1) Are
swimmers
required to swim in meets?
Meets are STRONGLY encouraged, but not required. Most kids are a
little apprehensive to attend their first USA swim meet, but once they
show up, the coaching staff will do their best to prepare them for a
successful day. Rarely is the staff concerned with what “place” the kids
get. In fact, for the first meet or two, coaches leave stopwatches in
the pockets for most of the kids, as coaches are just stressing
fundamentals in the beginning.
2) What does
my swimmer have to bring to a meet?
Suit, goggles, team cap (if they wear a swim cap), team shirt, team
warm-ups/team parka, two towels, sweatshirt (team sweatshirt preferred),
any healthy meet type food and snacks (bagels, fresh fruit, water,
etc.). Many pool decks can be quite chilly, and a cold swimmer is not a
good thing. Better to be prepared than to be ch-ch-chilly.
Always have your swimmer(s) on the pool
deck 15 minutes BEFORE the scheduled warm-up time. The kids sit together as a
Team and warm up together as a Team.
3) Is it OK if
my swimmer goes to the meet with another parent/and/or swimmer?
Sure. Many parents take turns with other parents.
4) How do I
know if/when a practice is cancelled ?
It is a good idea to check the hotline before leaving for the pool.
Changes in the practice schedule are also notified on our team email.
Make sure you sign up for the email located on the Home page under "More
Information." Practice schedule changes will also be posted on the
Practice Schedule page on our web site.
5) How can I
be a support the club?
If you haven’t done so already, volunteer for one or more of the many
behind-the-scenes roles we need handled to make the Team great.
6) How can I
support my swimmer(s)?
Learn to ask the right questions of your swimmer: “What did you learn
today? What was the hardest part of the workout? What was the easiest?
What was the most fun? etc.” Also, be sure to keep in mind that the
number one reason kids swim is because they enjoy it and they have fun
(yes, even in when it’s 0 degrees outside and we’re working them as hard
as they’ve ever worked in their lives); and the number one reason kids
quit is because – you guessed it – it is no longer enjoyable and fun.
Truth is there are many cases of
parents who mean well, but who chase their kids right out of this sport
and sports altogether by placing too many demands and too much pressure
to perform on their kids – spreadsheets, tracking reports that would
make NASA envious, etc. Every swimmer has his or her own individual time line
to develop.
Do your best not to compare your
swimmer with other swimmers. That is why there are “standards”
established. Be patient. Be understanding. Be supportive. Enjoy the
journey. The coaches will put the appropriate amount of “swim pressure” on them.
7) How will I
know how well my swimmer is doing/progressing?
USA Swimming and Minnesota Swimming establish swimming time standards
each year that are used to determine what level of times your swimmer
is accomplishing. Every swimmer is different and we as a Coaching staff
use several criteria to determine improvement – not just how fast they
are going. Be patient and supportive. Time Standards are located
on the Home page under "More Information."
|
Frequently Asked Questions