Hurley Rec Tiger Sharks Parent Guide

Tiger Sharks Parent Guide

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Section 1: Participation Requirements

Parent Participation When your children sign up for the swim team, you are also a member of the team and the DUSO league. A parent/guardian makes the team successful by participation in the many tasks required to run a smooth meet.

You are required to work 3 swim meets, plus if your child wishes to swim in the DUSO Championships in August, you must work this meet also. If you do not work at championships or obtain a substitute, your child will not be eligible to swim.

Swimmer Requirements Swimmers should be Level III (Advanced Beginner) or equivalent by the first swim team practice. A child's ability to participate will be at the discretion of the coach. If your child achieves this requirement at a later date, he/she may join the team at that time. If you are unsure of your child's ability, please consult any one of the coaches.

For those who may have difficulty meeting the requirement, we strongly recommend swim lessons that are available during the day.

In order for your child to swim in the DUSO Championship meet, he/she must swim two (2) dual league meets. The Hurley Blue and White is not a dual meet. It is an intersquad practice meet.

Team Practice
Practice is offered Monday through Friday and is divided by the following age groups:

Age Group	Description	Age as of July 1st
A	18 and Under	15, 16, 17, 18
B	14 and Under	13, 14
C	12 and Under	11, 12
D	10 and Under	9, 10
E	8 and Under	5, 6, 7, 8

The times for the different age groups are as follows:

7:30 am - 8:45 am	Age groups A, B, and C
8:45 am - 9:45 am	Age groups D and E
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm	All age groups

Be on time and in the water at the start of the Practice!

If you or your child is unable to make the specific age group times in the morning, please contact one of the coaches.

A swimmer is required to make 3 practices during the week prior to a swim meet. If your child is a member of another formal swim team and/or practice team, their time spent at another facility may fulfill his/her requirement for practice time. All outside practice time must be reviewed by the head coach and committee for eligibility to swim in meets. Of course, the more practices a swimmer makes, the more he/she will get out of swimming, and the better he/she will perform in the meets. Attendance will be taken at practice.

It is requested that during team practice, only swimmers be on the pool deck. All others should remain under the pavilion, unless otherwise requested by the coaching staff. In accordance with the Hurley Recreation Association's rules and the regulations for swimmers 9 and under, there must be a parent/guardian or a designated adult present during practice and at swim meets.

Swim Meet Information
Swimmers or a parent must sign the sheet posted on our swim team bulletin board for each meet they can attend and that they fulfill their requirement. If any emergency arises, please contact the coaching staff prior to the meet date.

Our coaches spend many hours preparing entry cards for each swim meet. If someone does not come to a meet after signing up for it, much of the work is done in vain and last minute changes have to be made at the meet. This is unfair to our coaching staff. Please ask your swimmer(s) to take this responsibility seriously so that we are fair to all our swimmers and the coaching staff.

Relays- Relays are exciting and popular events; unfortunately not everyone can participate. Relay lineups for dual meets and DUSO Championships will be made to achieve the fastest team times or score the greatest number of team points. Although a swimmer's time will be the main factor used in relay selection, attendance at practice/meets and a positive team attitude will also factor into the decision-making process.

Section 2: Additional Information

Communication Communication between parents and coaches/swim team committee members will increase the chances of your child having a positive experience with swim team. The swim team committee will make every possible attempt to keep you informed of upcoming events and schedule changes. Please consult the Tiger Sharks Bulletin Board regularly for updates. Also check our website at www.hurleytigersharks.com for additional information.

If any questions or problems arise concerning your swimmer(s), please take it up with the coaching staff at times other than:

During practice
Prior to a meet (during warm-ups)
During a meet

The coaches are focused on the needs of the team and the safety of the swimmers during these times, and therefore it is difficult to speak with parents. Any problems or concerns can also be brought to any member of the swim team committee. The coaches' decisions are FINAL.

Job Descriptions Parent participation at meets is vital to the overall success of the season. You must be available to work the hours required of the job. If your schedule changes and you are not available to work the times you signed up for, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. Please notify the swim team work hours coordinator of the change.

Before you make your 3 required selections to fulfill your swim team work hours, please consult the swim team Job Description Booklet available through a swim team committee member. Parents scheduled to work at a meet must arrive a half hour prior to the meet and assemble at poolside.

Special Events
In this section the committee wanted to describe a few of the special events that occur during the season. The dates are approximations; please be sure to check the swim team bulletin board for exact dates as the season progresses.

Blue and White Meet/Family Meet	An inter-squad practice meet to acclimate the swimmers to the format of the competitive meet. This meet is normally held the last week of June.
Pasta Dinner	When scheduling permits and enough parents are willing to help, this dinner is held during the week prior to the DUSO Championships. This is a fun event designed to boost morale for the championship meet. The dinner is sponsored by the coaches and parents but is only open to the children on the swim team.
DUSO Championships	This is an all day meet open to all swimmers who have competed in at least two dual meets. All DUSO teams participate and the winner of this meet is designated the DUSO Champion.
Awards Picnic	This pizza and dessert night is usually held the Wednesday night following the DUSO Championship Meet. This is a family event. An awards presentation will be held during which all swimmers will be recognized. Age groups awards for both boys and girls will be given. In addition, three parents will be elected to serve a three-year term on the swim team committee.
Team Picture	A team picture is taken sometime during the season. The date is dependent on the schedule of the photographer. As soon as the date is determined, it will be posted on the bulletin board. If possible, an announcement will be made at a home swim meet.

Swimming Terms and Tidbits

DQ	If a swimmer is "DQ'd", it means they were disqualified for that event. Some infraction was noted by a meet official during the race. An official will notify the swimmer at the end of the race that he/she was DQ'd and explain the infraction. The coaches will often give the swimmers further explanation so they understand exactly what the official said, which will help them improve.
IM	This acronym stands for an event in a swim meet called the Individual Medley. In this event a swimmer will swim 25 yards or meters of each stroke. This is the order of the strokes: Butterfly (Fly), Backstroke (Back), Breaststroke (Breast), and Freestyle (Free). In the DUSO league, this event is not offered for the 8 and under swimmer.
Time Offs	This is the term used to keep track of how many times the swimmer has improved on his/her time for a given event. The first time he/she swims the event, the time will count as a time off. In order to receive another time off for the same event, the swimmer would have to swim a faster time than he/she has recorded previously. Recognition is given for time offs at the Awards Picnic.
False start	A false start can occur anytime a swimmer leaves the starting block prior to the signal from the starter. In DUSO, each swimmer is allowed one false start per event.
Meter to Yards Conversion	Because Hurley Rec. is a 25-yard pool and some of the meets are held at meter pools, a conversion factor can be used to determine what a swimmer's 25-meter time would be for 25 yards. The 25-meter time is multiplied by .914 to arrive at the 25-yard time.
Step Up Medley Relay	In DUSO, this is usually the first event held at the meet. It is a mixed relay race made up of four swimmers of different age groups. 50 yards of each stroke is swum during this race. This is the order of the strokes: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Free Style.