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Contents:
IntroductoryLetter 3
Introduction 4
Vision,MissionandValues 5
TheSportofSwimming 7
Organization 8
GroupFlowChart 9
EntryRequirementsbyGroup 10
20112012PracticeSchedule 14
PracticeEtiquette
for
Swimmers
15
PracticeEtiquetteforParents 17
PoolRules 18
SwimMeets 20
201112MeetSchedule 21
HowtoSignUpforaSwimMeet 22
Relays 23
SwimMeet(Etiquette)GuidelinesforSwimmers 24
SwimMeetGuidelinesforParents 27
NewSwimmerMeetHelp 29
SwimmingTerms 31
IowaFlyersHostedMeets 34
Officials 35
RegistrationandBillingPolicies 36
UniformsAttireEquipment 37
Problemswiththecoach 39
YourRoleasaParent 40
201112PracticesChanges 42
20092012LCMTimeStds(Rev912010) 43
20092012SCYTimeStds(Rev912010) 44
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DearFlyers,
OnbehalfoftheUniversityofIowaandthestaffoftheIowaFlyers,Iwouldliketowelcomeyou
tothe20111012swimseason.Weareexcitedtohaveyouonboard!
IamtheheadcoachandprogramdirectorfortheFlyersandIamenjoyingtheexperienceso
much. Iamhavingsomuchfunseeingyourchildrengrowinthesportandinthelifeskillthatitteaches
throughtheparticipationprocess. Ourteamiscomprisedofbrandnewnoviceswimmerstoaspiring
USANationalTeamathletes. Nomatterwhereyourswimmerspathinswimmingleads,weareallgoing
throughthesametypesoftrialsalongthewayandourpurposeasateamistosupporteachpersonas
theyexploretheirpathinthewonderfulsportofswimming. WeareallvaluedmembersoftheIowa
FlyersSwimClub.
Wearefortunatetobeabletopursuethissportinoneofthenewestandgreatestvenuesinthe
UnitedStates
and
this
provides
us
with
the
resources
we
need
to
excel
to
the
highest
levels.
Our
coachingstaffiseducated,trainedand,mostimportantly,enthusiasticaboutyourchildsexperience,
andourparentsaresupportive,positive,andhappytocontributetothesuccessofourteam.
Ihopeyouwillfindalltheinformationyouneedtobecomefamiliarwithwhatitmeanstobean
IowaFlyer. Youmayalsorefertoourwebsite
http://recserv.uiowa.edu/Apps/YouthPrograms/IowaFlyers.aspx andstaytunedforplentyofemail
communicationfrommekeepingyoupostedonyourteamssuccessesandkeepingyouontopofevery
aspectofparticipationaswegothroughtheseasontogether. YourparentmeetingattheendofAugust
isagreatplacetomeettheotherfamilieswithswimmersinyourchildstraininggroupandaskany
questions
you
might
have
about
what
to
expect.
You
may
also
contact
me
or
your
childs
group
coach
at
anytimeandwewillhelpyoukeepgoingintherightdirection.
WeareexcitedtocreatesomethingspecialhereinIowaandshowourprideandsuccesses
throughoutthecountryandweregladyouhavechosentobeapartofit!
GoFlyers!
Sincerely,
MeganOesting
HeadCoach/ProgramDirector
IowaFlyersSwimClub
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Introduction
ThepurposeofthishandbookistohelpIFLYfamiliesunderstandthephilosophy,policiesandgeneral
expectationsofbeingapartoftheIowaFlyersSwimClub. Youmayreaditcovertocoveroryoumay
referjusttothepartsyouneedatthetime. Iwillgooverthishandbookwiththeparentseachyearat
theendofAugustinourgroupmeetingsandthiswillhelpprepareyouforwhatyouryearwillholdin
theworldoftheIowaFlyers.
AsanIowaFlyerparentwewillexpectyoutomakethisexperienceapriorityinyourchildslife. This
meansgettingyourswimmertotheirdesignatedpracticesontimeandconsistently,takingyour
swimmertotheappropriateswimmeetssos/hecanseetheprogresstheyhavemadeandsetnew
goalsfortheirtraining,andtreatingyourswimmer,his/hercoach,teammates,competitorsandthe
swimmingcommunityatlargewithrespect.
Youwill
meet
great
people
on
this
team
and
Iencourage
you
to
get
to
know
them.
Ihope
that
you
learn
fromthosethathavebeendoingthislongerthanyouhaveandteachormodeltothosethathavemore
recentlyjoinedus. Itisnotuncommonforparentswhohavegonethroughthissportwiththeir
swimmerstostickaroundafterwardsandcontinuetovolunteerasofficials,meetstafforinsomeother
capacity. Itsagreatplacetobe.
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Fulfilltheneedforswimminginstruction,coaching,training,andcompetitionopportunitiesforalllevelsofability;
Maintainaselfsustainingbudgetthroughvariousmeansincluding,butnotlimitedto,collectionofmembershipdues,fundraisingevents,hostingcompetitiveevents,donations,andsolicitation
ofsponsorships;
Becomealeaderinthelocal,state,regional,andnationalswimmingcommunitiesthroughdisplayofcourtesy,positivebehavior,andsportsmanshipeverywhereIFLYispresent.
Values
TheIowaFlyersSwimClubvaluesateamenvironmentofsupport,encouragement,workethic,
consistency,confidenceandfocusbothatpracticeandincompetition.Westrivetorepresentthe
UniversityofIowawithprofessionalismandexcellence.
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TheSportofSwimming
Iloveswimming. IloveswimmingforsomanyreasonsIcouldprobablywriteabookonallofits
benefitsandjoys. Allsports,intheory,encouragekidstobuildstrongbodies,strongmindsandabroad
levelofselfconfidencebutIfeelthatswimminghasaculturethatsupportsthisgrowthfromsomany
anglesitshardnottoachievetheseendgoals.
ItisthegoaloftheIowaFlyerstocreateanenvironmentthatpromoteslearning,curiosity,positiverisk
taking,positiveteamskillsandultimatelyastrongfaiththatisbuiltonthecontinuingprocessof
dreaming,specificgoalsetting,specificskillbuilding,steppingoutinfaithtodemonstrateprogressand
thenachievingtheoriginalgoalandtherebybuildingmorefaithtodreamagain. Andsoitgoes,no
matterwhatlevelofachievementonehasgained,weareallgoingthroughthesamecycleofpotential
toactualityagainandagain. Thisfostersarespectforeachindividualontheteam(andinfact
swimmerseverywhereseemtohavethisbond)nomatterwhatleveltheyhaveachieved. Italsohelps
usremember
that
although
what
people
achieve
is
valuable,
the
process
of
achievement
is
what
creates
thosechampionshipeffortsandmoreimportantlywhatgetsapersonthroughlifesuccessfully.
Swimmingisagreatmediumtopracticethisprocessofachievementinafunandsafeenvironment.
Swimmingisthesportmostlovedbyathleticdirectorsatcollegesacrossthecountrybecausetheir
athletesarequiteoftentheonesearningthehighestgradesandmakingdecisionsthatreflectwellon
theUniversitiestheyattend. Swimmersareoftenthehealthiestathletesastheirsportrequires
strength,flexibilityandenduranceaswellasconsistencyofeffortbothmentallyandphysically.
Swimmersareheldsolelyresponsiblefortheirachievementsandstumblesastherearenoteammates
thatdroporcatchtheballandthisfosterstheirpersonalresponsibilityforotheraspectsoftheirlives.
Swimmersunderstand
being
teammates
from
the
perspective
of
being
ahealthy
and
positive
training
partnerandanavidcheeringsupporter.Whowouldntwantthosequalitiesinacoworkerorpartner?
Allthetimetheyspendwitheachotheralsocreatesanenvironmentoffamilywhichallowsforrisk
takingtotakeplaceinanofailenvironment. Nomatterwhathappensyourteammatesarestillthere
foryoubecausetheywerewithyouforthewholeprocessbeforeyourattemptanyway. Thisisthe
cultureofswimmingandthisiswhatwehopetocreatearoundyourswimmerastheydreamand
achievetheirwaythroughthesport.
Ihopethatyouappreciatethegiftyouaregivingyourchildreninthechoicetoparticipateinthesportof
swimmingandIhopetheyengageinthesportlongenoughandwithenoughinvestmenttodiscoverall
the
various
joys
of
being
a
swimmer.
Its
a
beautiful
journey.
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Organization
TheIowaFlyersSwimClubisrunbytheUniversityofIowathroughtheDepartmentofStudentLife,
RecreationalServices. Theprogramisdesignedtoofferacompetitiveswimmingexperienceforall
levelsthroughthesport. ThereisaplaceontheFlyersforanyswimmertoentertheprogramatthe
novicelevelandastheyprogresstherearemoreadvancedopportunitiesforthemtoexperience. The
mosteliteswimmersontheFlyersaspiretocompeteonthenationalandinternationallevel.
TheIowaFlyersareaUSASwimmingregisteredswimclub. USASwimmingisthenationalgoverning
bodyforthesportofswimmingintheUnitedStatesandreportstotheUnitedStateOlympic
Committee. USASwimmingstructurestherulesandcompetitionsforthesportofswimmingandin
ordertocompetefortheFlyers,onemustbearegisteredswimmerwithUSASwimming.
USASwimmingsofficesareheadquarteredattheUSOlympicTrainingCenterinColoradoSpringsand
theyorganize
the
nation
into
Local
Swim
Committees
(LSCs)
that
run
the
meets
and
govern
the
sport
on
thelocallevel. IowaSwimming,Inc.isourLSCandthisencompassesthegeographicboundariesofIowa.
