1. sports
2. swimming

LHP Gators
Swim Team Handbook
We’d rather have fun than
be in Division 1!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
General Swim Team Information - Important Basics
Pg3 (practices, suits, swimmer and family expectations)
Chapter 2
Organizational Basics
Pg6 (meet types and descriptions, team reps and coaches)
Chapter 3
The Strokes
Pg10 (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, IM)
Chapter 4
Understanding Swim Meets
Pg13 (dual meets [A-meets], B-meets, seeding, scoring)
Chapter 5
Officials and Important Volunteers
Pg16
Chapter 6
Disqualifications (DQ’s)
Pg20
Chapter 7
Social Elements and Miscellaneous Items
Pg23 (team photos, swim banquet, swim-a-thon)
2 LHP GATORS Handbook—Chapter 1
About The Swim Team
Little Hunting Park sponsors the Gators swim team, a member of
the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL). The NVSL is a
summer league of community pools, mostly in Fairfax County. As
described by the NVSL, the League, and our team, exist to
develop in children "a love for the sport, advanced aquatic skills,
teamwork, and the principles of good sportsmanship."
Summer swimming provides an opportunity for kids five through
eighteen years of age, and their parents, to participate together
in a fun, cooperative undertaking. We seek to establish a healthy
environment that encourages the kids to do their best,
recognizes their contributions and is fun for the entire
family. We've all taken our kids to soccer or other sports and
probably stood by as two or three parents ran the team.
Swimming isn't like that. You can't run a swim program without a
lot of help from parents. In fact, it takes over 40 parents to time,
officiate and score a typical swim meet, not counting those
needed for pool set up and tear down, making phone
calls/sending emails, running the snack bar, or other nonswimming and support activities. If you have a swimmer on the
team, we need your help!
Expectations
When you sign up to be on the swim team, you are committing
to be a cooperative member of this community. In general, the
team expects that families with children participating on the
team:
• Will provide volunteer support
• Will provide financial support as appropriate
3 • Will notify team reps and coaches in advance if their
•
children will be absent from scheduled meets
Will help ensure children arrive to practices and meets
on time and prepared
The team expects that swimmers:
• Will do their best – it’s a lot more important than
being the best
• Will arrive on time for and participate in practices as
directed by the coaches
• Will support and encourage teammates in every way
• Will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at
all times, especially during competition
• Will do their part to support the team by participating
in the Swim-A-Thon fundraiser, making posters for Ameets, cheering for teammates
• Will have fun
When to Come (Practices)
Before the public schools close for the summer, practice is held
on weekday afternoons. (For the 2013 season: 4- 4:30 p.m. for
developmental swimmers, 4:30-5:30 for 10 and under, and 11
and older, 5:30-6:30 for 11+) Once all schools are out, practice
is held at 8:00 a.m. for 11+ swimmers, and 9:00 for 10 and
under and/or developmental.
Swimmers should come to practice regularly and be prepared to
do their best. You need not worry if you can’t make practice
sometimes because of camp or other activities, but please let the
coaches know if you will be absent for more than a day at a time.
What to Wear
Swimmers should wear a swimsuit that will be comfortable for
practice, and team suits for meets. Purchasing the team suit is
optional but encouraged.
Suits and caps are available from our Swimsuit coordinator (2013
season = Alicia Freitag [email protected]), who is usually
4 around at practices, pasta dinners and meets.
What to bring
Swimmers should plan to wear goggles and a cap. Always bring a
water bottle or sports drink to meets, as well as a light snack
such as fruit, granola bars or other healthy foods. Save the
sweets at the concession stand as a reward for swimming a great
swim.
5 LHP GATORS Handbook—Chapter 2
Who’s in Charge?
The Team Reps are volunteer parents who were new to
swimming at one time just like you are today. They are
responsible for running the team and are the representatives of
the LHP team to other swim teams and the League. It's a job
that is impossible to do successfully without help from a great
many parents. The Team Reps hire the Coaches (with the
approval of the Pool Board), who are responsible to the team
reps.
Northern Virginia Swimming League (NVSL)
In 1956, eight Northern Virginia pools founded the NVSL. LHP
was one of these founding pools. Today, the NVSL has over
10,000 swimmers on over 100 teams. It is the largest summer
swim league in the United States. The teams are divided into 17
divisions based on their rankings, with the six highest ranked
teams making up Division 1. Teams in lower divisions are not
necessarily "slower," however, they may simply have fewer
swimmers making it harder to rack up as many points in a meet
as larger teams.
