Responsible Parents and Families Declaration

SMST 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. For any swimmer, improving times, supporting their effort, and improving technique are good sources of praise and encouragement.
• Support good attendance and punctual behavior. Do your best to assure that your swimmer(s) arrives at practice and at meets on time.
• Support the team by volunteering. Each family is required to work a certain number of parent volunteer hours each season. Please support your swimmer and the team by making sure you fulfill this requirement.
• Help out at away and home meets by timing. All swimmers who attend swim meets must have a parent, relative, or friend participate in the timing responsibilities of the meet. Please make sure to support the team by signing up for these shifts in a timely fashion.
• Contribute in a positive way to the team’s culture and environment. Each team member makes daily “deposits” or “withdrawals” to the team’s environment with their words and actions. Successful teams are full of people who strive to improve the team’s environment and their child’s experience as a member of a nurturing and supportive team.
• Be constructive if you are unhappy with some aspect of your coach’s performance or the team’s functioning. Constructive solutions include calmly discussing the issue with the coach, talking to the team parent to get more information or ideas about solutions, or approaching a board member with questions or suggestions. When approached with questions or concerns phrased in a respectful manner, the coaches, team parents and board members will do their best to help.
• Carefully time your discussions with coaches: Please respect the fact that on deck during practice and at swim meets, coaches are attending to the needs of their swimmers. If you would like to discuss an issue or communicate with your child’s coach, the most effective way is to send a quick email. For discussion of more involving issues, make a request to your swimmer’s coach that you find a time to sit down for an appointment at a time that works for both of you.
• Avoid talking to your swimmer(s) during practice. This is distracting to your child and the other swimmers in the group. 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.
• Bullying and Electronic Communication Policy. SMST is committed to each swimmers success in learning within a caring, responsive, and safe environment that is free of discrimination, violence, and bullying. Our team works to ensure that all swimmers have the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest potential and share a personal and meaningful bond with people on the team and community. The use of electronic communication either by email or social media by swimmers, parents or staff to bully, influence or disparage any member of our team will not be tolerated by SMST.  The Sierra Marlins embrace and support USA swimming’s policy on these subjects and these can be reviewed at the​ USA Swimming Website.

Parent Code of Conduct

As a parent of a swimmer and member of the Sierra Marlins Swim Team, I will abide by the following guidelines:

1. Practice teamwork with all parents, swimmers and coaches by supporting the values of Discipline, Loyalty, Commitment and Hard Work.
2. I will not coach or instruct the team or any swimmer, including my own, at a practice or meets (from the stands, deck or any other area) or interfere with coaches on either the pool deck or other facility areas
3. Demonstrate good sportsmanship by conducting myself in a manner that earns the respect of my child, other swimmers, parents, officials and the coaches at meets and practices.
4. Maintain self-control at all times.  Know my role.
   1. Swimmers – Swim
   2. Coaches – Coach
   3. Officials – Officiate
   4. Parents – Parent (Support)
5. I understand that criticizing, name-calling, use of abusive language or gestures directed towards coaches, officials, and/or any participating swimmer will not be permitted or tolerated.
6. Enjoy involvement with the Sierra Marlins Swim Team by supporting the swimmers, coaches and other parents with positive communication and actions.
7. During competitions, questions or concerns regarding decisions made by meet officials are directed to the Head Coach.  Parents address the officials via the Head Coach ONLY.
8. Sanctions – Should I conduct myself in such a way that brings discredit or discord to the Sierra Marlins Swim Team or Coaching Staff, I voluntarily subject myself to disciplinary action.  SMST maintains the right to terminate any membership with/without cause in the interest of our vision, mission and objectives.

A signed Parent Code of Conduct is required at the time of registration and will be electronically agreed to by each parent before a child can register for SMST.  Please make sure to read all agreements that come up when registering your swimmer on our website.