Iencourageyoutovisitwww.USASwimming.organdlookthroughtheresourcesavailabletoyouonthat
site. IowaSwimmingalsohasawebsite,www.ISISwim.org,withinformationmorepertinentto
swimmingatthelocallevelandthisisalsoextremelyvaluableasaresource. USASwimmingworkson
boththelocalandnationalleveltoprovideopportunitiesforpeopletoexperiencethesportof
swimming. Ultimately,weareallapartofTeamUSA
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EntryRequirementsbyGroup
Minis
Isabletoswim25yardsoffreestylewithsidebreathing Isabletoswim25yardsofbackstroke Showstheabilitytolistentoacoachandfollowdirectionswithinasmallgroup
environment
Is7yearsofageoryounger
Developmental
Isabletoswim25yardsoffreestylewithsidebreathing
Is
able
to
swim
25
yards
of
backstroke
Showstheendurancerequiredtocompletea1hourdevelopmentalswimpractice Showstheabilitytolistentoacoachandfollowdirectionswithinasmallgroup
environment
Opentoallages
Freshman
Islegalinall4strokes Hascompletedthedevelopmentalchecklistitems Hasshowntheendurancerequiredtoswimpurposefullyfora1hourFreshmanswim
practice
Isawareofhisorherswimmeettimesandhasbeguntosetgoaltimes Hasthedesiretoattendallofferedpractices Continuestoparticipateinswimmeetswithaneverexpandingeventprogram Is9yearsofageoryounger
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Sophomore
Islegalinall4strokes Hascompletedthedevelopmentalchecklist Hastheendurancerequiredtoswimtechnicallysoundfora1hourSophomoreB
practice
Is911yearsofageSophomoreA
HasshownthespeedandendurancerequiredtosuccessfullyengageintheSophomoreAgroupdemonstratedbythefollowing:
o Hasmadeacommitmenttoattendpractice3daysaweekormoreo Regularlycompetesinatleast3meetseachseasonandattendsthe
championshipmeetattheirlevel(RegionalsortheStateChampionships)
o Hasatleastone8&UnderAgeGroupStatecut Islearningtoapplythetechnicaldillstotheirracingstrokestogofaster Understandstheconceptsandfutureexpectationsoftheteamvaluesofsupport,
encouragement,workethic,consistency,confidenceandfocusatpracticeand
competition.
Recognizesthecorrelationbetweenpracticeperformanceandmeetperformanceandislearninghowtosetandachievepersonalgoalsforboth
Is11yearsofageoryoungerSophomore
State
HasshownthespeedandendurancerequiredtosuccessfullyengageintheSophomoreStategroupdemonstratedbythefollowing:
o Hasmadeacommitmenttoattendpractice4daysaweekormoreo Regularlycompetesinatleast3meetseachseasonandattendsthe
championshipmeetattheirlevel(RegionalsortheStateChampionships)
o Hasatleastone910AgeGroupStatecut Isabletoapplythetechnicaldillstotheirracingstrokestogofaster Understandstheconceptsandfutureexpectationsoftheteamvaluesofsupport,
encouragement,workethic,consistency,confidenceandfocusatpracticeand
competition.
Recognizesthecorrelationbetweenpracticeperformanceandmeetperformanceandislearninghowtosetandachievepersonalgoalsforboth
Is11yearsofageoryounger
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Junior
Islegalinall4strokes Hascompletedthedevelopmentalchecklist Hastheendurancerequiredtoswimtechnicallysoundfora1hourJuniorBpractice Is11yearsofageorolder
JuniorA
HasshownthespeedandendurancerequiredtosuccessfullyengageintheJuniorAgroupdemonstratedbythefollowing:
o Regularlyattendspractice3daysaweekormoreandhasshownapatternofdoingsopriortomovinguptothisgroup
o Regularlycompetesinatleast3meetseachseasonandattendsthechampionshipmeetattheirlevel(RegionalsortheStateChampionships)
o Hasatleastone1112NationalBTimeStandard Hasshowntheabilitytopushthemselvesoutsidetheircomfortzoneinbothpractice
andinmeetsonaregularbasis
Demonstratestheteamvaluesofsupport,encouragement,workethic,consistency,confidenceandfocusatpracticeandcompetition.
Recognizesthecorrelationbetweenpracticeperformanceandmeetperformanceandhassetpersonalgoalsforboth
Hasidentifiedskillstoworkoninordertoachievetheirpersonalgoals
Is
11
years
of
age
or
older
JuniorState
HasshownthespeedandendurancerequiredtosuccessfullyengageintheJuniorElitegroupdemonstratedbythefollowing:
o Regularlyattendspractice4daysaweekormoreandhasshownapatternofdoingsopriortomovinguptothisgroup
o HasmadeacommitmenttoattendallmeetsontheJuniorElitemeetscheduleo HasatleastoneAgeGroupStatecutatthe1112level
Demonstratestheteamvaluesofsupport,encouragement,workethic,consistency,confidenceandfocusatpracticeandcompetition.
Hasidentifiedskillstoworkoninordertoachievetheirpersonalgoals
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Senior
Hasenteredtheir9thgradeyearofschool Isproficientinall4strokes Isabletoswimatalevelsufficienttocompeteatthehighschoollevel
SeniorState
Hasshownthespeed,enduranceandmotivationrequiredtosuccessfullyengageintheSeniorStategroupdemonstratedbythefollowing:
o Regularlyattendspractice5daysaweekormoreandhasshownapatternofdoingsopriortomovinguptothisgroup
o HasmadeacommitmenttoattendallmeetsontheSeniorStatemeetscheduleo HasatleastoneSeniorStatecutatthe1314level
Showsconsistentdailyattendancewithminimalinterferencefromoutsideactivities Demonstratestheteamvaluesofsupport,encouragement,workethic,consistency,
confidenceandfocusatpracticeandcompetition.
Showstheabilitytoworkthroughtheirpersonalplantoachievetheirgoals
SeniorSectional
Hasshownthespeed, desireandcommitmenttocompeteatthehighestlevelsofseniorswimmingdemonstratedbythefollowing:
o Regularlyattendspractice7daysaweekandhasshownapatternofdoingsopriortomovinguptothisgroup
o HasmadeacommitmenttoattendallmeetsontheSeniorSectionalmeetschedule
o HasmadeatleastoneSpringSectionalcutinthepreviousseasonorisa1314yearoldmalewhoscoredover730powerpointsinasingleeventintheprevious
season
Modelstheteamvaluesofsupport,encouragement,workethic,consistency,confidenceandfocusatpracticeandcompetition.
Showstheabilitytoconsistentlyevaluateandadjusthisorher goalsandtrainingplansinordertocontinuetoachievehigherlevelsofperformance
Consistentlyfollowsthroughwiththerequirementsofhisorhertrainingplan Allowslimitedinterferencefromoutsideactivities
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PracticeEtiquetteforSwimmers
Whenweareatpracticeweneedtocreateanenvironmentconducivetolistening,learning,and
practicingtheskillswearedeveloping. Itsimportanttoberespectfultoyourteammatesandthis
involvesknowingtherulesoftheroadandfollowingthemwell. Thefollowingarethegeneral
ingredientsthat
make
practice
fun
and
productive.
Weshowupforpracticeontime,whichmeansyouareinyourswimmingsuitandonthepooldeckreadytoreadthewarmup5minutesbeforepracticeofficiallystarts. Ingeneral,you
shouldbeenteringthewaterforwarmupatthesecondpracticestarts,i.e.ifpracticestartsat
4:30,youareenteringthewaterforthewarmupsetat4:30.00.
Leavethewallforyourswimwhenthecoachtellsyouto. Ifyouaretheleaderofthelaneandthecoachtellsyoutoleaveonthetopthatmeansattheminutemark,whentheseconds
read00. Unlesstoldotherwise,eachswimmerwillgoinwaves5secondsapartmeaningthe
secondswimmerwillgoonthe:05andthe3rdonthe:10,etc. Thiswillgiveeveryoneenough
spaceand
speed
leeway
to
focus
on
the
assigned
task.
Knowwhenyouleftthewall. Ifyouaregoingthirdinthelaneandthereforeleaveonthe:10,youshouldknowthis. Thereasonyoushouldknowthisisbecausewhenyoucomeinonthe
:50forinstanceyouwillthenknowthatittookyou40secondstocompleteyourswim. Ifyou
dontknowwhenyouleftorwhenyoucameinitsdifficulttoknowhowfastyouswam.
Knowyourtimes. Thissportisjudgedbyhowfastyouswimandnothingelse. Youneedtoknowwhatswimswerefastsoyoucandowhatyoudidagainnexttimeandwhatswimswere
slowersoyoucanknowthatwhateveryoudidthattimedidntwork. Alwayskeeptrackofyour
timesatpracticesoyoucangetthatfeedbackandknowifyouaregettingfasterandremember
whatyoudidtoaccomplishthat.
Ifsomeoneelsedoesnotleaveontimeordoesnotknowtheirtimes,thecoachwilladdressthat
issue,
keep
doing
the
right
thing
yourself.
If
the
person
in
front
of
you
leaves
3seconds
behindinsteadof5,youmaynotassumethatyoucanleave5secondsafterthatpersonorstart
leaving3behindasiftheruleshavechanged. Ifyouaregoing3rdinthelaneyouaretoleaveon
the:10,not5secondsafterthesecondperson.
Ifyouendupcatchingthepersoninfrontofyou,touchthebottomsoftheirfeettoletthemknowyouarethere. Donotgrabaholdofthemordoanythingyoumightfinduncomfortable.
Thiswillsignalthemthatyouarethereandyoumaybeginthepassingprocedure.
Passingaswimmerinvolvesmovingtothecenterofthelanewhilethepersonbeingpassedneedstoswimasclosetothelanelineaspossible. Ifyouarebeingpassed,makethepassingas
easyonthepasseraspossible. Theywerealready4secondsfasterthanyouwhenthey
touchedyourfeet,nowisnotthetimetoracethem,youalreadylost,sojustletthemby.
Passer,you
are
swimming
down
the
center
of
the
lane
right
now
so
get
this
over
with
as
quickly
aspossibleandslideintoyournewposition. NowremembertomaintainyourspeedsoYOU
dontgetpassed.Whenyougettothewallattheendofthatswim,officiallyswitchpositionsin
yourlaneorder.
Itisnotpropertooversprintadrillsetinordertoimproveyourlaneposition. Focusonthedrilltomakeyourstrokebetterandifyouaretrulybetteratthatdrillthanthepersoninfront
ofyouthenthatsgreat,goaheadandmoveahead. Howeversacrificingthedrillinorderto
improveyourlanepositionisfrownedupon.
