Swim Team Handbook

2019

Swim Team Coordinators:

​Kori Kristufek: 678-372-8853 & Tracy Lacasella: 404-643-7776
 GO BLUE DOLPHINS!!
Welcome swimmers and parents!​ We can’t wait for our swimmers to make this
swim season our best yet! We are looking forward to seeing everyone, getting back
in the water, and having friendly competition with our Gold Division neighborhoods.

Most of our wonderful coaches are returning, and we are adding an additional Junior
Coach.

Head Coaches: Mattison Frank, Dema Krumenaker

Assistant Coaches: Ian Andruszko, Gabe Lacasella
Junior Coach: Sutton Smith

This handbook is created to answer an array of questions about swim team. Please
refer back to it throughout the season. Swim team can seem chaotic at times, but
there is a method to our madness! Let us know if you need any help with figuring
everything out.

PRACTICE BEGINS THURSDAY, MAY 9th

● After School Practice​: T

​ hursday, May 9 – Tuesday, May 21
4:00 - 4:30pm 6 & under
4:30 - 5:00pm 7&8
5:00 - 5:30pm 9 & 10
5:30 - 6:00pm 11 & older
● NO PRACTICE: Wednesday, MAY 22 ​(last day of school)

● Summer Morning Practice​: T

​ hursday, May 23 – Monday, June 25
8:00 – 8:30 am 6 & under
8:30 – 9:15 am 7 & 8
9:15 – 10:15 am 9 & 10
10:00 – 11:00 am 11 and older
● NO PRACTICE: Monday, May 27​(Memorial Day)​, June 6​(picture day)

**​NOTE​: We will be incorporating a N​ EW SCHEDULE​ this year for distributing

ribbons. We will have a ​F​UN FRIDAY​ each ​week, which ​will be an important
practice with fun games incorporated for additional support, as well as handing out
meet ribbons and a special treat. ​The day after a meet will be a normal schedule.

Meets
● Swim meets begin at 6:00pm (home or away).
● Home meet warm-ups start at 5:00pm: ​be poolside by 4:45pm​.
● Away meet warm-ups start at 5:30pm: ​be poolside by 5:15pm​.
● The meets usually end by 9:30pm – 10:00pm.
● Directions will be sent by email for all away meets.
● Swimmers need to be at their designated swim lane ​FOUR ​events
before their event takes place to be lined up with the bullpen leader.

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Meet Schedule:
1. Tuesday, May 28th

2. Tuesday, June 4th

3. Tuesday, June 11th

4. Tuesday, June 18th

5. Tuesday, June 25th

When you complete a job, the points are accumulated online where you will be
able to check them from your swim portal.

Once you have earned your family’s assigned points, you have fulfilled your
volunteer duties.

All job descriptions and sign ups for your shifts will be available through the links
on our swim team website.

If you find that you are unable to complete duties during the season, you will still
need to pay the $50. This will need to be completed by the end of June, before
registering for other events or future seasons affiliated with swim team.

If you have a conflict and are unable to fulfill a shift you signed up for, please go
to the swim portal and ​deselect ​your job. If it is a last minute change, please try
to find a replacement ​and ​contact a coordinator as soon as possible.

SWIMMER Obligations
There are five meets during our season. We understand there are camps,
vacations, other obligations that come up, etc. However, we are relying on your
swimmer ​if​ we don’t know he/she will be gone.

Please make sure we are informed ​at least one week​ in advance if your child is
unable to swim at a particular meet. Meet line-ups will be prepared by
mid-afternoon ​each Friday​. You will need to sign out your swimmer through the
swim portal.

In an emergency situation, please​ text a coordinator​ as soon as you are aware

your child cannot swim. If a swimmer must leave early from a meet, inform a
coordinator immediately, as it may affect points and/or relays.

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Swim Events
Swimmers can swim a ​maximum​ of three individual events, plus one medley
relay and one freestyle relay in their age division. Coaches will place swimmers
where they feel it will benefit the team.

