McHenry Marlins Parents Organization

On behalf of the McHenry Marlins Parent Organization we would like to welcome you to the 2008-09 winter swim season.

Our primary source of funds this winter will be from our concession sales during home meets. As in the past, we will ask for donations of food items for the concession stand.

As those of you returning to swim team know, we parents staff the home meets. At least 25 parents are required for each home meet. Several of the responsibilities include: bullpen, ribbon writing, lane timing, scoring, computer operation and concession stand operation. We require that each family work in a minimum of three swim meets throughout the season. We are in need of stroke officials also; if anyone is interested please see Coach B.J. for more information on becoming a stroke official.

Please sign up to work on the pool office window or return the attached sign up sheet, indicating the date and job you would like to volunteer for.

All parents of swimmers on the team are a part of this organization. The organization provides a focal point for organizing team needs. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact a board member.

Once again, we look forward to a fun swim season. Thanks for your help and. . . GO MARLINS ! ! ! ! !

PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Monday & Wednesday
5:00 pm - 5:50 pm “B” Novice
5:50 pm - 7:00 pm “A” Experienced

Friday
4:00 pm -4:50 pm “B” Novice
4:50 pm -6:00 pm “A” Experienced

WE RECOMMEND 3 PRACTICES AND REQUIRE 1 MANDATORY PRACTICE EACH WEEK UNLESS YOU HAVE MADE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE HEAD COACH. FAILURE TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT COULD RESULT IN NOT BEING IN A MEET.

Purpose of the McHenry Marlins Swim Team

The purpose of the McHenry Marlins Swim Team is to promote and support a supervised competitive age group swimming program. Our primary focus is to assist in building a feeder team for the high school swim team. Also of importance is the development of the individuals swimming skills.

A Note to Swimmers

To become an outstanding swimmer, you should believe in your coach, concentrate on techniques, develop strength and endurance, set realistic goals for yourself and above all, maintain a good positive attitude.

A Note to Parents

Please take a few moments to read over the swim team rules and review them with your swimmers. They are designed to help swimmers get the most out of our program. It is the parent’s responsibility to get their swimmer to the pool or locker room safely.

COMMON SENSE AT MEETS

1. Good sportsmanship is mandatory at all times.
2. Team rules and bus rules will be followed.
3. Swimmers should know what events they are swimming in and keep track of the event numbers as they are going so they do not miss their event.
4. Horseplay is not allowed at pool side or in the locker rooms.
5. CHEER! Encouragement is very important. Cheer for your swimmer and his/her teammates.

RIBBONS AND AWARDS

Ribbons are given for individual event finishes in first through fourth place. Relay teams earn a ribbon for a first through third place finish. Ribbons are available for pick up the first practice after the meet. At the end of the season, one swimmer is chosen as the recipient of the Curtis Cardamone Award. The recipient is chosen by the coaching staff and identifies that swimmer who the coach’s feel shows the most “team spirit”, helpfulness, enthusiasm, and is a good role model for other swimmers. The award is given at the final splash party of the year.

FUNDRAISING

We have McHenry Marlin window decals for sale for $5.00 at the concession stand during home meets. Any suggestions for a fundraiser please see one of the officers.

McHENRY MARLINS SPIRIT CLOTHES

Marlin team apparel is available at McHenry’s Favorite Sport store on Green Street in town. We will also be placing a Spirit Wear order sometime in November; order sheets will be passed out as soon as they are available.

SWIM TEAM RULES (CODE OF CONDUCT)

1. Swimmers must display good sportsmanship at all times:
1. Act like ladies and gentlemen at all times.
2. Respect for your elders and respect for officials, judges, coaches, and chaperones at all times.
3. Treat guests courteously at home and be a polite guest when away. Whether at home or away, swimmers conduct should be of the highest caliber at all parks, schools, clubhouses, locker rooms, shower rooms, pool areas and on the buses. All areas should be left clean. Fighting will not be tolerated.
4. Exhibit good sportsmanship at both meets and practices. Congratulate opponents on races, win or lose.
5. Refrain from causing bodily harm to other swimmers. Running, pushing, or horseplay in the pool area, locker rooms, or hallways is not tolerated.
6. Refrain from communicating threats, inappropriate comments or obscene language, or actions by gesture, words, or actions that can be considered as any type of harassment.
7. Exhibit tolerance and courtesies towards our diverse swimming community.
8. Show respect toward pool equipment and school facilities.
9. Refrain from ANY tobacco, drugs or alcohol use by any participant during any Marlins activity.

