|
Swim Meet Entry Procedure
All Swimmers in the competitive program are expected to compete. Stroke Development Swimmers are encouraged to participate in our in-house Fun Meets run 6-8 times per season.
|
|
All Meet Information is available on our web-site www.ducksswimming.ca.
Choose Swim Meets on the Home Page menu
Meets are listed in reverse chronological order. The "Meet Standard (guideline)" column indicates if the meet applies to your group.
Click on "details" for upcoming meets:
Under "Details" you can access the following information:
- Where, When, who (which groups are eligible for the meet), and the Commitment Deadline (the deadline date you must e-mail your coach by to advise that you will attend the meet)
- Meet Package - this is from the host team and contains all the details about the swim meet
- Meet Entries - this report will be posted several weeks prior to the meet IF you have sent your commitment to your coach indicating that you will attend
- Meet Fees - this report will be posted several weeks prior to the meet IF you have been entered in the meet. Fees are due prior to the competition and there is a $20.00 penalty fee charged for late payment.
- Meet Results - this report is posted following the competition. It contains the following information: time, place, points scored, and number of seconds of improvement (negative number), or number of seconds over your previous best time (positive number).
- "Send Meet Commitment" is on the bottom half of the page. Click on the arrow key to select your coach. Fill in your name, your phone #, your e-mail address, and any critical details (i.e., if you can only attend a particular session(s) of the meet). Click on "submit", bottom right to forward the e-mail commitment to your coach.
Meet Fees:
Meet Fees are due prior to the start of the meet. Your cheque can be given to any of the coaches. A $20.00 surcharge will be applied to your account for late payments.
Meet Entry Procedure:
The swimmer (or parent) must send an e-mail commitment indicating if you (or your child) will participate in a particular meet. Your child's coach will select the events for the meet. If you have any questions or concerns regarding meets please contact Andrea James at (905) 888 9994.
Meets are listed on our team calendar on Ducks Swimming Web-site. You can also access a list of meets on the Swim Meets page of our web-site as outlined above.
Commitment Deadlines are also listed on our team calendar. A commitment deadline is your final day to send a commitment VIA the Swim Meets page advising that you wish to be entered into a particular meet (instructions outlined above). The commitment deadline is generally 6 weeks prior to the actual competition.
Host entry deadlines are stated in the meet package. The host club usually sets an entry deadline 2-4 weeks in advance of their meet. We try to stay well ahead of that deadline so that we beat the crowds wanting to subscribe to these meets. Important to note that once the entry deadline has passed we are committed to pay for all events entered.
Meet Costs/Entry Fees:
The hosting club sets the fees for individual events and relays. National level and some Provincial level meets also have a swimmer surcharge in addition to the event fees; this is often referred to as a "Splash Fee". Ducks Swimming adds a surcharge of $20.00 per swimmer to cover coaching costs. Effort is made to ensure that swimmers have an opportunity to participate in at least one relay per meet. If, by chance, you have not been selected for a relay in a 2 meet period, please speak to your coach.
Time Standards:
Some meets have time standards that must met before a swimmer can enter the meet. Championship standards are for the elite swimmers. Swim Ontario publishes a list of times classified as "A, B, C, and D" which are sometimes used by meet managers to set a standard for a meet. A number of the meets that we attend have "no standard". This information is included in the meet package. Time standards are available on our web-site for your convenience.
Meet Attendance:
Meets are fun and motivating for our swimmers. Children in our Stroke Development Program are encouraged to attend a couple (or all) of the Fun Meets held during the season. These meets are good training ground for our young rookies. They will be exposed to the conventions of racing in a familiar and friendly atmosphere.
Swimmers in our competitive program are encouraged to attend meets regularly throughout the season. This is an important part of their experience & development. Coaches will provide guidance as to which meets are important for their group to attend.
SwimFit and Gold swimmers are also encouraged to compete and coaches fully support their participation; however, meets are considered optional for this group.
