CBAC Parent Training for Swim Meets
This Saturday you will be starting to learn your roles as parents in the sport of swimming. Your swimmers work very hard in the pool and train to do their races to the best of their ability. Now it is your turn to practice, train, and be the best swimming parent you can be!! I am so proud of all the parents who signed up to start the learning process. It will be a fun morning and the first step towards learning your official meet role. We have two guests who will be there on Saturday to help you, Tom McCallum who is the President of CIASA and Olive Balderamoswho is a FINA certified official. Both Tom and Olive are great examples of what you can do for the sport of swimming as a parent. It all starts with the first step……LEARNING! The swimmers are very keen to see their parents out on Saturday and they know this is your practice. By taking the time to be there for your swimmer you show them that you care about what they are doing.
Okay so that being said now we need to get down to business. I have made a Meet Parent Information package for you and this gives you everything you need. Please read this before Saturday, it makes for great bedtime reading!! I have also listed all the parents and the roles they will be doing on Saturday, please be sure to know your job inside and out. I have also included a meet timeline and what needs to be done and by who. It will be a lot of fun and we are going to reward you with a hot slice of pizza after!
So start reading and GO CBAC GO!!
Swimming Basics from USA Swimming (
RULES
The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules designed to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer.
COURSE
Competition pools may be short course (25 yards or 25 meters), or long course (50 meters). The international standard (as used in the Olympics) is 50 meters. World records are accomplished in 25 and 50 meter pools. USA Swimming maintains records for 25 yard, 25 meter and 50 meter pools.
COMPETITION
Participants compete in different age groups and meets depending on their achievement level and how old they are on the first day of the meet. Traditionally recognized age groups are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18. Many local meets feature 8 and under, single age groups, or senior events. Team practice groups are usually determined by age and/or ability.*(Cayman currently has a 6 and Under age group – with a no DQ rule)
OFFICIALS
Officials are present at all competitions to enforce the technical rules of swimming so the competition is fair and equitable. Officials attend clinics, pass a written test and work meets before being certified. All parents are encouraged to get involved with some form of officiating.
Parent Volunteers and the assigned jobs that they have for this Saturday:
Greeters (Please wear navy and white)
Joanna Humphries
Edel Anderson
Concession Stand (Please wear navy and white)
Gary Barrett
Simone Ross
Val Pollon (equipment)
Meet Parents (Please wear navy and white)
Melanie Seymour
Eva Moore
Edel Anderson (once meet starts)
Monica Watler
YoshneckMutomba(Announcer as well)
Joanna Humphries (once meet starts)
Marshalling (Please wear white polo shirts, khaki shorts)
Stephanie Kahl-Burnstein
Erica DelOglio (6 and Unders)
Starter (Please wear white polo and white shorts or khaki if you do not have white)
Richard Moody
Tim Bradley
Referee (Please wear white polo and white shorts)
Danielle Young (Tom to assist)
Stroke and Turn Judges (Inspector of Turns) (Please wear white polo and white shorts)
Sandy Hew
Maggie Garnet
Jennifer Weber
Nicole Thompson
Stroke Judges
Nicole Hastings
Traci Bradley
Head Stroke and Turn Judge (Inspector of Stroke and Turns and also Strokes) (Please wear white polo and shorts)
Olive Balderamos
Head Timer (Please wear white polo and white shorts)
Jacky Rowland
Timers (Please wear white polo and shorts, can wear Khaki if need be)
Ed Weber
Karen Southway
Jo Sinclair
Rachel Hamilton
Neil Sherlock
CJ Moore
Fiona Nadaraja
Nikki Stradling
Sue Bjuro
Dawn Kirton
Juliet Austin
Christine Groves
Tania Knapik
Janet Doyle
Lydia Barrett
Glenna Black
Monica Hanson
Lisa Burke
Runner (Please wear navy and white or pink if necessary)
Ian Lambert
Chief Recorder and Results (Please wear white polo and khaki shorts)
Joan Link
Warm Up Marshals
YoshneckMutomba
Ian Lambert
Joan Link
Team Mascot– Brian Barnes, to be dressed as a CBAC turtle!
Timeline and Duties
7:15am – Greeters, Concession, Announcer, Meet Parents, and Warm-up Marshals Arrive and set up
7:45am – Swimmers arrive and all other volunteers
7:55am – Announcer welcomes everyone, goes over warm-up rules and when officials meetings are.
8:00am – Warm-Up starts (Warm – Up marshals will maintain warm-up rules)
8:15am – Officials Meeting and Time Keepers Meeting
8:40am – Lanes 1, 2, 7,8 will be open for starts off the blocks (7+ on coach approval)
9:00am – Warm- Up Ends, Announcer Clears the pool, Marshaling opens, 50 Free all ages
to Marshaling
9:00am – All Timers and Officials to positions
9:05am - Jeffrey Wight - Welcome
9:15am – Meet start
Note: Meet parents please send swimmers to marshaling 2 events before their races. Put swimmers in age range and mix boys and girls.