2. Swimmers who are not able to attend the meet should notify one of the coaches at least three days before the meet.

3. If a swimmer does not notify a coach and does not show up at a meet, the

swimmer may be taken off the roster for the next meet.

4. If a swimmer (boy or girl) has long hair, he/she will be required to wear a swim cap or to get it cut, as long hair may slow down a swimmer’s time and have an effect on his/her stroke.

5. When traveling to/from an away meet, if you ride the bus to the away meet but not home, a note is also required.

6. Any swimmer who presents a disciplinary problem at practice or at the meets, will be given a verbal warning. If the swimmer’s behavior does not improve, the swimmer will then be asked to leave the practice or meet. He/She will not be allowed back at practice until the parent(s) have spoken with the Head Coach. If the swimmer does not remove himself/herself from the pool area immediately after being told to do so by any of the coaches, he/she will not be allowed to participate in the next meet that he/she has signed up to swim.

SEVERE MISBEHAVIOR WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE REMOVAL FROM

THE POOL. The swimmer will not be allowed to return to practice until a meeting between the coaches, parent(s), and swimmer(s) involved has resolved the issue. Severe misbehavior may cause a swimmer who has qualified for Conference to lose his/her Conference position to the next qualifying swimmer. The McHenry Marlins reserves the right to dismiss without refund any participant who violates the Code of Conduct.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MARLIN SWIMMERS?

ALWAYS

1. Be proud to be a member of the McHenry Marlins.
2. Put out 100% physically and mentally.
3. Challenge yourself and teammates to improve and work harder.
4. Behavior at its best, 100% of the time, home and away.
5. Clean-up the Marlins area after all meets.

AT PRACTICE

1. Attend practices (1 required mandatory practice each week unless cleared).

2. Be at practice on time, with swimsuit, ready to swim.

3. Be at practice the entire time (unless cleared).

4. Complete workouts properly.

5. Complete dry land exercises as requested.

6. Set up swim practice time mentally. Come to improve strokes and practice hard. Total effort builds better swimmers.

7. Listen carefully for any information that needs to go home, be certain to get any handouts to a parent.

8. Use equipment with care and replace after use.

9. Turn off all faucets and showers after use.

AT MEETS

1. Arrive on time for warm-ups (you are expected to warm-up with the team and coach).
2. Wear team suit if you have one.
3. Mentally go through your race before stepping on the block; be ready, be confident. Remember you have prepared yourself in practice.
4. When another Marlins swimmer does a great job, let him/her know; cheer, applaud, or tell the swimmer.
5. Practice GOOD SPORTMANSHIP.
6. Help teammates, especially younger or new swimmers, this includes on the bus. Be a good example to the other team members.
7. Help set up equipment when requested and help clean up after home meets.
8. HAVE A GOOD TIME!

WHAT IS NEEDED FROM MARLIN PARENTS

1. Assistance at meets. Help is needed selling concessions, timing, scoring, announcing, cleaning up, organizing and making phone calls, etc. The swim team MUST have parent involvement to survive.

2. Support the coaches. PLEASE NOTIFY THEM WHEN YOUR SWIMMER CANNOT MAKE A MEET OR IF YOUR SWIMMER MUST LEAVE EARLY OR BE LATE.

3. Help your swimmer follow the team rules.

4. It is the parent’s responsibility to get their swimmer to the pool or locker room safely.

SUGGESTED TEAM EQUIPMENT

1. Two (2) swimsuits for practice (need not be the team suit). Chlorine is extremely hard on suits and they deteriorate fairly quickly. This also allows for one to be in the laundry.

2. One (1) team suit for meets.

3. One (1) pair of goggles. This is optional; some swimmers have eye sensitivity to chlorine.

4. One (1) swim cap. This is optional for the most, but is required for all swimmers with long hair (hair longer than shoulder length). It may help protect hair from some chlorine damage as well.

5. At least two (2) towels. One for drying off, (if a swimmer is in many event more might be needed). Probably one for sitting on.

HOW TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND A SWIM MEET

Why 25 and 50 Yards (meters)?

Age groups are organized around the different lengths. Generally, 25 yards is one length of the pool. Fifty yards is 2 lengths, or from the blocks, a turn and back.

What is Freestyle?

Freestyle is the front crawl, flutter kick.

What is Backstroke?

