ENTERING SWIMMERS IN SWIM MEETS
Being a competitive swim club, we like to get everybody out to swim meets (at their own pace of course). Our own Muffin Meet in May is just for our club and is just for fun. The Penticton Meet, June 9-10 is also a great time to get Development and Transition swimmers out to compete. Meets become more competitive as the season progresses toward the Regional and Provincial finals.
Coaches will be encouraging all swimmers to sign up for swim meets from the start of the season. Entry into each meet requires a ‘signed permission slip’ and ‘meet entry fees’ to be returned to your swimmers’ coach 2-3 weeks before the meet. Dates and deadlines will be posted on the Bulletin Board. Entry fees are usually $2-$3 per event. Entry fees are not refundable for those who enter but do not swim.
The Pikes usually camp at Okanagan meets and accommodation options are usually organized via the Bulletin Board.
HELPING OUT AT SWIM MEETS
A necessary duty of Swim Club parents is helping out at the Swim Meets in which your child participates. Our club has developed a strong reputation for putting on a great Swim Meet and volunteering at other clubs’ Swim Meets so please take a time to learn some new skills and help out this summer.
Official’s Certification Program
The BCSSA has a program to recognize standards of officiating, and awarding each level a coloured pin. Officials wearing these pins at meets are identified as to the duties they are able to provide.
Level 1 - Junior pin (GREEN)
Duties: Lane timer
Place judge
Lane recorder
Marshal
Level 2 – Intermediate pin (RED)
Duties: Chief
(head) timer
Crash desk
Stroke and turn judge
Clerk of the course
Understanding of electronics (timing console, turn-pads)
Specialists pin (ORANGE)
Chief meet recorder
Understanding of computers
Meet Manager
Level 3 – Senior pin (LIGHT BLUE)
Duties: Starter
Referee (Senior referee, Meet referee, Sessional referee)
Harassment clinic
Level 4 – Master pin (NAVY BLUE)
SWIM MEETS FOR THE UNINITIATED
One's first impressions of a swim meet are often those of bewilderment, anxiety and frustration. In order to avoid these less-than-agreeable sentiments, the following is offered for your consumption.
The Club goes to meets throughout the Okanagan Region, plus a meets or two “out of region”. Travel is by car and car pool. The team often camps together. Experienced parents can be interrogated for more details and useful tips. Meets are usually Saturday and Sunday. Swimmers begin with an early morning warm-up each day and usually need to be at the pool around 7:00 am. Events run until a mid-day lunch break and finish up around suppertime. Parents are always needed to help run the meets and pitch in where they can. No experience necessary! With the official’s clinics we are running in May, you will be quickly up to speed.
What to bring (and bring home!!)
Swimmers:
Parents:
Swim suit(s)
A lot of patience
Goggles (extras too) A
great sense of humour
2 or 3 big towels per day
Lawn chairs
Swim cap if used (an extra here also)
Sun umbrellas!!
Sensible shoes
Sensible shoes
Weather-appropriate clothing
Sun screen, hats
Sleeping bag (to keep warm)
Sunglasses
Wholesome food
More wholesome food
Swim bag to put it all in
Appropriate clothing,
Between-race activities (Because some days just aren’t sunny)
The Pool:
Upon arrival, things often look a bit chaotic. Not to worry. The first thing to do is find out when and in which lane your child's warm-up is. This is best determined the day before but if you arrive oblivious to these details, you can turn to (a) the meet program (usually sold in a conspicuous location), (b) your child's coach (may be hard to locate in the throng) or (c) any familiar face (parent or swimmer). It's always nice for your little swimmer to see his or her coach early on for moral support (you may want some too!). It is also nice to get a Meet Program early on so you can check out the flow of events over the course of the day and take note of when all the Penticton swimmers are racing. Unfortunately, swim meet Directors are never brave enough to suggest what time events will be held, so your Program only provides an "order of events" but after a while you will figure out how long things take and when events are likely to get underway.
Okay, things are under reasonable control and you should now volunteer your services for timing, recording, and a host of other officiating duties you learned in the official’s clinics in May. If your help is not presently needed, relax… enjoy the show and be ready to relieve those working.
