Belmont Dolphins
Swim Team
HANDBOOK
The Belmont Dolphins Swim Team is a program sponsored by the Belmont Recreation Department. The swim season begins in October and runs through mid-March. The team season beings in the Winter Suburban Swim League, a regional league that operates with the assistance of parent volunteers and part time coaches. Swim meets require parent volunteers for timing, score keeping, and many other tasks. The parents of Dolphins Swimmers (PODS) organization was formed to help coaches with the volunteer effort needed to run a successful program. Your time and support are valuable assests to this organization, and parental participation is expected.
The goal of the Belmont Dolphins Swim Team is to provide a program which emphasizes: the mastery of all four competive strokes (freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke), starts, turns and finishes; the mastery of proper technique; personal achievement through quality instruction and oustanding performance.
The program focuses on competition, commitment, teamwork and fun. Children will be taught how to interact with their teammates and their competitors, and will be guided in learning to win and lose graciously. Finally, our goal is to ensure that swimming is fun. we strive to meet the goal through creative swim workouts and special holiday practices.
Practices should be attended regularly, at the time assigned at the beginning of the season. Regular attendance assures that each swimmer gets the most benefit from the program. Please be on time and allow enough time to change clothes. Be on the pool deck at the practice start time. Do not leave your belongings in the locker room- bring them to the pool deck.
Parents are not allowed in the pool area during practicies. If you would like to discuss anything with your swimmer, please do so before or after practice. Any swimmer that needs to leave practice early must have a note from their parents.
Team suits should NOT be worn for practices, as they will strethc out with extended use. Swim suits should fit snugly to prevent drag in water. So that the team suit will fit properly for the entire season, please wear an alternate suit to practice.
Notification of Meet Attendance
You must let the head coach know if you will not be available to attend a swim meet. Scheduling 100 or more swimmers is complicated, and last minute changes cause confusion and delays for other swimmers. PLEASE CALL 24 HOURS AHEAD IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND A MEET! Failure to attend a swim meet without prior notification will result in swimmer not being entered in the next meet.
Away Meets:
Buses are usually provided for away meets, and all swimmers should plan on going to the meet on the bus. Buses will leave from Belmont High School at a time designated by the coaches, and will return to BHS after the meets, where swimmers may call parents to be picked up. If BHS is closed, the bus will go to the Viglirolo Ice Rink and calls can be made from there.
What to bring:
Please make sure you have your team suit and swim caps, a towel, goggles, and a sweatshirt or warm-up suit. Many swimmers also wear pool shoes while on the pool deck. Please note that league rules prohibit swimmers from wearing suites or caps with logos from other swim teams (e.g., U.S. swim teams).
Warm-ups:
Warm-ups usually begin one-half hour before the meet begins. This is a crucial time for swimmers to prepare for the meet, and get accustomed to the pool and the starting blocks. Please remember that a proper warm-up is essentail for preventing injuries. During the warm-up period, the coach staff will confirm the events in which swimmers are scheduled to compete. Listen to the coaches: they will be giving last minute instructions and directing the warm-ups.
During the meet:
Sit on the side of the pool and cheer on your teammates as they swim. They need your moral support!
Please stay clear of the officials as they walk up and down the pool area. Never put your foot, hand or arm in the pool during a race, as swimmers could be disqualified.
Prior to each event in which you are entered, you will receive a time card from your coach or captain. On it will be your name, the event, heat and lane number. Give this card to the timer behind that lane so that your time can be properly recorded. A parent volunteer will be available to assist new swimmers with this procedure.
Relays:
You must not leave the swim meet early if you are entered in a relay event. If a swimmer is not available at the time of the relay, the remaining swimmers will not be able to swim.
Meet cancellations:
Occassionally a swim meet needs to be postponed due to inclement weather. If this happens, you will be called via a telephone chain that PODS has set up to notify all families quickly.
"Personal Bests":
While swimming for Belmont Dolphins is a team effort, the team philosophy is that each swimmer should strive to do his or her PERSONAL BEST. A swim meet provides an opportunity for personal achievment, and ribbons are given to individual swimmers who achieve their personal best at a scheduled swim event.
