1. sports
2. swimming

Catholic Youth Organization
CYO/Camp Howard
825 NE 20th #120
Portland, Oregon 97232
Swim Coaches Manual
2014-2015
Phone: 503-231-9484 ext. 103, Fax: 503-231-9531, cell 971-253-9498
cyocamphoward.org
COACHING RESOURCES
THIS MANUAL IS NOT INTENDED TO COVER EVERY
ASPECT OF THE SPORT OR CYO
Additional resources are provided here and should be researched to provide the
necessary tools needed for an excellent Swim Program
CYO Sports Manual, General information and Swimming section.
o The document can be downloaded from the CYO website under
Coaches/Forms. This is required reading
o Must be in the possession of the Head Coach at all events
o General information very important-first 6 chapters.
o Sport specific information is also contained in the book National Federation of state High Schools Rules Book for Swimming
One copy is provided by CYO to the club
This is required reading
Must be in the possession of the Head Coach at all events
cyocamphoward.org web site
CYO calendars
Swim Coaches, Swim Commission meeting dates
Training dates for ASEP, Stroke & Turn, etc.
Season Schedule for Meets (posted early October)
Meet/Pool locations
Post championship results
Current Swim records
Other very helpful sites for coaching, teaching, visual aids, and ideas, More are available, search for them.
Swim 2000 (for sample workout schedules) web site
ASCA (American Swim Coaches Association) web site
Very good resource for coaching aids and information
US Swimming web site
Oregon Swimming Inc. web site
Swim Clinics for coaches offered by the CYO Office
“Basic and Advanced Stroke Clinics, in October”
PLANNING THE SEASON
Team Administrator, needs to be on board asap. (Should not be Head Coach)
Keeps parents informed
Develops and maintains parent call lists
Recruits and organizes volunteers
Keeps team rosters accurate
Notifies parents if additional paperwork is needed
Helps to take attendance at meets/practices
Helps organize team activities/fund raisers
Organizes end of year party
Helps prepare ribbons for hand out after meets
Keeps coaching staff informed, parent/swimmer issues
Helps to recruit new swimmers
Contacts non-returning swimmers
Your practice season start date (no sooner than October 1)
Review whether cost of starting early will impact # or frequency of practices
Basic determination of team makeup and scope
Estimate intended size of team
This will help determine coaching needs or vice-versa
Rough estimate is 1 to 7 ratio of coaches/assistants to swimmers
Combining with another team to increase practice time and control costs
Fee structures, including the CYO fee
Pool rental & misc. expenses
Team Manager software, basic and addition modules
Develop a budget plan
Full function team with all levels?
Remember the basic CYO Philosophy
Team philosophy, developmental versus purely competitive
Determine potential conflicts and plan how to resolve them
Swimmers sign-up date
Formulate the method of communication for sign-up date(s)
Should be as complete as possible, the first time Let parents know what they will need to bring with them to sign up o Insurance information for each child
o CYO/Club Fee Payment
o Swim suit or equipment money, if up front collection is deemed necessary
o Suit selection can be tricky, test fit/sizing before ordering in bulk.
o Polyester suits last longer than Lycra
o Warm-ups can vary in sizing, check fit before ordering in bulk
o Pre-call last year swimmers to be sure they know about sign-up date(s)
Paperwork for sign ups (Back to School night)
o Have people at sign-ups that know the program
o A.D. would be great on hand to help review paperwork for
the completion at point of turn-in
Parent volunteer sign-up sheets available
Beginning of season meeting, during sign-ups if possible
Search out new coach prospects, don’t wait until it’s too late
Coaches tend to leave as their children graduate from the program
Coaching Staff
Head Coach
Coordination of coaches, who will do what, where, when
Head, Assistant, and Intern Coaches
o All must read the CYO Sports Manual, General Section and
Swimming Section
o All must read the NFHS Manual for High School Swimming
Covers general stroke, turn, relay, and finish rules.”
Participation in certification requirements
ASEP training
Stroke and Turn Judge training
Participation in optional Stroke Clinics
Called to Protect certification
Concussion Training and sign-off
Computer Input Person - Very important position
Don’t underestimate the value of a good, reliable, person
Ask for volunteers, two operators are better than one.
Maintains the team database on Team Manager
Maintains Meet Manager databases
Sets up meet data before date of swim meet
Runs the meet software when hosting a regular season meet
Completes regular season meets and uploads files to the CYO Of-
fice Practice Schedule Considerations
Cost analysis to determine number, frequency, and location of practices
Meet conflict considerations on practice times and dates
Pool selection considerations
o Pool configuration
o Pool depth
Should be deep enough to safely teach forward and back diving starts
o Pool length
o Number of lanes, width of lanes
o Pool Temperature
Cool pool temperatures are great for competitive
Swimmers, may be too cool for young swimmers for
periods greater than 1/2 hour.
o Ambient air temperature
o Critical when swimmers are out of the water to view
any demonstrations
o Available equipment for use Starting blocks Back stroke flags
Kick boards
Pull buoys
Basic Training Season Plans per group, e.g. workout plans for Pollies, Cubs, Cadets
Total season
Teaching phase
Conditioning phase (continue teaching at early ages throughout season)
Competitive phase, starts, turns, speed and tactics
Plan how you will insure all swimmers are enjoying the program
When to have fun versus when to work
Remember…swimmers will leave the program if they are not having fun
Success should be measured by the swimmer’s enthusiasm and skill
Progression,
Not just by times
Not just by ribbons
Mandatory Team Meeting
Timing
Mandatory Pre-season with all parents
At sign-up night
On first practice Day
See sample meeting agenda on following page
Sample agenda format for
Mandatory Pre-season Parent Meeting
PRE-SEASON MEETING AGENDA
I. General Session
A. Welcome
B. Introduction of coaches
C. State CYO policies
D. Athletic handbook
II. Sport Meetings
A.Philosophy
B. Sport specific videos(s) if available
C. Expectations of athletes and parents
D. Criteria for making the team
E. Practice and meet schedules
F.
Directions to all meets
G. Called to Protect-for all volunteers
H. Concussion Training
I.
Drugs and alcohol
J.
No administered medications
K. Grades and eligibility
L. Sportsmanship and representation of our club and your program
L. Parent concessions
M.Questions
N.Uniforms
O. Christmas Practice Schedule
P. Locker Rooms / Changing Rooms
Q. Meet participation
R. Parent/Coach Meeting
WHAT EVERY COACH NEEDS TO KNOW
Administrative Issues
The Paperwork
Please read the insert section from CYO Sports Manual
All necessary forms available on-line @ cyocamphoward.org
Coaches
Athletes
Team
Athlete Records
Book or folder with all copies of registration forms with medical in
formation for coach
Attendance
Announcements/ General Information
How to distribute information
Email list
Team Phone Tree
Team web site
Ribbons/ awards
When to distribute
Varies between teams
Some during the season, some at end of season
Volunteers - These are critical people, treat them like gold.
o Begin early to recruit and continue recruiting all year, throughout all seasons
o Be aware of volunteer’s children’s school grade. Anticipate turnover.
Swim meet volunteers
Review job descriptions
Timers (6-12, one Head Timer w/experience), Runners (1-3) Stroke & Turn Judges (2), Bull Pen (3-5), Scorers Table ((2), Ribbons (1-2), Heat Winner (1), Pool monitors (4), Bathroom monitor (2), Starter, Clerk of Course (announcer/upcoming events board)
Key Team Volunteers
Administrator / Team Parent
As important to the team as a coach
This person should not be a coach
Computer T/M and M/M person
Covered earlier, don’t forget how important this is to the team and coach
Stroke and Turn Judges
Each team is required to have 2
These volunteer positions require specific training offered by CYO
o Stroke & Turn Judge clinic, This is a 1 1/2 hour class that covers the rules governing the four basic competitive strokes, turns, starts, and relays for the CYO Swim Program.
o Training is offered in the beginning of the season
o Training must be renewed every two years
Specific Coaches Training /Certifications
o ASEP - This is a program given by the CYO Office which covers basic coaching principles.
