Swim Team Parents & Guardians 2013-2014 Swim Season Information FEES: $90.00 per child or $180.00 for a family of 2 or more children. If you have more than two swimmers per family, there will not be any additional fee for them to swim. PRACTICE: Practices will be held on Tuesdays from 8:00 to 9:00 PM and on Fridays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM at the Alberta Morris Pool, which is located across the street from Archbishop Ryan High School. Please make sure you are at the pool at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled practice time. This time is needed so that your child/children are ready to get into the water at the designated times. We want to take advantage of our full hour for practices! ** PLEASE make sure your swimmer is showered before entering the pool. MEETS: Meets are held on Saturdays or Sundays. Exact times and dates of meets will be distributed. Please make sure that you are at the pool at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled meet start. This time is needed for warmups before the start of the meets. ** IMPORTANT ** If your child/children cannot make a scheduled meet, please give Coach Ken written notice by the Wednesday before the meet or ASAP. If you do not give him written notice, please talk directly to Coach Ken at practice or call him at 267-207-0671. It is VERY important that Coach Ken is aware of any swimmer that will NOT be swimming. If Coach Ken is NOT aware that your child will not be swimming at a schedule meet, your child may not swim in the next scheduled meet due to the uncertainty of their attendance. * All swimmers must attend at least five (5) meets to be eligible for the end of year gift. Any swimmer that quits the team will not receive a gift. Please be considerate to other children on the team. Your child may be scheduled to swim in a relay and if he/she does not show up for a meet, three (3) other children will not be able to swim! We understand emergencies & illnesses arise unexpectedly, so please call Coach Ken ASAP. SWIMSUITS and SWIMMING EQUIPMENT: All swimmers should have goggles, flippers, towels, and swim cap (optional for boys). Suits and equipment can be purchased at “Personal Best” which is located at 2613 East Street Road, Bensalem, PA 19020 (215) 244-1244. Make sure you let them know you are with the St. Katherine of Siena Swim Team, so that you get the correct suit. Children should try on the suits before you purchase them. It is NOT mandatory to purchase the team swimsuit, but please make sure it is a racing suit and not swim trunks. Racing swim suits should be snug – actually tight! Buying a larger size for your child will not save you money in the future (the chlorine will dry out the elastic before your child grows into the larger size). Please make sure your child’s name is on all their equipment! We are not responsible for lost items. -1- FORMS OF COMMUNICATION: Due to the size of our team and the preparation that goes into each swim meet, communication is VERY important for a smooth and enjoyable swim season. There are several forms of communication that are available, so it is very easy for parents/guardians to find out any information needed or to contact us if you should have a question.  Verbal/written communication to Coach Ken at practice. If Coach Ken is unavailable, any assistant coach would me more than happy to help you and answer any questions.  Phone communication Coach Ken: Asst. Coach Patti: 267-207-0671, e-mail: [email protected] (c) 215-908-2426 Swim Team Website Please check the swim team website daily for the latest SKS swim team info/news/weather cancellations. The swim meet schedule, important reminders, and other swim team information is always posted. For security purposes, no photos or phone numbers are used on the website.  http://www.eteamz.com/SKS_SwimTeam/ Bulletin board The bulletin board is posted during practice and is used as a back-up to the website. All the latest information that is posted on the website will be posted on the bulletin board along with the workers’ schedule. If you do not come into the building to pick your child up, please tell you child to check the bulletin board for the Workers’ Schedule and to look for your family’s name to see if you are scheduled to work the meet (see below).  E-mail communication We try not to send too many e-mails to our swim team members, but sometimes it is necessary for important info/news to be distributed to our swim team families. The only e-mail that will be sent to you regularly is the Workers’ Schedule for an upcoming swim meet.  VOLUNTEERS: Just remember: We do this for our kids! All parents or guardians are expected to work your assigned swim meets. A workers’ schedule is made before each meet. This is only fair. Our organization is run by volunteers! EVERY position - head coach, assistant coaches, administrative people, etc… is voluntary. This is why it is important for everyone to chip in and help. Our meets cannot go on without adult volunteers and supervision. If you are unable to work your scheduled meet, it is your responsibility to find a replacement – just switch with someone who can work the meet and work for them next time. If there is a particular meet that you want to work OR cannot work, please contact Meg Foley. There are several jobs and plenty of people that if everyone does their part, this swim season should run smoothly. This makes it much more enjoyable for everyone - parents and swimmers. If this is your first year, we will have someone to show you how to operate the stopwatches – it’s VERY easy and the kids love seeing their parents on the pool deck during meets! Volunteer Coordinator – Meg Foley - 215-983-9070, [email protected] We have some exceptional volunteers that work every meet and we are so grateful to have them! Basically, if every family chips in -- you work some meets and relax for the rest! -2- ** Only meet workers are permitted on deck during swim meets. ** Our insurance coverage only permits the swimmers and workers on the deck during meets. If you would like to be on deck at each meet, please let Meg Foley know and she can find you a permanent job. We MUST abide by this stipulation, so that we are in accordance with the pool’s rules and the insurance coverage. ALSO, during practices, ONLY coaches and swimmers are permitted on deck. Here's a list of some of the jobs that are needed for every swim meet. Please let Meg Foley know if there is a particular job that you would like or if you are willing to work every meet. Ready Bench - Sends swimmers to their designated lane. Score Table - Writes down what place swimmers come in and totals points. Place Judge - Writes down the places each swimmer came in at the end of a race. Runner - Collects slips from each lane and gives to score table. Lane Monitor - Makes sure that each swimmer is in the right order in your lane. Timers - Time the swimmer in your lane – it’s easy - press start, stop, & reset on the stopwatch. 50/50 - Sells tickets only during home meets. Stroke & Turn - Watches that swim stroke is performed legally. (Must attend a 2 hour class) *** IMPORTANT *** A parent/guardian must stay at practices/meets with any swimmer under the age of 10 years. There were numerous instances when a child was nervous, didn’t feel well, and/or was crying and there was no parent/guardian to be found. This is not fair to the child or the team. _______________________________________________________________________________________  Coach Ken - 267-207-0671 Asst. Coach Patti - (c) 215-908-2426 -3-