PoplarHeights Crush

Swim Team Handbook

2007

This document is presented as a guide for Poplar Heights Swim Team families. Its purpose is to present information about the Poplar Heights Swim Team’s summer swim program. It does not take precedence over the NVSL rules or other official NVSLguidance.

I. Team History.

The Poplar Heights Swim Team, nicknamed the Crush, is comprised of over 125 swimmers aged 518 from about 80 families who belong to the Poplar Heights Recreation Association. The team's colors are orange and black. The majority of swimmers on the team swim during the summer season only; however, there are some swimmers who participate in winter swim leagues and thus swim competitively year-round.

The Crush competes for a six-week season, from late June through the end of July, as part of the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL). The NVSL began in 1956 with eight pools (including PoplarHeights!); today the league as over 13,000 children swimming on 102 separate teams, divided into 17 divisions. In 2007, the Crush will compete in Division 7.

II. Coaches' Philosophy

The philosophy of the Crush coaching staff emphasizes the following principles:

  • The swim team is a positive and growing experience for all members as individuals and athletes.
  • The coaches strive to provide swimmers with an opportunity to improve their skills, develop teamwork and camaraderie among the swimmers, and understand the importance of good sportsmanship.
  • It's nice to win a meet, but winning a meet isn't everything. It's more important to have a winning attitude.
  • Using guidance and words of encouragement to all swimmers, the coaches promote team spirit and motivate each member to reach his or her full potential.
  • By making swim team fun, the coaches hope to instill in the swimmers a love for the sport.
  • The Crush is a funloving, ready to compete, do what it takes, and fight to the end kind of team. We welcome new swimmers!

Ill. Communication

Establishing and maintaining communication involves all Crush swimmers and their families, coaches, swim team representatives, and volunteer coordinators. This is a big job and one we work hard at. Here's how we do it.

  1. The Swim Team Handbook. This handbook covers the nuts and bolts of the swim team organization. Its purpose is to help families understand how the Crush works, as well as to provide some insight into the jargon of swimming.
  1. Registration Packet.This packet contains registration forms and the schedule of all meets and other Crush activities. It is available to all swim team families before the season starts at the PoplarHeights spring open house and on the pool website ( Copies are also available from the Team Rep or Registrar.
  1. Team Newsletter. The Crush Chronicles is published weekly during the swim season. Look for copies on the Crush bulletin board at the pool, in a weekly email, and on the website.
  1. Team Mailboxes. The team mailboxes are three large black files boxes kept outside of the pool office on the poolside. Each registered swim team family will have a file in this box. You should check your file at least weekly during swim season. If your family does not have a file, contact the Team Rep.
  1. Bulletin Board.The board, located outside of the pool office on the poolside, will have signup sheets for meets and social activities, directions to our competitor’s pools, late-breaking news, and other items of interest to the Crush. Check it often.
  1. Questions, concerns, conflicts and problems. Parents can easily contact the coaches or Team Reps in person, via team mailboxes, by email, or by phone. The coaches are available before and after practice. During practice the coaches must give their full attention to the swimmers in the water, so please do not use practice time as an opportunity to talk with the coaches. If you have a scheduling conflict for an "A" meet, please contact the coach or Team Rep as soon as possible, preferably by the Wednesday morning before the meet. The Saturday meet sheet is finalized by Wednesday night to pass it to the other team by Thursday. After this occurs we can only replace swimmers with a swimmer who has recorded a slower time in the event where the seeded swimmer is missing. We cannot swap swimmers among events to optimize our swim selections.

IV. Strokes.

If you're not a swimmer or a former swimmer, the strokes and their rules can be puzzling.

