Handbook - Daleview Feet Swim Team

Feet Handbook: The Season

The Swim Team Season.

The season is very busy and includes lots of opportunities for fun and camaraderie for swimmers and parents. To maximize the fun and swimming benefits of the swim team experience, parents are encouraged to try to schedule vacations in August. Many parents recognize that this enables swimmers to have uninterrupted participation on the Team, which is important to a swimmers ability to improve times and achieve success during the swim season.

However, if a family does plans a vacation during the season, the coaches should be notified in writing as soon as possible and at least one week in advance. This written notification should include the name of each swimmer who will be out of town (or at camp) and the dates he /she will be missing practices and/or meets.

The swim team season usually begins Memorial Day weekend when the pool opens and continues through the end of July with the Divisional meet and then the Leagues All-star meets. The first event of the season is the time trials, an intra-squad meet for all swimmers followed by five dual “A” meets on successive Saturday mornings and four dual “B” meets on Wednesday nights. Divisional meets include the Relay Carnival and Championship. In addition, there is the Black & Gold Meet, an intra-squad meet, The youngest swimmers (8 years and younger) may attend a Mini Meet.

The swim team awards dinner, where each team member receives a trophy and special awards are presented, is held on the Saturday of the Divisional Championship meet.

Also throughout the season, there are Swim Team social events. For a more precise schedule, consult the Swim team calendar, which is provided to parents and swimmers each season and is updated periodically. Also, check the Swim Team Bulletin Board the Swim Team website (www.daleview.org/swimteam), and the Daleview website (www.daleview.org) for upcoming events and other announcements.

Meets

Each season usually include a very busy schedule of about 15 swim meet events, giving swimmers at all skill levels ample opportunities to participate.

Time Trials (Daleview Meet). A practice swim meet held the week before the first dual meet. This is the first opportunity of the season for swimmers to swim all strokes and for the coaches to evaluate their abilities. All team members participate and the recorded times are use to seed the swimmers for the first dual A-meet. All parents are needed to help run this event, which is a practice for new meet workers as well as the swimmers.

Dual Meets, A (MCSL Sanctioned). These meets are held on Saturday mornings and are limited to three (3) swimmers per event, except for 8 & unders, 9-10, and 11-12 freestyle events, where there are six (6) swimmers from each team for each event (three swimmers from each team in two heats). The swimmers can and do change from week to week as swimmers get into condition and improve their times, or coaches place swimmers in different events. MCSL ribbons are awarded.

Dual Meets, B (Friendly). These meets are for swimmers who did not compete in the previous “A” dual meet and are held on Wednesday nights. This meet provides swimmers with an opportunity to gain meet experience in a less competitive environment. All swimmers who do not compete in the “A” meet are expected to participate in the “B” meet. Swimmers who swim only one or two events in the previous “A” meet are also encouraged to come and race other events in the B meet. Swimmers at “B” meets receive ribbons from the home team.

Relay Carnival (MCSL Sanctioned). An exciting and fun meet for all six teams within the Division. All events are relays. Most age groups have boy’s and girl’s medley relays and co-ed freestyle relays.

Relay All-Star Meet (MCSL Sanctioned). The winning relay team in the Divisional Relay Carnival will compete in this end-of-season meet.

Divisional Meet (MCSL Sanctioned)
This is the end of the season championship meet for all six teams in the Division. The top two swimmers in each event represent their team.

Long Course Meet (MCSL Sanctioned). A meet where all distances are doubled and swum in a 50-meter pool. The Coaches Long Course Invitational meet is held in the middle of the swim season is a League meet. Swimmers are selected based on specific nominating times and notified by their coaches.

All-Star Meet (MCSL Sanctioned). The fastest swimmers from the League compete in this end-of-the-season meet. The coaches will let swimmers know if they are eligible for this meet. All-Star Nominating Time is a preliminary qualifying time set by the League, and used to select swimmers for the All-Star meet. All swimmers in the League making these times are noted and the fastest 16 (plus 2 alternates) are invited to swim in the All-Star meet.

