It's 7:40 a.m. on Saturday and it's total chaos at the pool! What have I gotten myself into?
You look around the pool at the first meet and see lots of kids running around, parents with that crazed "I need a cup of coffee look" hovering at the concession stand waiting for the coffee machines to finish percolating, groups of neighbors catching up with each other and, several adults, and quite a few teens, catching a few more minutes of sleep. This appears to be the most unorganized sport you've ever signed up for.
All of a sudden, you notice a shift occur. Children all head to one side of the pool and trade cheers with the opposing team. The parents have all moved to various spots around the pool and seem to all have a job to do and know how to do it. At 8:00 a.m. the announcer starts the first race and the morning proceeds with a military precision as hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of races are held and the entire meet is completed before noon. Ahh, you've just witnessed the beauty that is a swim meet.
How do I become a faster swimmer?
In case you haven't figured it out yet, water is much more dense than air. Yep, it's true. Because of this surprising fact, your ability to reduce drag affects your speed more than in running, cycling or most other racing sports. To reduce drag, work on technique. Studies repeatedly show it's most often not the most powerful swimmer or the one who's arms churn the fastest that wins races, it's the one who glides the farthest each stroke by reducing drag. To improve technique, have a coach critique your stroke, then practice the changes recommended.
I'm not sure if my kid will like swim team. Can we give it a try before signing up for it?
Absolutely! You are encouraged to come to the first two weeks of practice and attend the time trials meet before committing your money to our swim team. However, you must be registered by 2 p.m. on the afternoon of time trials in order to participate in the first regular season meet. If the deadline is missed, you may register by the Saturday prior to the second meet in order to participate in the second meet and by the Saturday prior to the third meet in order to participate in the third meet.
During this two-week period, we highly recommend having your kids come to as many practices as possible, but most importantly, participate in the time trials meet. Practice for any sport really isn't that much fun. It's work. And, if your kids are like most others, they don't really like to work too hard and, the water can still be pretty cool for the first two weeks the pool is open. But, the meets are fun!! The kids really look forward to the Saturday meets because their friends are there, there's lots of cheering, they look forward to getting a treat from the concession stand and most importantly, collecting their ribbons at the end of the meet.
When are practices held?
Until school gets out, practices are held after school at the pool. Once school is out, practices are sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the evening. One evening each week, we meet at the Hawthorn pool for practices. Parents must supervise their swimmers at all times other than when they are practicing or arrange for another person to supervise them. Be sure to pick up your child on time and have your child waiting inside the pool gate for their ride.
Click here to see our full practice schedule.
Do we have to buy a team suit?
No, you don't have to buy a team suit. However, your child(ren) will probably want to wear one and it will make them feel part of the team. We get a substantial discount from the supplier and we only switch our team suit every other year. (Most children can only get two years out of a suit anyway.) If you choose not to go with a team suit, we recommend you purchase a swimsuit in our team colors - royal blue and white.
**Note to parents of boys - Swim team suits can be a touchy thing. We've gotten away from the old Speedo style briefs (though they're making a come back for some of our teen swimmers and swimmers can certainly choose that style). Most boys wear a suit called "jammers." They look like racing bike compression shorts. Some older boys can be a little embarrassed when wearing them in the beginning. Some of the older boys will wear swim trunks over the jammers until it's time to get into the pool for a race or practice and then put their trunks back on when they get out of the water. They'll get used to it when they see all the other boys wearing jammers and they'll soon realize that it's better to swim without all the extra fabric that comes with regular swim trunks.
I'm concerned my child won't be able to swim as well as other kids. How do I know if my child should even attempt to try the swim team?
Every child gets to swim on the Cyclones swim team! Your child will compete against swimmers of their own age and ability from other teams in our league.
League rules allow your child to compete in a meet so long as they can make it across unassisted by the wall or rope. At or before time trials, they must be able to complete one full lap of freestyle or backstroke unassisted. This is required for safety reasons. The head coach has the final say as to whether the lap was completed successfully.
They can take as long as they need to make it across the pool. They are not disqualified on freestyle if they do not pull themselves along the wall or rope, or let their feet touch the bottom. Some new swimmers don’t compete at the first meet but are participating in both freestyle and backstroke events by the end of the season. Your kid will have a great feeling of accomplishment when they make it to the other end. And, you’ll see great improvement from the first meet to the last!
It’s raining today. Will there still be practice/meet?