The Season
The NVSL season, which runs to the end of July or early August,
consists of five dual meets (also called A-meets) in which the
teams within a Division compete against each other; divisional
relay meets (also called divisional relay carnival); divisional
individual meets ("Divisionals"); and league-wide All-Star meets
for both relay and individual events. All of these meets except
the two relay meets take place on Saturday mornings (relay
carnival and All-Star relays are on Wednesday nights).
Dual Meets (A-Meets)
In the dual meets, two teams compete against each other to
accumulate the most points. With a few exceptions, there are
6 individual events in each age group and each stroke for boys and
girls. (See Chapter 4 for more on this.) Each team may enter up
to three swimmers in each of these events. Points are awarded
for first, second and third place finishes. In addition, there are
age-group relays and a mixed-age relay for boys and girls. Relay
winners take all the points (5), so the outcome of a meet can be
heavily influenced by the relay results.
B-Meets
B-meets are held on Monday evenings throughout the season
(some home, and some away – please see the swim calendar for
specific dates and locations), and provide an opportunity for all
swimmers to participate in an un-scored meet even if they may
not qualify for A-meets. Meets typically begin at 6pm and run
until all swimmers have had a chance to swim chosen events. A
few important points about B-meets:
• Swimmers who placed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in an event at the
Saturday meet preceding the B-meet, may not swim that
event at the B-meet UNLESS you swim in the next age
bracket up. (i.e. if you got 2nd in 11-2 breaststroke, you
must swim with the 13-14 year olds for that event at the Bmeet or not swim that event at all)
• Oftentimes, Individual Medleys (IM’s) will be swum either
as the first or last event of a B-meet. Because IM’s are an
option for individual swimmers to swim at Divisionals and to
qualify for All-stars – but are not swum during weekly dual
meets – B-meets provide an ideal opportunity for swimmers
to practice and improve IM times.
• The same number of volunteers are needed to support Bmeets so please do what you can to help!
Relay Carnivals
The Division Relay Carnival takes place on the Wednesday
between the third and fourth weeks of the season. All six teams
in each division converge on one pool for an evening of relay
races. These include both Freestyle relays (each swimmer swims
7 the Freestyle) and Medley relays (each swimmer swims a
different stroke). The sole criterion for selection to the All-Star
Relay Carnival is to have one of the eighteen fastest times in
events swum in the Division Relay Carnivals.
Divisionals
The sixth week, each Division has an Individual Championship
meet, commonly referred to as "Divisionals." Each team is
allowed to enter two swimmers in each event, and a swimmer
can enter no more than two events. If a team does not have two
swimmers for an event, the other teams can bid in other
swimmers to fill the empty lanes. This is an individual meet and
is not scored. Swimmers who are looking to qualify for all-stars
(top 18 swimmers in the NVSL) MUST swim the qualifying time at
Divisionals.
All Stars
After Divisionals swimmers are selected for the All-Star meet the
following week. The sole criterion for selection to All-Stars is to
have one of the eighteen fastest times swum in an event in the
Divisional meets. All Stars can be overwhelming for a first-time
swimmer, as approximately 600 swimmers plus parents,
coaches, and officials converge on a pool for a meet that takes
about six hours. If your swimmer is fast enough to be named an
All Star, it is a thrill he or she will never forget.
Special Meets
There are also several special meets in which LHP swimmers
have traditionally participated. These are meets with formats that
differ from the usual NVSL lineup. Examples are the Fort Hunt
Sportsman Relays (all relays, often including one for coaches);
the IM Meet, which allows swimmers to post times in IM or
butterfly events for younger swimmers; and the Woodley MiniMeet, which offers opportunities for our 10-and-under swimmers
to shine. More specific information about these meets will be
shared with families throughout the season.
8 USA Swimming
USA Swimming is the governing body for amateur swimming in
the United States. USAS establishes technical rules for strokes
and for the conduct of competition. The swimming rules used in
the NVSL are USAS rules with some minor changes to
accommodate the facilities and skill levels found in our league.
Potomac Valley Swimming (PVS) is the local "branch" of USA
Swimming. It consists of year-round swim clubs in the
Washington area. PVS conducts "Short Course" competitions (25
yard pools) from October to March and "Long Course"
competitions (Olympic-sized 50 meter pools) from May thru July.
