1.
Athletes
must follow the rules and guidelines of The Harbour Park Pool.
2.
Unacceptable
behavior during practice or a meet will result in probation. If the behavior persists you will be removed
from the team.
3. Swimmers
8& U may not be dropped off and left alone at the pool. If you cannot be with your children,
please make arrangements with another parent or guardian (at least 15 years
old) to look after them during a practice or meet. Swimming is different from
most team sports in that there are many
more children than coaches. Please know where your child is at all times
including when in the water.
4. No one is
allowed in the baby pool at any time.
5.
If you
have problems or concerns, please talk to a board member.
6.
A swimmer
should inform one of the coaches if he/she leaves the pool to go to the
restroom or must leave practice early. Only restrooms at the pool are to be
used.
7.
Swimmers
must not enter the pool before their scheduled practice time and should get out
as soon as their age group is released unless
given prior permission by the head coach to start early or remain
late.
8.
Please
be prompt in picking up your swimmer.
9.
During
a meet, no one is allowed in any part of the competition pool unless they are
participating in an event. This includes dangling feet in areas not used for
competition.
10. No alcoholic beverages or tobacco
products are allowed at practices or meets.
11. If you must miss a meet , other than
illness, you must provide WRITTEN
notice to the coach 1 weeks prior to the event.
12. If you must miss a meet due to
illness please contact the Clerk of Course Immediately or another board member.
If you can not reach them please have a friend notify them.
13. Athletes are to check with the
designated coach at least one hour prior to the meet. All athletes not checked
in by then will be scratched from the meet.
14. Always come prepared to practice and meets with
2 pair of goggles
2 swim caps
1 suits
15. Clean up of the facility is the
responsibility of the entire team. This
applies to practice, games, and meets.
Team areas at meets are especially important at away games, as this
reflects on our team.
16. Rest room maintenance includes but is not limited to, picking up
towels, picking up clothes, turning off showers and faucets & reporting any
problems with facilities to Coach Haltom.
FAQ
1. What if my child doesn't know how to
perform all of the strokes well?
Training
intensity and duration varies by skill level, age, maturity, etc. The coaches
will help make this assessment. Everyone was a beginner once. Our coaches
remember that and will help your child improve his/her technique.
2. Will my child swim with others his/her own
age? What will they do during the season?
Your child
will swim against his/her own aged swimmers. At practice sessions, he/she will
be coached by coaches who will strive to improve his/her swimming skills and
endurance. Your child will practice with other swimmers of similar ability. At
meets, there is the opportunity to compete against swimmers from other Clear
Lake-area swim teams. The emphasis is on each swimmer's improvement, not
on scoring points. In meets, girls swim against girls and boys swim against
boys.
3. My child knows how to swim, but is not
experienced as a competitive swimmer. Is summer swimming right for him/her?
We believe
so. We are committed to teaching/developing talent and good technique in every
swimmer, no matter what the starting point.
4. My child cannot swim currently should I
join the team?
We require
swimmers to be water-safe and to be able to swim the length of the pool without
assistance after the
first week of practice. You and the coaches should
determine if swimming lessons would be a more appropriate first step.
5. How can I get involved as a volunteer?
In order
for the swimmers to have the most rewarding experience we need lost of
volunteers to help the meets run smoothly. Email a board member if you would
like to help in any way. We welcome any and all help and will need volunteers
to have a successful season.
6. Do
you require fundraising?
No, We are
happy to accept donations and will sell spirit items.
7. How long does the season last?
Practice begins May
1 and continues until the Champ series.
8. Where is practice?
We practice at the
Harbour Park Pool On South Compass Rose.
9. How often does my child have to practice?
No one ever has
to come to practice; however, very few swimmers improve their techniques and
times if they don't come to practice. And you do want your money’s worth, don’t
you? Practices are held every weekday and swimmers are encouraged to attend as
many as possible. We know there will be instances to cause a missed practice
occasionally.
10. Who manages the team?
The team is managed
by a volunteer board of directors consisting of swimmers' parents. The board
hires the team's coaches and takes care of the administration of the team.
11. Are the officials and Board members paid?
No!, They are all
volunteering their time, so please be appreciative and courteous to them.
12. How do I find out if practice is
cancelled?
We utilize group email lists and our website
as the main means of communicating with parents quickly throughout the season.
Thus, it is imperative to submit your email address when registering and to
check our website www.harbourtide.8k.com frequently. “Practice cancelled”
signs will also be placed at the pool. We do not practice if there is
thunder/lightning, but DO hold practice if there is only a mist or drizzle and
it is not too cold.
13. Can my child be a member if they swim for
a year-round USA Swimming team?
Absolutely! We are
happy to have USA Swimming athletes as part of the team.
14. Do I have to be USA Swimming-registered to
swim?
No, we do
not require swimmers to be USA-registered. USA Swimming is an organization based
in Colorado Springs, CO. It is the national governing body for competitive
swimming in the United States and selects the Olympic swimming team and its
coaches. Although the Clear Creek Swim League follows USA Swimming rules,
joining that organization is not a requirement.