Yes. The only time practices or meets are cancelled are for thunder or lightning. If a meet is cancelled due to the weather, we try to reschedule for the next morning. Parents and swimmers should also make their own decisions about whether they’re comfortable attending a particular practice.
What do kids do at a swim meet?
Each child can swim a maximum of two individual events and one team relay during a regular swim meet. The only exception to this rule is for time trials. Time Trials are the first meet of the year and is only held with our team. This is the one meet where children are strongly encouraged to swim all four strokes and the Individual Medley Event (if age appropriate). There are no relays at time trials. This meet allows the coaches to see times in all events for all children and helps them when preparing the line-ups for the regular swim meets.
During the meets the children are everywhere! They can be sitting at the side of the pool cheering on their friends, sitting in the grassy area reading and playing with friends, or driving their parents crazy for money for the concession stand. However, they know to listen for their events to be called. Once they hear the announcer call, for example, all those swimming freestyle, the swimmers head directly to the Clerk of Course for their cards. Once they have their cards they wait by the fence with their age group. When all missing swimmers have been found, a parent volunteer takes the age group to the swim deck and helps them get in the appropriate lane and heat order. Deck managers keep an eye on all the children and move them along until it is time for their race. Once the race is over, the kids go back to doing whatever they feel like until it is time to start the process over for their next event.
We have already planned a vacation and will miss a swim meet. Will this be a problem?
No. We know that children will miss meets because of vacations and sleep away camps. Your child must attend three of the six meets (time trials + 5 meets) in order to receive a trophy at the awards banquet at the end of the season. If you know you are going to be missing meets, please go to the swim team bulletin board and write down what meets you’ll be missing so that the coaches can plan accordingly.
How does the team communicate with so many families that come and go at different times?
Once you officially register for swim team, you’ll be given a swim team mailbox. The mailbox is actually a manila folder with your family’s name on it. The folders are kept in plastic bins that are usually located at the pool entrance or near the storage shed during practice. In your folder you’ll find newsletters, ribbons that were not picked up at the last meet, notices and other necessary information. Make sure you check it regularly!
Email is also another regular method of communicating. Team Managers can be contacted at teammanagers@clemenscrossingcyclones.com and coaches at coaches@clemenscrossingcyclones.com.
Please join our Yahoo Group. You can join the group or provide your most current e-mail address to one of the team managers to be added. You can also check the bulletin board at the pool. We post sign up sheets and current information.
Is there a humane way of putting a swim cap and goggles on my kid?
Steps & Tips For Putting A Swim Cap On
- Hold it by the sides and bend your head down. The caps are slightly oblong at the opening, hold it so it's longest diameter is running parallel with you head.
- Start putting the cap on at the forehead and work it on down.
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Swimmers with really long hair can pull their hair out to the rear and put their caps on half way..Then twist up the rest and tuck it up inside as evenly and as far up as you can.
If you put long hair into a bun it can be hard to get a swim cap to cover smoothly and tightly as the bun makes the cap stick out into a point, which can cause the sides of the cap to not seal well to keep water out.
A bit of hair preparation goes a long way to help keep hair under your cap where it can be protected and not sticking outside your swimcap!
If your cap is sticky and drags, try rubbing some corn starch on the inside -- it will make your caps so slick!
Latex caps vs. Silicone caps
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Silicone caps were originally invented as an alternative cap for people with latex allergies but over time people began to appreciate silicone for reasons other than allergies. There are three main reason why silicone is sometimes preferred over latex, it is longer lasting, non-allergy, and it doesn't pull your hair as much. Latex, on the other hand, is less expensive, doesn't slip off very easily, and is more popular among pro swimmers. |
Goggles
A few things to consider:
- A press on fit - without using the strap do the goggles stay on your eyes for more than a split second?
- A comfortable fit - with adjusting, does the center piece (over the nose) feel right, without cutting your skin?
- Do the goggles feel good on your eyes with the strap? If they have foam, is it sufficient to both form a seal and cushion the sharp edges of the goggles?
- Good construction - do they look like they were put together (Swedish goggles excepted) with the proper amount of adhesive used on the foam?
- A proper tint - smoke or dark colored or mirrored goggles are good for bright areas, while clear or lightly colored are better for dim or indoor use.
- UV protection - will they safeguard your eyes when used outdoors? A strong strap - does it look durable and have the same elasticity as a strong rubber band?
- Extra features - do you need anti-fog, hypoallergenic, or prescription lenses?
- Optically safe lenses - are they shatter resistant?
- Cosmetic features - is the strap color or foam color what you want?