Norbeck Grove Barracudas
Swim Team Handbook
We know that joining the swim team creates lots of questions. We have assembled this handbook to help our new families become more familiar with how our season works. We have been in your shoes. We hope this handbook helps answer your questions, but please reach out to one of your reps or coaches if you need anything!
First of all, welcome to the Norbeck Grove Barracudas Swim Team! Our team has competed in Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL) since 2002. We look forward to your child having a fun environment to gain swimming fundamentals while seeing old friends, and making new ones. Our swimmers range in age from 5-18. Our team competes in five “A” meets, “B” meets, a Relay Carnival, and a Divisional Championship along with many fun social events.
Barracudas Goal/Mission
The Barracuda swim team is a member of the Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL). The league has 90 teams. The teams are spread out over 15 divisions which are ranked from the letters A-O. Teams are placed in one of 15 divisions based on times from the previous summer. The top team, based on swim times are ranked in Division A. Our team has ranged from letter division “J” to “O”, over the years and we are currently in Division L.
Our mission is to provide a positive, fun summer experience for our swim team members and their families. Our goal is to help improve our children’s swimming skills, develop good sportsmanship and foster teamwork while having fun over summer. After summer swim is over, many swimmers are motivated to swim competitively year round.
Team Communication
The Coaches and Swim Team Committee work hard to communicate regularly with swimmers and their families. Our SportsEngine Motion (formally know as Team Unify) website will be one stop for most swim team information about practice, meets, social events, etc. Our team website address is https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/recngbst/page/home. It is important to create a login password so you can routinely check the Norbeck Grove Swim Team website. There will be one account (linked to one email address and password) per family.
Our SportsEngine Motion website will have all the information, announcements, meet information, volunteer information and sign-ups as well as other activities. There is also a SportsEngine Motion Mobile app for parents. You will have to download the app on your mobile device. At this time, the app does not have the full functionality of our official website. This information will be updated throughout the season so please check the website frequently.
Contact Information
At least one email address per family is needed to communicate essential swim team information. Please take care to read any emails in their entirety. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the sender.
Coach/Parent Communication
If you have questions or concerns regarding your swimmer, please call or email the coach to set up a time to meet. Please respect that during practice and meets, the Coach devotes their full attention to the entire team and is not available for personal consultation. If you have general questions, please contact the Team Representative.
Membership & Eligibility
Our team is open to all Norbeck Grove homeowners in good standing with the Norbeck Grove HOA. Swimmers must be 18 years of age and under as of June 1. Rules are based on Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL).
Registration & Fees
Registration for the swim team begins on May 1st. The fee for each swimmer on the swim team is $125. Pre-team membership is $100. If you do not know if your child will be on the team or the pre-team, please register your child for what you think is the best fit and attend the first week. We have a full refund policy as you get to know the team, coaches and the swim team. Make checks payable to Norbeck Grove Swim Team or pay by credit card during online registration.
Private Lessons
Private Lessons can be scheduled with the Coaching team on an individual basis for a fee. Please speak to the coaches separately to schedule lessons and arrange payment.
Practice & Swimmer Expectations
It is important for swimmers to come to practice daily (see schedule) at the time appropriate for their age. Practice is designed to teach and reinforce technique, conditioning and preparation for competition. The coaching staff also recognizes that practice strengthens team building and a love for swimming and should be fun. All swimmers should follow the pool rules and be considerate of other swimmers during practice. Additionally, swimmers should be respectful of the Coaching team and lifeguards while at the pool.
Attire
Swimmers are expected to have appropriate race swimsuits for both practices and meets. Boys will wear “jammers” that resemble bicycle shorts or appropriate swimsuit. Girls wear one piece swimsuits. Typically, kids will have a swimsuit for practice and an official meet swimsuit embossed with our Barracuda logo (but this is not required). Norbeck Grove proudly supports the new adopted rules from MCSL regarding equity and inclusion. If you have a swimmer who is gender diverse, they can wear swimwear they are most comfortable wearing. If your child (regardless of gender) would like to wear something that is not listed here, please speak to one of your reps and accomodations can be made. If you do not wear the team suit, please have a suit in a team color (black, red, white). Additionally, the following items are recommended:
• Swim Caps- for all swimmers (it is not required but highly recommended to wear the Barracuda cap for meets)
• Goggles-to help with performance and protect eyes.
• Towels
• Sunscreen to protect skin and a water bottle do prevent dehydration
You may purchase official Norbeck Grove Barracuda swimsuits from Cassell's. Unfortunately they no longer have a store in Montgomery County. A sizing kit is available during our Meet and Greet on May 28th through the 2nd week in June. Please ask the swim team rep for ordering info or look for the email with the information.
