Northley Middle School
Boys/Girls
Parents
Swimming & Diving
Handbook
Contents:
1. Philosophy of the NMS Swimming and Diving program
2. Expectations for all Swimmers and Divers
· General Information
· Meets
· Academics
3. Expectations for all Parents, Guardians and Spectators
· General Information
· 10 commandments for Swimming Parents
4. Attendance
5. Swim & Diving Meet Information
· Entries
· Meet Events
· Basic rules for relays, each stoke, turns, and starts
· Enjoying and Understanding Diving
· Types of Meets
· Scoring
6. Uniforms and equipment
7. Nutrition
8. Injuries
9. Hazing
10.Frequently Asked Questions
· General Information
· For Boys
· For Girls
· For Parents
"I wouldn't say anything is impossible. I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it".
Michael Phelps
Philosophy of the Swimming and Diving Program:
The coaching staff really focuses on three primary goals for the middle school swimming and diving teams. First, to develop skills so you can achieve your maximum potential. Second the importance of being on a team and the responsibilities of that participation. Last, to have a lot of fun.
"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get". -Michael Phelps
Expectations for all swimmers and divers
General Information
Ø To be a member of the NMS Swim Team, you must be a 7th or 8th grader AND be able to swim a minimum of one length of the pool without the use of the wall or a lane line to help you.
Ø By state law, swimmers may not begin practice until they have had a physical and the appropriate forms have been turned into the coaches. (The Take Care Clinic at Walgreens in Brookhaven provides physicals for a nominal fee. Please call 610-876-8815 for more information or to make an appointment.) or contact your pedatrition.
Ø Practice begins promptly at 3:00 pm therefore swimmers must be in the pool and ready to begin the first set at 3:10pm.
Ø The swim team will practice Monday through Friday from 3:05pm until 4:15pm for swimmers.
Ø All of your belongings must stay off the deck and locked in a locker during practice and meets or placed in the bleachers. The coaching staff in NOT responsible for your belongings.
Ø All swimmers should have a cap, goggles, and appropriate swim suit to participate at practice. Girls, this means a one-piece swim suit. One meet suit will be provided by the district in your first year
Meets
Ø If you are unable to attend a meet, one of the coaches must be notified by 4pm the evening prior to the meet. Missing a meet without appropriate notification is potential grounds for dismissal from the team.
Ø Swimmers must stay for the conclusion of each and every meet.
Ø Feet first entries for practice and meets unless specified by the coaches.
Academics
Ø The coaching staff would to like stress that you are a STUDENT-athlete and in that respect academics come first. If you are experiencing any frustrations with school, or find yourself in a tight spot, don’t hesitate to see a coach.
Ø All Northley and Penn Delco policies are in effect as you were in school, please refer to the Northley student handbook for details
Expectations for all Parents, Guardians and spectators
General Expectations
Ø Swimmers and divers may only leave away meets with their parent or guardian. The proper forms must be turned in to Mr. Campbell prior to the meet.
Ø Crowed, indoor pool environments are extremely warm and humid. We recommend light trousers, sweats, shorts and a T-shirt for parents.
Ø If another parent uses you as a sounding board for complaints about the coaches performance or policies, listen empathetically, but encourage the other parents to speak directly to the coach. He/she is the only one who can resolve the problem.
10 COMMANDMENTS FOR SWIMMING PARENTS
by Rose Snyder of USA swimming
1. Thou shalt not impose your ambitions on thy child. Remember that swimming is your child's activity. Improvements and progress occur at different rates for each individual. Don't judge your child's progress based on the performance of other athletes and don't push them based on what you think they should be doing. The nice thing about swimming is people can strive to do their personal best and benefit from the process of competitive swimming.
2. Thou shalt be supportive no matter what. There is only one
question to ask your child after a practice or a competition - "Did you have fun?" If meets and practices are not fun, your child should not be forced to participate.
3. Thou shalt not coach thy child. You are involved in one of the few youth sports programs that offer professional coaching, do not undermine the professional coach by trying to coach your child on the side. Your job is to provide unconditional love and support and a safe place to return at the end of the day. Love and hug your child no matter what. Tell them how proud of them you are. The coach is responsible for the technical part of the job. You should not offer advice on technique or race strategy or any other area that is not yours. And above all, never pay your child for a performance. This will only serve to confuse your child concerning the reasons to strive for excellence and weaken the swimmer/coach bond.
4. Thou shalt only have positive things to say at a swimming meet. If you are going to show up at a swimming meet, you should be encouraging, but never criticize your child or the coach. Both of them know when mistakes have been made. And remember “yelling at” is not the same as “cheering for”. You also may want to consider being positive anytime you are around the pool.
5. Thou shalt acknowledge thy child's fears. A first swimming meet, 500 free or 200 IM can be a stressful situation. It is totally appropriate for your child to be scared. Don't yell or belittle, just assure your child that the coach would not have suggested the event if your child was not ready to compete in it. Remember your job is to love and support your child through all of the swimming experience. Most of their fears are one’s you have given them.
6. Thou shalt not criticize the officials. If you do not care to devote the time or do not have the desire to volunteer as an official, don't criticize those who are doing the best they can. You too can be trained to be an official.