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Whenwedosetswhereyouareaskedtodescend. Thatmeansyourtimesneedtoprogressivelygetfasterasyougo. Forexample,timeson450sdescendmightlooklike:40,
:37,:34,:31. Itisfrownedupontogo3easyandonesprint.Wewouldaskfor3easy1fastif
wewantedyoutodothatanditirritatesthefolksgoingnexttoyouwhoweredoingtheset
correctlyandarethereforemoretiredthanyouonthelastoneandmightgoslowerthanyou
becauseyoudecidedtobeaSammySaveUp. Performthesetsthewaythecoachesaskyou
toperformthem.
Whenthecoachisaddressingthegroup,lookhimorherintheeyes. Ifyoucanseethewhiteoftheireyeballsthenyoulooklikeyouarelistening. Goodlisteningincludesyourheadbeing
abovethewaterandthatyouarelookingatyourcoach. Pleasekeeponehandonthewalland
refrainfromhavingotherconversationswhilethecoachistalking.
Ifthecoachisaddressingyourfriend,youneedtonotbeadistractiontoyourfriend. Itisactuallyagoodideatolistentothecommentseveniftheyarenotdirectedatyousoyoucan
getabetterideaofwhatisimportantandexamineifyouaredoingagoodjobinthatareaas
well. Thebestswimmerslearnbylisteningwhentheircoachtalkstothem,whentheircoach
talkstothegroup,andwhentheircoachtalkstootherindividualsaswell. Beanactivelistener.
Beanactiveencourager. Whenthesetischallenging,tellyourbuddyyoubelieveinthem.When
your
buddy
is
slacking,
remind
them
you
are
depending
on
him
or
her
on
that
relay
at
State.Whenyourbuddysayssomethingnegative,ignoreitorsaysomethingpositiveto
counteractit.Makeyourteambettereveryday.
Pushyourselfoutsideyourcomfortzoneasoftenaspossible. Alwaysendasetwithyourbesteffortandeverydaytrytoputthateffortintothesetearlierandearliersothatwhenyouget
olderyoucanconsistentlyworkentiresetslikethebestswimmersdo. Alwaysbethinking
aboutwhatyoucouldbedoingbetterorwithmoreeffort. Youwillbethankfulyoudidwhen
itstimetogetontheblocksatyourChampionshipmeet.
Rememberthatwhatyoupatterninpracticewillcomeoutinyourraces. Strivetocreategoodhabits.Whenyoufatigueinaraceandcantconsciouslycontrolyourtechniqueanymore,the
ingrainedpatternsyourbodywillthendoaretheonesyoupatternedinpractice. Ifyouwantto
finisharace
with
good
legs
and
ahigh
long
catch
then
work
that
in
practice
all
the
time.
If
you
wantgoodwalls,patterngoodwalls. Yourbodywilldoexactlywhatyouhavetrainedittodo
sotrainitwellandwithconsciousintent.
Workthedetails. Mostswimmersthinkshowinguptopracticeisanachievement. SomethinkshowingupANDworkinghardisanachievement. Butplentyofswimmersdothat. Setyourself
apartinthedetails,takecareofthebasicsofattendanceandeffortandthengoaboveand
beyondandbecomeatechnicallybetterswimmer. Improvingthelittlethingscansetyouapart.
Leadbyexampleinyoureffortandyourfocus. Modelwhatitistobesomeonecommittedtothepursuitoftheirgoals. Modelwhatyouthinkanidealteammatewouldbe. Modelwhatitis
tobeexhaustedandscaredoftheintervalandstillthrowyourselffullyintotheset. Model
goodchoicesoutsidethepoolthatcontributetoyoursuccessasanathlete. Butatpractice,be
the
swimmer
you
would
look
up
to
yourself.
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PracticeEtiquetteforParents
WearethrilledtohavesupportiveandenthusiasticparentsonthisteamandIlovehowhardyouwork
volunteeringatmeetsandbehindthescenestogivethekidsagreatexperience. Whentheswimmers
arepracticing,however,itisimportantthatwefacilitatethebestlearningandtrainingenvironmentwe
canfor
these
kids.
We
want
them
to
focus
as
much
as
possible
on
the
directions
of
their
coach
and
the
processofleaningandthereforeweaskthattheparentsstayinthespectatorareasandallowthe
coachesandswimmersenoughspacetogetsomeworkdone.
Weencourageparentstocomewatchpracticesotheyhaveageneralknowledgeaboutwhatisgoingon
intheirchildsswimminglife. Whenyoudocome,however,itisimportanttoensurethattheswimmer
canstillfocusfullyonthecoachsdirectionandthetasksathand. Inordertofacilitatethebestpossible
learningexperienceforyourswimmerweaskthatyounotcommunicatewithyourswimmerduring
practiceasthisdividesaswimmersattentionandcancausethemconfusionastowhotheyaretryingto
pleaseatthetime.
Wealso
ask
that
you
do
not
interrupt
the
coaches
on
deck
while
they
are
coaching.
We
will
give
you
the
contactdetailsforthegroupcoachesaswellastheheadcoachandweaskthatyoucommunicate
outsideofpracticetime. Thecoachesarenotavailableforconversationswhentheyareondeck
coaching.
Mostimportantly,pleasedonottrytocoachyourchild. Inthevastmajorityofcases,thecoachesnot
onlyknowwhattheyaredoingbutareimplementingaplanthattheyhaveputtogethertogetthe
groupandeachindividualinthatgrouptoimproveasfastaspossible. Evenintherarecasethatthe
parenthasasmuchknowledge,skill,experienceandtalentincoachingasthechildsgroupcoachdoes,
itisimportanttohonorthecoach/athleterelationshipandallowtheswimmertobeapartofthe
program.
Duringpracticethecoachesarewatching,teaching,thinkingabouthowtocorrectissuestheysee,trying
tofigureoutwhyBobbyisstillnotdoingwhathasbeenaskedtodo,etc. Youmayseethecoachsimply
watchingtheswimmersattimesbutthatdoesnotmeanthereisnothinggoingon. Pleaserespectthe
flowofpracticeandlearningastheswimmerspendssometimeworkingouthowtoexecutetheskills
theyhavebeenaskedtotry.
Finally,pleasedonotcallintoquestionyourchildscoachinfrontofyourchildortoyourchildasyou
havechosentoputthatcoachinapositionofauthorityoveryourchildforthataspectoftheir
development. Underminingthecoachsauthoritygenerallyonlyconfusesthechild. Insayingthat,
however,pleasefeelfreetovoiceyourconcernstothegroupcoachortotheheadcoachasweare
morethanwillingtotalktoyouaboutthesituation.
Thankyouforyourcooperationandsupport. Pleasecontactyourchildscoachortheheadcoachifyou
haveanyquestions.
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PoolRules/Guidelines:
WeutilizebothofthepoolsattheUniversityofIowa,theFieldhousepoolandtheCampusRecreation
andWellnessCenter(CRWC)poolalsoknownastheUniversityAquaticsCenter. Wearefortunatetobe
abletoswimintwoofthebestpoolsinthestateofIowaanditsimportantthatwerespectthefacilities
andotherpatronsofthesepoolsandhonortheprivilegeswehave.Wearenottheonlypatronsat
thesefacilitiesandoftenweareusingthefacilitiesatthesametimeasthegeneralpublicanduniversity
patrons.Wemustrememberthateverythingwedoispotentiallyinfrontofanaudienceand
everythingyoudorepresentsIFLY.
Guidelinesthatareimportanttofollowforbothpoolsarethefollowing:
UseyourteamIDcardtoentertheFieldhouseorCRWC Pickupyourequipmentandleavethedeckclean Berespectfultoyourteammatesandthegeneralpublicwheneveryouareinthelockerrooms
orotherpublicareasofthefacilitieslikethehallways,thewaitingareasorthepooldeck.
Nohorseplayorroughhousingonthepooldeck Noglassinthepoolareas OnlyRecServicesmembersmayusetheworkoutfacilitiesduringpractice,ifyouarenotaRec
Servicesmemberyoumaycomewatchpracticebutyoumaynotusetheworkoutequipment,
sauna,steamroom,etc. IFLYduespayforIFLYrelatedactivitiessoifaFlyerwhoisnota
memberwouldliketousetheleisurepool,spa,etc.outsideofpracticetimestheywouldneed
topaythedailyfeeatthefrontdesk.
GuidelinesspecifictotheFieldhouse:
YoumayusethebathroomsjustoutsidethepoolentrancetochangeoryoumayusetheFieldhouselockerrooms,ladiesneedtogettheswipekeyfromacoachondeck.
Swimmers,putyourbagsinthespectatorareawhileyouswim Parentsandsupporters,ifyouchoosetowatchpracticepleasestayinthespectatorareaand
allowthecoachesenoughspacetoworkwiththeswimmers(Pleaseseegeneralparent
guidelinesforpractices). Thecoachesarenotavailableforconversationswhentheyareon
deck.
Coachesandswimmersonlyonthepooldeckplease.
GuidelinesspecifictotheCRWC:
Swimmers,gotothelockerroomsandchangeintoyoursuitbeforeyouenterthepooldeckarea,donotusethepooldeckbathroomtochangeintoyoursuit
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Swimmers,whenyouenterthepooldeckarea,gostraighttothefarsideofthepoolunderthespectatorareaandputyourstuffonthatsideofthepool. Donotleaveyourstuffonthelocker
roomsideofthepoolarea.
Parentsandsupporters,ifyouchoosetowatchpracticepleasestayinthespectatorarea. Ifyouaretheparentofayoungerornewerswimmerthenyouarewelcometogetyourswimmer
situatedbeforepracticebutthenheadbackuptothespectatorareaifyouplanonstayingto
watch. Itsalwaysgreattosayhitothecoachasyoupassbybutthecoachesarenotavailable
forconversationswhentheyareondeck.
Swimmers,gobacktothelockerroomstogetdressedafterpractice,donotusethepooldeckbathroomtogetdressed.
Coachesandswimmersonlyonthepooldeckplease.
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SwimMeets
Swimmeetsareagreatwaytoexperiencethesportofswimmingnomatterwhatlevelorwhatageyou
are. Somepeopleuseswimmeetstoseehowmuchfastertheyaregetting,someuseswimmeetsas
somethingtomotivatethemtoexperienceatraininglifestyle(ifyousignupfora5krunningraceyou
arefar
more
likely
to
be
aperson
who
runs
twice
aweek
than
if
you
did
not
have
arace
coming
up),
and
somepeopleenjoyswimmeetspurelyforthesocialaspectandteamenjoyment. Wehonorallthose
motivationsandwanttocreateapositiveswimmeetenvironmentnomatterwhatyourreasonfor
attendingis.
