Locker Room Policy
No one under the age of 16 is allowed to use the adult locker rooms. There are four family changing rooms located in the hallway, plus bathrooms both in the hallway and at the side entrance. There are also standing showers on the pool deck for swimmer use. We encourage swimmers to change quickly to allow teammates to use the changing rooms in a reasonable amount of time. Parents are expected to supervise their children during changing times to prevent inappropriate behavior. The entrance door into the changing room area is to remain open at all times. It is not the responsibility of the aquatic staff, coaching staff, or front desk staff to monitor the family changing room area. Inappropriate behavior will result in a coach or aquatic director speaking with a parent. If the behavior continues, changing room privileges may be revoked.
Refund Policy and Makeup Days
The YMCA will not refund program fees unless the participant is unable to attend due to medical reasons or special circumstances. Swim meet registration is non-refundable. No program refund or transfer will be made after the session has started. See below for makeup policy due to inclement weather.
Inclement Weather
Practice will be held as scheduled during light rain. If rain is heavy enough that the lifeguard cannot see the bottom of the pool, swimmers will exit the pool and hold a dryland workout until the rain subsides. Swimming is not permitted for 20 minutes after thunder, but dryland can be held on the pool deck for that period of time. Swimming is not permitted for 30 minutes after lightning and swimmers are not allowed on the pool deck during that time. Dryland will be held in another location in the Y facility during this time until practice can resume. A member of the coaching staff will contact each participant via Facebook, email, or the phone number provided during registration if practice needs to be canceled due to anticipated severe weather. Because the YMCA has facility use, coaches will make their best effort to offer a dryland work out if this is the situation as we do not offer makeup days for rain, thunder, or lightning.
Parent Observation Policy
We do not require parents to stay on the pool deck, but parents of swimmers under the age of 11 need to stay in the facility or have another guardian at the facility. Parents of children over the age of 12 need not stay in the facility, but the coach must have a good contact number in case of an emergency. Parents are encouraged to watch children during practice from a designated area and must refrain from interacting with the child during practice time. It is crucial that the coach is allowed to do the coaching.
Swim Etiquette
Members of the swim team will learn the basics of swim team etiquette, including how to wait for 5 seconds after the swimmer in front has left the wall, how to circle swim, how to pass a swimmer, and how to use a pace clock. You may observe coaches spending significant amounts of time on some of these concepts because swimming is more than a sport, but an opportunity to grow into respectful teammates and human beings.
Every member of the coaching staff will treat each child with respect, kindness, and appreciation for their unique and personal qualities. We train our staff to implement various discipline and redirection techniques with the child's positive self-esteem in mind. Positive reinforcement for desired behavior is practiced at all times. A "time out" may be used to allow the child to regain his or her composure. If the child exhibits continuous disruptive behavior, the staff will complete an incident form detailing the event. This requires a parent or guardian signature. If the behavior shows little or no improvement, the aquatics director or coach will speak with the parent to discuss the situation. Repeated negative behaviors may result in suspension or dismissal from the program.
Negative behaviors include (but are not limited):
- bullying
- uncooperative behavior (not following coach directions)
- inappropriate use of cell/camera phone
- not accepting responsibility for his/her actions
- obscenity
- possession of a dangerous instrument
