Coach – online + lifeguard cert or in-water skills session
          2. Assistant Coach – online only required (in 2025) – must be age 15+ to be a Coach per certification rules
    3. Lifeguard on deck is required
    4. Background checks is required for all Coaches
      1. Does not need to be turned into JSSC, but Team Waiver confirms it will be done
    5. Diving from starting block certification
      1. Discussed USA Swimming Checklist:  racing-start-certification-checklist.pdf
        1. Serves as a good learning add on the progression of diving steps
      2. USA Swimming info:  teaching-racing-starts.pdf
      3. Does not need to be turned into JSSC, but Team Waiver confirms it will be done
    6. Meet entry deadline in Swimmingly is 10 p.m. the night prior
    7. Home meets entered by home team in Swimmingly by May 31
    8. Team Waiver
      1. Must be completed before first meet by head coach at:  Jefferson Shelby Swim Council - Forms

 

  • Rules updates for 2025
    1. Reviewed updates now included in rules, posted to:  Jefferson Shelby Swim Council - JSSC Delegates
    2. Key updates
      1. No limit to scored relays at Senior County per team – discussed Senior County meet info sheet will be updated correspondingly
      2. Age 6 and under – will always swim free relays only (no medley) during regular season and at Senior County
      3. One heat of relays per event for dual meets during reg season
      4. New mixed relay for Age 18 & Under at Senior County (not added to regular season meets, but coaches can mutually agree to add to a meet, such as if limited swimmers in higher age groups) – discussed there are no required time standards for this new event to qualify at Senior County and this will be positioned at beginning of meet
      5. Senior County time standards will typically carry over from year to year with review on prior year for any adjustment opportunities to expand inclusion while adhering to timeline needs
      6. Elimination of bonus times; new ability to swim all events of same distance in a day at Senior County if swimmer qualifies in one event
        1. Improves rationale for swimmers to come, gain exposure to Senior County
        2. Long event qualification rules still apply

 

  • Meet Schedule review / Invitationals / Guppy Meets
    1. Meet schedule posted to JSSC website
    2. Recommended that you link to JSSC website in order to provide the most up to date info, like the schedule (goal is still to minimize changes, of course)
    3. Feedback that the schedule format for 2025 is good, request similar format in future years
    4. ICC looking at ability to host a Guppy Meet the week of June 30 (before July 4 holiday on Friday)

 

  • Officials Clinics
    1. Discussed need for JSSC (or USAS) certified meet officials for Starter, Ref, Stroke and Turn
      1. Home Team:  starter, ref, 2 stroke and turn
      2. Away Team:  1 stoke and turn
    2. Teams offered to host officials clinics, all posted to JSSC homepage, most up to date:  Jefferson Shelby Swim Council Home
    3. This is time-sensitive and we need to encourage parents to get certified

 

  • Time Standards
    1. Discussed that 2025 will be a carryover of 2024
    2. Will monitor effect of league expansion in 2025 for future years

 

  • Team Divisions
    1. To be established by end of June 2025 based on enrollments

 

  • Tips:  Best practices from coaches for smoother, safer meets, best practices to promote spirit of friendly competition, capture excitement of summer swim
    1. Items discussed include
      1. Adhering to the JSSC rule, and courteous practice, to send meet information to away team on ‘accommodation’ topics like parking, food, bringing chairs, etc
        1. Goal to improve experience for all attendees
        2. Rules state this is due from home team to away team(s) at least 12 hours prior, but even sooner, better
        3. One team shared that have pre-created info with full details and just forward it on to the away team
      2. Motivational tools for volunteers
        1. Free beverage
        2. Free team shirt
      3. Swimmingly
        1. Recommendation to get a group of trained parents who can run meet so they can interchange if someone out
      4. Late entries
        1. Coaches should do everything to minimize late entries and set expectations that they can only be accommodated if there’s an open lane
      5. Relay order
        1. Rules state relays are at end of meet
          1. Coaches shared feedback on why end of the meet is desirable
          2. Some coaches discussed they prefer to do them first by agreement
        2. To change, BOTH coaches must agree
      6. Discussed necessity for coaches to mutually agree to deviations from Rules on a meet, agreed to in ADVANCE
        1. Example deviations from Rules include:  relays at beginning of meet, more than one heat of relays or adding in a scored Mixed Relay for age 18 and Under

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  • Walk-in Items
    1. Requested relay qualification time rules for Senior County should be reviewed to expand inclusion; discussed need to also consider timeline; discussed this may be for after this current season
    2. Discussed coach and delegate contact info is updated and posted to JSSC website, aids in coaches contacting each other prior to meet
      1. Anyone wishing to ‘opt out’ of this published list should notify JSSC
      2. Reminder to send in any contact info updates

 

  • Conclusion/Networking

 

Submitted by Brad Hilsmier, JSSC President, 5/14/2025