In order for your child to have the best experience as a Barracuda, please note some general guidelines.
Attendance
Swimmers are encouraged to attend practice. You cannot improve or have fun if you miss practice. Children under the age of 8 must be supervised during practice and at meets. If you are not available to swim a meet, please use our Team Unify website for declarations which let the Coaches know if your child is or is not available. You can also email the coaches if there is a change in your child’s availability. This is particularly important if your child is swimming a Saturday A meet, as the coaches need time to arrange substitutions in the event that your swimmer cancels.
Behavior
Follow the coaches’ instructions during practice. They are experienced and only want swimmers to be successful. The goal of swim team is for each swimmer to improve over the season and to have fun. These goals are easier to reach if you listen to the coaches. During meets, stay in the team area and follow instructions. Meets can be very loud and crowded. Not following instructions may cause you to miss your race.
Good sportsmanship is a must! Sportsmanship means keeping a positive attitude, working hard, and showing respect for your teammates and your opponents. Please cheer for all swimmers on your team. Every swimmer is working hard when they are in the pool. Swimmers must clean up after themselves at all meets. It is important that the team area be left clean after a meet, regardless of whether the meet is home or away.
Swimmers should try to eat healthy food and drink plenty of water, especially during meets. We suggest bringing a water bottle to meets and practices. It is easy to become dehydrated very quickly in the summer heat, even if you are in the pool.
Meet Preparation
• Please ensure swimmers have plenty of rest prior to a meet.
• Please arrive at meets at least 15 minutes before warm ups begin.
• Please know your event and be ready when your name is announced.
• Please stay in the team area to cheer and be supportive of teammates.
Make sure swimmers have towels, swim cap, goggles and warm clothing with them for the meet. It can be cold in the early morning, so be prepared!
Pre Team
Norbeck Grove has a special pre-team for children not ready to be a part of the regular team. Special pre team practices give more attention to younger swimmers at the early stages of their development. Pre-team swimmers are the future of Norbeck Grove Barracudas and can participate in all of the fun social activities during the season!
To swim up to the big team, pre-team swimmers must swim one pool length (25 meters) of freestyle and show progress in at least one other stroke.
Swim Meets
The Barracudas will swim in two types of meets through MCSL, “A” meets and “B” Meets. Home meets will take place at our pool. Away meets are within the county so allow sufficient travel time. We encourage everyone to attend every meet. Participating at the meets is the best way to have fun, make friends, learn the cheers, and benefit from being on the swim team.
Each meet is made possible by volunteers. It takes many hands to make a meet possible. Luckily our families are eager to help and willing to teach new volunteers the tricks of the trade. Please see (Volunteer/Job Descriptions) to sign-up for a job at each meet. Do not be shy! We love to have new volunteers and do on the job training!
Time Trials
This event kicks off the swim team season. It is just like a regular meet but it is only for Barracuda swimmers. It is great practice for the kids and the officials and the results of Time Trials determine who is selected for the first "A" meet.
A Meets
In general, the fastest swimmers in each event will swim in the “A” meet. For the “A” meets, the coaches decide who will swim based on your child’s availability and swimmer’s time. Consideration will also be given to attendance and participation at practice. This line-up will change every week due to swimmer improvements, absences, etc.
The coach evaluates the best strategy for maximizing the team points. The coach will decide which events to enter the swimmer in (a maximum of three of the four strokes) and if there are not enough swimmers in an age group, which younger swimmers will “swim up” in age. Swimmers are expected to be willing to swim all of the events that they are entered in, and “swim up” when needed.
The coaches make the line up for each Saturday’s meet by Wednesday so please use the Team Unify website (see Declarations) and check off if your child is swimming or not by Tuesday evening. If you have questions, please talk to the Coaching team at the end of practice or use email. The meet line-up will be finalized by Friday.
“A” meets are swum on Saturday mornings, and typically start at 9:00 AM. Swimmers need to arrive earlier for warm ups which will take place first for the home team and second for the visiting team. It is very important that everyone be on time. Swimmers who are late may be scratched from the meet. Most meets are over by 11:30. ** Please note there is a relay that is swam at the end of the meet that includes a swimmer from all of the 14 and under age groups (8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14). Please make sure to check in with the coaches before leaving a meet since your child may be needed to swim in a relay.