After the morning warm up, collect your child and get his or her races sorted out from the Program. Swimmers are divided into Divisions (pronounced "div") (Coaches will have information):
Div 1 8 & under
2 9-10.5
3 10.5 – 12
4 12
- 13.5
5
13.5-15
6 15-16
7 17-19
8 19 & up
Each race has an "event number" and the competing swimmers should report to the "clerk of the course" when these numbers are called to “marshalling” or posted. Many parents write these event numbers on their swimmer's forearm to help them avoid missing races. You will want to locate the "clerk of the course" and the "marshalling area" early on. They are usually on the pool deck at indoor pools and on, or adjacent to, the pool deck at outdoor pools.
Now that you are fairly well prepared we'll offer a few more tid-bits
* Race distances are given in metres such as "div 4 girls 50 fly" which means Division 4 girls, 50 metres of Butterfly. The pool is 25 metres long so this race would be two "lengths".
* "DQ” means disqualification, and inexperienced swimmers will get a lot of these at first. Various judges on the pool deck watch the swimmers' strokes to see that they are performed correctly so that swimmers cannot gain an unfair advantage. If the stroke is not up to scratch, the judge will make every effort to speak to the swimmer after the race, and explain the problem. This is all part of the learning process and it is important for swimmers and their coach to discuss the problem after the race (coaches always like to talk to their swimmers after each race, so this is a good habit to get into).
* There are 5 strokes in competitive swimming:
Frontcrawl or Freestyle "Free"
Backcrawl "Back"
Breaststroke "Breast"
Butterfly "Fly"
Individual Medley "I.M."
* In I.M., 25 or 50 metres of each stroke is done in "I.M. Order" which is fly 1st, back 2nd, breast 3rd and free last.
* The selection of swimmers for relay events can sometimes be difficult. The coach's policy is that the four available swimmers who will produce the fastest team are selected. This occasionally means that an especially fast swimmer from a younger age group will be selected in place of a slower swimmer from the age group in which the relay in competing.
Having read this cover-to-cover, and now on the edge of your seat with perspiration forming on your brow and butterflies in your stomach, come on out and enjoy a fabulous summer with the Penticton Pikes Aquatic Club!
PARENTS ARE PART OF THE TEAM
Parents in our club find it easy to become a part of "the team". This is essential to the club's success, as everything that your child experiences and enjoys in our swim club is organized and created directly, or indirectly, by the parents. A volunteer Executive that meets throughout the year runs the club. Parents are more than welcome to attend these meetings and join in the planning. Parents who contribute regularly enjoy the opportunity to make the club stronger and more successful through continuous improvement and infusion of new ideas.
Swim meets are also organized and "run" by parents. Many parents are qualified officials, but those who are not can also make valuable contributions. Our own Penticton Invitational Meet has become one of the most well attended meets in BC with over 450 swimmers from the Okanagan, Kootenays and Lower Mainland, thanks to tremendous efforts of Penticton parents. As we are a small club, your help will almost assuredly be canvassed and your efforts greatly appreciated.
In addition to these contributions, parents are very important fans. Parents try to walk the fine line between vigorous encouragement and gentle support without ever placing excessive pressure on the child (or spouse!). This is very often a difficult but rewarding role. The following quotes are always worth a few reads during the season.
"At the age of nine, I regarded swimming as more of a social event than a competitive sport. We all began the same one-hour workouts, three times a week."
ALEX BAUMANN
Former Canadian, Commonwealth and
World Record Holder, 200m and 400m IM
"...It is the singular beauty of sport, and swimming is no exception, that no matter what level or in what sport you are competing, no matter what your age or your skill level or your ambitions, no matter that you never win a ribbon or a medal or a trophy, the achievement of true `excellence' is NEVER beyond your grasp.
"And I firmly believe that every kid who ever swims should walk away from our sport with friendships that will last a lifetime; with a sense of sportsmanship, that will shine on every person that they ever know; with self-confidence and self-respect, to help them meet every challenge that life has to offer; and with a few, very personal moments of `magic'.
"Because, if they do, then each will have learned the true meaning of excellence and, in so doing, will have won a prize that is infinitely more valuable and more durable than any Olympic medal."
BRUCE ROBERTSON
Former Canadian and World 100m Butterfly Record Holder
1972 Olympic Silver Medalist, 100m Butterfly
1973 World Championship Gold Medalist, 100m,Butterfly
"It was not important to always chase people because their performance will fluctuate, so rather chase your own goals and dreams."
PENNY HEYNS
1996 Olympic Gold Medalist, 100m and 200m Breast Stroke