This is a mandatory course for all coaches and must be taken
in the first year as a coach, and prior to the Championship meets.
o Stroke & Turn Judge
All coaches must take this class every two years
o Call to Protect- Given by CYO Office. Mandatory. One time only
o Concussion training video and sign-off
Swim Practice Considerations
Safety Monitors
o Some of the younger swimmers will need additional encouragement and supervision. Additional parent Safety Monitors are highly recom-
mended
o Polli aids, same as Safety Monitors but specifically for the Polli swim group
CYO Meetings, (Calendar posted on cyocamphoward.org web site)
o Swim Commission
o Generally held every other month and at start and
end of the swim season
o All coaches are permitted, and encouraged, to attend Swim
Commission meetings
o Commission members are required to attend or send a represen-
tative to all meetings
o Swim Coaches Meetings - Mandatory
o Generally held once every other month and at the start and
end of the season
o Head coach should attend, if unable, a replacement (preferably
a coach) representative must be sent
Hy-Tek Info
Check out web site @ hy-tekltd.com
Team Manager
Purchase considerations
o State affiliation with CYO-Portland for discount o The Ribbons and Labels option has been very popular with CYO teams
Transfer methods for meets and team roster
Send as backup files, not text files
See Hy-Tek web site and included instructions with software
Help files are very good
Hy-Tek is excellent in responding to emails on problems with the program
Typical uses
“Team Roster, Contact List”
On-line submission of meet entries
On-line results for all CYO swimmers for entry strategies
Athlete performance reports
Optional Ribbon Label feature
Basic input conventions
(See appendix for list of conventions)
Meet Manager
The software is provided at no charge
Installation of new software available at MM/TM clinic yearly at
the beginning of the Swim season
Typical uses
o Runs all regular and Championship meets
o Regular season meets results shared by all teams for advance
entry planning
o Program generated Reward labels sorted by user preference
o Entry labels for Event Cards for swimmers
Season Evaluation
o Season Team/Coach/Swim Program evaluations will be handed out to
parents and participants at the Championship Meets
Forms will be given out at the doors upon entry and collected at the exits o Additional evaluations are encouraged during the season
o CYO Office Season-end Coaches Meeting Recap of evaluations
Review of Season
“Good, bad -opportunities/strategies”
Next year calendar
Next year CYO Sports Manual revision needs discussion
Misc. Info Catholic publications
“Write a story, report something positive about swimming or a swimmer”
Catholic Sentinel
CYO Gazette
SWIM MEET DUTIES FOR THE TEAM
Coaches
o Entries
o Due the Wednesday prior to the meet (regular season meets) to the CYO Office in TM format (export for MM)
o Order of Events
See Order of Events in this manual
o Check in o Be available at least 15 minutes before pool time
o MM will generate Athlete Check-in reports if requested
o Have athlete phone numbers available and a cell phone
o Warm up
o Head coach should ensure Safety Marshals are in place before swimmers enter water
o Coach present and attentive during warm-ups
o Discipline
o Determine where team will sit and who will supervise and
organize
o Check feasibility of assigning an older swimmer to “”mentor”” new swimmers
o Assisting the hosting team(s)
o 2 Stroke and Turn Judges should be available for each meet
o Ask hosting team if help is needed
o Clean up
o Have a process and person designated to review athlete area for cleanliness
o No food should be available on the pool deck
o At the end of the meet, Head Coach or designated person should be sure facility is clean
Athletes
o If you are not able to attend the meet, the coach must know ASAP” o Arrive on time
o Athletes and parents should arrive 15 minutes before pool entry time
o Pool entry time is not meet start time
o Check in- All athletes should report immediately upon arrival to their coach
o Encourage athletes to physically and mentally prepare for a meet to have the most fun
o Get a good nights sleep the night before, sleep overs normally
conflict with a good nights sleep!”
o Physical and mental preparation - continuation
o Eat healthy at the meet and the day before the meet
o “No glass, or food on deck.”
o Stay available to the coach
o “Stay where you can be seen by your coach”
o “If you leave the assigned team area, let the coach know”
o Bathroom visits should be short, avoid long, long showers
o Ask questions early o If you are not feeling well, let the coach know when you check in
CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS
Special considerations for Finals - Polli and Cub/Cadet
Swimmers must have participated in two meets during the regular season to score.
Planning meeting
Held in January just prior to Championship meets
Team entries
o Timing of athlete entries via Team Manager to CYO Office
o Volunteer assignments (with names from teams)
o Volunteers involved in the running of the meet should have regular season meet experience
o Rough rule: Volunteers will be needed from each team
equal to 1/3 the number ofparticipants in the meet.
Warm-up times will be assigned by lane.
Hospitality Room available for coaches, volunteers
General Layout of meet
Participant and coach versus spectator seating areas
MHCC, Participants only on deck in bleachers with coaches
Bull Pen location
Flow of participants from Bull Pen to Blocks, MHCC, (clockwise)
MHCC, at exit to 50M pool
Meet Director and Referee used in Championships
These individuals are from US Swimming and have final say
General admission charge for spectators (no charge if on volunteer lists)
Clean up
Everyone needs to help, including parents, swimmers, coaches double check at end of meet with Meet Director
Advertising in Program available
Meet Programs for sale
Results posting at spectator rest room hallways (deck level)
For sale at the Championship Meet -Sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc.
HOSTING A REGULAR SEASON MEET
Overall Expectations
Safety
Review general notes on hosting a meet handout
Pre-Game Prayer and Pre-Game Statement read before all meets
Included in Meet Box, to be read by swimmers (2)
Organization/Planning
Tables, chairs, ropes, etc. (setup)
Warm up schedule, lane assignments
Competition start time (after prayer and Sports Statement is read)
Fair competitive environment
Fun environment for swimmers
Swim Box with supplies and equipment
Pick up box from CYO Office, no later than Friday 2:00 p.m.
Review Checklist for setting up the perfect meet
Turn in Box to CYO Office, no later than Tuesday, 2:00 p.m.
Volunteer direction-Coordinator
(see Swim Meet Job Responsibilities)
Workers required for CYO meets
Bull Pen
Timers
Runners
Stroke and Turn Judges
Ribbon/Heat Winner Person
Bathroom Monitors
Safety Monitors during warm up
Announcer/Starter
“Clerk of Course, Event Call up Board person”
Scoring table
PC input person(s)
Ribbon person
Ribbons separated by team and given to visiting team
With swimmers time card (not stapled)
Attached to report for team via MM
Visiting team can attach labels for individual swimmers
Clean up deck and spectator areas
Reminder...food is not allowed on the pool deck
Assign people for this duty, check yourself before walking out the door
Reporting meet information, scores, etc, Results to CYO next day or same day
E-mail results in MM meet backup format
CHECKLIST
OF ITEMS NEEDED IN
SWIM BOXES
1 15 stopwatches (19 for 8-lane pools)
2 12 clipboards
3 Rubber bands
4 dry-erase board, markers, eraser
5 2 staplers, extra staples
6 20+ pencils, sharpener
7 DQ slips
8 Sports Manual, Federation book
9 20 Order of Events
(Lane timer, judges, starter, announcer, scorekeepers, each coach)
10 extra blank event cards
11 Meet Computer to run HyTek, Meet Manager
12 Badges for volunteers
13 Bull horn or other system for announcing; extra set batteries
14 Ribbons for places as well as heat winners
15 Large envelopes for each team’s event cards and
ribbons
16 Tape to post results
17 Yellow high lighters
18 Guides for Meet Workers
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The lock combination for the
ribbons toolbox is:
3-7-6
If you forget, use C-Y-O. C is alphabetically the third letter.
C is #3, Y is #25 (2+5=7), O is #15 (1+5=6)
of
COACHES’ MEETING BEFORE MEET BEGINS
(Sample for Lake Oswego Meet)
Assemble all Head Coaches and volunteers
STARTS
All starts will be from (or next to) the starting blocks, except relays. The 75 yd. medley relay starts at the shallow end of the pool with timers remaining at the deep end.
BULLPEN The bullpen at Lake Oswego is located near the corner of the pool opposite the scoring table.
BULLPEN will meet in the Clerk of Course corner of the deck, near the girls’ locker room. PLEASE
send only 3-4 heats at a time, listen to the announcer!
EACH TEAM’S DESIGNATED AREA ON POOL DECK - Banners are OK, use duct tape.
FLOW OF SWIMMERS: All swimmers are to walk along the side of the pool near the spectators at
Lake Oswego.
If anything needs to be retrieved from the water, a swimmer who has just finished a race, and who
does not have an upcoming race, will be asked to get it.