To keep track of your personal best times for each event, time trials are held at the beginning of the season and a base time is established for each swimmer in each event. Attending and swimming in meets gives swimmers the opportunity to improve their individual times, and achieve their "personal best."
How is a Swim Meet Run?
Swim meets provide an opportunity for individual swimmers to show how well they can do in a competitive environment. The objective, of course, is for the team to score the most points it can, and win the meet. For individual swimmers it is not always how fast they are compared to other swimmers that counts, but how well they do compared with their PERSONAL BEST for that event.
Swim meets last from 3-4 hours and will be more interesting if you what is happening. Since your child will be swimming for only several minutes during the meet, we hope the following information will give you a better understanding of what is going on.
Swim meets are structured so that swimmers of similar age and ability will compete together. Events are grouped by stroke, age and sex. Knowing the event in which your child is swimming, and knowing the probable order of events, will give you a good estimationg of when in the meet your child will be swimming.
Because there are often more swimmers for an event than the pool lanes allow, there is often more than one heat for each event. Therefore, the same event may be continued in several heats until each swimmer in that event has an opportunity to swim.
The coaches post a line-up sheet before every meet in dicating the events in which each swimmer is entered. Before every event, swimmers will be given an entry card indicating the heat and lane they will swim in for that race. If is the swimmer's responsibility to be on the pool deck before their events. If a coach cannot find a swimmer, he or she will miss the race!
The starter calls swimmers to the blocks for each event, and isntructs the swimmers to take your mark. When the swimmers are in place, the starter sends them off with a pistol or horn. A false start is called if a swimmer takes off before the signal, and the swimmers will be called back to the blocks.
Timers are assigned to each lane of the pool. In dual meets, 3 timers are assigned to a lane. Swimmers give their entry cards to the timers, or to runners in a 25-yard event. Timing of a race starts at the starter's signal and stops when the swimmer touches the wall. The timer then records the time on the entry card, which is then brought to the scorekeepr's table by the runner. Swimmers wanting to know their times may ask the timer at the end of the race. They should NOT go to the score keeper's table during the meet.
Scorekeeps receive completed time cards from the runners and compile meet results and team scores.
You will see several other officials in the pool area during a meet. Stroke and Turn Judges watch swimmers to see that they execute proper turns and to assure that they conform to proper stroke technique, consistent with league rules. Stroke and Turn Judges move up and down the pool with the swimmers. Place Judges determine the order of finish.
Should any office observe a rule infraction, you will see a hand raised for about 20 seconds. This indicates that a swimmer has been disqualified (DQ'd) from an event, and the raised hand let's the meet referee know that an infraction has been noted. The individual swimmer will be notified of the infraction at the completion of the race.
As you can see, it takes up to two dozen volunteers to successfully run a meet, and it is actually more interesting if you are participating in some way. If you are interested in participating, let us know and we will find a position for you. No experience is necessary; a little intstruction before the meet is enough to get you started.
Scoring: Individual events and relays are scored differently. In the relays, 7 points are awarded for first place, and 4 points for second place. There are not points for third place.
In individual events, points are awarded to the three swimmers with the best times. (In close races, the order of finish is determined by the place judges.) First place gets 5 points, second place gets 3 points and third place gets 1 point. No team can sweep all three positions.
The Winter Suburban Swim League
Belmont Dolphins participate in the Winter Suburban swim League. This Dual Meet league consists of fourteen teams from eastern Massachusetts. United States Swimming rules apply at league meets. The league has two divisions, which change year-to-year based on prior year's divisional standings. Teams within each division compete against each other during the regular season. Swim meets with teams in other divisions do not count toward divisional standings. Division awards are given out for the best record.
Championship Meets
The Winter Suburban Swim League sponsors championship meets at the end of each season. Swimmers must compete in 5 dual meets to qualify for either championship meet. To accommodate the large number of swimmers who participate in the championships, and to provide a competitive environment at an appropriate skill level, there are two categories of championships:
"A" Championships: Swimmers must achieve a predetermined qualifying time in specific events to qualify for the "A's". This time must be achieved during a regular-season meet. Once qualified, a swimmer must compete in the event in which he or she qualified. The coach may then enter the swimmer in any other event at the meet.
"B" Championships: Swimmers who do not qualify for the A's are entitled to attend the "B's."