Thebestthingaboutswimmeetsinmyopinionistheopportunitytopracticethelifeskillsweare
workingtodevelop,particularlytheskillofbeinganywherefromuncomfortabletodownrightterrified
andthentakingaleapoffaithandtrustingyourselfthatyoucangetoutthereandtryandthendevelop
andbuildfaithinyourselfasyourepeatthisprocessinmoreandmoreintensesituations. Whenweset
goals,focusonimprovingcertainaspectsthatwethinkwillhelpusachievethosegoals,andthensee
oureffortspayoff,webuildfaithintheprocessthatwecanapplytoanythingwewanttotackle. Thisis
thereasonforswimmeets.
Swimmeetsarealsoagreattimeforgettingtoknowourteammates,boththeonesinourgroupand
theoneswedonttrainwith. Thekidsreallycometogetheratmeetsandtheirteambondingtimeat
meetsmakespracticesmorefunbecausenowitslessliketrainingandmorelikeaplaydateorasocial
gathering. Swimmersaregenerallyaverytightknitgroupofpeopleandpartofthatcomesfromthe
amountoftimewespendtogetherandwhatwearedoingduringthattime. Thepeoplewhohaveseen
metryandsucceedaswellastryandfailarealwaysgoingtobemyclosestfriendsbecauseweshared
notonlyacommonexperiencebutagenuineone. Swimmeetsareagreatwayforyourkidstodevelop
thissenseofcamaraderie.
Althoughsomeswimmerscomeintothesportfearingswimmeets,theyareactuallyquiteagoodtime.
Toputtheracesinperspective,youwillneverbedoinganythingyouhavenotdoneinpractice. Ifyou
canswimthewarmupinpracticethatisover200yards,thenyoucanswima200freeinarace. Itsthe
samedistanceandnoonesaysyouhavetosprinttheentireraceasifitwerea25. Learninghowto
pacearaceispartofswimming. Itstrueyouhavetogoofftheblocksbutyoushoulddothisinpractice
manytimesbeforeyoudoitinarace. Thebottomlineisyouwillneverbeaskedtodoanythingyou
dontalreadyknowyoucando. Sojustgooutthereandhavetheexperience,itsactuallyquitefun.
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20112012Fall/WinterSwimMeetSchedule
October9th CRAADualMeet
October23rdBPVADualMeet
November11
13th
Grand
Prix
or
DMSF
November1820thColumbia
November1920thCRAAQ
November23rdTurkeyDayRelays*
December1011thICEAgeGroup/GNSTInvite
December18thIntrasquad
January7th
8th
CRAA
Q
or
LSS/PKWY
Tri
Meet
January2122ndAllStars
February3rd5thSchroederorDASH
February1012thRegionals
February1719th12&UnderState
February2426thSeniorState
March911
Sectionals,
Kenosha,
WI
March2024thNCSAJuniorNationals
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HowtoSignUpforaSwimMeet
Whenitistimetosignupforaswimmeet,IwillsendoutaCallforEntriesemail. Thisemailwill
includethemeetinformationsothatyouknowwhereandwhenthemeetwillbeheldaswellasthe
orderofeventssothatyouknowwhateventswillbeheldonwhatdaysandgenerallyatwhattimes.
Lookoverthemeetinformationandthenreplytomyemailsayingthatyourchildwouldliketo
participateinthemeet. Youmaydesignatecertaineventsordaysyourchildisavailabletoswimoryou
mayjustsaycoachschoiceandwewillenteryourchildinthefullmeetintheeventswewouldliketo
seehimorherswim.
Thenextemailyoureceivewillbethetentativemeetentries. Pleaselookoveryourchildseventsand
makesureyourchildisenteredintheeventsyouwish. Ifyourplanshavechangedpleaseletusknowat
thistime. Iwillthenputtogethertherelaysforthemeetbasedonwhowillbeattending. AfterIturn
inthemeetentriesIwillapplythemeetfeestoyouraccounts. Onlytheindividualeventswillbe
chargedto
your
account,
the
team
will
pay
for
the
relay
events.
We
will
then
cut
acheck
from
the
universitytopayfortheentryfees. Afterthispoint,anychangesmadetoyourmeetentrieswillhaveto
bedonedirectlythroughthemeethost. Thecontactdetailswillbeonthemeetinformationaswellas
thedeadlinesandrulesforvariouschanges,butthismustbedonewiththemeethost. Iwillnotbeable
tochangeanythingafterthefinancialinformationisprocessed.
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Relays
RelaysareimportanttotheteamscoresatChampionshipmeets. Atallothermeets,relaysareagood
teambondingactivity,asanacknowledgementforbeingamongthetopswimmersinaswimmersage
group,andaspracticetoprepareforgoodrelayperformancesatthechampionshipmeets. Wewill
generallyfieldtworelayspergenderperagegroupateachmeetbuttheremaybeexceptionstothis.
AfterIhavetherosterofwhoisattendingacertainmeet,Iwillthenputtogethertherelays. The
computerspitsoutthefastest4freestylerinthedatabaseforthefreestylerelaysandthefastest
combinationofmedleyswimmersforthemedleyrelaysand,ingeneral,therelaysdonotchangefrom
hereonout. Therewillbetimes,however,whenthefastestcombinationofswimmerswillchangeprior
toorduringameetanditisthecoachsresponsibilitytoadjusttherelaystofieldthefastestrelay
combinationsavailabletorepresenttheteam.
Examplesof
such
circumstances
would
be
if
the
best
times
of
the
swimmers
change
after
the
entry
deadlineinanothermeetorifaneventisswumatameetpriortotherelayinquestion. Forexample,if
the100freeisbeforethe400freerelay,thecoachwilltakethetimesswuminthe100freeintoaccount
andadjusttherelaystogetthefastestgroupof4swimmersinthewater.
Theremaybetimes,whentheswimmersgetolderandmoreadvanced,thatswimmersbegintobe
morespecificintheireventsandwhentheygotochampionshipmeetstheymayonlyswimahandfulof
races. Theremaybetimeswhenaneventnotonaswimmerschampionshipprogramisarelayevent.
AnexamplewouldbeMichaelPhelps,whohasnotgenerallyhadthe100freeonhischampionship
program. However,Michael,atachampionshipmeet,isstilloneofourfastest4100freestylers,
regardless
of
whether
he
has
even
swam
that
event
this
season
or
not.
So
there
may
be
times
when
a
parentmightseeaminiMichael(a)fartherdownonthedepthchartforaspecificrelayeventbutthat
swimmerwillstillappearontherelay. Thisisbecausethecoachhasobservedthisswimmerinrelation
toothersinpracticeandinsimilareventsthroughtheseasonandcantelliftheswimmerisoneofthe
fastest4availablerelayswimmers. Ifyouhaveaquestionabouthowtherelayswerechosen,feelfree
toask. Ifanerrorhasbeenmadewewillcorrectthaterrorquickly,andifnoerrorhasbeenmadewe
willexplaintoyouhowtherelayswereformed.
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SwimMeetEtiquetteforSwimmers
Whenyouarriveataswimmeet,youshouldbeinyourteamgearandhavetherestofyourteamgear
packedupandreadytogofortheday. Findyourcoaches,letthemknowyouarethere,andthenfind
theteamareaandparkyourstuffthere.Wealwayssitasateamatmeetsasthismakesiteasiertofind
you,foryoutofindyourteammates,andtoenjoyabitofteambonding. Youcangosayhitomomand
dadinthestandsofcoursebutprimarilyyoushouldbeondeckwithyourteam.
Youshouldarriveondeckabout1520minutesbeforewarmupstarts,makesureyouhavealready
eatensomethingandgetyoursuiton.Thengoseeyourparentsandcheckouttheheatsheettomake
sureyouknowwhateventsyouareswimmingthatdayandifyouaresomeonethatneedsthoseevents,
heatsandlaneswrittenonyourhand/arm/leg/whateverthendothisnow,Sharpiesworkbest.
Bereadybehindyourwarmuplanebythebeginningofwarmup,yourcoachwilltellyouwhattodo
andthat
will
involve
alonger
swim
to
loosen
up,
some
kick
and
drills
of
all
the
strokes
to
get
all
your
musclesinvolved,andthensomespeedworkonthestrokeyouwillbedoingthatday. Youwillthendo
acoupleofsprint25sofftheblocks,yourcoachwillstartyou. Afteryouarecleared,gobackoverand
getdry,havesomethingtodrink,andorganizeyourteamcheer. CHEERLOUD!!!
Beawareofwhateventiscurrentlyracingsothatyouallowenoughtimetopreparebeforeyourevent
isup. Sometimesthereisaclerkofcourseandyoucanlistenforwhateventsarebeingcalledtolineup
andsometimesyoujustneedtobeawareandgobehindtheblockwithenoughheatstosparethatyou
arereadytogo.
Whenitstimetogoupbehindtheblocksforyourrace,tellyourcoachyouareonyourwayandaskfor
adviceon
your
race.
Sometimes
you
will
need
to
focus
on
something
specific
like
streamlines
or
arace
strategyandsometimesyourcoachmaywantyoutojustgoforitandturnyourbrainoffandrace. This
willdependonwhatyourcoachthinksisbestforthatraceatthatpointinyourdevelopmentandthat
pointinyourseason. Yourjobistoexecuteasbestyoucan.
Whenyouarebehindtheblocks,checkwiththetimertoconfirmyourheatandlaneassignmentand
keeptrackofhowmanymoreheatsyouhavebeforeyouareup. Itsveryimportanttoknowwhatyou
aredoingandwhenyouaretobedoingit,manyswimmershavemissedracesbecausetheywerenot
awareofwhatheatthemeetwasonorwhattheyweresupposedtobeinandthatsabummerfor
everyoneifyoumissarace.
Afteryourrace,shakehandswithyourcompetitioninthelanesnexttoyouasitsimportantto
acknowledgeyourcompetitionforhelpingyoudoyourbestandtoshowrespectfortheireffortsinthe
spiritofhealthycompetition. Thengetout,andthankyourtimers(thisisalsoveryimportant!!!).