General Meet Procedures:
Swimmers are expected to arrive for the start of the warm-up (refer to meet package for warm-up and start times). Coaches will be on deck for the start of the warm-up and ask that all swimmers check in with them when they arrive. Parents are not allowed on the pool deck.
Swimmers should have a standard pre-planned warm-up that has been assigned by their coach. If teams have not been given lane assignments for warm-up, we do encourage our swimmers to try and warm-up in a lane or a few lanes together.
All swimmers are to remain with the coach and team unless they ask for permission to leave the deck area. We need to stay together to support our teammates and build team spirit. This also allows the coach to point out good swims; ensure that the swimmer is focused on the task and conserving energy for their races. Parents should send errant swimmers back to the coach.
Marshalling:
Swimmers are required to check in at the marshalling area prior to their race. Swimmers' events will be posted in the team area. It is the swimmer's responsibility to watch the marshalling board for his or her event number to be posted. Swimmers must check in with their coach immediately before marshalling for last minute advice, and immediately following each race for comments and correction. Swimmers should establish a habit of always asking the timers for their time following a race. If there is time between events, the swimmer can ask for permission to leave the deck to visit their parents. New swimmers should see the coach about an experienced "buddy" to assist them at the meet.
Meet Preparation:
Swimmers and parents should be aware of a training cycle and the effect that missing all or some of one segment will have on the swimmers' performance. If the swimmer misses the endurance phase, you might have speed but no endurance; miss the speed phase, and you might have endurance but no speed.
Sleep / Rest Comes Before Eating!!!!:
Let me repeat, "Sleep comes before eating". At long weekend meets, every effort must be made to conserve energy for Finals, including afternoon naps. This is one of the key secrets if the swimmer is going to win championships. On Friday and Saturday nights, if the swimmer cannot make it to bed by 9:30 p.m., then they should sleep in the car. Always pack a nutritious lunch so that it isn't necessary to stop for a meal, and sacrifice valuable rest.
Food:
Swimmers should eat a balanced meal (approximately equal amounts of calories; carbohydrates, protein, monounsaturated fats) approximately one-half hour to one hour before the meet warm-up. Generally, there is NO EATING during the meet; especially carbohydrates: chocolate, candy, carbonated drinks, etc. When meet sessions last longer than 3 hours, swimmers will be allowed to have a light lunch. If there is no official break, the coach will decide when it is appropriate to eat. RECOMMENDED: a thick salmon/tuna sandwich with mayonnaise, or turkey/chicken breast with a salad or heaped on a sandwich, plus 4 to 5 almonds, olives, or macadamia nuts. This will keep insulin levels down, energy levels up, and fight off the hunger pains. We follow the "Zone" nutritional guidelines, which is designed to control insulin levels, health and energy needs. The secret to good nutrition is controlling insulin levels first. A distant second is controlling calories. All swimmers should have a multi-vitamin, plus minerals, and, within reason, vitamin C, E, and B's. Check with your family doctor.
Warmth:
Wet swimmers get cold quickly!!!! Bring extra towels and a warm sweat suit. Street clothes, etc. are safer in a gym bag in the pool area than left in the dressing room (unless you have a locker). We are not responsible for lost equipment.
Press Releases:
Outlining meet results are submitted the following morning by 10:00 a.m. Very seldom does the press publish what is submitted and it is often a source of frustration. My feeling has always been to be thankful for what we get and not worry about what we did not get. To ensure recognition of our swimmers, a copy of the submission will be posted on our bulletin board.
Stroke Development Fun Meets:
Fun Meets are held at both pools, the Aurora Recreation Centre and the Lebovic Centre in Stouffville. No prior commitment is required to attend these meets; Stroke Development Swimmers are asked to arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled warm-up to register and pay the $20.00 entry fee. These meets are run by our coaching staff and we welcome parents to volunteer as timers. All participants will receive a Duck medal. We encourage swimmers to bring friends and family to watch the meet and support their efforts.