9 LHP GATORS Handbook—Chapter 3
If you're not a former swimmer, the strokes and their rules can
be a source of bewilderment. While most children understand
generally what they’re supposed to do, the technical rules are
specific. The following is a general description of strokes and
events according to the US Swimming rules as modified for use
in the NVSL.
Freestyle
Freestyle is defined as any means of swimming across the pool.
Any stroke and kick are acceptable. There are, however, a few
don'ts associated with this stroke, specifically: (1) You cannot
walk on the bottom or pull yourself along using the lane lines and
(2) In a 50 Meter race (two pool lengths) you must touch the
wall at the 25 meter end before touching the wall at the 50
meter end (This may seem obvious, but sometimes swimmers
miss the wall at the turning end of the pool).
Backstroke
Like the freestyle, almost anything goes on the backstroke as
long as you stay on your back. Watching swimmers learn the
backstroke is a perverse sense of fun as they bounce off lane
lines and wonder where they are. Eventually, they will learn to
guide off the lane lines, use the overhead backstroke flags and
the lane line markings to know where they are in the pool, and
count strokes from the flags to the wall.
Backstroke starts are different from all others because the
swimmer is in the water with feet planted against the wall, and
hanging on to either another swimmer's legs or the lip on the
pool awaiting the starter's signal. "Legs" must be grabbed below
the knee. Persons serving in an official capacity (such as timers
or coaches) may not serve as "legs".
If your swimmer is a backstroker, he or she will eventually learn
the backstroke flip turn. This is the one exception to staying on
your back and can be used only as part of a turn (not a finish) at
10 the pool wall.
Breaststroke
The Breaststroke has two components, the kick and the arm pull.
The pull and its recovery must both be under the breast and
cannot extend further back than the waist area. The kick is a
"frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the
propulsive part of the kick. The arm pull and kick must be in an
alternating sequence and the elbows must stay below the water
except for tagging the wall at the finish. Breaststroke turns and
finishes require a simultaneous two-hand touch.
Butterfly
Well-executed butterfly (or Fly) is the most beautiful exhibition of
power you'll ever see in a swimming pool. Quite frankly, the fly is
the hardest stroke for most swimmers to perfect and while they
are learning it many look like they are drowning. There are two
components of the fly: the arm pull and the kick. The arm pull
must be an over the water recovery (elbows breaking the surface
of the water) with the arms moving simultaneously. The kick is a
dolphin style kick with both legs moving simultaneously. Unlike
the Breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick
and pull. Turns and finishes require a simultaneous two-hand
touch at the wall.
Individual Medley
Individual medley (or IM) is when an individual swims each of the
four strokes in the sequence Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke,
Freestyle. We swim a 100 Meter IM, which means that 25 Meters,
or one pool length, of each stroke is swum. In a 100 Meter IM,
every turn is a stroke change and stroke finish rules apply. This
means no Backstroke Flip Turns.
Relays
There are two kinds of Relays, the freestyle relay and the medley
relay. Both involve a team of four swimmers, each swimming
11 one-quarter of the total distance. In the freestyle relay, each
swimmer swims the freestyle. In the medley relay, the sequence
is Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. At the NVSL
Relay Carnival, swimmers eight and under swim a modified
medley relay where the fly leg of the relay is replaced with a
freestyle leg.
In all relays, each swimmer must wait until the previous
swimmer touches the wall prior to leaving the deck. Running
starts or pushes from teammates are not allowed.
12 LHP GATORS Handbook—Chapter 4
Saturday Meets (Dual or A-meets)
Saturday Meets consist of 38 Individual events and 12 Relays.
The events swum for each stroke and age group are shown
below. Remember, each pool length is 25 meters (or yards in a
few pools).
Age Group
8U Boys
8U Girls
9-10 Boys
9-10 Girls
11-12 Boys
11-12 Girls
13-14 Boys
13-14 Girls
15-18 Boys
15-18 Girls
Mixed Age Boys
Mixed Age Girls
Free
25M
25M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
Back
25M
25M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
Breast
25M
25M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
Butterfly
Free Relay
100M
100M
25M
25M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
50M
Medley Relay
100M
100M
100M
100M
200M
200M
200M
200M
200M
200M
NOTES: 1. In Saturday dual meets, the youngest age category for the Butterfly is 9-10. There is a 25
Meter Butterfly for 8 & Under at Divisionals and All Stars. Swimmers can use B-meets to
prepare.