Sometimesyouaretostayinthewaterafteryourraceuntilthenextheatissentoff(thisiscalledFly
overstarts)andsometimesyouaretogetoutbeforetheygo. Itwillbeclearwhichonetheyaredoing
atthemeet,thevastmajorityofthetimetheywillbeusingflyoverstarts. IftheyareNOTusingfly
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overstars,however,makessureyouwaitforeveryoneinyourracetofinishbeforeyougetoutofthe
water. Itshowsrespectforeveryoneseffortsandthatisaveryimportantthingtodo.
Atthistime,youaretogostraighttothewarmdownpoolandswimthewarmdownyourcoachhas
toldyoutodo. Ifthismeanspassingyourcoachonthewaybyforahighfivethengreatbutingeneral,
ifyou
are
over
10
or
11
years
old
its
time
to
go
straight
to
the
warm
down
pool.
Little
kids
can
go
straighttotheircoachforfeedback;biggerkidsgototheircoachforfeedbackafterthewarmdown. Its
goodtohaveadrinkonthewaytothewarmdownpoolasithelpsinrecovery.
Manageyourfoodandwaterintakethroughoutthemeetsothatyouareneverfullbutyouarenever
hungryorthirsty,certainlyneverthirstyasbythetimeyouknowyouarethirtyyouarelongpast
dehydrated. Itisimportanttoeathealthysnackslikefruit,nuts,bagelswithcreamcheese,doitlikeyou
arepackingapicniclunchandthennibbleatitallday. Andrememberthatwateristhebestdrinkout
there,sportsdrinksaresecondarytogoodoldfashionedwater.
Remembertocheerforyourteammatesandfriendsjustlikeyouwouldwantthemcheeringforyou. I
wasat
acamp
one
time
and
we
had
people
do
as
many
jumping
jacks
as
possible
in
front
of
the
group.
Thenwehadthemdoitagainonlywehadeveryonecheerforthem. Everyonedidatleast10more
jumpingjackswhentheywerebeingcheeredfor. Itreallydoesmakeadifferencesohelpyour
teammatesoutandshowthemyoucarebycheeringyourheartoutforthem.
Alsorememberthatwearethereatthismeettoseehowwearedoinginourprogressandits
importanttoputprogressoverperfectioninthedevelopmentofanyskillweareworkingon. Progress
canbeseenasabesttimeoritcanbeseenasdoingsomethingbetterthanwedidlasttime. Itcanalso
beseenasbecomingmoreawareofwhereweneedtoimprove. Evenmakingmistakescanbeseenas
progressifwewerentevenawareofthembefore. Youneedtoknowwhereyouarebeforeyoufigure
outapath
to
go
where
you
want
to
go,
so
even
finding
yourself
on
the
map
can
be
seen
as
astep
in
the
rightdirection. Itsvaluabletoknowwhereyourstartingpointisandeverymeettellsyouwhereyou
areinyourprogress. Keepinmindthatwearenotdealingwithwhetherornotyoumetyourendgoals
asmuchasreassessingyourcurrentpositiononyourongoingpathandseeingwhatyouneedtodoto
movetowardsyourultimategoals.
Sometimesitisscarytoracebutthelessonwearelearningisthatnomatterwhoisgoingtoswiminthe
nextlaneover,youareincontrolofeverythingthatgoesoninyourownlaneandyouwillgive100%of
yourselftotheraceregardlessofhowitmayturnout. Youneverknowwhatsgoingtohappeninarace
andyoucannotcontroltheeffortsorsuccessofanotherswimmer,butyoucancontrolyourgenuine
effort
and
swim
with
pride
every
time
you
get
out
there
and
this
honors
you,
your
teammates
and
the
spiritofthesport.
Rememberthatnooneracedeterminesourmeritasaswimmerandwealwayshavetheopportunityto
reassessandstartfreshonourpath. Sometimesswimmersgetupsetaftertheyfeeltheydidnot
performastheywouldhavelikedandthisdoeshappen. Ifyouarefeelinglikeyoucantcontrola
negativereactionthenpleaseexcuseyourselfforsomequiettimeandthencomebackwhenyouare
readytobeapositiveinfluenceonyourteamandcanreengagewiththemeet. Yourfeelingswillnot
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beheldagainstyouasweallknowwhatitsliketocomeupshortandfeelbadaboutit. Theskillweare
workingonhereisbeinggracefulandpoisedindefeat.WeallneedtohonethatskillasIcan
guaranteetherewillbeanopportunityforitsuseatsomepointinlife.
Whenyouaredoneswimming,gosaybyetoyourcoach,cleanupyourarea,andyourefreetogo. Asa
team,we
would
like
to
practice
leave
no
trace
swim
meet
camping
which
means
Idont
want
the
meethosttoknowtherewasateamsitinginthatareabecauseitlooksexactlythesamewhenyou
leaveasitdidwhenyousatdown. Ihaveheardmanycommentsovertheyearsfromthecleanupcrew
ofmeethostteams(thesearetheparentsofswimmersonthoseteams)andtheirnewperceptionsof
variousteamsbasedontheirabilitytosimplycleanupafterthemselves. Rememberthatweare
representingtheUniversityandweareheldtoahigherstandardthanthebadnewsbearmightbe.We
needtorespectourpositionandactaccordingly.
Mostofall,havesomefun,enjoyyourteammates,yourfriendsfromotherteams,andtheopportunities
youhavetogrowasaswimmer.
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SwimMeetGuidelinesforParents
Parentsreallyhaveaneasyjobtodoatswimmeets. Youaretopackfood,towels,gear(includinglots
oftowelsandchangesofclothes),writethechildsevents,heatsandlanesonyourchildwithaSharpie
beforethemeetandthensitbackandbepositive. Nowisyourtimetoenjoyseeingyourchildgoout
ontheirownandtrynewthingswithinthepositivebubbleoftheteamandyoursupport.
Whenpackingforthemeet,itisagoodideatohaveeverythingreadythenightbeforesothatthe
morninggoesassmoothlyaspossible. Besuretopacktheteamsuit,anextrasuitjustincase,twocaps,
twopairsofgoggles,severaltowels,teamclothesforduringthemeet,dryclothesforafterthemeet
(maybekeepthosewithyouinthestands),andawaterbottle. Otherfunthingstopackmightbebooks,
games,cards,ablanketorsleepingbagandmaybeapillowdependingonthevenue. Somepoolshavea
crashareaoffthedecktocampout,somehaveverylittleroomtospreadoutsobringingcrashitems
likeasleepingbagandapillowwouldnotbewise.
Fortheparents,youwouldneedtopackyourowntoolkitwhichshouldincludecash,apen/pencil,a
sharpie,ahighlighter(fortheheatsheet),andyourchildstimelogsheet. Poolareasaregenerallyon
thewarmsidesoeveninthewinteryouwillneedtodressforhumidconditions.Whenyouarriveatthe
meet,thefirstthingyoushoulddoisbuyyourselfaheatsheet. Thisisthefundamentalitemofswim
meetparentingaseverythingyoucouldeverwanttoknowisgenerallycontainedintheheatsheet.
Highlightyourchildsnameandindicateyourteammateslanessoyouknowwhentocheerandyouwill
bereadytogo.
Findorcreateateamparentarea. Theswimmersneedtosittogetherandsodotheparents. This
makes
it
easier
for
the
kids
to
find
you
or
a
suitable
alternative
to
you
and
its
good
to
get
to
know
the
parentsofthekidsyourchildspendssomuchtimewith. Yourchildwillcomefindyoutogettheir
events,heatsandlaneswrittenonthemandthiswillgiveyoutimetogooverthedaywithyour
swimmer. AgoodpremeetconversationmightgosomethinglikethisHiSally,didyoufindyourteam
area? Letslookupyoureventsandseewhatthedaylookslike Yourfirsteventisthe50free,it
lookslikeyourbesttimeisa38.01. Doyourememberwhenyouswamthat? Ohyeah,youreally
improvedonyourturnonthatone,whatisyourgoalfortheracetoday?Okgreat,thatshouldbefun,
youareinheat4lane2. Whatsnext? Andsoon. Whenyouaredone,givethemahugandsendthem
ontheirway. Itmaybetemptingtocoachyourchildduringthisconversationbutwhatyoureally
wanttodoiscreateawarenessforthemtoengageinthemeetthatday. Themoreintunetheyarewith
what
is
going
on
the
better
experience
they
will
have.
So
this
conversation
should
be
primarily
informational,meaningyouaretohelpthemunderstandwhatisgoingonandletthemknowthatyou
aretheretosupporttheirefforts. Thensendthembackdowntothepooldeckandoffwegointothe
meetexperience.
Theymaycomeseeyouafterthewarmupbutiftheyareinoneofthefirsteventstheymaynot. Your
childmaycomeupmanytimesduringthemeetornotatall,thatjustdependsonyourchilds
personalityandcomfortlevelwiththemeetexperience. Youmayneedtopackyourselfatowelinyour
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toolkitaskidstendtowanttohaveacuddleandsitonyourlapwhentheycometovisitandthosewet
suitsonyourlapsareaswimmeetparentsoccupationhazard.
Duringthekidvisits,yourroleastheswimmeetparentwouldbeideallyjusttostaypositive,grounded,
andforwardlookingduringyourmeetconversations.Wedonotwantthemtothinktheirlittleswim
hasthe
power
to
rock
our
parental
worlds
because
that
puts
the
pressure
of
your
happiness
and
elation
onthem. Onthatnote,wealsodontwantthemtothinkthattheirswimhasthepowertoruinyourday
either. Theirswimsareimportantastheyhaveworkedhardtoprepareforthem,butonlyinthat
perspective,andtheyneedtoknowthatfromyoutheyhaveunconditionalsupport. Thecoacheswilldo
thecarrotbatingandsternexpectationstalksaswellasthetechniquetipsandremindersandgoal
awarenessconversations. Youneedtoprovidethelaptogotosotheycanprocessallthatoffthedeck
ifneedbe.