Belmont Dolphins have always done well at the championship meets, and the coaches want as many swimmers to participate as possible. Medals or ribbons are awarded to the 12 swimmers with the best times in each events.
About Parents of Dolphins Swimmers (PODS)
The Parents of Dolphins Swimmers (PODS) was started in 1992 to formalize and define the ways in which parents can support the Belmont Dolphins swim team and its coaches.
Parents of Dolphins (PODS) is a not-for profit (tax exempt) parent volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the Dolphins team and coaching staff. PODS organizes equipment sales, team pictures, stroke technique clinics and a number of other events throught the season. The most important function of PODS, however, is to organize and run the swim meets. All of the swim meets your child will participate in are run almost entirely by parent volunteers. Volunteers time, score, judge, oversee pool safety and manage the snack bar. Parents of all team members are expected to volunteer in running the swim meets and other PODS activities.
The annual meeting of the PODS organization takes place each year at the annual team banquet. The slate of officers presented by the nominating committee is voted on by the membership in attendance. PODS raises money for program support through:
Equipment
As part of the fundraising effort, PODS offers swim-related equipment such as towels, sweatshirts, T-shirts, shorts, warm-up suits, equipment bags, fleece jackets and vests and visors. All equipment comes with the Dolphins logo, and most is personalized with the swimmer's name. You will be able to see and order personalized equipment in October at Swimsuit night.
Stroke Clinics
Stroke clinics (usually two per season) are organized by PODS to provide individual coaching of strokes, starts and turns. The clinics are conducted by professional college or secondary school coaches. A fee is charged for stroke clinic participation, which covers the costs to run the clinics. You will receive notification as to when stroke clinics will be offered.
Snack Bar
A snack bar is maintained at home meets that carries a selection of foods that are available for purchase by swimmers and the public alike, and is staffed by volunteers from PODS.
Swimmers:
The Belmont Dolphins program is geared to developing both the swimmer's physical and metnal qualities. This proecss demands the dedication of the swimmer and an equal commitment by the parents. Belmont Dolphins is a parent-run organization. As such, it is necessary for all parents to volunteer at meets and/or for administrative activities, as well as being supportive of the coaches and of the performance of all swimmers on the team.
Of the utmost importance are the safety of all swimmers and the respect of the varying abilities of all swimmers. This Code of Conduct must be adhered to by all swimmers and parents to ensure the safety and respect of all swimmers, and to run a successful swimming program for all team members.
Practices and meets cannot run smoothly and effectively without the cooperation of all swimmers. As a team member, you will be expected to:
1. Be on the pool desk 10 minutes prior to the practice and meet warm-up times, prepared to enter the water (i.e., caps and goggles on, etc.)
2. Wear team swimsuites at all times at meets.
3. Attend weekly scheduled practices and swim in scheduled meets and the Championship meet. It is the responsibility of the swimmer to notify the coach if you will miss a meet or have a conflict which will result in your arriving late to, or leaving early from, a meet. Failure to do so may result in the swimmer not being scheduled to participate in the meet.
4. Follow pool safety rules at all times. Included no running on the pool deck and no diving of any sort into the pool or off the starting blocks, except when isntructed by the coach to do so during practices.
5. Refrain from talking when the coach is speaking.
6. Encourage and support all of your teammates and participate in creating a team atmosphere.
7. Reamin at all meets until the coach has posted the line-up for the relays. We prefer and encourage all swimmers to stay until the end of every meet to support and cheer for the team.
8. It is the responsibility of the swimmer to notify the coach if you will not be traveling with the team (on the bus) to away meets. It is also the responsibility of the swimmer to notify the coach if you will be leaving a meet early and/ or not going home on the team bus.
9. Behave appropriately at all meets, practicies, and in the locker rooms.
Parents
Parents of Dolphins swim team members are expected to:
1. Fulfill their volunteer responsibilities for the team (working at meets, phone chain, banquet planning, etc.) YOU ARE REQUIRED TO "WORK" A MINIMUM OF TWO SWIM MEETS. Note: It is the parent's responsibility to find a substitute for any assignment which they cannot fulfill. Please plan accordingly.