B Meets
B Meets are held on Wednesday evenings. B Meets start at 6:00 PM with warm ups beforehand. Meets usually end around 8:30 or 9:00 PM depending on the number of swimmers. Again, you will need to go to our Team Unify website (see Declaring For Meets under Parent Information) and check off if your child is available to swim or not. You can also note which events your child wants to swim. The lineup will be done by Monday evening before the Wednesday evening meet. No changes will be made to the line up on the evening of the meet as it creates more work for meet officials and takes time away from the coaching team. If you swim in the A meets, we still encourage you to swim different strokes or events in the B meets or get extra practice as an "exhibition" swimmer. This means you can swim an event you swam at the A meet, but you will not get a ribbon, just a time.
Illegal Strokes
Younger swimmers and swimmers new to the sport may experience challenges with proper stroke techniques. This is especially true for breaststroke, butterfly, and flip turns and may lead to disqualifications, known also as “DQs.” The coaching staff will work with all swimmers to help with illegal strokes to help maximize the proper stroke technique. For detailed rules on the legality of strokes, please consult the www.mcsl.org or speak to the coach after practice.
Relay Carnival
This is an all-relay meet, using 4-6 of our fastest swimmers from each age group. If you are likely to be in the meet, we will notify you a few days before to check if you are available. The final list of swimmers entered will not be known until the afternoon before the meet (since any best times swum in the Saturday morning “A” meet will be factored into the decision about who to swim). It will take the coaches a couple of hours after the Saturday A meet to figure out whom to enter, and then you will be notified if entered.
Divisionals
This is the championship meet for the six teams in the division. Fewer swimmers are entered than in an “A” meet, as each team may enter only two swimmers per event, rather than the usual three in “A” meets. Divisionals starts an hour earlier than an “A” meet.
We must submit the entry list a week in advance. For any swimmers who are likely to be entered in divisionals, we will contact you in advance to see if you are available. The coaches use the same procedures for selecting swimmers for Divisionals as for “A” meets, using primarily the fastest swim times in any “A” or “B” meet. Note that the times listed in the meet program for entered swimmers are only “A” meet times, due to league rules. So if you are looking at the entry lists and see times or swimmers that are different from what you expect, this is probably because only “A” meet times are listed there, but the swimmers have been selected based on both “A” and “B” meet times.
If you are going to be out of town in the week or two before Relay Carnival or Divisionals but would be back in time to swim, please tell us so we know how to contact you. If we do not know that you are available and cannot readily contact you, you will not be entered – so please keep us informed.
The Fun
Besides swimming, the Barracuda Swim Team likes to have fun! There are many social activities that happen during the swim season. We invite all swim team and pre-team members and their families to partake in all of the events.
Pep Rallies
On Friday nights before the Saturday morning meets, we will have a pep rally/social event. We gather at the pool around 6:00pm. This is a time for families to meet each other, the kids to socialize, and to have a more casual conversation with the coaching staff. Stay tuned for the pep rally events. Our social committee plans different events each year and they may include a pot- luck, chili cook-off, ice cream social, etc. When we have home meets, this is the time to take out the chalk and decorate the concrete or make posters for the next day.
Themes
The coaches will come up with themes for the swim meets. Our swimmers (and parents) are welcome to come dressed in the theme and you may even get recognized or win a treat if you show your team spirit! Past themes have included Barracuda Pride (dress in red/black), twins (dress like your buddy or friend), superheroes, etc. It is great to see a big turn-out with the theme.
Barracuda Buddies
In this program, we match younger swimmers with older swimmers to encourage cheering and making new friendships. Swimmers are asked to bring a card or a treat to the meets and cheer for each other when they are swimming. This is available to all team and pre-team members. Sign-up will take place at the beginning of the swim season (in time for the first meet). This is a swim team favorite.
Team Cheers
Regardless of the outcome of the swim meet, our team likes to cheer and dance! The swimmers learn team cheers and some dance moves that they will do at different times during the meet. This usually happens before and after the meet and at half-time. The coaches will teach the cheers at pep rallies and practices… all the more reason to go to these events!!
Teen Night
This is a fun night for our older swimmers. Any swimmer who is entering 7th grade or older is invited to hang out at the pool after hours from 8-10pm. There is food and music and the teens have the pool to themselves!
Team Banquet
In order to celebrate the whirlwind of the summer swim team, we have a banquet on the evening of the Divisionals Meet. There is food, music, awards, speeches, and a lot of fun! The kids each receive a trophy for being part of the swim team or pre-team and a paper plate award. The coaches get a chance to talk about the accomplishments of the swimmers and the team as a whole. This is a night to get a little dressy and then after the awards, it is time to have fun in the pool.