Themostimportantthingtoconveyasanathletesparentisthatyouarethere,youarehappytobe
there,andthatyouareenjoyingseeingyourchildengageintheprocessoflearningthepayoffsof
properwork,goalsettingandaccomplishment. OfcoursethisisYOURchildwearetalkingaboutsothis
adviceisonlybasedonwhatseemstohelpproduceswimmersthatcontinueinthesporthappilyandin
ahealthyway. Youknowyourchildbestandwerespectyourpositionastheleaderintheirgrowthand
development.
Themoremeetsyougotothemoreyouwillunderstandtheflowanddynamicsofswimmeets. Feel
freetoaskthemoreexperiencedparentsabouthowthingsgoandtheywillprobablybeveryhelpfulas
wewereallnewswimparentsatonetimeandweallneedtoridethecoattailsofthosebeforeus. This
isagreattimetogrowasaswimparentsoIencourageyoutoparticipateinmeetsonaregularbasis.
Youwillfindmoretoenjoythefartherdowntherabbitholeyougoandweareheretohelpyouonthe
way.
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NewSwimmer/ParentMeetHelp
Ifyouarenewtoswimmeets,pleasereadtheswimmerandparentguidelinesformeets. Thefollowing
isamoredetailedbreakdownofwhatgoesonataswimmeettohelpyougetacquaintedwiththe
sportsasquicklyandaseasilyaspossible.
EventInformationSheet:
Shortlybeforethemeet,anemailwillbesentoutcontainingthemeetinformationandacallforentries.
Pleaselookoverthemeetinformationtoseewherethemeetisbeingheld,whateventsareonwhat
day,whattimethemeetstarts,whatsessioneachagegroupisswimminginandthewarmuptimesfor
eachsession,theminimumormaximumentrytimesforeachevent,howmuchtheeventfeesare,what
awardswillbegiven,etc.
Whenyoureceivethisemail,youwillneedtoemailyourintentionstothecoach. Pleasereplywiththe
eventsyourchildwouldliketoswimorjustsaythatyouwanttoswimcertaindaysandthecoachwill
choosetheeventsforthosedays. IfyouareNOTavailabletoswimonrelays,pleaseletusknowatthis
time,otherwiseyourchildwillbeconsideredforrelaysatthemeet.
Adayortwoafteryousendyourmeetpreferencesin,youwillreceiveanotheremailthatwillinclude
listof
events
your
child
will
swim.
Please
check
to
make
sure
the
events
match
what
you
asked
for,
and
sendinanychangesyouwanttomakeatthistime. Aftertheentrydate,nochangeswillbemade.
Nowthatyouhaveyourchildseventprogram,youcanbereadyforthemeetday. Itisagoodideato
printoutthemeetinformationand,especiallyfortheyoungerchildren,marktheeventsandevent
numbersontheirhandbeforehand. Thenyoumerelyhavetofillintheheatandlanenumbersfromthe
heatsheetonthedayoftherace.
Daybeforeanddayofthemeet:
Packyourbackpackandcoolerorlunchbox.
Reviewthemeetinformation. Thispacketwillgiveyoudetailsofthemeetsite.
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Markonyourchildsarmorleg,sothattheycanreadwithease. Listtheevent,theeventnumber,then
leaveaspacefortheheatnumberandlanenumber.
Haveawellbalancedmealandgetplentyofrest.
Whattopackessentials(SeeParentMeetGuidelinesformoredetails):
Atleast2towels.
Atleast2pairsofgoggles
Atleast2IFlycaps.
IFlyswimsuit.
Awarmrobeorsleepingbag.
Healthysnacksandawaterbottle(keepinmindnoglassofanykindisallowedonanypooldeck).
DayoftheRace:
Gettothemeetinplentyoftimetoparkandfindyourwaytothepoolarea. Itisstronglysuggestedyou
getaprogram,whichwillcontaintheheatsheets. Inaddition,itmayalsotellyouapproximatetimeof
eachevent. Itiseasiertowriteeventinformationonyourchildwhentheyarestilldry,soits
recommendedthisbedonebeforewarmup. Onceonthepooldecklookforthecoaches,parent
volunteers,orotherswimmerstohelpdeterminewheretheteamwillsitduringthemeet.Atthispoint
itisagoodideatopointoutwherethescoreboardislocatedandwhetherornottheeventnumberwill
bedisplayedonit. Ifnot,itwillbeveryimportantfortheswimmerstolistencarefullytotheeventsas
theyarecalled. Additionally,itisstronglyencouragedthattheswimmersstaywiththeteamduringthe
meet.
Itiscustomaryforswimmers,especiallyyoungerones,tohavetheirevents,lanes,andheatnumbers
writtenontheirlegorarms. Itsimportantthattheeventsadisplayedinamannerallowingthe
swimmertofollowtheirevents. Thisservesasareminderofwhattheywillbeswimming. Itwillalso
helpthecoacheswhentheseswimmerscomeupandask,WhateventamIswimming? ASharpieis
thebesttoolforthisandcomesoffwiththeuseofnailpolishremover.
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SwimmingTerms: Thefollowingisabriefsummaryofthetermsyouwillrunintoasyourchild
participatesinthesportofswimming.
PsychSheet:
Thisisarankingofalltheswimmersaccordingtotheirtimes,byevents,forthemeet.ThePsychsheetis
ausefultoolinsettingindividualgoalsforthemeet.
Programs(aka:HeatSheets):
Programsaresoldatthemeetsandarehighlyrecommended. Theprogramhasalloftheswimmers
listedbytheireventnumber,heatnumberandlanenumber. Additionally,itwillshowtheswimmers
fastesttimeforanygivenevent.
Raceheat:
Thisishowmanytimesaspecificeventwillbeswumbasedonthenumberofswimmersswimminga
givenevent.
The
heats
are
arranged
from
slowest,
or
no
time
(NT),
to
the
fastest
time.
TheRacingCourse:
Therearethreecoursesweracein. ShortCourse(SCY)referstothemostcommon25yardcourseyou
findinmosthighschools. Wegenerallycompeteinthiscourseinthefallandwinter. ShortCourse
Meters(SCM)istheleastcommonracingcoursebutyouwillfindameetortwoheldinthiscourse
duringtheyear. Thecourseis25meterslong. ThenthereisLongCoursewhichisthe50meterpoolwe
competeinduringthesummer,or,fortheeliteswimmers,alsoduringtheyear. Thisisthekindofpool
theOlympicsandothermajorinternationalcompetitionsareheldin.Internationaleliteswimmingbases
itsfoundationinLongCourseswimming.
Freestyle:
Technically,aswimmerinafreestyleeventmayactuallyswimanystroketheywish,butthefastestis
thecrawlstrokeandwegenerallyjustrefertothatasfreestyle.
Backstroke:
Thisistheonlystokethatstartsinthewaterand,exceptfortheflipturn,youmuststayonyourbackat
alltimes. However,ifyouarenotdoingabackstrokeflipturn,thenyoustillhavetostayonyourbackas
youtouchthewallandpushoff.
Butterfly: Butterflyusesthedolphinkickwithadoublearmrecovery,thisisatwohandtouch(touch
the
wall
with
both
hands)
stroke
and
the
feet
must
stay
together,
no
flutter
kick.
Both
arms
must
recoveroverthewateratthesametime.
Breaststroke: Thisisthestrokethatusesthefrogkickandtheonlystrokewithanunderwater
recovery. Thisisalsoatwohandtouchstroke,thefeetmustbeflexedonthekick,andthearmsmay
notgodownpastthechest.
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IndividualMedleyorIM:ThiseventinvolvesallfourofthestrokesintheorderofButterfly,
Backstroke,Breaststrokeandthenfreestyle.
MedleyRelay: thiseventalsofeaturesallfourstrokes,butbyfourdifferentswimmersandinadifferent
order. Itstartswiththebackstrokeastheymuststartinthewater.Whenthebackstrokertouches,the
breastrokerdives
in,
when
the
breastsroker
touches
the
butterflyer
dives
in
and
finally
when
the
butterflyertouches,thefreestylerdivesinandtheirfinishisthefinishoftherace.
FreestyleRelay: Thisrelayalsoinvolves4swimmersbuttheywillalldofreestyleandstartfromthe
blocks. Eachswimmerwillswimthesamedistanceequalingonequarterofthetotalrelayevent.
Starts: Swimmerswillneedtobebehindtheblocksasthepreviousheatisfinishing. Youwillheara
seriesofshortwhistlesatthistime. Whenthepreviousheatisfinished,therewillbealongwhistlethat
alertstheswimmerstogetontheblocksandreadytogo. Youmusthaveonefootatthefrontofthe
blocksatthistimeanditmuststaytherethroughthestart. Youwillthenheartakeyourmark. Atthis
time,assumeyourracereadyposition. Forlittlekidsitmaybejusttheirstreamline,butforthebigger
kids,they
grab
the
block
with
their
hands
and
crouch
to
anticipate
the
beep.
There
can
be
no
more
movementuntilthebeepatwhichtheracehasofficiallybegunandtheclockstarts. Ifthereisforward
movementortwitchingbeforethebeeptheswimmerwillbedisqualifiedforafalsestart.
TimeStandards: Asswimmersmovefromnovicetocompetitivetoeliteswimmers,thereareaseriesof
timestandardsthatbothhelpyouseeyourimprovementand,whenachieved,allowyoutocompeteat
higherandhigherlevelsofcompetition.
B: ThefirststandardtoachieveistheBtimeandthistellsyouthatyouareonyourwayin
competitiveswimming.
BB:The
BB
time
puts
you
in
acompetitive
place
at
the
local
level
and
is
sometimes
used
for
the
qualifyingtimefortheIowaStateChampionships.
Q: ThetimeusedtoqualifyyouforStateiscalledtheQtime. ThistimeisneverslowerthanaBB
timebutcanoftenbefaster. SomemeetsinIowaaredesignatedQmeetsmeaningyoucanonly
swimaneventinthatmeetifyouhaveNOTachievedtheQtimeinthatevent. Thiswaythese
swimmerscanhaveaseparateplacetoracethatisabitlessintenseandtheyhaveachancetoracefor
awinwithouttheswimmerswhohavealreadymovedontothenextlevel.
A: TheAtimewillputyouinthemiddleoftheStatequalifiershereinIowaandletyouknowthat
you
are
now
making
the
transition
to
not
just
qualify
for
State
but
compete
for
scoring
points
at
that
meet.