WARM-UP LANES - Assignment
WARM-UP LANES are assigned and will be announced. They are listed on the front page of the
heat sheet in the coaches’ packets.
MARSHALS - Identify
MARSHALS must be in place BEFORE warm-ups can begin.
STARTER/ANNOUNCER - Identify
STARTERS – Test equipment before warm-ups and identify Marshals. Announce the Stroke & Turn
Judges and their team they are from.
STROKE & TURN JUDGES - Identify
Go over judging criteria with Stroke & Turn Judges so judging is uniform. Pair 1st year S&T Judges with seasoned judges if possible. Point out that we want to enforce infractions from the
first meet. Issue clipboards, DQ slips, and pencils. Announce the names and their team for
the S&T Judges.
TIMERS AND HEAD TIMER - Identify
Have Head Timer meet with Timers and practice several times before racing begins. Head Timer
gets supplies for all Timers. Two chairs per lane for Timers, starting end only.
RUNNERS - Identify
Be sure Runners understand meet set up and instructions. Runners will need to be “on their toes”
during the 25yd. events.
HEAT WINNER RIBBON PERSON, Identify
MEET SCORER AND RIBBON PEOPLE, Identify
SWIMMERS ONLY allowed on deck, all spectators MUST stay in the stands.
CYO SWIM VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS
Job Descriptions
•
Meet Director
•
Computer Operator
•
Bull Pen
•
Stroke and Turn Judges
•
Head Timer
•
Timers (2 for each lane)
•
Recorders (one of the timers at regular season meets)
•
Locker Room Monitors - 2
Job Description
MEET DIRECTOR
The championship meets will have assigned Meet Directors. All regular
season meets will be directed by the Host Team and in partnership with the
visiting teams.
The meet director’s primary goal is to host a well organized and efficiently run meet. Swim meets are for swimmers and should be designed
with swimmers’ best interests in mind. Long, disorganized meets are not
conducive to quality swimming. It is the responsibility of the Meet Director to be familiar with all applicable rules governing the event including
facility requirements, NFHS and CYO rules.
A safe and successful meet is a priority for the meet director and for
CYO swimming. The meet director can help achieve this priority goal
by striving to promote a safe environment at the meet. The Meet Director
should pay close attention to the safety of all swimmers, coaches, officials,
parents, volunteers and spectators at his or her meet. Job Description
ANNOUNCER
(CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS)
Meet announcers must be selected with care. An announcer should have a
clear, pleasant voice and be able to function under pressure in the midst of
a noisy crowd. A knowledgeable swim-parent and with a pleasing “radio”
voice and a willingness to help can be an invaluable asset as an announcer,
but must remain impartial. The function of an announcer is to state the facts (i.e.. Event, heat, swimmers names, teams etc). The announcer will announce each event as it
comes up as well as other essential and important information that is happening. Generally events are called to the bullpen about 2 events before
they actually happen, i.e., while event #1 is swimming, there is a “first call
for event 3”. By the end of event #1 there is a “last call” for event 3. The
announcer will feel a rhythm soon and be able to gauge when to call by
looking at the bullpen and seeing how crowded the area is.
When it is time for a heat to swim, the event is announced as follows:
Event #1, cub girls 100 yard Individual Medley, heat 1 swimmers behind the blocks please...Mr. Starter.
As the LAST swimmer of that heat passes under the flags near the
finish, it is time to announce, “Event #1, cub girls 100 yard Individual
Medley, heat 2 swimmers behind the blocks please...”
During the last relays (Freestyle Relays) the spectators need to be
reminded to clean up the area around them. Please thank all who volunteered to help us in any way; we could NOT have a meet without their
help!
Job Description
STARTER
Familiarize yourself with the starting equipment (Colorado Start System)
before the meet begins. The start system has an integrated speaker system.
Obtain, and follow the meet Order of Events. Ensure no unfair advantage
is taken by any swimmer.
Starting Commands (no variation from bolded text):
1) “Swimmers step up” (or “swimmers step in” for backstroke)
2) Announce the race. E.g., “100 yards individual medley, 1 length of
each stroke, BUTTERFLY, BACKSTROKE, BREASTSTROKE, FREESTYLE.”
3) “Take your mark...”
4) Swimmers take a final start position and must then remain motionless
(if not, “Swimmers Stand Up”). Timing takes approximately one second.
5) Sound start signal. Not a starting gun. A whistle is permissible.
Events 5 & 6...75-yard medley relay...backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle
Events 7 & 8...100-yard medley relay...backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly,
freestyle; 9 & 10 are 200-yard medley relay.
Each event should be clarified...25 yards is 1 length of the pool, 50 yards
is 2 lengths, etc.
Event 5-8 (relays) each swimmer swims 1 length.
Events 9 & 10 (relays) each swimmer swims 2 lengths.
Events 43-46 (relays) each swimmer swims 1 length.
Events 47 & 48 (relays) each swimmer swims 2 lengths.
Note: Starters need to be cautious on relays and to be sure that in Polli and
Cub relays that swimmers match up. Check that swimmer #2 is in the
pool, at the other end, for 75 yd and 100 yd relays (shallow water).
Job Description
SAFETY MARSHAL
Meet marshals must be selected for every meet. They should be responsible individuals who can actively monitor warm-ups and maintain
order and safety in the swimming venue. They are assigned by and report
to the Meet Director and or Meet Referee (championship meets). The
marshal shall warn, order to cease and desist, or with the Referee, remove
from the venue, anyone behaving in an unsafe manner or whose actions
are disrupting the orderly conduct of the meet. To indicate their authority, marshals should be provided with an easily identifiable uniform clearly
visible to all in the venue. Job Description
LOCKER ROOM MONITORS
Male and Female locker room monitors are required for the safety of our
swimmers. We need you to observe who enters the locker room, walk
through the locker room every 10 minutes or so, ensure no one is being
approached or picked on, hurt etc. Only swimmers and possibly their parent should be in the appropriate locker rooms. Boys and girls should only
be in the appropriate locker room. Swimmers should NOT be hanging out
in the showers between their events – they need to stay with the rest of
their team. There are rest rooms at some of the pools for spectators to use. Everyone shares the duty of making certain we do not leave a mess! Job Description
RIBBONS
Each event will have ribbons or the 6 (six) fastest swimmers in that event. There may be more than one ribbon awarded per place, as in the event of
a tie. In such a case, there are two (or more) ribbons awarded. Since only
the six fastest swimmers are awarded, not all places, 1st through 6th place,
may be awarded with ties. Example: 3rd and 4th swimmers tie. Both
swimmers are awarded ribbons for 3rd place, there is no 6th place winner.
During Regular Season Meets, the ribbons will be distributed to each team
based upon the Medal Count Report from Meet Manager. Relay places
awards are not included in the report totals and will need to be added to
the total needs, by team. The Meet Manager program will produce award
ribbon labels. The labels will be printed by each team as needed, after the
conclusion of the meet. Meet Manager meet back-up files will be distributed to all teams to facilitate this process.
Championship meets will have ribbons and medals presented throughout
the meet during several scheduled award presentations.
Job Description
HEAT WINNER RIBBON PERSON
Determines the winner of each heat and awards a ribbon to the winner.
If a question exists on the 1st place finisher, verify against the swimmers
times. If a discrepancy still exists, award two ribbons.
Job Description
TIMERS & HEAD TIMER
Timers are the key volunteers at all swim meets. The purpose of a competitive meet is for each swimmer to achieve times; therefore, these workers must be diligent and dedicated to ensure success.
- A key worker is the Head Timer, who is responsible for supervising the timers during the meet. The Head Timer ensures that all timers
and their watches are in place, and ready, before each heat. They must be
ready to step in for any Timer that determines they are unable to record an
accurate time. It is their duty to meet with all timers prior to the meet start
and to provide several timing practices to ensure familiarity with equipment and procedures.
Head Timer
Timers- Timer
will receive a swimmers event card prior to the start of each
race. The card must be for the swimmer to be timed. Notify the Head Timer or Starter if there is a discrepancy.
Each lane is to have 2 stopwatches running for each swimmer. Unless absolutely impossible, the two timers should be from different teams.
