ORCA Swim Team Questions & Answers for New Families
General:
Q: Do I have to be a member of the pool?
A: Yes, you must be a member of the pool and can do this one of two ways: become a member with a bond or by buying a trial membership, called Test the Waters which can be done only 1 year.
Q: What swim experience do they need? Do they need to know all the strokes?
A: Some swim experience is ideal. Most new swim team members have taken swimming lessons. They should know how to do either freestyle or backstroke across the length of the pool (25 yds).
Q: What if our kids are not sure about swim team? Can they try it?
A: We encourage kids to try swim team and if they feel it’s not right for them, you can get your money back. The rule of thumb is they should make this decision before the first swim meet.
Q: What and when is the banquet?
A: The banquet is our swim team awards night. The kids receive their trophies and ribbons from their conference meet as well as other various awards and recognitions. There is a cost for the banquet dinner. It is always held on the night of the Gold Conference meet at the Oaks Recreational Club.
Q: What is the Poster Making Party?
A: Come to the pool to make posters to cheer on the swimmers at the conference meets. This fun event is held the night before the Silver Conference meet at the pool.
Q: What should we bring to meets?
A: Warm clothes such as sweat pants and sweatshirts, as it gets cold at night early in the season, at least 2 towels, chairs, sharpie markers to write the swimmers’ events, entertainment for kids while not swimming, & snacks.
Gear:
Q: Do we have to buy the team swimsuit?
A: Swimmers do NOT need to buy the official Orca team suit. Suits that are Orca colors, black and/or green, are acceptable for swim meets.
Q: Do they have to wear a swim cap?
A: Caps are not required although recommended since it makes it easier to spot Orca swimmers. Orca swim caps are always for sale at the concession stand!
Practice:
Q: Do parents need to stay for practices?
A: No parents are not required to stay for practices. In 2024, we allowed parents to comeback on deck for practices if desired but required them to follow the parent code of conduct as well as the following rules:
· Parents or Guardians should not interfere with practice or coaches. Practice is not the time to talk to coaches. Email them to set up a time to discuss your concerns.
· The Clubhouse will be closed. No one should be in the clubhouse unless they need to quickly use the bathroom.
· Kids on deck should not be running around the deck; they must sit with parents or guardians at the table. They are welcome to play at the Oakhurst playground.
· The gaga ball pit is closed during practices -- no one may play in the gaga ball pit.
· The baby pool is closed during practices.
· The stairs of the main pool are off limits for those waiting on deck, even swimmers who are there for the next practice.
· Swimmers should place their bags in the grass or on the deck during their practice so the tables are left open for those watching practice.
· Coaches may assign an area on deck for people to spectate if they decide certain areas are more distracting than others.
We will revisit this decision and eliminate it again if we feel that people on deck are causing a distraction.
Q: What happens if it's storming during practice? How will we know if it's canceled?
A: If it’s bad weather, practice may be canceled. If it’s cancelled an email and/or text will go out letting parents know. If it starts storming during practice, the swimmers will exit the pool and go inside until they can be picked up.
Q: What is dryland practice?
A: Any activity not performed in the pool, with the purpose of improving swim performance is a form of dry-land swim training. This can include stretches or running as well as team development games.
Q: What and when is dive practice?
A: Dive practice allows 10 and under swimmers to work on their starts. Normally this happens after a home meet because the starting blocks can then be left up for this purpose.
Swim meets:
Q: How do we notify you if our kids can't be at a swim meet? By when do we need to notify the coach if our swimmer can no longer attend a meet?
A: All swimmers need to declare if they will attend or decline a swim meet the SUNDAY before the swim meet. This can be done on the TeamUnify site. If your swimmer is declared for a meet and it’s past the deadline to remove them, please let the head coach know as soon as possible so they are not counting on your swimmer for a relay and can redo the line up.
Q: How late do meets go? Do we have to stay until the end?
A: Normal dual (two team) meets last from 6:30 – 9 pm. You should stay until your child has completed all their events, but do not need to stay to the end of the meet.
Q: Can they swim at a meet if they missed practice that morning?
A: Yes, they can swim at a meet even if they miss practice. Summer is a busy time with vacations, camps, and other activities but they are always welcome to swim at a meet if they are available.
Q: How far are the away meets?
A: Two are very close; just up Eola, two are Downers Grove/Darien and 1 is in Lisle.
Q: How many events will my child swim?
A: We try to get them in as many as possible but this depends on the pool size (4 lanes vs. 6 lanes) and the size of the ORCA team as well as their swimming ability.
Q: How do I know what my kids are swimming at the meet?
A: This is posted on the website before the meet and also posted near the team area (on the widow at the Oaks) at the meets.
Q: How many meets do I have to volunteer for? Is it per kid or family? How many home vs away?
A: The volunteer requirement is per family not per kid. You have to volunteer for 4 job volunteer spots (3 home and 1 away).
Q: What if I am signed up for a meet volunteer job and I am unable to complete it?
A: Job sign-up closes at 11:59 pm on Sunday for the meets that week. If it is before this closure, you can remove yourself from the job and find another job to complete your family volunteer requirement. If the jobs have closed for the week, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. A substitute volunteer worker must be at least 14 years old and be capable of completing the job.
Q: What does it mean if my swimmer gets DQed?
A: DQed is an abbreviation (DQ) for disqualified. It means the swimmer did not swim the stoke legally. If you have questions about why your child got disqualified or how to correct their stroke, you should reach out to the head coach or swimmer’s coach. There is a stroke briefing that describes what stroke and turn officials are looking for when they observe a swimmer.
Q: What is an Intrasquad meet?
A: This is a meet that has ORCA swimmers only. Ribbons are not awarded but times count for the conference meet and the meet counts as a home meet for conference. This meet requires many more ORCA volunteers since we do not have another team to help.
Q: How many meets does my kid need to swim at to be able to swim at a conference meet?
A: They need to swim at 3 meets (1 Intrasquad meets counts as a home meet). One of the meets must be an away meet.
Q: What is the difference between the Silver and Gold Conference meets?
A: Gold Conference meet is the meet where the fastest swimmers for each event attend. Silver is the other conference meet that swimmers not swimming in Gold are invited to attend. All 13 and up swimmers will attend Gold Conference.
Q: When will I know which conference meet my kid will be swimming at?
A: Normally this is decided the week before the conference meets. All 13 and up swimmers will attend Gold Conference. If a swimmer holds a top 3 time for an individual event, they are not allowed at swim at Silver Conference even if they are unavailable to attend the Gold Conference meet.
Q: Do I have to volunteer at the conference meets in additional to the dual meets?
A: Everyone who has a child swimming at a conference meet must also volunteer at a conference meet. This is completely separate from the normal meet volunteering. Some parents choose to volunteer at the opposite meet from where their child is swimming so they don’t have to divide their attention. This is completely up to the family.