Backstroke is done on your back. Head is back, back is arched; use the flutter kick, arms alternate (one then the other). Swimmers cannot roll past 90 degrees from their back as they stroke and cannot roll onto their side or stomach when approaching the finish. (Many younger swimmers have a tendency to do this to see how close they are to the wall; they should learn to count the number of strokes they need to take after they pass under the flags.

What is Medley Relay?

It is a 4 swimmer event in which each swimmer on the relay team swims one of the 4 strokes: in this order: back, breast, fly, freestyle.

What is the Individual Medley Relay (IM)?

An event for those 9 years and older, in which each swimmer in the event swims one length of each of the following strokes in this order: fly, back, breast, and freestyle.

What is the Breaststroke?

The breaststroke uses the whip kick. (or frog kick is acceptable), while arms pull underwater simultaneously. The head moves up and down but must not go below the surface of the water. Feet must stay below the water. The two hands must touch on the turn and finish level and simultaneously (two hand touch).

What is the Butterfly?

In the butterfly, the feet and knees are together on the kick, arms move simultaneously. The two hands must touch level and simultaneously on turns and at the finish.

My swimmer does well in the Freestyle. Why is he/she swimming the backstroke, his/her poorest?

The coaching staff attempts to give every swimmer the maximum opportunity to swim all strokes regardless of the swimmer’s ability as this serves to develop the swimmer’s overall performance.

My swimmer is only 10, why is he/she swimming in the 11-12 group?

Swimmers are sometimes moved up to help fill team requirements. Also, as a swimmer gets better, he/she can be moved up to give better competition and more of a challenge.

What is exhibition swimming?

If there are lanes open in an event, by agreement of the coaches, a swimmer, regardless of age or sex, can fill that lane as an exhibition swimmer. A participant swimming exhibition may not receive ribbons or awards for that event, and no points are awarded, but the swimmer will get a time and it is good practice. Some swimmers swim exhibition to be able to swim in more races, to practice on a stroke they have difficulty with; to compete against the opposite sex; to practice starts and turns; or because their coaches requested them to do so.

Who are the officials at the meet?

The basic officials include a referee, starter, stroke, and turn judges, timers and scorers. All of our officials are swim parents who assist voluntarily. We depend heavily on parents to run these meets.

What is a stroke judge?

The stroke judge determines if a stroke is being swum properly. He/she usually walks along the edge of the pool.

What is a turn judge?

A turn judge determines if the swimmer touches before starting another length and makes certain the swimmer complies with the turning rules applicable to the stroke used. Turn judges stand at the opposite end of the pool from the starting blocks.

What is a place judge?

A place judge determines the finish of the swimmers by lane. This is a visual determination. He stands at the side of the pool where the race will end.

What do timers do?

The timers (2-3 per lane) use stop watches or press buttons on automatic timing devices to obtain a swimmers time. They record the times on the swimmer’s card. Timers also stand at the end of the pool where the race will finish.

What do scorers do?

The scorers determine the winners in an event based on the timers and the place judge’s determinations. In the event of a timing malfunction or a discrepancy in times, it is the place judge’s determination that decides. People at the scorers table also record times on team records for the coaches.

What is DQ?

DQ means that the swimmer has been disqualified in that event. Generally, a swimmer is disqualified from an event when the swimmer does not swim a stroke properly, does not touch or turn correctly or swims a wrong stroke in a relay.

What are the common reasons for being “DQ”ed?

- Not swimming the stroke properly, e.g. in the fly, the swimmer may not use flutter kick

- Not swimming the stroke throughout the entire event

- More than one false start (diving before the start gun is fired)

- Failure to touch simultaneously with both hands on turns and finish in both butterfly and

breaststroke

- Taking more than one arm pull or leg kick while submerged at the start or at the turn on

breaststroke

- A relay team may be DQ’ed for starting before the preceding swimmer has touched

What should a swimmer do if he/she realizes they are DQ’ed?

Sometimes during a race a swimmer becomes aware that he/she has been DQ’ed. If this happens, he/she SHOULD KEEP SWIMMING TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY. If one member of a relay team is DQ’ed the team still completes the relay.

Please help your swimmer realize that being DQ’ed is not the end of the world. It is important to try you best, but mistakes occur. Please realize it takes a special kind of determination and sportsmanship to continue under these circumstances. It doesn’t hurt to let your swimmer know that you’re proud of him/her anyway.