2. The individual events are held first in the following order: freestyle, backstroke,
breaststroke and butterfly. Within the strokes, boys 8 & Unders go first, followed by girls 8
& Under, then boys 9-10, girls 9-10 and so on. The relays proceed in a similar order, with
the boys and girls mixed-age relays concluding the meet. Meet sheets are available at most
Saturday meets.
3. The Mixed Age Relays are swum in the following order, an 11-12 year old, a 9-10 year
old, a 13-14 year old, and a 15-18 year old.
Who Swims?
The objective in these meets is to see which team can score the
most points, so we try to seed swimmers so that they will place
as high as possible. Each team enters up to three swimmers in
each individual event and no swimmer can swim more than two
individual events. Given these rules, and the fact that swimmers
take vacations and go places such as scout camp, you don't
necessarily have to be one of the three fastest swimmers to swim
in a Saturday meet. Who swims an event may seem to be a
13 mystery. However, after the first meet both teams know the
other’s swimmers times and we try to position our swimmers
most effectively.
Disqualifications (DQs) and False Starts
A swimmer will be disqualified (or "DQ"d) if he/she does not
follow the rules of the stroke or commits a false start. These are
covered in detail in chapter 6.
Seeding
In Saturday meets, the home team’s swimmers swim in lanes 1,
3, and 5 while the visitors have lanes 2, 4, and 6. The fastest
swimmers swim in lanes 3 and 4, the next fastest in lanes 2 and
5, and the next fastest in lanes 1 and 6. Swimmers are seeded
based upon their fastest times attained in prior competition.
Times can be used from A or B-meets.
Meet Sheets
While all NVSL meets have an announcer, the best way to follow
the meet is with a meet sheet, which lists all the events,
swimmers, and seed times. Meet Sheets are usually for sale in
the concession area.
Scoring
In the individual events, a first place finish earns 5 points for the
team, a second place 3 points and a third place finish 1 point.
Relay winners are awarded 5 points. There are 402 points up for
grabs in a Saturday meet. Unless one or more places are not
awarded in an event due to DQs or lack of swimmers (which is
often the case in our division), a team needs 202 points to win.
In the event of a tie, the points for the places involved are
equally split among the swimmers. For example, in a two-way tie
for second place, each swimmer earns 2 points (3 points for
second plus 1 point for third equals 4 points, half for each
swimmer). No third place would be awarded because the next
14 swimmer is fourth. For a third place tie, each swimmer is
awarded 1/2 point.
Relay Carnivals
In Relay Carnivals, teams are not seeded. Each team’s lane
assignment for the first event is based upon luck of the draw and
the teams then rotate one lane to the left after each event. The
meet sheet lists only the team swimming in each lane in each
event (except for All Star Relay Carnival).
15 LHP GATORS Handbook—Chapter 5
Your first swim meet can be a bewildering experience as you
encounter a vast horde of adults dressed in white. NVSL rules
require that all officials wear white. The following are descriptions
of the essential functions fulfilled by the white-clad parents.
Clerk of the Course
The Clerk of the Course is the "gatekeeper" for all swimmers. The
Clerks of Course get the swimmers to the right lanes for the
correct race. You can't run a race without swimmers and the
clerk of the course makes sure the right swimmer gets to the
right place at the right time, and ensures that swimmers are
arranged in event/lane sequence at the official clerk-of-course
area in advance of the races. The announcer will notify coaches
and swimmers when it is time to send swimmers to the clerk-of
course before a race.
Referee
The Referee is the chief official. He or she is responsible for the
conduct of the meets and is the final authority on the
interpretation and enforcement of all swimming rules.
After the conclusion of each event, the referee will give four short
blasts of the whistle and the announcer will announce the next
event. The Referee gives one longer whistle blast, which is the
signal for swimmers to get into position for the start (in the case
of backstroke, to jump feet first into the water). For Backstroke
events, a second long blast is given to bring the swimmers onto
the wall for the start. When the referee sees that all the
swimmers are ready, he extends his arm pointing towards the
starter. At this point, the starter takes over.
Starter
The Starter is responsible for ensuring that all swimmers are
given a fair and equitable start. The starter will instruct the
swimmers to "Take your mark". After all swimmers are ready and
16 still, the starter will start the race using an electronic starter
system with a horn and a strobe light.