A simple description of the strokes follows:

  1. Freestyle. The freestyle is defined as any means of swimming the length of the pool. Any stroke and kick are acceptable, although the “front crawl” is nearly always used. There are a few “don'ts” associated with this stroke, including:
  2. You cannot walk on the bottom of the pool or pull yourself along using the lane lines.
  3. In a 50 meter race (two pool lengths), you must touch the wall at the 25 meter end before touching the wall at the 50 meter end (sometimes swimmers miss the wall at the turn).
  1. Backstroke. Like the freestyle, any stroke and kick are acceptable, as long as you stay on your back. Eventually, backstrokers learn to stay off the lane lines, use the overhead backstroke flags and lane line markings to know where they are, and count strokes from the flags to the wall. Backstroke starts are different from other starts, because the swimmer is in the water with feet planted against the wall. In addition, the backstroker may use "legs" at the start; that is, he or she may grasp the legs of another swimmer who stands on the pool deck to provide leverage and the start. "Legs" must be grabbed below the knee. A teammate usually provides “legs;” persons serving in an official capacity (timers or coaches) may not serve as "legs." If the backstroker swims 50 meters, he or she will learn the flip turn. This is the exception to staying on one's back during this event.
  1. Breaststroke. The breaststroke has two parts: the kick and the arm pull. The pull and its recovery must both be under the breast and cannot extend further back than the waist area. The kick is a "frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick. The arm pull and kick must be in an alternating sequence, and the elbows must stay below the water except for touching the wall at the finish. Breaststroke turns and finishes require a simultaneous two-hand touch.
  1. Butterfly. The butterfly also has two parts: the kick and the arm pull. The arm pull must be an over-the-water recovery (elbows breaking the surface of the water) with the arms moving simultaneously. The kick is a dolphin kick, with both legs moving together. Unlike breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick and the pull. Turns and finishes require a simultaneous two-hand touch at the wall.
  1. Individual medley (IM). In this event, the swimmer swims each of the four strokes in the following sequence: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. In the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) the IM is 100 meters (25 meters or one pool length of each stroke). Every turn is a stroke change, and stroke finish rules apply. This means the backstroke flip turn in an IM event is illegal.
  1. Relays. There are two kinds of relays, the freestyle relay and the medley relay. Both require a team of four swimmers, with each swimmer swimming one quarter of the total distance. In the freestyle relay, each swimmer swims the freestyle. In the medley relay, the stroke sequence is: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. In all relays, each swimmer must wait until the previous swimmer touches the wall prior to take off. Running starts or pushes from teammates are not allowed.

V. Types of Meets.

  1. NVSL Dual ("A") Meets. "A" Meets are scored competitions between two teams in the same division. The meets begin at 9:00 am on Saturdays, unless otherwise announced. Each meet consists of 50 events, or races, in the strokes and age groups specified in the following table. Note that boys' events are oddnumbered, and girls' events are evennumbered. Each team can enter up to three swimmers per event. Coaches decide which team members swim in "A" meets. They base their selections on the times of the swimmers from both teams in order to optimize our points and give us the best chance to win. Points are awarded for first through third place: five points for first place, three for second, and one for third. Winning a relay earns five points.

Ribbons also are awarded as follows: blue for 1st place, red for 2nd place, white for 3rd place, yellow for 4th place, green for 5th place, and maroon for 6th place. Winners of a relay earn blue ribbons. The team with the highest number of points wins the meet. There are five "A" meets in a season. The results of these meets determine the division champion at season's end.

Boys'Event Number / Girls' Event Number / Age
(in years) / Distance
(meters)
Freestyle
1 / 2 / 8 and under / 25
3 / 4 / 9-10 / 50
5 / 6 / 11-12 / 50
7 / 8 / 13-14 / 50
9 / 10 / 15-18 / 50
Backstroke
11 / 12 / 8 and under / 25
13 / 14 / 9-10 / 50
15 / 16 / 11-12 / 50
17 / 18 / 13-14 / 50
19 / 20 / 15-18 / 50
Breaststroke
21 / 22 / 8 and under / 25
23 / 24 / 9-10 / 50
25 / 26 / 11-12 / 50
27 / 28 / 13-14 / 50
29 / 30 / 15-18 / 50
Butterfly
31 / 32 / 9-10 / 25
33 / 34 / 11-12 / 50
35 / 36 / 13-14 / 50
37 / 38 / 15-18 / 50
Freestyle Relay
39 / 40 / 8 and under / 100
Medley Relay
41 / 42 / 9-10 / 100
43 / 44 / 11-12 / 100
45 / 46 / 13-14 / 100
47 / 48 / 15-18 / 200
Mixed Age Freestyle Relay (11-12, 10 & Under, 13-14, 15-18)
49 / 50 / Mixed Age / 200
  1. Developmental ("B") Meets.