7. Honor thy child's coach. The bond between coach and swimmer is a special one, and one that contributes to your child's success as well as fun. Do not criticize the coach in the presence of your child, it will only serve to hurt your child's swimming.
8. Thou shalt be loyal and supportive of thy team It is not wise for parents to take their swimmers and to jump from team to team. The water isn't necessarily bluer in another team's pool. Every team has its own internal problems, even teams that build champions. Children who switch from team to team are often ostracized for a long, long time by the teammates they leave behind and are slowly received by new team mates. Often times swimmers who do switch teams never do better than they did before they sought the bluer water.
9. Thy child shalt have goals besides winning. Most successful swimmers are those who have learned to focus on the process and not the outcome. Giving an honest effort regardless of what the outcome is, is much more important than winning. One Olympian said, "My goal was to set a world record. Well, I did that, but someone else did it too, just a little faster than I did. I achieved my goal and I lost. Does this make me a failure? No, in fact I am very proud of that swim." What a tremendous outlook to carry on through life.
10. Thou shalt not expect thy child to become an Olympian. There are 280,000 athletes in USA Swimming. Only 2% of the swimmers listed in the 10 & Under age group make it to the Top 100 in the 17-18 age group and of those only a small percentage will become elite level, world class athletes. There are only 52 spots available for the Olympic Team every four years. Your child's odds of becoming an Olympian are about .0002%. Swimming is much more than just the Olympics. Ask your coaches why they coach. Chances are, they were not an Olympian, but still got so much out of swimming that they wanted to pass the love for the sport on to others. Swimming teaches self-discipline and sportsmanship; it builds self-esteem and fitness; it provides lifelong friendships and much more. Most Olympians will tell you that these intangibles far outweigh any medal they may have won. Swimming builds good people, like you want your child to be, and you should be happy your child wants to participate.
Attendance
Ø Since swimming and diving is training intensive sport based on your physical conditioning all swimmers are expected to come to every practice.
Ø Attendance will be taken every day and special awards will be presented to those swimmers who show their dedication to the team by attending every practice.
Ø Swimmers are permitted to miss 5 practices however a note must be presented to the coaches upon return or before a missed practice.
Ø Swimmers are permitted to arrive to practice late 5 times however a note will be needed to allow them to enter practice.
Ø If you need to leave practice early the coaches must receive a note before you will be permitted to leave.
Ø If you are a member of another club swim team you must attend Northley’s practice at least once a week in order to swim in a meet. A note from the club’s coach with contact information will be necessary for this to occur.
Ø We will not practice on any days that the high school has a home swim meet. These dates will be announced at practice, on the middle school website and on the bulletin board at the pool.
Swimming and Diving Meet Information
Entries
Ø Each athlete may compete in a maximum of four events per meet. You may be in two individual events and two relays or one individual events and three relays
Ø Diving count as an individual event
Ø Based on space, ability, and regulations the coaches try to enter each athlete in as many events as possible. The minimum amount of entries per athlete for a meet is one.
Meet Events
Ø NMS pool is considered a short course yards
Ø Short course yards is considered 25 yards per one length of the pool.
Ø Some away pools may be 25 meters (slightly longer then yards)
Ø Thus, a 50 freestyle is two lengths of the pool
Ø When you watch the Olympics they swim 50 meters per lap.
Event Number / Distance / Stroke Description1 / 200 Medley
Relay / Medley Relay-Four swimmers, 50 yards each stroke in the following order: Backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle
2 / 100 IM / Individual medley-25 yards each stroke in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breastroke,freestyle
3 / 50 Free / Freestyle-two lengths
4 / Diving
5 / 50 Butterfly / Butterfly-two lengths
6 / 100 Free
Relay / Four swimmers, each swims 25 yards freestyle
7 / 50 Backstroke / Backstroke-two lengths
8 / 50 Breast
Stroke / Breast stroke-two lengths
9 / 200 Free
Relay / Four swimmers, each swims 50 yards freestyle
** Events may changed based on the teams we compete against
**Based on type of meet, it typically takes 1-1 ½ hours for a meet
Basic Rules for Relays:
In relay races, competitors must have contact with the starting platform when the preceding swimmer finishes his part of the race. If any swimmer leaves before the previous swimmer touches, the relay is disqualified and scores no points.
Basic Rules for Each Stroke:
Freestyle - Swimmers in these events are allowed to swim any stroke, although nearly everyone will swim the crawl stroke the entire distance. The crawl is easily recognized by the "overhand" stroke. Because of their shorter distance, turning to breathe often becomes a factor in the sprint events (50 to 75 yards), and the swimmers will seldom slow down to catch a breath. However, oxygen balance is more important in the longer events, and distance free stylers usually breathe every cycle.
100 Yard Individual Medley - This race challenges the versatility of a swimmer by requiring them to swim 25 yards of butterfly, back, breast, and freestyle, in that order.
Butterfly - This stroke is the most energy-consuming of the four strokes. Both arms must be brought forward over the surface of the water and thrust backward simultaneously. The leg kick must be a downward thrust with the legs and feet together. The use of a scissor or breaststroke kicking movement is not permitted.
Backstroke - During this stroke, the swimmer must swim on his back until he approaches the wall for a turn. Once the swimmer pushes off of the wall, he must return to his back. The pennants hanging across the pool are designed to warn the backstroker of an approaching turn.