Effective with the 2000 Season, a race can be recalled only if it
was a bad start by the starter (i.e. not all the swimmers were
ready) or for a safety reason. For more information, see False
Starts in Chapter 6.
Stroke and Turn Judges
Once the race has started, the Stroke & Turn Judges are
responsible for ensuring that all swimmers obey all the rules for
the stroke that they are swimming. These officials are always at
the ends of the pool for starts and finishes and walk the sides of
the pool as best they can within the physical constraints of the
pool. If a Stroke and Turn Judge sees a violation of the rules, he
raises his hand to signify that an infraction has occurred. A
Disqualification is recorded on a DQ slip, which the referee
reviews and approves and forwards copies to the Table workers
and the Team Rep.
Marshalls
Marshalls are responsible for ensuring that Warm-ups are
conducted safely and that order is maintained during the warmups. Duties include ensuring that swimmers enter the water feet
first, or that diving starts are used in warm-ups only when a lane
is "one way" away from the starting end; stopping any horse play
and making sure swimmers aren’t hanging or sitting on the lane
lines. Additionally, marshalls ensure that spectators remain in
the viewing area and no one other than swimmers, coaches and
officials are on-deck throughout the meet. You can recognize
them by the signature orange vests.
Relay Takeoff Judges
During relays, four Relay Takeoff Judges are at each end of the
pool (two per lane). Their job is to ensure that each swimmer
touches the wall prior to the next swimmer in the relay leaving
the deck. Each Judge notes on a slip of paper whether each
17 swimmer in his lane left before or after the touch. Relay Takeoff
Judges don’t raise their hands when they observe an early
takeoff because a DQ occurs only if both Judges observed an
early takeoff.
Timers and Chief Timer
The timers determine the swimmer's official time for each race.
Being a timer is a great way for new parents to help out. Some
parents have been timers for years and wouldn't want to see a
swim meet from any other viewpoint. If you can start and stop a
stopwatch, you can be a timer. Training is provided at the
beginning of every meet by the Chief Timer. The Chief Timer is
responsible for providing a briefing prior to the start of the meet
covering details about timing and time recording. He is also
responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the recorded times and
notifying the starter when to begin the next race.
Table Workers
The cards with the results of each event go to the Table Workers
who determine the order of finish for each event, score the meet,
and prepare ribbons for the participants. Several people from
each team perform these functions to insure that errors are
caught before the results are announced.
Team Rep
During the meet, the Team Rep is the designated recipient of all
DQ slips for his or her team and is the only person with any
official standing to challenge any decisions made by the referee.
Coaches
During the meet, the Coach’s primary responsibility is to
encourage and praise the swimmers and to make sure that they
get to the Clerk of the Course in time to swim.
18 Other Very Important People
It would be impossible to run a swim meet without a number of
people in other very important positions. These people set up the
pool and sell concessions, they also announce the results, run
social activities, act as Marshals and/or runners and provide
general support. We need the help of every family in order to
have a successful swim season.
19 LHP GATORS Handbook—Chapter 6
The technical rules in swimming are designed to avoid giving any
competitor an unfair advantage over others. A swimmer who
violates the rules can be disqualified, or “DQ’d” by the
appropriate official. While a DQ can be traumatic, it is important
to remember that virtually every swimmer has DQ’d at least
once. We also try to be sure a swimmer understands his or her
violation any time a DQ is committed.
What is a DQ?
Some of the more common reasons for DQs are
•
Freestyle •
•
Backstroke
Breaststroke
Butterfly
Relay Races
False Start
- Failure to touch the wall at the turning end of the pool
- Walking on the bottom or pulling on the lane lines
- Exiting the pool before swimming the specified distance
- Shoulders must not go beyond vertical except when exiting a turn
- Improper flip turn
- Incorrect kick such as scissor or flutter kick
- Non-simultaneous 2-hand touch, or 1-hand touch at turn or finish
- Toes not pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick
- More than 1 stroke underwater with arms fully extended at start or turn
- Arm recovery past waist except on first stroke after start or turn
- Head didn’t break surface by conclusion of 2nd arm pull underwater after
start or turn
- Non-simultaneous 2-hand touch, or 1-hand touch at turn or finish
- Non-simultaneous leg movements during kicks
- Arms don’t break surface during recovery (judged at the elbows)
- Non-simultaneous arm movement during recovery
- Swimmer leaves the deck before the previous swimmer touches the wall
- Swimmer starts the race early (see details below)
How will I know a DQ occurred?