2. Make the necessary arrangements to ensure that your child arrives at practices and meets on time, equipped with all the required training or meet attire, and remains at all practices and meets until they have ended. It is also the parents' responsibility to arrange for timely pick-up of your child following practices and meets.
3. Refrain from talking to the coaches during practices and / or meets. Although the coaches are very interested in hearing from you regarding any concerns that you may have and value your input, in the interest of the safety of all swimmers (and due to time constraints) it is not possible for them to take the time to do so at practices and meets. Please contact megan by telephone or email, and she will get back to you.
4. Be supportive of your swimmer and all of the swimmers on the team, and display "good sportsmanship" at all meets.
Note: Parents are prohibited from being on the pool deck except when working at a meet.
Acton Boxboro
Rt. 2 West, around Concord Rotary. Take exit 42 (Rt.27 north). Right at end of ramp, pass Police on right. 1st left on Hayward, pass Childre World Daycare Center. Center School is on the left.
Brookline
Route 128 south to Route 9 east. Go about 6 miles. You will come to the Brookeline Reservoir on the right. Turn left at next set of lights on to Sumner Road. Follow Sumner to end. Turn right on to Tappan Street. Pool is 2nd building on the right. For directions that do not involve Route 128, check Mapquest.com
Dedham
Route 128 South to exit 14 East Street. At rotary go half way around and take East Street exit. At next rotary, go half-way around and under bridge. At 4-way intersection go right on to Whitting Ave. Pass Middle School on left and go left on to Mt. Vernon Street. Go 2 blocks, past tennis court on right. Pool is on the right after tennis court.
Framingham and Natick
Take Mass Pike West to Exit 12, Framingham. Follow Route 9 east for 1.5 miles and go right onto Temple Street. Go .2miles to the stop sign, and turn left onto Salem End Road. Go .3 miles to stop light. Turn right onto Winter Street and follow this road for 1.5 miles. Keefe Tech is on the left.
Newton
From Watertown Sq. take Rt.16 to Walnut St. Go left onto Walnut St. to Hull St. Go right onto Hull St. (one way). Entrace to pool is on Hull St.
Suudbury
Route 2 West past route 126 in Concorc. At next traffic light turn left onto Sudbury Road. Follow Sudbury Road, which becomes Concord Road, for about 4.5 miles. Continue on Concord Road, bearing to the left, and follow this to Route 27. Go right on route 27. Go abou t2 miles until you come to the intersection of Fairbanks Road. Turn right onto Fairbanks. Pool is on your right.
Thoreau
Take Route 2 west. At 6th traffic lights, go left onto Route 62. Go 2.7 miles, and go left at Forest Ridge Road across from Valley Sports Skating Rink. The pool is located at the cul-de-sac.
Tri-Valley
Route 2 to 495 South. Go to Route 85/16/Holliston/Milford exit. Go right off exit. Go right at lights (Wendy's) onto Dilla St. At end of Dilla, go left onto Purchase Street, then 2nd right onto Fountain St. Go through lights and continue for 1/4 mile and go left into high school. Pool is in back of school.
Wellesley
Take 128 South to exit 20B (Route 9 West). Continue on Route 9 for about 2 miles, and take the Route 16 exit. At the end of the ramp, turn left onto route 16 west. Follow Route 16 for .6 miles to Forest St. Turn left and go 1.2 miles to Babson College. Main entrance is on the right. Go through first stop sign. At second stop sign (end of road), go left, then the first left into the parking lot. Webster Athletic Center will be on your left.
Weston
From route 128 take route 30 west for 2 miles, and then take a left at the Wellesley Street stoplight. (sign for Regic College at this intersection) You will shortly see the athletic complex on the left. Continue past two high school entrances and take a left into the third entrance marked Weston Middle School. The pool is in the back on the middle school. There is a long parking lot on the side of the school before the pool entrance and plenty of parking in front of the middle school.
Westboro
Lyman St. is a right turn at the first set of lights on Rte. 9 after Rte.495. Chauncy St. is on the first left on Lyman St. (there is not street sign). The Westboro Tennis and Swim Club is on your right.
Westwood
Take Exit 16B off of Route 128. Come down into town 3 miles. Take a left on Nahaton Street. Pass the Middle School, High School Football Field, and see: Westwood High School.
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