Mini-Meets (Friendly). A special meet for the 8 & under age group, and is organized at certain pools during the season. The meets are fun and low-keyed for the swimmers. They are not sanctioned by the MCSL. It allows the younger swimmers and the development swimmers to experience racing and the meet atmosphere. Swimmers usually swim only against their own ages, ie., 6 & under, 7, and 8. There is often a chance to swim different events than those that are part of a regular meet.

Black & Gold Meet (Daleview Meet). This is an intra-squad meet for the team and is considered a social event. It is an event at the pool, and the pool is closed for the races for about an hour, yet the celebration goes throughout the evening. The coaches randomly determine the two teams, black & gold, and the events. This is a fun meet for the swimmers and a team-bonding splash. All swimmers should participate. The Black & Gold Dinner also is served at the meet and is coordinated and produced by a parent volunteer. There is a charge for the dinners.

Social Events

Spaghetti Dinner. This is a team tradition to gather for a potluck spaghetti dinner on the Friday evening before the first meet. Volunteer parents plan and organize this event. A new parents reception precedes the dinner. The annual team picture is also organized and produced this evening.

Kids Night. This is another Daleview and Feet tradition. This is a festive event produced by the team for the Daleview Pool Membership. Volunteer parents and team members provide a dinner and have pool activities for the smaller kids. It is also a great event to introduce the Feet to the smaller kids of the pool and provide a positive image of the Feet to the Daleview community. This event is a fundraiser for the Swim Team.

July 4th Parade. Participation of the Feet in the Takoma Park Independence Day Parade is a new tradition. The Pool Board organizes and coordinates the event and participation is open to all pool members. This is an opportunity to promote the Pool and the Swim Team to the larger community and showcase the Feet colors and spirit. Most importantly, the swimmers have fun marching in the parade.

Black & Gold Meet. This is an intrasquad meet at the pool, and the pool is closed for the races for about an hour, yet the celebration goes throughout the evening. The coaches randomly determine the two teams, black & gold, and the events. This is a fun meet for the swimmers and a team-bonding splash. All swimmers should participate. The Black & Gold Dinner also is served at the meet and is coordinated and produced by parent volunteers. There is a charge for the dinners.

Pep Rallies. The pep rallies are held on every Friday evening at the pool before a meet. Cheers, signs, activities, bonfires (maybe), and special guest are usually included.

Six Flags Swim Spectacular. Each season, MCSL and the Six Flags Amusement Park will host the “Swim Spectacular” at the park on a weekday in June or July. All swimmers and guests who pay in advance through the pool can get discounted admission and parking fees. The swimmers and guests can enter the water park an hour prior to park opening and have access to all the attractions at the Six Flags complex. The coaches are encouraged to attend and at some point during the day the team will meet up (and usually do cheers with other teams). There are approximately a thousand swimmers from over sixty pools that participate in this daylong event. This is a great team bonding splash and great fun for the swimmers.

Annual Banquet. A gala evening for the Feet, on the deck, lasting late into the evening. The annual awards and dinner is held on the evening of the Divisional Meet. All swimmers and families should attend. The main course is determined by the graduating seniors and is provided by the team and side dishes supplied by each family. All team members will receive a trophy based on points (points scored at meets) and the infamous paper plate awards presented by the coaches. Special awards for most improved, best team spirit, highest points, etc. are also presented. Swimmers that are graduating are recognized. Parents that have their last swimmer graduating are also recognized. The evening festivities close with a media presentation of the season.

Labor Day Festival. This is the last day of the season and the last event for the Team. The Black & Gold Brownie Bake-off is an opportunity for the swimmers to showcase their baking abilities. The competition is separated by swimmer age group and judged by a distinguished jury. Awards are presented to the winners. An Ice Cream Social immediately follows the bake-off. The Feet serve the ice cream and brownies to the Daleview Pool Membership as a season ending Feet thank you. The festival also includes the traditional pool races including the parent/swimmer relay, the Schroeder race and award, and the infamous raft race.

Next: Team Spirit