AA: Ingeneral,aAAtimewillputyouinthetoptierofswimmersintheStateandgiveyouashotat
makingtheAllStarteamheldinJanuaryeveryyear. Onthisteam,thetop5availableswimmersineach
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agegroupineacheventareselectedtotraveltoLawrence,KansastorepresentIowaagainstother
Midwesternstates.
AAA: AAAAtimequalifiesyouforahigherlevelofAllStarteamcalledZones. Thismeetisheldin
AugusteveryyearandbringstogetherthebestswimmersfromtheMidwest. AAAAtimewillmean
youare
one
of
the
top
swimmers
in
the
State
and
highly
competitive
around
the
Midwest.
AAAA: AAAAAtimemeansyouarenowamongthetop10%oftheswimmersinthenationinyour
agegroupinthatevent. ThosethatachieveAAAAtimesareamongthetoptiernationallyandare
nowaimingatbeingnationallyranked.
NationalRanking: USAswimmingkeepstrackofthetopswimmersateachageineachevent. Tosee
thelist,gohere:
http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1482&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en
Andtypeinyourcriteria. Thiswilltellyouwherethetopisatanylevelyouwant,andthisiswherethe
eliteFlyers
find
themselves.
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IowaFlyersHostedMeets
Therewillbetimeswhenwegotootherpoolsformeetsandtherewillbetimeswhenwewillhostthe
meetourselves. Someofthesemeetsaresimplytoofferanopportunitytocompetewithouttravelling
ortoofferaquickandfunmeetforthemoredevelopmentalkids,butsometimesthesemeetsaremajor
productionsandattractthebestswimmersintheMidwestandsometimesinthenation.
IfwearehostingasmallDual(twoteams)orTri(threeteams),thenverylittleisrequiredintermsof
volunteersupport. Ingeneralwewilljustneedsafetymarshalsand16timers(2timersperlane)along
with thehelpofournumerousandcompetentmeetqualifiedparentsincludingtheofficialscrew
(withoutthemitwouldnotbealegalmeet)andthemeetmanagementcrewwhorunthetimingsystem
andthecomputerstokeeptrackoftheresultsofthemeet.
IfyouarenewtotheteamthenvolunteeringasatimeroraMarshall(keepthedecksafeandenforce
warmup
rules)
and
this
will
allow
you
to
gain
more
experience
in
meet
volunteering.
You
will
see
many
familiarfacesofficiatingorrunningthemeetandthosefolkshavebeendoingswimmeetsforyears.
Theyarethefoundationofourparentvolunteersupportcrew. Periodicallyyouwillhearabout
opportunitiestoacquiretheseskillsandbetrainedtobecomeanofficialorworkthedeskatthemeet
andwewelcomeanyonewhoisinterested.
IfwearehostingamajormeetliketheArmbrusterInvitationalheldinlateMay,oranyUSASwimming
sponsoredmeetliketheSpeedoChampionsSeriesmeetorJuniororSeniorNationals,wewillaskthat
everyfamilyparticipateinsupportingthiseffort. Hostingmajormeetsprovidesamajorsourceof
incomefortheteamandallowsustohireandretainthebestcoachesinthefieldaswellaspurchase
equipment
for
the
team
and
fund
our
efforts
to
be
a
premier
USA
Swimming
team.
Unlike
most
other
swimteams,wedonotrequireyoutovolunteerorpenalizeyoufinanciallyfornothelping,however,we
doexpectfullparticipationasamemberoftheIFLYteam.
Beforeanyofthesemeetsyouwillreceiveanemailexplainingwhatmeetwewillbehostingandwhat
weneedinordertopullitoffcompetently. Thevolunteercoordinatorwillhelpexplainthevariousroles
tochoosefromandyoucansignupforanythingyouwant. Examplesofmajormeetopportunities
wouldbetiming,officiating,sellingprograms,doorsecurity,marshaling,clerkofcourse,awards
coordinator,providingfoodforvolunteerhospitality(yes,wefeedyou!),administeringthevolunteer
hospitalitythroughouttheday,announcing,runningthemeetcomputer,andvariousothersupport
positions.
Thebestpartabouthostingmeetsasateamistheopportunityforyoutogettoknowotherparentsin
yourchildsgroupandontheteamasawholeandtogrowinyourinvolvementandknowledgeofthe
sportyourchildisenjoying.Wegenerallyhaveagoodtimetogetherandbecomeabetterteam,bothas
swimmersandparents,becauseoftheseopportunities.
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SwimOfficials
Ouryoungathletesworkveryhardtoexcelattheirsport.Tohelpthemdothisrequireswelltrainedand
dedicatedswimofficialsondeckduringswimmeetstoensurethecompetitionissafe,fairandequitable
foralltheswimmers. AllIowaSwimmingswimofficialsarevolunteerparents. Certifiedofficialsare
requiredtobeondeckforallsanctionedswimmeets,soswimclubsneedparentstovolunteerto
becomeofficialsinordertoholdswimmeets.
Dependingontheindividualscertificationlevel,anofficialworksinoneofthefollowing3positions
duringameet:
StrokeandTurnJudge,whoobservesthesimmersinthewaterandmakesacallwhenastrokeandturnrelatedinfractionoccurs.
Starter,whoactivatesthestartingsignalaftersayingtakeyourmarkandstartstheraces. Referee,whooverseestheentirepooldeck,hasfullauthorityoverallofficials,enforcesall
applicablerules,
and
decides
all
questions
relating
to
the
actual
conduct
of
the
meet.
Typicallyaparentcanbecertifiedafterthefollowsteps:1)participateaninitialofficialclinic,2)passthe
simpleonline,openbooktest,3)passtherequiredUSASwimmingbackgroundcheck,and4)apprentice
toexperiencedofficialsfor46sessionsatsanctionedmeets.Oncecertified,itsgoodfortwocalendar
years.Recertificationprocessonlytakeslessthan20minutesonceeverytwoyears.Officialsannual
nonathleteregistrationwithIowaSwimmingandUSASwimmingwillbehandledandfeespaidbyIFLY.
Swimofficialsenjoyadditionalbenefits,suchas:
Theywilllearnmoreaboutcompetitiveswimming(sotheywillbeabletohavetechnicaldiscussion
with
their
swimmers
at
home)
Theygettobewheretheactionisduringaswimmeet Theyhaveopportunitiestoworkwithagreatgroupofpeerofficialsacrossthestateandthe
country
Itsoneofthebestwaytoshowtheirswimmersthattheysupporttheirsport Theywillhaveaccesstothehospitalityroomwhentheyworkasanofficialduringameet.
Withthestartofthearthomepool,morehighlevelmeetswillbehostedbyourclub.IFLYathleteswill
benefitthemostfromthosemeetsatourhomepool.IFLYisayoungclubandlackssufficientnumberof
officialsatalllevelstorunameetwithgooddeckcoverage.Pleaseconsidervolunteeringtobecomea
swimofficial. Youwillbehappyyoudid.
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RegistrationandBillingPolicies
InordertoregisterfortheIowaFlyers,youmustgotheIowaFlyerswebsite
(http://recserv.uiowa.edu/Apps/YouthPrograms/IowaFlyers.aspx)andgoundertheRegistrationtaband
printoutthethreeforms:
IowaFlyersSwimClubRegistrationForm
IowaFlyersSwimClubWaiver
USASwimming
FilloutthethreeformsandattachacheckmadeouttoIowaSwimmingInc.forthe$60USASwimming
fees. Putthese4itemsinanenvelopewithIowaFlyersRegistrationFormsenclosedandturnitinto
thefrontdeskoftheCRWC(nexttotheturnstiles). Thennexttimeyoushowupforpracticeyouneed
toget
your
ID
card.
Your
information
will
be
in
the
system,
just
tell
them
who
you
are
and
that
you
are
theretopickupyourcardandtheywilllookyouup,takeyourpictureandyouwillbegivenyourIDcard.
Youwillneedtobringthiscardinordertoenterthebuildingforpractice.
Wewillsendyouabillonthe10thonthemonththatwillincludeanyunpaidchargesaswellasforthe
duesforthecurrentmonth. Swimmeetfees,dues,clinics,orotherIFLYrelatedchargeswillbeonyour
bill. Paymentinfullistobereceivedbythe20thofthemonth. Therewillbea$10latefeeappliedto
thosewhodonotpaybytheendofthemonth. Participantswithunpaidbillsofoveramonthwillhave
theircardsfrozenuntilpaymentisreceived.
Ifyourchildwillnotbeswimmingduringacertainmonth,youneedtosendusanemailbeforethe1stof
thatmonthtoletusknow. Ifwedonothearthatyourchildwillnotbeparticipatingthenwewill
assumetheyarestillattendingandtheywillstillhavetheirplaceintheprogramreserved. Wemustcap
eachgroupbasedonlanespaceandavailabilityandtheremaybeswimmersonthewaitinglistreadyto
fillyourchildsspotsoitisimportantthatweofferthatpositioninatimelymanner.
Therewillbenoproratingmonthlydues.Whenaswimmerparticipatesformorethanoneweekina
month,theswimmerwillbebilledforthefullmonth.
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Uniforms/Attire/Equipment
IFLYisaUniversitysponsoredteamthatpracticesattheuniversitysfacilitiesandrepresentsthe
universitybothoncampusandwhenwetraveltoswimmeets. Therefore,weneedtomakesureweare
properlyuniformedbothatpracticeandatswimmeets. SplashMultisporttakescareofourteamstore
needsandasaSPEEDOsponsoredteam,ourgearisprimarilySpeedobrand. Ifyoudonothaveanyof
thegearbelow,gototheteamwebsiteandclickontheTeamStoreicontoorderyourgear,theywill
deliverittoyourhouseandyouwillpaythemdirectly.
Whatyouneedforpractice:
EveryonewhowearsacapatpracticemustwearanIFLYcap. (Ifyouhaveshorthairanddonotwishtowearacapatpracticeyoudonothaveto,butifyouwearacap,itneedstobeanIFLY
cap.)You
also
need
to
make
sure
you
are
stocked
up
for
times
when
one
breaks
or
gets
left
behind.
AllFreshmanswimmersneedfins. AllSophomoreswimmersneedfins,asnorkelandameshbag. AllJuniorandSeniorswimmersneedfins,asnorkel,ameshbag,andpaddles. AllSeniorSectionalandSeniorStateboysneedanIFLYdragsuit.