Unlike other sports, we don't blow a whistle and announce to the
world that a rules violation occurred. When a Stroke and Turn
Judge observes a violation, he raises his hand to signify his
observation, then writes it up on a "DQ slip." The judge then
takes the slip to the referee, who verifies that a rule has been
broken and can question the stroke and turn judge to ensure that
he was able to adequately see the violation that was cited. The
referee then gives one copy of the DQ slip to the Team Rep and
20 another copy to the Table Workers. Another clue that a DQ has
occurred is a longer than normal pause between events.
Disqualifications for early relay takeoffs are done slightly
differently. The referee receives all the takeoff slips from all the
judges. If both judges on a lane agree that an early takeoff
occurred, the Referee will indicate the DQ by standing over the
lane that was occupied by the offending team.
False Starts
A false start occurs whenever a swimmer moves toward the pool
after having taken his or her mark (assumed a still position) and
before the Starter has started the race. This may occur when a
swimmer is trying to anticipate the starting signal and beat the
other swimmers into the water.
If the false start is detected before the starting signal is sounded,
the offending swimmer can be removed from the race prior to it
starting. If a false start occurs but the starting signal has
sounded, the race will not be stopped. Instead, the swimmer(s)
committing the false start will be notified at the conclusion of the
race. The use of a recall signal is now limited to a bad start (i.e.
not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. If the
starter sounds the recall signal, no swimmer can be removed for
a false start.
How do I know if My Kid DQ'd?
Your child will probably know before you do, since the Team Rep
tells the coach, who tells the swimmer. If you saw your swimmer
finish with one of the top three times but he isn't later announced
as among the top three place finishers, this is another indicator
of a DQ. Similarly, if your swimmer finished in 4th, 5th or 6th,
yet is announced as one of the top three finishers, you can guess
that someone else probably DQd. All DQs are indicated on the
official Meet Results, which are posted at the pool by 4 PM the
day of the meet. You also can get results by visiting the NVSL
web site, nvsl.nvblu.com.
21 A Word About Officials and DQs
Every Official on the deck will always give the benefit of the
doubt to the swimmer. Although the difference between "legal
but ugly" and "illegal" is sometimes a close call, any violation
called by an official is an "I saw" not an "I think I saw."
Protesting Disqualifications
The Team Rep is the only person who can officially question a
disqualification or any other call by an official. If something
happens involving your swimmer that you do not think is
accurate, talk to the coach or the Team Rep. The Team Rep can
initiate action in accordance with NVSL rules if appropriate.
22 LHP GATORS Handbook—Chapter 7
At Little Hunting Park, we strive to win, but it isn't our reason for
being. Some of the things we do to have fun are:
Pasta Dinners
Gator families are invited to join in pre-meet pasta dinners on
Friday nights at the pool. Families bring pasta, salad, bread,
dessert or drinks, and there is often a pep activity for the
swimmers to do in preparation for the next day’s meet.
Oftentimes ribbons from previous meets will also be awarded.
Team Pictures
Announcements about the date and time for team photos will be
made to parents via email early in the season.
Other social events
Parents are encouraged to organize fun, team-building events
and outings throughout the season. Examples have included
waterslide parties, mini gold outings, laser tag etc.
Spirit Day
Each season, one Saturday meet is chosen as “spirit day”. On
this day, swimmers are encouraged to dress up wildly prior to
the meet to cheer and “intimidate” the opposing team. Posters
are made at the pasta dinner the night prior celebrating the
team, and often songs and skits start off the meet. Spirit day
will also coincide with Senior Day where the graduating senior
swimmers are honored and recognized during the break.
Swim Banquet
A highlight every Gator year is the end-of-season Swim Team
Banquet. Usually the Saturday night of Divisionals, all families
are encouraged to attend. We enjoy dinner, an awards ceremony
in which every swimmer is recognized, and there is usually
23 swimming and dancing afterwards (weather permitting).
What's Mandatory?
While we hope you will participate in all the social activities, they
are all optional. Similarly, the purchase of team suits and other
team clothing items is entirely optional. We rely on parents to
contribute as they can, and we require that kids and parents
involved with the swim team have fun!
24