15. Can my child swim and still play other
sports?
Yes! Many swimmers are active in other
sports and activities. How much you decide to practice is your decision. And
because the swim meets have events on only Saturday, you can even swim one day
of the weekend and do another activity the other day.
16. Do I have to buy a team suit?
No! The team has chosen competition
swimsuits, which may be worn to practices and meets. These particular suits are
NOT required; but they do conform to swimming rules, look great and provide
less drag than commercial suits. While the team suit is optional, the team
requires girls to wear one-piece swimsuits suitable for competition to all
practices and meets.
17. Does the team give refunds?
No!
The team is required to pay the CCSL.
50% Refund after the first day of Practice. NO refunds after the first
week of practice.
Questions About MEETS
18. Where are meets held?
Most
meets are at neighborhood pools and high schools in the Clear Lake area. The
best way to get an idea of exactly where meets are held during the season is to
check the website.
19. When are the meets held and how long do
they last?
Regular-season
meets are held every Saturday late May through late June. Post-season meets,
the CCSL Novice Meet, Reserve Meet and the Champ Meet, follow the regular
season. Although the start times are pretty consistent [8 am], the finish times
vary widely depending on the number of swimmers entered.
20. How much does it cost to enter a meet?
There
is no additional cost for regular-season meets. Meet entries are included in
your regular-season registration fee. There are usually meet entry fees
for the “Last Chance” meet, if one is scheduled, to be paid by individual
swimmers. This meet is a post-season meet sponsored by a non-CCSL organization
as a fund-raiser, and as an opportunity for swimmers for a “last chance” to
achieve champ/reserve times. There are also entry fees for the Champ Series
meets, which must be paid by individual swimmers. These are about $5/event per
swimmer. Fees such as these can be paid when submitting entries to the clerk of
course or designated volunteer,
21. Where do my times come from that are on
the meet entry sheets?
The
team keeps a database of all times swum by each swimmer. After you have swum an
event your time for that event is entered into the computer, it selects your
best time for that stroke and distance to use as your seed time.
22. What is the meet called "Last Chance meet"?
This is
the last meet of the season where you can get a champ qualifying time prior to
the Champ Meet entry deadline. Entries then have to be sent to the team hosting
the Champ meet. It's exciting to watch swimmers trying to earn their way to the
Champ Meet. This meet is held before the Champ Series meets. The meet is held
only if a sponsoring team comes forward to host.
23. What are "novice,” “reserve" and
"champ" times?
The CCSL publishes a series of time standards
for boys and girls by age group that are used as a scale to gauge a swimmer's
level of achievement in each event. They are, from slowest to fastest, novice,
reserve and champ time. Trying to reach the next level in a
particular event can be motivational to swimmers. If the swimmer has not swum
fast enough to achieve a reserve time, then by default he has a novice time.
24. What are the Novice, Reserve, and Champ
Meets? Who attends?
These are the
post-season meets that allow our swimmers to compete against swimmers from all
20 other teams across the CCSL in one meet. There are sometimes as many as 800
swimmers at these meets. The champ series is open to any swimmers who have swum
in2 regular meets. The novice is meet is open to any swimmer that has not
achieved a reserve or champ time in that stroke . If
a swimmer has swum fast enough to achieve a reserve time, then he may participate
in the Reserve Meet. Only swimmers who have swum fast enough to achieve a Champ
time may participate in the league’s championship meet, the Champ Meet, the
last meet of the season. Frequently, novice or reserve swimmers achieve
champ times at the novice or reserve meets and may then move onto the Champ
Meet!! The Champ Meet is held after the Novice/Reserve meets. The three meets
combined — novice, reserve and champ — are called the Champ Series. A swimmer
can only swim 3 strokes in the champ series but may swim in more than 1 champ
series meet.
25. How do I find out if a meet is postponed
due to rain, etc.?
We utilize group
email lists and our website as the main means of communicating with parents
quickly throughout the season. Thus, it is imperative to submit your email
address when registering and to check our website www.harbourtide.8k.com frequently. Meets are only
cancelled under sever weather conditions. A meet may be delayed to see if the
weather improves.
26. What should I do if my child meets to leave a meet early?
It is imperative
that the clerk of course be notified of any early departure. Please remember
that if your child swims on a relay, his/her absence will affect 3 other
swimmers. Please don’t leave 3 other teammates, who may have waited hours to
swim, unable to swim. Your child may have been placed on a relay due to the
illness of another swimmer. Please check with the Clerk of Course before
actually leaving. This will allow the clerk to make changes if there are
available swimmers.
27. I disagree with an official’s call for a swimmer?
Any questions or
complaints about actions of the officials or the opposing team need to be
directed to a board member. The board member will then take the necessary
action. CCSL rules prohibit parents or
swimmers from approaching Judges and/or the Referee directly, only an
official league representative may do so. Please
remember these officials are parents
that have volunteered their time to go to training and to officiate at a meet.
28. How do I become an official?
You must take one
of the CCSL official training classes and pass the test.