"B" Meets, held on Monday evenings beginning at 6:00 pm, serve several purposes:

  1. They teach less experienced swimmers how to swim competitively.
  2. They help all swimmers develop their confidence.
  3. They help all swimmers improve their times.

The two teams participating in a "B" meet do not always belong to the same division, and meets are not scored, although each swimmer is timed. The meet consists of 42 events as set forth in the table below. Any number of swimmers can be entered in an event. Therefore, to accommodate all swimmers, some events have several heats.

Every swimmer can enter as many events as they want on Monday night with the following exception: If the swimmer placed first or second at the “A” meet on the Saturday prior to the “B” meet, they may not swim in that event unless it is approved by the head coach due to a special circumstance, then if they swim their time is “exhibition” only and they can receive only a competitor ribbon. After Monday morning practice, Coaches will help swimmers choose their events for that evening’s meet.

Unlike "A" meets, "B" meets hold events for swimmers six years old and younger,offer a 25 meter butterfly event for 8 and under swimmers, and offer a 100 meter individual medley (IM) event for all ages. No relays are swum at "B" meets, and first through sixth place ribbons are awarded, with competitor ribbons for other swimmers who finish their event without disqualifying.

Boys' Event Number / Girls' Event Number / Age
(in years) / Distance
(meters)
Freestyle
1 / 2 / 6 and under / 25
3 / 4 / 8 and under / 25
5 / 6 / 9-10 / 50
7 / 8 / 11-12 / 50
9 / 10 / 13 and over / 10
Backstroke
11 / 12 / 6 and under / 25
13 / 14 / 8 and under / 25
15 / 16 / 9-10 / 50
17 / 18 / 11-12 / 50
19 / 20 / 13 and over / 50
Breaststroke
21 / 22 / 8 and under / 25
23 / 24 / 9-10 / 25
25 / 26 / 11-12 / 50
27 / 28 / 13 and over / 50
Butterfly
29 / 30 / 8 and under / 25
31 / 32 / 9-10 / 25
33 / 34 / 11-12 / 50
35 / 36 / 13 and over / 50
Individual Medley
37 / 38 / 10 and under / 100
39 / 40 / 11-12 / 100
41 / 42 / 13 and over / 100

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VI. Time trials.

Time trials are held at the start of the season to get baseline times for all PoplarHeights swimmers before the first “A” meet. PoplarHeightsgenerally splits time trials into two parts -half on the Saturday before the first “A” meet and half on the next Monday, at a “B” meet. The time trials are conducted like a regular meet. Swimmers are entered in as many events as possible. In addition, time trials provide swimmers and officials an opportunity to gain experience in meet procedures.

VII. Relay Carnival.

The Relay Carnival is a competitive swim meet where all events are relays. All six teams in the division participate. It takes place on the Wednesday between the third and fourth weeks of the season. Both freestyle relays (where each swimmer swims freestyle) and medley relays (where each swimmer swims a different stroke) are included. Selection for "AllStar Relay Carnival" (held the Wednesday following the Relay Carnival) is based on the top eighteen fastest times in each event swum in Relay Carnivals from throughout the NVSL.