Timers will be verbally alerted before each race begins. The starter will
have swimmers step up, and will say, “Judges and timers ready”. The timers signal their readiness by raising their hand. The starter will then say,
“Swimmers take your mark”. The start signal is a bright strobe flash and
loud beep. At this precise instant, the timers actuate their timing device.
The timers must be attentive to the swimmers nearing the finish of their
race. The timers must be able to see the swimmer touch the wall. The timers must have taken a position prior to the finish to be able to see the complete vertical plane of the wall. The timing device is again activated when
the swimmer touches the wall. The timers or recorder will enter both times
to the swimmers Event Card. Large discrepancies should be brought to
the attention of the Head Timer.
Job Description
RUNNERS
Runners shuttle material from station to station during the meet. For CYO
meets this involves shuttling event cards from swimmers to timers and
from timers to the recording desk. These workers are literally “runners.”
It is critical that the cards are picked up from the swimmers, in order, and
given to the correct timer.
It is helpful to have one person coordinating the efforts of all runners to
avoid confusion and avoid lost material. Job Description
CLERK OF COURSE
The Clerk of Course is responsible to inform coaches and swimmers of
events that are being called to the Bull Pen (staging area for swimmers in
the next races). The upcoming events are poster or written on a large board
that is clearly visible to the announcer, coaches, and swimmers. Upon notification by the Clerk of Course, swimmers should make their way to the
designated Bull Pen area.
In some cases in regular season meets, the Clerk of the Course also announces the upcoming races. The Clerk of the Course must be in constant
communication with the Bull Pen to determine the necessary lead time.
Job Description
BULL PEN
The Bull Pen people are responsible to organize swimmers for the next
immediate heat(s). The Bull Pen people utilize the Swimmers Event cards
to line up swimmers into their respective lanes. The swimmers are then
directed to the blocks in the same order, complete with their Event Card.
This represents a very crucial part of an organized, and timely, meet. The
Clerk of the Course and Bull Pen set the tempo of the meet. If swimmers
are not ready to take their places behind the block when a race has just
finished, the meet will come to a standstill. With K-8 grade swimmers, it
is not hard to imagine that this can be a very challenging job. Choose individuals that can command authority, without being threatening. Remember...the goal is to have a memorable and positive experience.
It is generally a good idea to have several rows of chairs or bleacher seats
to stage the heats. The chairs/seats should have numbers corresponding to
the lane where the swimmer will be swimming.
Job Description
STROKE AND TURN JUDGES
This job requires the knowledge of official rules and must have attended a
Stroke & Turn Training Clinic within the last two years. This person determines if an illegal stroke or turn has been used by a swimmer. 1st year
Stroke & Turn Judges should try to work their first 2 meets paired with a
seasoned judge.
When a swimmer is disqualified, the judge must alert the Runner in order to attach the DQ slip to the swimmers Event Card. The Stroke & Turn
Judge must accurately complete the DQ Slip, including the Event #, Heat,
and Lane. The Stroke & Turn Judge will not raise their hand to signal the
infraction, or speak to the swimmer or coach unless directed by the Meet
Director (Head Coaches during regular season meets). Dual confirmation
is utilized during championships.
Please refer to the National Federation of State High School Associations
Rules Book for Swimming, Diving, and Water Polo for specific violations.
STROKE & TURN RULES FOR SWIMMING
1.BACKSTROKE
a.Start. The swimmers shall line up in the water facing the starting end, with both hands placed on the
gutter or on the starting grips.
b.Stroke.The swimmer shall push off on his back and continue swimming on the back throughout the
race. Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except it
shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn and for a distance of
not more than 15 meters (16.4 yards) after the start and each turn and inadvertent re-submerging is
permitted. By 15 meters, the head must have broken the surface of the water.
c.Turns. Upon completion of each length, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. During the
turn the shoulders may be turned past the vertical toward the breast after which a single arm pull or
a double arm pull may be used to execute the turn. Kick and gliding is permitted before and after the
turning action. The swimmer must have retuned to a position on the back upon leaving the wall.
d.Finish.Upon the finish of the race, the swimmer must touch the wall while on the back. The body may
be submerged at the touch.
2.FREESTYLE
3.
a.Start. The forward start shall be used.
b.Stroke.In an event designated freestyle the swimmer may swim any style, except that in a medley
relay or an individual medley event, freestyle means any style other than butterfly, breaststroke or
backstroke. Some part of he swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except
it shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn and for a distance
of not more than 15 meters (16.4 yards) after the start and each turn. By that point the head must have
broken the surface.
c.Turns. Upon completion of each length the swimmer must touch the wall.
d.Finish.The swimmer shall have finished the race when any part of his person touches the wall after
completing the prescribed distance.
BREAST STROKE
a.Start. The forward start shall be used.
b.Stroke. From the beginning of the first arm stroke after the start and after each turn, the body shall be
kept on the breast. The arms shall move simultaneously and in the same horizontal plane without any
alternating movement. The hands shall be pushed forward together from the breast, on, under, or over
the water. The elbows shall be under the water except for the final stroke before the turn, during the
turn and the last stroke at the finish of the prescribed distance. The hands shall be brought back on or
under the surface of the water. The hands shall not be brought beyond the hip line, except during the
first stroke after the start and each turn. Some part of the swimmer’s head shall break the surface of
the water at least once during each complete cycle of one arm stroke and one leg kick, in that order,
except after the start and each turn the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the leg
and one leg kick while wholly submerged. The head must break the surface of the water before the
inward turn of the hand at the widest part of the arm stroke. No sculling is permitted.
c. Kick. All vertical and lateral movements of the legs shall be simultaneous. The feet must be turned
outward during the propulsive part of the kick movement. A scissors, flutter, or downward butterfly kick
is not permitted. Breaking the surface with the feet shall not merit disqualification unless followed by a
downward butterfly kick.
d.Turns. At each turn, the touch shall be made with both hands simultaneously at, above, or below
the water surface. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch, provided it
breaks the surface of the water at some point during any part of the last complete or incomplete cycle
preceding the touch. Once a touch has been made, the swimmer may turn in any manner desired. The
shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast when the swimmer leaves the wall and the
form prescribed in point 2 above must be attained from the beginning of the first arm stroke.
e.Finish. At the finish, the body shall be on the breast and touch shall be made with both hands
simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface. The hands do not have to be in the same vertical
plane. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch, provided it breaks the
surface of the water at some point during any part of the last complete or incomplete cycle preceding
the touch.
4.BUTTERFLY
a.Start. The forward start shall be used.
b. Stroke. After the start and after each turn, he swimmer’s shoulders must be at or past the vertical
toward the breast. The swimmer is permitted one or more leg kicks, but only one arm pull under water,
which must bring the swimmer to the surface. It shall be permissible for a swimmer to be completely
submerged for a distance of not more than 15 meters (16.4) yards after the start and after each turn.
By that point, the head must have broken the surface. Re-submerging is permitted. From the beginning
of the first arm pull, the body shall be kept on the breast. Both arms must be brought forward over the
water and pulled back simultaneously. Hands horizontally level in stroke.
c.Kick. All up and down movements of the legs and feet must be simultaneous. The position of the
legs or the feet need not be on the same level, but they shall not alternate in relation to each other. A
scissors or breaststroke kicking movement is not permitted.
d.Turns. At each turn the body shall be on the breast. The touch shall be made with both hands
simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface. Once a touch has been made, the swimmer may
turn in any manner desired. The shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward the breast when the
swimmer leaves the wall.
e.Finish. At the finish, the body shall be on the breast and the touch shall be made with both hands
simultaneously at, above, or below the water surface.
5.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY - The swimmer shall swim the prescribed distance in the following order:
6.
FREESTYE RELAY- The freestyle relay is swum by a team of four competitors, each swimming
7.
