Stay Tuned For 2012 Information
OBJECTIVES
The goal of Mammoth Lakes Swim Team is to develop swimming for the benefit of Mammoth Lakes and surrounding area school age children of all abilities. This is accomplished by daily coached practices and competition age group swim meets.
AGE GROUP SWIMMING
Swimmers compete against other swimmers in their own age group. Boys and girls practice together but do not compete against each other. The normal age groups are 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18.
Within each age group, swimmers can be divided into A, B, JO and Far Western categories, according to their recorded times for the event.
Swim meets are held in pools of standard lengths, and as a result, times are comparable from one meet to another. An important part of the Mammoth Lakes Swim Program is to teach the swimmers to set goals for themselves and to work to better their own times, regardless of the times of other swimmers.
PRACTICE SESSIONS
Please see our schedule at www.mammothsharks.org. Practice sessions focus on building endurance and learning proper stroke and turn techniques. A trained swim coach supervises all practice sessions. This is not a learn-to-swim program. Practices are divided into ability groups according to experience levels and age. Practices of the novice group emphasize swimming technique. Practices of the experienced group stress physical conditioning as well as advanced technique.
From May 3 until school is out in June, swimmers practice from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the age group, after school Monday through Friday at Whitmore Pool. PRACTICE SESSION TIMES WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE SPRING MEETING or POSTED ON THE WEBSITE. The coaches set the number of practice days. After school is over, practice sessions are held in the morning. Older, more experienced swimmers are given the opportunity to swim additional practices in the evenings to increase their endurance and yardage. All schools are notified of any cancellations. We do not always know about cancellations until the last minute given the way our local weather can change. Any matters concerning a swimmer's training or participation should be directed to the head coach either before or after practice privately. Any changes to assigned practices need to be made with the coach's approvals.
PARTICIPATION AND POOL RULES
This is a competitive swim club and all swimmers on the team are expected to swim in as many meets as possible during the competitive season.
No running is allowed on deck at any time. No glass is allowed on deck. Lifeguard tower and its steps are for the use of the lifeguard on duty. Stay off the equipment. Children not involved in practice must be supervised and stay within the pool enclosure.
Parental discipline and positive support of your child is essential. Parents, as well as swimmers, are expected to conduct themselves in a manner in which we can all be proud. Unsportsmanlike behavior is not tolerated from swimmers or parents under any circumstances. This behavior will result in the person being removed from the pool deck, either temporarily or permanently.
The Mammoth Lakes Swim Team will not allow the use of profanity, drugs, and alcohol or tobacco products in or around the pool durring either practice sessions or swim meets. The United States Swimming Association specifically prohibits the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products.
SWIMMER'S SUCCESS THROUGH PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
The Mammoth Lakes Swim Team can only be successful with the assistance of parent volunteers. Volunteers at each location run swim meets, both locally and at away meets. Parents are expected to participate at away meets by assisting with timing shifts or training to become swim meet officials. At our local meets, every parent must volunteer to assist with some part of running the meets in order to insure the meets are timely and efficient. Sign up sheets for the different jobs are posted at Whitmore Pool prior to local meets. Sign up early to help.
LOST AND FOUND ITEMS
Lost and Found items are collected in bins by the team equipment. It will be turned over to the Cast Off or other worthy charitable organizations throughout the season. Parents are encouraged to put the name of their swimmers on any item used during the season, especially sweat shirts, team suits and towels.
AWARDS
Awards are given at the end of most meets. These awards are usually presented to the swimmer at a later date. At the end of the year there is an awards event. Awards include participation awards, High Point awards (points accumulated throughout the season from individual events at each league meet the team attends), most improved awards for boys and girls in each age group (determined by taking the difference between the swimmer's initial time in an event each year and their fastes time posted for the year) and special recognition awards.
FURTHER INFORMATION
There is a tremendous amount of information distributed to the parents on an ongoing basis throughout the season. This information is placed in folders, arranged alphabetically under the family name, at the pool. It is very important to check the folder each and every day after practice to make sure you are kept up to date. There are entry cards for meets and meet information sheets that sometimes only give us a few days to enter the kids in away meets. Please help us by keeping informed of upcoming events. Your swimmer should check their folder every day. If you are involved in a carpool situation, please make sure your folder is checked by whoever is driving your swimmer.