VIII. Division Championship Meet ("Divisionals").

"Divisionals" is a competitive meet held the last Saturday of the regular swim season. Swimmers from all teams in the division compete at this meet. The coach selects swimmers to compete based on their best officially recorded times from the season's “A” meets. Swimmers may swim a maximum of two events at Divisionals. Events are held in the same order as "A" meets, with the addition of an 8 and under butterfly event and individual medleys for all ages. The top six swimmers in each event receive a plaque from the NVSL. Meet results determine which swimmers qualify to swim in the NVSL Individual All Star Championship Meet (held the Saturday following Divisionals); swimmers with the top eighteen fastest times in each event from throughout the NVSL are invited to swim at All Stars.

IX. Staffing a Swim Meet.

It takes a huge volunteer effort to run a swim meet. It takes more than 40 parents to fully staff a swim meet. A meet takes place only with the support of parents. Please consider how you as a parent can help out. Volunteers are needed to act as referees, starters, timers, clerks of course, judges, announcer, marshals, and table workers for both “A” and “B” meets. A description of officials and the number of each that is required for each meet (in parentheses) follows:

  1. Referee. The meet referee is responsible for the overall conduct of the meet. Duties include inspecting the pool before the meet, providing preliminary instruction to officials, ensuring that officials and swimmers are prepared for the start of each event, and resolving any disagreements during the meet. The referee must be certified in accordance with NVSL procedures. (1)
  1. Starter. The starter signals the start of each race. The starter and the referee are responsible for calling a "false start". The Starter must be certified in accordance with NVSL procedures. (1)
  1. Stroke and Turn Judge. Stroke and turn judges watch swimmers to ensure they swim the stroke, make turns, and touch the end of the pool correctlyat the finish. The Stroke and Turn Judge must be certified in accordance with NVSL procedures. (4)
  1. Relay Takeoff Judge. The relay takeoff judge is responsible for ensuring that a relay swimmer does not leave the edge of the pool (or takeoff) until the previous swimmer in the relay touches the wall. (4)
  1. Announcer. The announcer maintains an accurate meet sheet, and announces the current event/heat, lane assignments, and swimmers' names. As the meet progress, the announcer provides event results and scores and makes any necessary announcements. (1)
  1. Clerk of Course. The clerk of course supervises swimmers in the designated waiting area before their event, notes any discrepancies in the official list of swimmers, advises swimmers when to go to their lanes, and ensures the safety and conduct of swimmers in the waiting area. (1 chief and 1 assistant).
  1. Chief Timer. The chief timer is responsible for the overall conduct of the timers, provides preliminary instruction to timers, secures the correct number of timers for each lane, ensures that all timers are prepared before the start of each event, provides assistance and backup to timers, and obtains the record of times for each event and gives them to the time recorder. (1 chief and 1 assistant)
  1. Timers. The timer is responsible for using a stopwatch to time swimmers assigned to his/her lane in each event. Three timers are assigned to one specific lane for the entire meet. After each race, the lane's head timer records the swimmer's time on a card and presents the card to the chief or assistant chief timer. Being a timer in a “B” meet is a good way to start out as a Crush volunteer. Don't worry - the chief timer will tell you what to do. (18)
  1. Time Recorder. The time recorder determines the official times, combines heats, and ranks swimmers from first to last. (1)
  1. Scorer. The scorer records each swimmer's official time and posts the meet results. (1)
  1. Ribbon Writers. The ribbon writers prepare award ribbons for swimmers. They record the event, stroke, distance, time, and swimmer's name on the appropriate ribbon. (2)
  1. Marshal. Before and during the meet, the marshal limits access to the deck only to swimmers and meet officials and ensures safe conduct of swimmers while on deck. (1)

Volunteers are also needed in many other ways. Volunteers are always needed to prepare the pool area before meets to set up lane lines, clerk of course area, scorers' tables, concession stand,spectator area, signs and flags, and PA system. After the meet, volunteers take down flags, remove lane lines, return chairs, clean up the deck, and pack and store equipment. The more volunteers there are, the easier these tasks.