Medley relay​ (alphabetical order)

Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle

● 5-10 years old​: one length of the pool for each swimmer
#​1 or 3​: ​deep end start
#​2 or 4​: ​shallow end start

● 11 and above: ​two lengths of the pool beginning from the deep end

Individual Medlely (IM)

Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle

Swim-A-Thon: June 13th (make up date is June 20th)

● Each child will have the opportunity to participate by asking sponsors to “buy”
a number of laps the child will swim, or a sponsor may donate a set amount.
● Each swimmer will come to the pool during practice time that day with his/her
own “lap counter” to keep track of laps.
● Pledges will be turned in before you begin swimming.
● Money will be collected and turned in by ​Monday, June 24th.

Picture Day: Thursday, June 6, 2019

● Please arrive at ​8:45am​ in your team swimsuit. You will have the opportunity
to purchase team and individual pictures that morning.
● NO PRACTICE!
● Please do all you can to be a part of our team picture! We use this picture for
our sign, plaques for sponsors, etc.

Email/Websites
Our team website with your personal swim portal will be our main source of
communication with the team. Please check frequently for directions to away
meets, schedule changes, and updates. You may also email us with questions at
any time.
Team website:
Team e-mail: postoakswimteam@gmail.com

**MERCHANDISE ​(new this year!)

● Shirts will be included for each ​member​ of the team through registration.

● You may order additional shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, swim caps, and
drawstring bags through the website.

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Items to bring to meets
​Folding chairs
Blue Dolphin swim bag filled with​: Sharpies & Sunblock
Blue Dolphin swim cap Blue Dolphin T-shirt
Blue Dolphin towel money for concessions
Bug spray Blue Dolphin Sweatshirt

Swimwear
● Our team swimsuit will be available through ​Atlanta Swim Academy ​located
at 732 Johnson Ferry Rd.
● This is the first year of this suit.
● We ​strongly recommend​ the use of caps and goggles. Please go directly to
ASA to purchase your suit and mention our team name for a discount on all
gear.
● All swim attire, including caps and jackets, with high school or year round
swim club logos, is ​prohibited​ during the meets.

Swim Meet Survival Tips

● Come to practice in the morning and ​REST​ ​in the afternoon out of the sun if
possible.
● Come dressed in the theme for that night and make a poster if you have
time!
● Label EVERYTHING you plan to bring!
● If you have questions about the meet, try and ask them at practice that day
or ​before​ you get to the meet.

● Swimmers will check in with coaches ​as soon as they arrive to receive
race information.
● Bring a black sharpie to write your swimmer’s events on his/her arm or leg.
(We will show an example of this at an informational meeting)

● Volunteers will check in with coordinators.

● Be patient with us as we try to get everything running efficiently:)
Coaches and coordinators will try to answer questions from parents and
swimmers at a meet, but know we are also trying to get everything in
order, which is usually pretty hectic.

● If the meet is at our pool, you may come as early as 4pm to set up your
chairs and settle in. At competitor pools, we will send out information a few
days before to let you know the information they have sent us.

Parking
Due to the limited size of our parking lot, please be considerate of our neighbors
across from the pool during swim meets. Cars may ​only​ park on the ​pool side​ of
Tritt Springs Trace. You are subject to a ticket if you choose to park on the
shoulder along Post Oak Tritt Road, or if you block driveways.

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Weather: ​A meet is NOT cancelled due to weather until ​after​ ​the meet begins!

Come to the meet regardless of what the forecast looks like! Please ​do not
assume​ a meet is cancelled. ​If we do not have enough swimmers, we
forfeit​.

When lightning or thunder occurs at a meet, the pool and deck area will be
cleared for a minimum of 20 minutes. Assuming there is no more bad weather in
that time frame, we will start again. Sometimes there are multiple delays, but
the county will do all it can to get the meet in ​that evening.​ Everyone will be
advised to wait in cars until we restart or a meet is cancelled by a joint decision
of the referee and coordinators.