MEDLEY RELAY – The medley relay is swum by a team of four competitors, each swimming one
the first one-fourth, butterfly; the second one-fourth, backstroke; the third one-fourth, breaststroke; and the
last one-fourth, freestyle.
a.Start. The forward start shall be used.
b.Stroke.The stroke for each one-fourth of the designated distance shall follow the prescribed rules for
that stroke.
c.Turns. Intermediate turns within each stroke shall conform to the turn rules for that stroke. The
turns when changing from one stroke to another shall conform to the finish rules for the stroke just
completed, and shall be as follows:
d. Butterfly to backstroke. The swimmer must touch like a butterfly finish. Once a legal touch has been
made, the swimmer may turn in any manner, but the shoulders must be at or past the vertical toward
the back when the swimmer leaves the wall.
e. Backstroke to breaststroke. The swimmers must touch the wall while on the back. Once a legal
touch has been made, the swimmer may turn in any manner but the shoulders must be at or past the
vertical toward the breast when the swimmer leaves the wall and the prescribed breaststroke form
must be attained prior to the first arm stroke.
f. Breaststroke to freestyle. The swimmer must touch like a breaststroke finish. Once a legal touch has
been made, the swimmer may turn in any manner.
g.Finish. The swimmer shall have finished the race when any part of his/her person touches the wall
after the prescribed distance.
one quarter of the required distance.
a.Start. The first swimmer of the relay must use a forward start.
b.Stroke. Swimmers may swim in any style, adhering to the turn and finish rules of the freestyle event.
quarter of the required distance of the race. The first shall use a backstroke start and swim backstroke;
the second shall swim breaststroke; the third, butterfly; and the fourth shall swim any stroke other than
backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly.
a. Turns, Stroke, Finish. Each swimmer shall adhere to the position, stroke, kick, turn and finish rules
governing the stroke being swum.
Remember…
When in doubt, the swimmer gets the benefit of the doubt. No Disqualification.
Take action on what you see, not what you expect to see.
SAMPLE CYO DISQUALIFICATION SLIP
CYO SWIMMING Event
Girl
Heat
Boy
Rev 9/11
Lane Pollywog
Cub
Cadet
1. DISQUALIFICATIONS
TWO FALSE STARTS
EARLY TAKE-OFF ON RELAY
DID NOT TOUCH WALL AT THE TURN
WALKING ON OR PUSHING OFF BOTTOM OF POOL
PROPELLING BY PUSHING/PULLING ON LANE LINES
OUT OF ORDER IN MEDLEYS IM = FL/BK/BR/FR,
MED RELAY = BK,BR,FL,FR
SWIMMING WRONG STROKE
2. BACK STROKE
TURNED ONTO STOMACH DURING RACE OR FINISH
ADDITIONAL ARM PULL AT TURN (2X ALLOWED, MAX)
PUSHED OFF ON THE STOMACH OUT OF THE TURN
3. BREAST STROKE
ILLEGAL PULL-OUT AT START OR AT TURN
HEAD NOT BREAKING THE SURFACE DURING EACH
STROKE INCLUDING 1ST STROKE AFTER PULL-OUT
USE OF FLUTTER, DOLPHIN, OR SCISSORS KICK
VERTICAL OR LATERAL KICK NOT SIMULTANEOUS
HANDS BEYOND HIPS (OTHER THAN 1ST PULL
OF PULL-OUT)
ANY STROKE OTHER THAN BREASTSTROKE ARM PULL
DID NOT TOUCH 2 HANDS SIMULTANEOUSLY
AT
THE TURN/FINISH
PARTIAL PULL AT TURN/FINISH
4. BUTTERFLY
ARM STROKE OTHER THAN BUTTERFLY ARM PULL
AT START-MORE THAN ONE ARM PULL UNDERWATER
SCISSORS, FLUTTER or BREAST STROKE KICK
DID NOT TOUCH 2 HANDS SIMULTANEOUSLY
AT
THE TURN/FINISH
PARTIAL PULL AT THE TURN/FINISH
**WHEN IN DOUBT-THE SWIMMER GETS THE BENEFIT
OF THE DOUBT. NO DISQUALIFICATION.
Judge’s initials____________ Judge’s initials____________
ORDER OF EVENTS
EVENT #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
DESCRIPTION
100 yard Individual Medley, Cub Girls
100 yard Individual Medley, Cub Boys
100 yard Individual Medley, Cadet Girls
100 yard Individual Medley, Cadet Boys
75 yard Medley Relay, Polliwog Girls
75 yard Medley Relay, Polliwog Boys
100 yard Medley Relay, Cub Girls
100 yard Medley Relay, Cub Boys
200 yard Medley Relay, Cadet Girls
200 yard Medley Relay, Cadet Boys
25 yard Freestyle, Polliwog Girls
25 yard Freestyle, Polliwog Boys
25 yard Freestyle, Cub Girls
25 yard Freestyle, Cub Boys
50 yard Freestyle, Cadet Girls
50 yard Freestyle, Cadet Boys
25 yard Breaststroke, Polliwog Girls
25 yard Breaststroke, Polliwog Boys
25 yard Breaststroke, Cub Girls
25 yard Breaststroke, Cub Boys
50 yard Breaststroke Cadet Girls
50 yard Breaststroke Cadet Boys
50 yard Freestyle, Polli Girls
50 yard Freestyle, Polli Boys
50 yard Freestyle, Cub Girls
50 yard Freestyle, Cub Boys
100 yard Freestyle, Cadet Girls
100 yard Freestyle, Cadet Boys
100 yard Freestyle, Cub Girls
100 yard Freestyle, Cub Boys
200 yard Freestyle, Cadet Girls
200 yard Freestyle, Cadet Boys
25 yard Backstroke, Polliwog Girls
25 yard Backstroke, Polliwog Boys
25 yard Backstroke, Cub Girls
25 yard Backstroke, Cub Boys
50 yard Backstroke, Cadet Girls
50 yard Backstroke, Cadet Boys
25 yard Butterfly, Cub Girls
25 yard Butterfly, Cub Boys
50 yard Butterfly, Cadet Girls
50 yard Butterfly, Cadet Boys
100 yard Freestyle Relay, Polliwog Girls
100 yard Freestyle Relay, Polliwog Boys
100 yard Freestyle Relay, Cub Girls
100 yard Freestyle Relay, Cub Boys
200 yard Freestyle Relay, Cadet Girls
200 yard Freestyle Relay, Cadet Boys
BASIC STROKE CLINIC NOTES
1.
2.
Mental and Physical Preparation, Relaxation
a. Gaining trust, belief in the coach/teacher, reduction of fear
i.How to minimize a potentially fearful situation
ii.
Laughter and fun, make believe
b. Breath control
i.Exhale through transition
ii.
Rhythmic and in control
1. Feet down, hands on wall
2. Hands on wall, kicking, breathe to front
3. Hands on wall, kicking, breathe to side, sink shoulder
c. Float neutral in water
i.Recovery from prone position
ii.
Hanging float, totally relaxed (all muscles)
iii.
Prone float
1.Assisted
2. From push-off
Front Crawl
a. Kicking
i.Explanation of leg and foot position
1. Kick from hips, not knees
2. Show example of kick board for foot position
3. For young swimmers, lay on deck example of leg motion
4. Homework, assign 20 times per night
5. On side of pool, assisted, seated
6. On side of pool, prone, holding wall
7. Using noodle or kick board
8. Emphasize a rhythmic, symmetric kick
b. Explain Long Axis, (glass rod from head to toe)
c. Assisted prone glide with roll
d. Assisted glide with breath to side, head down
e. Partial assist on breath, (pull on leading hand, roll assist)
i.No kick
ii.
Kicking
f. Full stroke, no breathing
i.From side, 5 strokes no breath, Catch-up Stroke
1. With and without kick board
ii.
Elbows high, hands near body, Zipper Drill
1. Emphasize body roll throughout
2. Relaxed position with arms to side, not behind the body
(straight up when rolled to side)
3. Hand water entry with Thumb and Index finger, (hands angled
slightly down at finger tips, elbow above wrist) in front of
shoulder, not head
4. Underwater arm recovery to catch, smooth, hand angled slightly
down, elbow high, no “floating” or “skimming” hands
g. Side Glide (drill)
i.Head in water, in-line with spine throughout sequence
ii.
Outstretched hand in-line with axis, without drop during breath
iii.
One eye in the water, during breath,
iv.
Head position steers the body, (like the steering wheel of a car)
v.
Steady kick
vi.
If hand wants to “dip”, head was lifted, keep it still and in line
with long axis
h. Hand position
i.Hands on head example
ii.
Side to side pull through water to feel resistance
iii.
Digging pull to develop forward reach and backward pull with
resistance
i.Arms
i.Explanation of “S” pull.
1. No cross over or wide pulls
ii.
Acceleration throughout pull
iii.
Hand, angle of attack changes throughout stroke
iv.