Anoteonpracticegear: YouMUSTlabelyourmeshbagandthe gearyoucarryinit. Bringyourbagof
geartopractice,keeptrackofitwhenyouarethere,andthentakeitwithyouwhenyougo. Youare
responsibleforhavingyourequipmentreadytogoeverydayatpractice.
Whatyouneedformeets:
AllmeetswimmersneedtowearanIFLYcap. Ifyouchoosetowearadomecap,itneedstobeayellowone. IfyouwanttohaveyournameonyourcapyouneedtocontactSplashMultisport,
theirinformationisonourteamwebsiteundertheteamstoreicon.
AllmeetswimmerswillneedanIFLYTshirt AllswimmersrepresentingIFLYattheStateChampionshipmeetwillneeddresssweats AllswimmersrepresentingIFLYatmeetsoutsideoftheStatewillneeddresssweatsandIFLY
backpacks
Optionalitemswouldbehoodies,towels,hats,etc.,butwhateveryouwearneedstobeIFLYsogearuphoweveryouwish.
HowtogetyourIFLYUniformsandtraininggear:
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Ourteamstoreisonourwebsite,justclicktheteamstoreiconandthatwilltakeyoutotheSplash
Multisportsite. Fromthissiteyoucanorderallyourtrainingequipmentaswellasallyourapparel.We
areaSPEEDOsponsoredteamandthisallowsustogetoursuits,warmupsandbagsatadiscountas
wellashelpingusoutfitourNationalteamwiththehighertechsuitstheyneedtocompeteatthatlevel.
Ourendoftheagreement,otherthanswimmingfastintheirgear,isthatwedonotbuyorwear
productsmade
from
another
competing
manufacturer.
We
can
only
have
non
SPEEDO
gear
if
they
do
notmakeasimilarproduct. Pleaseletpresentgiversoutsidethefamilyknowthisinordertoavoidan
awkwardacceptanceofabrandnewexpensiveswimmingbackpackmadebyanonSPEEDO
manufacturerasthistypeofthinghashappenedbefore.
Foryourconvenience,teamcapsareavailableattheequipmentdeskattheCRWC. Itsalwaysagood
ideatokeepteamcapsaroundastheyareknowntobreakordisappearatthemostinopportunetimes.
Also,anoteonshippingcosts: Ifyouwishtoavoidshippingcosts,askAmyatSplashtodeliveryour
orderatthenextmeet. Thisonlyworksifwearenottalkingabouttrainingequipmentyourcoachwill
beexpectingyourswimmertohaveatpractice. Thatneedstobetakencareofpriortothebeginningof
theseasonandreplacedimmediatelyiftheequipmentgoesmissing.
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Problemswiththecoach
Themostdestructivefactoronanyteamispoorparent/coachcommunication. Ifyouhaveanissuethat
involvesthecoachorsomethingtheyhavedirectcontrolover,youneedtodiscussthisissuewiththe
coach. Thefollowingaresomeguidelinesforthebestwaytoraiseanissuewiththecoach:
Trytorememberthatyouandthecoachbothhavethebestinterestofyourchildatheart. Ifyoutrustthatthecoachsgoalsmatchyourgoals,eventhoughhis/herapproachmaybe
different,youaremorelikelytoenjoyagoodrapportandaconstructivedialogue.
Keepinmindthatthecoachmustbalanceyourperspectiveofwhatisbestforyourchildwiththeneedsoftheteamortraininggroup. Onoccasion,anindividualchildsinterestmayneedto
besubordinatetotheinterestsofthegroup,butinthelongrunthebenefitsofmembershipin
thegroupcompensatefortheshortterminconvenience.
Alwaysdiscusstheissuewiththecoachmostdirectlyinvolvedinpotentiallysolvingtheissue,oftenthechildsgroupcoach.
If
another
parent
uses
you
as
a
sounding
board
for
complaints
about
the
coachs
performance
or
policies,listenempatheticallyandthenencouragetheotherparenttospeakdirectlytothe
coach.
Whenyoudecideyouneedtodiscussanissue,asktoscheduleanappointmenttimetotalkandletthe
coachknowwhatthetalkingpointsareonyouragenda. Makesureyouhavethoughtabouttheissue
wellenoughtoarticulatetheissueandifyouneedtoasksomequestionstogetsomemoreinformation
onthetopicthenitisgoodtohavethosewrittendownaswell.
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YourRoleasaParent
ThesportofSwimmingteachesselfdiscipline,goodsportsmanship,timemanagementskills,positive
risktaking,andmanyotherlifeskillsapplicabletootherareasoutsideofthesport. Parentscan
contributetothisexperiencebystayingpositiveandsupportive,andallowingtheprocesstounfold. As
parents,you
can
increase
the
likelihood
of
asuccessful,
long
term
swimming
experience
by
following
the
thesegeneralguidelines:
Provideastablesupportsystemthatmeetstheneedsofyourchildincludingpracticeattendance,nutrition,curiosityandcommitment.
Modelgoodsportsmanship,demonstrateateamattitude, andenjoyingtheprocessfullyengagedparticipation
Showrespecttoyourchild,theirteammates,theircompetition,theircoaches,andthosethatsupporthisorherexperienceincludingofficialsandmeetsupportvolunteers.
Alwaysfindtheachievementinanyexperienceandpraisetheprocessgoalsovertheoutcomeresults.
Remember
we
are
simply
repeating
a
process
of
goal
setting,
effort
towards
that
affect
andachievementagainandagainnomatterwhatlevelwearegoingthroughthatprocesson.
Allowthechildtoexploretheirowncuriosityinthesportsotheycansettheirowngoalsandenjoytheprocessofworkingtowardsthem. Itsimportantfortheadultstoshowthemwhatis
outthereandthenallowthechildtochoosewhattheywanttomovetowards. Thisistheir
journey.
Honorthecoachsroleinthesportbyallowingthetechnicalguidanceandtrainingplantocomefromthecoachtotheswimmer. Thisisnottosaythatcoachandparentcommunicationisnot
valuableandimportantasweallsupporttheswimmersexperience.Weencourageyourinsight
andascoachesourroleistosupportyouinraisingyourchildthroughthisactivity. Butwedo
askthat
you
defer
the
technical
and
team
expertise
to
the
coaching
staff
so
we
can
create
a
positiveandcohesiveteamenvironmentthatimplementsthephilosophyoftheprogramyou
havechosentoparticipatein.
Allowtheconstructivecriticismtocomefromthecoachesandtheunconditionalsupporttocomefromyou. Toomuchinputfromtoomanypeopleorpeoplethatarenotonthesame
pageoftheprogramcanconfuseachildandbecomeasourceofstressthatpreventsthechild
fromenjoyingtheprocessenoughtowanttocontinueinit. Parentscansitbackandjustlove
ontheirchildren,thecoacheswilldotheheavyliftingofcritiquingandtechnicalinstructionand
everythingelseacoachsroleentails.
Thefollowingaremorespecificthingsyoucandotohelpsupportyourchildsexperienceinthesport:
Getyourswimmertopracticeontime(withenoughtimesothatthey canbeintheir suitsandondeckforthestartofpractice)
Activelysupportyourchildsteambyvolunteeringathomemeetsandcheeringatawaymeets
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Haveyourchildarriveatthemeetsontimeandcheckinwiththecoachesbeforeyouleavejustincaseyourchildisonanyrelays
Rememberthatyou,notjustyourchild,isrepresentingIFLYandtheUniversitywhenweareatmeets,pleaseshowrespect,apositiveattitude,andconsideration
Neverapproachorarguewithofficials,itisthecoachsjobtohandlethissituationinthewayheor
she
sees
appropriate
Helpyourswimmerknowtheirtimesandwheretheycurrentlystandandthenallowthemtosettheirowngoals. Staywiththemastheylearntomapouthowtheyaregoingtogoabout
attainingthosegoalsbutletthemdothethinking,theywillgetbettereverytimetheydoit.
Avoidparticipatinginnegativeconversationsaboutswimmers,coaches,officials,parents,facilitiesoranythingreally. Ifyouhaveaproblem,addressitwiththepersonorissueyouhave
aproblemwith.
Rememberthatswimmerscananddooftengetbesttimes,butgenerallynoteverytimetheyswim,itsaprocessandwearelearningaswego. Celebratethevictoriesandlearnfromthe
defeats.
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20112012PracticeScheduleChanges
Saturday,September17th Fieldhouseclosed,allSaturdaygroupsattheCRWC(homefootballgame)
Saturday,September24th Fieldhouseclosed,allSaturdaygroupsattheCRWC(homefootballgame)
Saturday,October
1st
State
groups
only,
at
the
FH
(water
polo
tournament)
Saturday,October8thStategroupsonly,attheFH(IowaIntrasquadmeet)
Saturday,October15th Fieldhouseclosed,allSaturdaygroupsattheCRWC(homefootballgame)
Sunday,October22nd Fieldhouseclosed,allSaturdaygroupsattheCRWC(homefootballgame)
SaturdayOctober29thStategroupsonly,attheFHIowavs.MichiganState)
Friday,November4th AllWatchIowavs.Minnesota,5pm,CRWC
Saturday,November
5th
Fieldhouse
closed,
all
Saturday
groups
at
the
CRWC
(home
football
game)
Saturday,November12th Fieldhouseclosed,allSaturdaygroupsattheCRWC(homefootballgame)
Friday,November18th AllwatchIowavs.PurdueandOhioState,5pm,CRWC
FridaySunday,December2nd4th FridayTBA,SaturdayStategroupsonly,attheFH,SundayFH
(HawkeyeInvitational)
Saturday,January14thStategroupsonly,attheFH(Iowavs.Illinois)
Friday,February3rdNoCRWCpractices(Iowavs.WesternIllinois)
WednesdayThursday,February15th16thStategroupsonly,attheFH(WomensBigTens)
FridaySaturday,February17th18thNonStateswimmersonly,attheFH(WomensBigTens)
WednesdayThursday,February22nd23rdSeniorStateonly,attheFH(MensBigTens)
FridaySaturday,February24th25thNonSeniorStateswimmersonly,attheFH(MensBigTens)
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