11:30am (approx.) – Meet Conclusion, Pizza and Team Bonding. Pool is closed at meet end.
Duties and Rules
Greeters – Welcome everyone and provide information. Will need a list of volunteers and what they have signed up for and also a timeline of the events. Direct the swimmers to the right of the pool under the tents provided.
Concessions – You will be selling Water, Gatorade, Bananas, Granola Bars (Price list will be provided). Val will be selling equipment (Price list will be provided). Concessions will be sold for the duration of the meet.
Meet Parents – You will keep swimmers together and organized. You will need to send the swimmers to marshaling for their events at least 2 events before theirs.
Marshaling – You will organize the swimmers into heats, write their name and lane on the time sheet and sort them in order. Swimmers will swim in their age group, but mixing of boys and girls will be allowed to speed up the practice meet. Swimmers will take their own time sheet to the timers and hand it in before their race. For our next meet there will be heats and lanes assigned prior to meet start, we will be doing it this way just for this practice.
Announcer– To inform of meet rules and start and end warm up. Also should any announcements need to be made during the meet, this will be the duty of the announcer.
Warm- Up Rules (to be read by Announcer and enforced by Warm-Up Marshals):
- Swimmers must enter the water feet first in a cautious manner from the wall during general warm-up.
- There is no diving in general warm up. Diving starts are only permitted in designated Sprint Lanes once lanes are opened by Warm- Up Marshals.
- Sprint lanes, (1,2, 7,8) will be used for 15m or 25m swims ONLY!
- Circle swimming must be observed, swimmers will stay to right side in their lanes.
- If swimmers are stopping at ends of the pool, they must not block the center of the lane, this part of the wall must remain clear at all times.
- There is no sitting on lane lines allowed.
Lane assignments for Warm- Up will be as follows:
Lane 1, 2 – Novice B
Lane 3, 4 – Novice A
Lane 5- Age Group
Lane 6, 7- Age Group Select
Lane 8 – Dart Select
At 8:40am Sprint lanes will open and Sprats will start warm up
Lane 1,2 – Sprints (15m or 25m) All Novice Swimmers
Lane 3, 4 – Sprats
Lane 5, 6 – Swimmers 10 or older
Lane 7, 8 – Sprints (15m or 25m) Age group, Age Group Select, Dart Select Sprint
9:00am – Warm – Up ends, pool is closed to all swimmers.
FINA- Management of Competitions
SW 1.1 The Management Committee appointed by the governing body shall have jurisdiction over all matters not assigned by the rules to the referee, judges or other officials and shall have power to postpone events and give directions consistent with rules adopted for conducting any event.
SW 1.2 At the Olympic Games and World Championships the FINA Bureau shall appoint the following minimum numbers of officials for the control of the competitions: (The roles highlighted are ones that CBAC/CIASA will be training you for)
• referee (1)
• control-room supervisor(1)
• judges of stroke (4)
• starters (2)
• chief inspectors of turns (2, 1 at each end of the pool)
• inspectors of turns (1 at each end of each lane)
• chief recorder (1) (Not at this practice session)
• clerks of course (2) (Marshalling)
• false start rope personnel (1)
• announcer (1)
SW 1.2.1For all other international competitions, the governing body shall appoint the same or fewer number of officials, subject to the approval of the respective regional or international authority where appropriate.
SW 1.2.2 Where Automatic Officiating Equipment is not available, such equipment must be replaced by chief timekeeper, three (3) timekeepers per lane and two (2) additional timekeepers.
SW 1.2.3A chief finish judge and finish judges are required when Automatic Equipment and/or three (3) digital watches per lane are not used.
SW 1.3 The swimming pool and the technical equipment for Olympic Games and World Championships shall be inspected and approved in due course prior to the Swimming competitions by the FINA Delegate together with a member of the Technical Swimming Committee.
SW 1.4 Where underwater video equipment is used by television, the equipment must be operated by remote control and shall not obstruct the vision or path of swimmers and must not change the configuration of the pool or obscure the required FINA markings.
OFFICIALS
SW 2.1 Referee
SW 2.1.1The referee shall have full control and authority over all officials, approve their assignments, and instruct them regarding all special features or regulations related to the competitions. He shall enforce all rules and decisions of FINA and shall decide all questions relating to the actual conduct of the meet, and event or the competition, the final settlement of which is not otherwise covered by the rules.
SW 2.1.2The referee may intervene in the competition at any stage to ensure that the FINA regulations are observed, and shall adjudicate all protests related to the competition in progress.
SW 2.1.3When using finish judges without three (3) digital watches, the referee shall determine placing where necessary. Automatic Officiating Equipment, if available and operating shall be consulted as stated in SW 13.