Explanation of “pulling body through the water”
1. Use of lanes lines to pull
2. Hose (drill)
v.
Current thinking, don’t over push the end so as to cause
shoulder tweak
vi.
Hand entry 2/3 of full extension, thumb and index finger enter
first, directly in front of same shoulder
vii.
Don’ t overreach causing shoulders to move forward and defeat
an in-line, long axis body position
3.
Back Stroke
a. Kicking
i.Assisted kick on back
1. Coach supports at a point just above the small of the back with
hand closest to the swimmers head
2. Other hand is held above the knees, just above the horizontal
plane of the body.
a. Instruct the student not to kick the arm above the knees
b. Lift the back to cause an slight arch of the swimmers body
c. Emphasize the kicking motion to occur below the plane of
the body
ii.
Kick with hands 1) below buttocks then 2) above head, no
board, hands locked
1. Steady kicking motion, from the hips, not knees
2. Knees do not bob, up and down, above the surface
3. Head still throughout iii.
Side Glide (Drill)
1. Body position at 45 degrees
a. Head facing straight up, no movement in any direction
throughout drill (and during normal stroke)
b. No head bob
c. Head in line with long axis throughout
d. Leading hands arm and shoulder should be dipped below
the surface
e. Trailing shoulder is lifted above the water
i.Hand position is at side near buttocks
iv.
6 Kick Switch (Drill. This is harder than it sounds to have young
children get it right.)
1. Basically the same as the Side Glide with a switch after 6 kicks
a. Have the children count kicks for one leg (3)
b. Movement of arms is quick when switching
c. Hands exit thumb up, enter pinky first
d. Hands enter in line above the shoulder (or wider when
learning), not above the head
e. Keep the arms moving, once one arm has begun it’s pull
and is just past the shoulder, begin roll and start next arm
recovery.
f. The roll should begin from the hips, then shoulders, then
the trailing arm hand recovers to a position above the
shoulder
i.Look for the shoulder to come up to the chin just
prior to the hand leaving the water
g. Legs keep kicking in a rhythmic motion, in line with the
hips and shoulders, (head does not move)
v.
Backstroke Swim
1. Encourage a windmill motion at first.
a. Don’t worry about the “S” pull yet
b. Have the recovering arm start when the pulling arm is ½
way through the pull
c. Encourage them to let their arms “go”
2. Emphasize a body position that keeps the chest up, out of the
water
a. The head takes a neutral, relaxed, but stable position
b. Knees do not bob to the surface
i.Kicking from the hips, not knees
c. Body is in a reverse arch to keep the kicking foot from
exiting the water
i.Kick up to the plane, not above it
3. Bring in the elements learned from the Side Glide and 6 Kick,
Switch drills.
a. Body in line
b. Body rolling along the long axis
c. Hips rolling first, followed by the shoulder and then the
hand (when recovering)
d. Conversely, the pulling arm side will:
i.Dip down to aid in a deeper catch
ii.
Allow for a full “S” arm pull below the surface
of the water
1. Describe and demonstrate the “S” pull again
2. Show the “S” pull is the same as the Freestyle
pull, but on the side and behind
4.
Breaststroke
a. Body position
i.Body long,
1. Everything “stretched”
ii.
Legs together
1. Feet touching
2. Bottom of feet touching each other
a. Foot angled slightly down
iii.
Arms together
1. Hands stacked
a. Weaker hand over dominant hand
b. Upper arms pressed to side of head
iv.Head
1. In line with arms, torso, and upper leg
2. Eyes looking straight down
b. Kick (Demonstrate and explain first)
i.Individual attention in the beginning
1. Take each child that does not know how to kick or is kicking
incorrectly and manipulate their legs through the kick before
letting them try on their own.
2. The kick is much harder to correct than teach it right the first
time
ii.
Demonstration and practice
1. Out of water demo, manipulation, and practice
2. In water demo, manipulation and practice
3. Use the pool side with child sitting, if possible to begin
4. Start with knees bent legs together
a. At first, bring the knees down
b. Toes pointing down
5. Toes point out (catch position)
a. Toes still pointing slightly down
b. Knees still stay close (no wider than shoulder width)
6. Foot sweeps out and around
a. Foot travels in an arc around the knee
i.The feet do not kick out to sides and then snap
together. (this will tear up the knees)
ii.
This is one step, not out and then together
iii.
Foot angle to the water changes throughout
the sweep
b. Feet end in a position with bottoms of feet together
c. The motion of the legs starts slow and accelerates
throughout the kick.
iii.
Kicking Drills
1. Using a kickboard
a. Have child hold the top of the board
i.If the board is too long hold the board sideways
ii.
Arms slightly bent, elbows out to the side
b. Use a 4 count to call the kick action to the group
i.One (knees bend)
ii.
Two (toes point out)
iii.
Three (feet sweep)
iv.
Four (legs are straight, feet bottoms touching,
hold the position)
v.
Don’t let individuals get ahead or behind the
count
c. Constantly monitor for errors and correct.
i.Go back to physical manipulation and seated kicks
if necessary.
2. Vertical kick on the wall
a. Arms, with hands stacked, elbows out, arms flat in gutter
b. Chest close to wall
c. Thighs close to wall
d. Kick by bringing feet behind and close to buttocks, knees
stay close together
e. Toes point out (keeping chest and thighs close to wall
f. Finish kick by sweeping feet around the knees
i.End in a foot position that has bottom of foot to
bottom of foot
ii.
Foot angled forward
3. Kick on Back
a. Good drill to use to keep knees in line with body, and feet
coming up to buttocks
b. Body position
i.Hands under buttocks
ii.
Keep hips near surface
iii.
Feet go down, knees don’t come up
1. Toes point away from head, not down to
bottom of pool
iv.
Feet sweep around knees to finish
c. Hand locked above head
c.Arms
i.Use visual demonstrations to show correct hand/arm movement
1. Describe a shape similar to a “heart”
a. Outsweep, out and back, elbows beginning to bend to
120 degrees
b.Insweep
i.Shoulders muscles rotate the arms in toward
centerline
ii.
Elbows close to 90 degrees at beginning of
insweep
iii.
Not a pull back
iv.
Use arms and hands to push the water behind
and under the body
v.
End the insweep by bringing in the elbows
close together at centerline (minimizing resistance
c. Recovery through center line
ii.
Emphasize that arms must accelerate through the stroke
1. Hands start slow to catch the water and then speed up
throughout the “pull” until they return to the original position, in
front of the head
iii.
Hands must recovery quickly, either under or just over the
water.
d. Stroke Drills to pull it all together
i.Kick without arm pull
1. Used to emphasize long body position (streamlining)
2. Breath occurs as hands and arms “dip” just slightly simulating
the very beginning of the catch phase of the arm pull
a. Head does not break the in-line position with the torso
during the breath
b. Arms should remain almost straight throughout the drill
c. The knees just begin to break at the end of the breath
d. Immediately after a quick breath the head goes to the
neutral position and the leg kick through the sweep
e. Long glides will help
i.Have swimmers say their full name
ii.
Kick with Insweep only
1. Same as the previous drill but the pull goes through the first ¼
of their normal pull
2. The hand should stay within the width of their swimmers
shoulders
3. Tell the swimmers they are swimming through a narrow tube
4. The goal is to have the swimmer quickly return to the streamline
position
a. Very quick breaths
i.No long delay to exhale and inhale
ii.
Gently press the back of the head back into
the water if the swimmer is staying “up” too long
b. Head (and torso) up and over very quickly
i.Describe the length of the body going up and over a
hill
1. This would include a slight lift of the hips to go
“over” the hill
5. Breath is intentionally moved earlier to coincide with the
beginning of the arm pull
iii.
Kick with ½ Pull
1. Same as previous drill
2. Some experts believe that young swimmers should be told to
use this as their normal stroke
a. Reduces the tendency to hold the “praying” position to
keep head up and breath (comfort)
b. The Breaststroke should be a management of resistance
instead of application of power to learn
3. Both the pull and kick should begin slow and accelerate until
back to the streamline position
2. Butterfly
a. Body position
i.Have swimmers start in a position like the streamline
1. The arms should be in a “Y” position, at or near shoulder width
a. Thumbs pointing down
b. Palms 45 degrees out and down
ii.
