BSR Swim Team Guidelines
1. For practice we require goggles for all swimmers, caps for girls, and proper swim team attire. The swimmer should not be dressed in board shorts or two piece suits. We are trying to provide the best swimming instruction possible. Lack of goggles and caps and a proper practice suit disrupts the swimmer’s technique.
2. Team caps or plain caps are required for swim meets. Caps from other teams, summer or age group, are not acceptable. Team suits are not a must but at least a black one piece (girls) or jammer (boys) is preferable. Team caps can be purchased at BSR.
3. We ask that parents remain at the near end of the pool by the snack bar during practice. This allows coaches uninterrupted time with the swimmers. We are always available afterward for questions, or can be contacted during the day via phone or email.
4. Swim team members should not also be enrolled in swim lessons. Swimming for 45 minutes to 1 hour daily is enough workout for your child. Our instruction is tailored specifically for the competitive swim team and for the swimming improvement of your child.
5. It is highly important to inform the coaching staff at least three days prior to a meet if your swimmer will be absent from that meet. PLEASE, we cannot emphasize this enough. If we put someone in a meet and they are not there, another teammate loses the chance to swim.
6. The team competes in 5 ‘A’ dual meets, held on Saturday mornings. Some swimmers also compete in 2 or 3 ‘B’ meets held on weekday evenings. ‘A’ and ‘B’ designations are based on the swimmers performance in the dual meets. Any swimmer with a first or second place finish in an ‘A’ dual meet is designated as an ‘A’ swimmer.
7. Team members also participate in the Bowie City Meet and Bowie City Relays. The season concludes with a championship Divisional meet and then an all-star meet on the following weekend. (see Coach’s Policies on the back for who is eligible)
8. Team information is posted on the web site and the team bulletin board, and is updated weekly if not daily. Remember to check there for important announcements. Also remember to provide us with a valid email address when you register so we can send you our weekly email news.
9. Practice schedule: The first practice is from 8:00 to 9:00 and the second practice is from 9:00 to 10:00. Mini practice runs from 9:00 to 9:45. A general guideline is for the younger swimmers (10 & under) to practice first and the older swimmers to practice second. During the first two weeks of practice we will be re-assigning swimmers to a practice based on their ability.
SCRATCH BOOK - Any swimmer unable to make a Saturday A Meet should ensure they have noted it in a “Scratch Book” that is in the pool office. See the gate guard or manager to get the book. Scratches should be made no later than the conclusion of the Wednesday practices.
1. Our goal for every swimmer on the team is to have them swim at least one event in 2 ‘A’ meets, although we usually do better than that. As a general rule we are allowed 6 swimmers per event, or 9 in the freestyle events. This means a swimmer with one of the top times in an event for their age group will be swimming more in ‘A’ meets.
2. The ‘B’ meets are important. Any swimmer who does not have a first or second place finish in any event in an ‘A’ meet is eligible for our ‘B’ meets. The times achieved in ‘B’ meets can be used for entries in ‘A’ meets, and thus help move the swimmers up to ‘A’ status.
3. Swimmers with one of the top 3 times in each age group are eligible for the Bowie City Meet. We will be posting the top times each Monday. In some cases one of the top 3 might not swim an event. In that case we will move through the order, to number 4, 5, etc., as needed.
4. We expect all the team members to swim in the City Relays! Anyone who comes to the meet will swim. The city relay rules are specifically designed to let everyone participate. We may have a 12 year old girl in an 18 & under boys relay, but if we have fun with it it’s all good!
5. The top 2 swimmers in each event in each age group are eligible for Divisionals. As with the City Meet, if someone can’t swim an event we will move down through the order.
1. Be on time for practice and come every day that you can. That means you should be ready to enter the water when practice starts.
2. When the coaches are talking we expect you to listen. Explaining the technique and stroke refinements is important, and if you miss what we are saying you may miss the key to your biggest improvement yet!
3. We look for effort, not blue ribbons. Achievement to us is you doing your best, not breaking records.
4. Help out the coaching staff when possible. If some of you can be at practice early to put in lane ropes and put up flags, that’s great. If some of you can stay to help put things away that’s great too. Practice is for you. Take ownership of that.
5. During swim meets please stay in the team area and listen for your name to be called. We have many swimmers to watch in the water and the coaching staff cannot constantly be chasing down team members. If you do need to leave the team area please let one of the coaching staff know where you are going.
6. If you discover on the day of a meet that you cannot swim, please call Coach Becky’s cell phone so we can try to arrange for a substitute swimmer. Also that way we will not worry about you!
Important web sites:
http://www.bsrbarracudas.com/
http://www.princemont.org/