SW 2.1.4The referee shall ensure that all necessary officials are in their respective posts for the conduct of the competition. He may appoint substitutes for any who are absent, incapable of acting or found to be inefficient. He may appoint additional officials if considered necessary.
SW 2.1.5At the commencement of each event, the referee shall signal to the swimmers by a short series of whistles inviting them to remove all clothing except for swimwear, followed by a long whistle indicating that they should take their positions on the starting platform (or for backstroke swimming and medley relays to immediately enter the water). A second long whistle shall bring the backstroke and medley relay swimmer immediately to the starting position. When the swimmers and officials are prepared for the start, the referee shall gesture to the starter with a stretched out arm, indicating that the swimmers are under the starter's control. The stretched out arm shall stay in that position until the start is given.
SW 2.1.6The referee shall disqualify any swimmer for any violation of the rules that he personally observes. The referee may also disqualify any swimmer for any violation reported to him by other authorised officials. All disqualifications are subject to the decision of the referee.
SW 2.2 Control-room Supervisor (CBAC does not need this at this time, we will in the spring.)
SW 2.2.1The supervisor shall supervise the automatic timing operation including the review of backup timing cameras.
SW 2.2.2The supervisor is responsible for checking the results from computer printouts.
SW 2.2.3The supervisor is responsible for checking the relay exchange printout and reporting any early takeoffs to the referee.
SW 2.2.4The supervisor may review the video used for backup timing to confirm early takeoff.
SW 2.2.5The supervisor shall control withdrawals after the heats or finals, enter results on official forms, list all new records established, and maintain scores where appropriate.
SW 2.3 Starter
SW 2.3.1The starter shall have full control of the swimmers from the time the referee turns the swimmers over to him (SW 2.1.5) until the race has commenced. The start shall be given in accordance with SW 4.
SW 2.3.2 The starter shall report a swimmer to the referee for delaying the start, for wilfully disobeying an order or for any other misconduct taking place at the start, but only the referee may disqualify a swimmer for such delay, wilful disobedience or misconduct.
SW 2.3.3The starter shall have power to decide whether the start is fair, subject only to the decision of the Referee.
SW 2.3.4When starting an event, the starter shall stand on the side of the pool within approximately five metres of the starting edge of the pool where the timekeepers can see and or hear the starting signal and the swimmers can hear the signal.
SW 2.4 Clerk of Course (this will be our Marshalling area)
SW 2.4.1The clerk of course shall assemble swimmers prior to each event.
SW 2.4.2The clerk of course shall report to the referee any violation noted in regard to advertising (GR 6) and if a swimmer is not present when called.
SW 2.5 Chief Inspector of Turns
SW 2.5.1The chief inspector of turns shall ensure that inspectors of turns fulfil their duties during the competition.
SW 2.5.2The chief inspector of turns shall receive the reports from the inspectors of turns if any infringement occurs and shall present them to the referee immediately.
SW 2.6 Inspectors of Turns
SW 2.6.1One inspector of turns shall be assigned to each lane at each end of the pool.
SW 2.6.2 Each inspector of turns shall ensure that swimmers comply with the relevant rules for turning, commencing from the beginning of the last arm stroke before touching and ending with the completion of the first arm stroke after turning. The Inspector of Turns at the starting end of the pool, shall ensure that the swimmers comply with the relevant rules from the start and ending with completion of the first arm stroke. The inspectors of turns at the finish end shall also ensure that the swimmers finish their race according to the current rules.
SW 2.6.3In individual events of 800 and 1500 metres, each inspector of turns at the turning end of the pool shall record the number of laps completed by the swimmer in his lane and keep the swimmer informed of the remaining number of laps to be completed by displaying "lap cards". Semi-electronic equipment may be used, including under water display.
SW 2.6.4 Each inspector at the starting end shall give a warning signal when the swimmer in his lane has two lengths plus five (5) metres to swim to finish in individual events of 800 and 1500 metres. The signal may be repeated after the turn until the swimmer has reached the five (5) metres mark on the lane rope. The warning signal may be by whistle or bell.
SW 2.6.5Each inspector at the starting end shall determine, in relay events, whether the starting swimmer is in contact with the starting platform when the preceding swimmer touches the starting wall. When Automatic Equipment which judges relay take-offs is available, it shall be used in accordance with SW 13.1.
SW 2.6.6 Inspectors of turns shall report any violation on signed cards detailing the event, lane number, and the infringement delivered to the chief inspector of turns who shall immediately convey the report to the referee.
SW 2.7 Judges of Stroke
SW 2.7.1 Judges of stroke shall be located on each side of the pool.
SW 2.7.2 Each judge of stroke shall ensure that the rules related to the style of swimming designated for the event are being observed, and shall observe the turns and the finishes to assist the inspectors of turns.
SW 2.7.3 Judges of stroke shall report any violation to the referee on signed cards detailing the event, lane number, and the infringement.