Knees and ankles should be pressed lightly together
b. Arm and Body Motion
i.Slither “Drill”
1. Have the swimmer press their chest into the water
a. Don’t press the hands down, leave them at the surface
b. Don’t initiate the Slither with a dolphin kick
c. Back will arch
d. Buttocks should be “pointer up”
2. The chest press is quickly followed by a recoil of the hips being
trust forward from their lifted position
3. Link several of these “slithers” together”
4. The swimmer should move forward slowly if the body slithers
“waves” correctly
ii.
Single Pull to linked pulls
1. Press the chest as in the Slither
2. When pulling, the hands scribe the shape of a goblet
a. This is an exaggerated S Pull
b. Wide Outsweep
i.Hands begin close the to surface
ii.
Hands go back and down
c. Insweep and up to a point below the sternum
d. Push of the water back, under the stomach
3. Hands exit by hips, at sides
a. Don’t let hands go to a point behind the back
4. Hands arc around, at the end of straight arms, near the surface
and enter in front of the shoulders
a. Do not try to get hands to meet during recovery in front of
the head
b. Index finger and thumb should be very close to the water
i.Dragging through water is a good way to learn
c. Arms should not extend behind back but to the sides
5. Accelerate through pull and recovery until hand are back to the
catch position
a. Don’t let swimmer pause the hand movement at the end
of the pull
6. The body should go from a back arch during the chest press to
a gently frontal arch just before the arms recover
7. No kick taken
a. Let the legs “flag” naturally
b. A variation is to have the swimmers wear flippers but told
not to kick
iii.Breathing
1. No breath taken during pull at first, when learning
a. Have swimmers link several pulls together when they are
able to smoothly resume the streamline position
2. Breath taken when hands reach the point below the sternum
during the pull
a. Head position during breath
i.Chin close to water
ii.
Eyes looking slightly down
1. Head returns quickly to water, forehead first
b. Body position moves from a back arch to frontal arch as
the forehead enters the water
i.Have the swimmers take a breath
3. Breathe after 2 or three strokes
i.It is easier to skip breaths than take a breath each
time
ii.
Use this while teaching the stroke
1. The swimmers will probably need to stop after
3 or 4 strokes
c. Kicking
i.Describe the kick like that of a dolphin
1. The kicking motion begins from the chest (chest press) and
“moves” down the body to a snap in the feet
a. This is not a knee kick
b. This not a stomach in, stomach out movement
2. The kicks occur as the hands enter the water and as the hands
pass the stomach
a. “You kick out your hands”
ii.
The hands do not initiate the chest press and kick
iii.
The head does not push down to initiate the chest press and
kick
iv.
You may show the motion by holding the swimmer
1. Have swimmer stand vertically with toes pointed down
2. Swimmers arms at their side with hands on outside of hips
3. Hold the swimmer by the upper arms
a. Gently move the swimmer back and forth in front of you
b. This will cause a “waving” motion of the body
c. Instruct the swimmer to execute a small kick as the foot
moves forward at the end of the wave
i.The kick comes from quickly straightening the legs
ii.
Knees and ankles pressed lightly together
4. Flippers helps swimmers get a feel of the water pressure and
when to kick (some children have a difficult time with flippers)
v.
Kicking Sets
1. 25 yards dolphin kick, underwater
a. Take 4 to 6 kicks and take a breath
i.Hands by side
1. Head bobs up to take a breath
2. You can have them use the ¼ Breaststroke
pulls to get a breath in the beginning
3. As the swimmers become better, have them
“porpoise” up during the last kick for a quick
breath and immediately resume underwater
kicking
ii.
Hands in front in a narrow “Y” position
1. Begin the kick with a chest press
2. Breath using a butterfly pull
3. Try to have them continue the pattern for the
entire 25 yards
a. If they need a breath use the
Breaststroke ¼ pull
i.Alternate this with the butterfly
pulls
2. Kicking Left, Front, Right, Back Drill (Underwater)
a. Begin with flippers if you have them
b. Have swimmers use the dolphin kick throughout
i.First 25 on left side
1. Second 25 on front
2. Third 25 on Right Side
3. Fourth 25 on Back
a. Instruct swimmers to blow slowly from
their noses while underwater on their
backs
b. After the breath, return underwater by
leaning over to one side
d. Butterfly Stroke Drills
i.Left, Left, Right, Right, Both, Both Drill
1. As it sounds, one arm on the left, etc.
2. The non-pulling arm stays at a position in front
3. This is a timing drill as well as a body position drill
a. Emphasize a chest press to initiate each stroke
i.Remind swimmers to lift the hips during the chest
press
1. “Breathing through their Bottom’s”
b. The breath on the left and right pulls is to the side
i.Have the swimmers alternate where they take their
breath
1. On some 25s, only breath after the left hand
pull, etc.
c. The cadence might be like counting normally, one
thousand one, one thousand two, for each stroke
4. Look for a smooth fluid stroke
a. Emphasize a movement of the head that is forward, not
up
b. Slight pause, or glide, as the chest presses and hands
reach up to a catch position
c. Pulls begin strong and accelerate throughout the stroke
d. Hands do not pause at finish of the pull
e. The breath occurs as the hands pass the sternum, not at
the end of the pull
f. The head (forehead) begins to drop back to the water as
the arms start their recovery
(Clinic notes presented by Mark Lee)
EVENT CARDS
Event#:
A
B
C
Event#:
A
B
C
Team Name: ___________________
Swimmer Name(s):
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Team Name: ___________________
Swimmer Name(s):
_______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
__________________________
Polliwog
Cub
Cadet
25 50 75 100 200
Back Breast Fly Free
Medley Relay
Free Relay
IM
Polliwog
Cub
Cadet
25 50 75 100 200
Back Breast Fly Free
Medley Relay
Free Relay
IM
Heat # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Heat # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Lane # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time:
Lane # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time:
Time:
Time:
Official Time:
Official Time:
Place:
Place:
Event#:
A
B
C
Event#:
A
B
C
Team Name: ___________________
Swimmer Name(s):
_______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
_______________________________
Team Name: __________________
Swimmer Name(s):
_______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
_____________________________
Polliwog
Cub
Cadet
25 50 75 100 200
Back Breast Fly Free
Medley Relay
Free Relay
IM
Polliwog
Cub
Cadet
25 50 75 100 200
Back Breast Fly Free
Medley Relay
Free Relay
IM
Heat # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Heat # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Lane # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time:
Lane # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time:
Time:
Time:
Official Time:
Official Time:
Place:
Place:
SWIM CENTERS
Canby Swim Center
1150 South Ivy
Canby, OR 97013
503-266-2761
Lake Oswego School
Aquatic Center
2455 SW Country Club Road
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
503-635-0302
Mt. Hood Community College
Aquatic Center
26000 SE Stark
Gresham, OR 97030
Reynolds Community Swim Center
1204 N.E. 201st
Fairview, OR 97024
503-665-4494
Willamette University
Sparks Pool
12th Street & Bellevue St.
Salem, OR
Molalla Aquatic Center
117 N. Molalla Ave
P.O. Box 1316
Molalla, OR 97038
MEET MANAGER SET UP
Meets
Name of meet- = Meet x(x) yyyy
x(x) = one or 2 digit meet #
yyyy = e.g., 0809, 2008-2009
Team Name
The name on the Meet Schedule (cyocamphoward.org)
CourseYards
ClassAG
Meet StyleStandard
Meet TypeStandard
ID FormatOther
Age up Date 9/1/200x
x=
Current season beginning year
Starndardsn/a
Recordsn/a
Labels Hopefully you purchased this as an add-on module fron Hy-Tek
Help
This is very useful! Hy-Tek is also very good about responding to emails.
Scoring
Place
Ind. Pts.
Relay Pts
1
6
12
2
5
10
3
4
8
4
3
6
5
2
4
6
1
2
Timed Finals
Events
Copy from an existing meet, and rename the file, purge all but events
Polli events are not scored:
5, 6
11, 12 23, 24 31, 32 17, 18 41, 42
TEAM MANAGER SET UP
System Preferences
Team Name
The name on the Meet Schedule (cyocamphoward.org)
Gender Desc.Boy/Girl
Team Default Reg.