All meets will be rescheduled for the following Thursday.

We will do our best to keep you up to date as new information comes to us.

Sometimes this can mean a long night, but try to understand the amount of work
that goes into preparing for that meet: the food that is lost by cancelling, the
reassigning of volunteers and swimmers, the county referee having to
reschedule, etc. We will always do our best to represent our team’s needs in
these situations.

Parent Observation/Coaching
We ask that ​only coaches​ work with the swimmers d ​ uring​ practice times in order
for the kids to focus on what the coaches are trying to teach.

We encourage you to spend additional time working with your child on building
his/her swim skills and confidence outside of practice time. You may also sign up
for additional clinics and lessons to assist your child.

**If you have any concerns over coaching, please come speak with a coordinator
or speak privately with the coach ​after​ practice is finished.

If you are anxious about whether your child is ready for swim team, please see
our checklist on the last page of the handbook and/or a coach.

Stroke Clinics:​ 30 minute intense review of a stroke

Clinics consist of a maximum of 10 swimmers per group. A variety of drills will be
used and the swimmer will have a chance to sharpen their technique with a
coach.

Clinics will be held for all four strokes TWICE during the season to give everyone
an opportunity that would like one. The fee is $5 per clinic, per person. Fees for
clinics are non-refundable and will be paid directly to the coach at the time of
service. Please try to have the exact amount to pay to your coach that day, as
we do not carry extra funds with us. Information will be provided through our
website and on the calendar.

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Swim Lessons
Private lessons will be available by the coaches. You may speak directly with
coaches about their availability, fees, dates, and times. Swim team is not
affiliated with any lessons.

Patty Wilder State Qualifying Meet:

This county meet will be held at the Mountain View Aquatic Center on ​June 28th
for ​10 and under​ and on ​June 29th for ​11 and over​.

Anyone is welcome to compete.

**If you are interested in this for your child, send an email to the coordinators
no later than June 12th.​
You​ must be able to attend the meet with your child. The events are $7 per
individual event and $15 per relay($3.75 per swimmer).

Payments will be due to us by ​June 15th​. ​Checks ​will be made to ​Patty

Wilder meet. ​ At least one swim coach will be attending this event to support
our team, but ​you​ are ultimately responsible for your swimmer.

Questions about anything in this handbook? Email us and

we will do what we can to help.
Please see the calendar for all your practice dates and times.

SWIM READINESS CHECKLIST

Are you wondering if your child is ready to be a Dolphin?

Requirements:
❏ Child must be able to swim an entire length of the pool unassisted
There is no time requirement during practice, but a child must be able to complete the length
in 90 seconds during a meet or they will be removed from the water. A child can hold the lane
rope to rest.

Important to Consider:
❏ Swimming ability is secondary to a willingness and enthusiastic attitude
The goal of our swim team is for ​every​ child to improve and have fun. The coaches have a
much easier time teaching a child who is interested than one who is scared, crying, upset, or
unwilling to try.

❏ Swimmers will be required to jump off the side of the pool into 5ft of water
We cannot catch, nor coax, children. Children are ​not r​ equired to know how to dive.

❏ Your swimmer is comfortable swimming without a parent close by.

❏ Maturity
Is your child mature enough? Is he/she prone to crying? Does he/she work well with others?
Does he/she listen to authority figures? Is he/she comfortable trying new things? Is he/she
frightened of getting his/her face wet?

This is not to discourage, but to inform.​ Every year we have a large team of kids swimming for the
Dolphins. We want to create a fun and productive team. The coaches are needed to work with ​all​ kids
on the swim team and cannot guarantee an excessive amount of time with one child that is extremely
scared. This takes away from the team as a whole.

Please talk to a coach if you are still unsure about whether your child is ready. We’d be more
than happy to answer any questions.

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