Other
Default Team Type
Age Group
Age up Date 09/01/2011
Adding Athletes
NameNo middle initial
Birthdate
For 2011-2012, a Kindergarten child = 06/06/2010, 1st grade = 06/06/2010, 2nd grade = 06/06/2009, ..., 8th grade = 06/06/2003
GradeKindergarten = K (others leave blank)
ID #None
Sub & Yr
Leave Blank
Contact InfoYour preference
Team 1
Your team name
Using Meet Manager and Team Manager
1. Basic Concepts:
• Meet Manger is the software that is used to:
o Record results during a meet.
o Export Event information for use by Team Manager
o Import Meet Entry information from Team Manager
o Export Meet Results to Team Manager
• Team Manager is the software that is used to:
o Keep track of information about your swimmers.
♣ Grade, Contact Information, Times
o Build information file for Meet Entries
o Export Meet Entries to Meet Manager
o Import Meet Results from Meet Manager
♣ To update swimmer times/location/date data
2. Basic Tasks:
You will need to refer to the Help files in either program to look for specific problems and how to
solve them. Practice! Follow the instructions on setting up your database as found in the Swim
Coaches Manual. The manual is available online at www.cyocamphoward.org/swimming.
a. Common Team Manager Tasks:
i.To update your Athletes information:
1. For a new year, Age Up all Athletes. Use a date that is prior to the first
meet of the season but after June 6 (all athletes birth dates)
2. To change the Active/Inactive status of swimmers, click on the check box
that asks to include Inactive Swimmers. This will bring up a new column
that will allow you to re-add old swimmers, or make last years swimmers
inactive.
3. To add swimmers, click on Add. This will bring up a dialogue box to add
swimmers.
ii.To Export your Team Roster
1. Click [File], [Export], [Athlete/Teams], note the location where the file will
be saved, select your Team, and click [OK].
iii.
To Import Meet Events
1. Click [Import], [Meet Events], find the location of the export file (exported
from Meet Manager), select the file by clicking on the name (the file
name will then appear in the box next to File name:], and click open. The
program will let you know that it has created an unzipped file and it’s
location (most likely TM4 Temp). Click [OK]. A new box will open up, click
on the file indicated, if it is the correct file, and click [Open]. Wait a few
seconds and then check to see if the meet has appeared in the Meets
Menu.
iv.
To enter athletes into a meet for export to Meet Manager:
1. From the Main Menu, click [Meets], click on the meet you want, and click
on [Entries]. You then may choose the method that best suits your needs
to enter your athletes.
2. After all entries are complete, go back to the Main Menu, click on [File],
[Export], [Meet Entries], select the correct meet in the new pop-up window,
and [OK] after selecting Export Relays. Note the location of the saved file
for use in Importing into Meet Manager.
b. Common Meet Manager Tasks:
i.To open a meet:
1. Click [File], [Open/New], browse to find the file you want to open, and click
[Open]. If you are not able to find the file you are looking for, you may be
trying to open a meet backup file. You need to Restore a file instead of
Open a meet.
ii.To Restore a meet, previously stored as a Backup:
1. Click [File], [Restore], select the option you require (read the related
help files for explanations on the various options), click [OK]. Select the
appropriate file, and click [Open]. Select the location to save, click [OK].
Follow the remaining instructions.
iii.
To Export Meet Events to TM (Team Manager):
1. You must first open the target meet. Once open, click [File], [Export],
[Events for TM], [Yes] (read the information, be sure it lists the file you
intended), click [Yes], click the radio button to select [TM entry times CAN
be converted to Yards]. Click [OK], select a suitable location to save your
files (suggest you create folder in the root directory (C:/), click [OK]. Note
the location and name of the file created. You will need this info when you
go to import the file into Team Manager.
iv.
To Backup a meet:
1. Click [File], [Backup], select the appropriate location, click [OK]. Read the
info to verify that you are doing what you intended.
v.To verify the Meet Set-up of an existing meet:
1. Once the meet has been opened, from the Main Menu, click [Set-up],
Meet Set-up]. Verify the information and make any necessary changes.
Use the Help files for detailed information/explanations of options. Most
meets will be set for you. You want to verity Location, Date, Yards, and
Meet Name.
2. Meet files provided by CYO and sent out once all teams have submitted
their entries (deadline is the Wednesday, noon, prior to regular season
meets) should have all necessary Events, Athletes, and Team information
already completed. Seeding will have been performed already. Do not
reseed.
3. To Run a Meet in Meet Manager
a. Open the meet. Verify Meet Set-up
b. From Main Menu, click Run.
c. From the Run Menu
i.There are two main Windows that you will use
1. Event Window shows the current event highlighted, the status of the
event, and a description.
2. The lower second window shows the Athletes involved in the event
highlighted in the first window. At the top of the lower window, you will
notice a row of rectangles, with one or more with a number, one of which
should be highlighted in red. This represents the Heat you are currently
viewing. Below the Event button line is a group of buttons that allow
you to perform various functions while entering times for the swimmers
completing their events.
3. Several buttons are used frequently:
a. [Calc] This button allows you to enter multiple times for a given
swimmer and have the software calculate the adjusted time and
give you the opportunity to accept the time.
b. [Adjust] This brings up another window that allows you to:
i.Add swimmer(s) to the event
1. Click [Adjust], select the Show Athletes radio button.
To enter a new person into the event, click and drag
a non-highlighted swimmer into an open lane. Select
Team from the Team pull down and add a new Athlete
to a team if necessary (not showing on team’s roster).
Try using the Show Swim-up radio button to view
swimmers swimming up. If a person shows as not
eligible (highlighted) they may be scratching from a
later event. Otherwise the swimmer should be entered
but disqualified for exceeding the number of allowable
events.
ii.Change lane assignments
1. Click and drag a name from one lane to another
iii.
Read the related help files.
c. [Score] Scores the event after all swimmers, in all heats have: 1)
times entered, 2) been disqualified, or 3) scratched from the event
(double click on name to scratch)
i.You will not be able to score a 3 & Under event. Pollis are
not scored.
Please utilize the help files found under the [Help] button on the Main Menu. Practice
doing tasks that you might find at a meet…before you work a meet for the first time.
CONTENTS
COACHING RESOURCES2
Additional resources Other helpful sites
PLANNING THE SEASON3-5
Team Administrator 3
Your practice season start date (no sooner than October 1) 3
Basic determination of team makeup and scope
3
Fee structures, including the CYO fee 3
Full function team with all levels? 3
Determine potential conflicts
3
Swimmers sign-up date 3
Parent volunteer sign-up sheet4
Coaching staff4
Computer input person
4
Practice schedule considerations 5
Pool selection considerations5
Basic Training Season Plans considerations 5
Mandatory Team Meeting 5
SUGGESTED MEETING AGENDA
6
WHAT EVERY COACH NEEDS TO KNOW7-9
Administrative Issues7
Swim meet volunteers7
Key Team Volunteers7
Specific Coaches training / certifications
8
Swim Practice Considerations 8
CYO Meetings,
8
HyTek Info 8
Season Evaluation 9
Misc. Info 9
SWIM MEET DUTIES FOR THE TEAM10
Coaches/Athletes
CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS11
Special considerations for Finals
Planning meeting
Warm-up times assignments
Hospitality Room available for coaches and volunteers
General layout of meet
Meet Director and Referee used in Championships
General admission charge for spectators
Clean up
Advertising in Program available
Meet Programs for sale
Results posting at spectator rest room hallways (deck level)
For sale at the Championship Meet -Sweatshirts, tee-shirts, etc.
HOSTING A REGULAR SEASON MEET12
Overall Expectations
Pre-Game Prayer and Pre-Game Statement read before all meets
Organization/Planning
Swim Box with supplies and equipment
Volunteer direction-Coordinator
Ribbons separated by team and given to visiting team
Clean up deck and spectator areas
Reporting meet information, scores, etc,
CHECKLIST OF ITEMS NEEDED IN SWIM BOXES13
COACHES’ MEETING BEFORE MEET BEGINS14
VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS15
Job Descriptions16-24
APPENDIX:
STROKE & TURN RULES FOR SWIMMING 25-26
SAMPLE CYO DISQUALIFICATION SLIP27
ORDER OF EVENTS28
BASIC STROKE CLINIC NOTES29-39
SAMPLE EVENT CARD40
SWIM CENTERS41
MEET MANAGER / TEAM MANAGER SET UP
42
USING MEET MANAGER AND TEAM MANAGER
43-45