2021 Swim Team Parent Information Packet

Dear Parents and Swimmers,

Welcome to the Jewish Community Center Gators Swim Team. We are members of the Louisville Swim Association (LSA), and adhere to their rules and schedule. There are many things that play into our team’s success, but the most essential variable is parent involvement, and our goals cannot be accomplished without the ongoing help of parents. We look forward to your ideas, participation, and especially your volunteer support to help make this 2021 season successful. Please read this handbook and keep it so you can refer to it throughout the summer swim season.

The goal of the JCC Gators Swim Team is to encourage the development of boys and girls in swimming by giving them the opportunity to develop and improve their skills through dual meets and practice. This will be accomplished by:

1. Promoting self-confidence, self-respect, and a sense of belonging through the acceptance of others.
2. Fostering participation as a means of understanding an individual’s contribution to the team’s overall performance.
3. Providing the opportunity for youths to participate in LSA swimming with a competent staff.
4. Promoting fair play, good sportsmanship, and teamwork.

This packet contains vital information to assist you in understanding the structure of the swim program. Please read the packet and sign the necessary documents if you wish for your child to participate on the JCC Gators Swim Team. Documents must be signed on SwimTopia before your child will be allowed to begin practicing.

Aquatics Director: Johnny Kimberlin [email protected]

502-238-2742

Volunteer Coordinator: Amy Koloff [email protected]

502-291-9894

Head Swim Coach: Kiley Handley [email protected]

502-472-4885

Getting Started

1. In order to participate on the swim team, every child must be a member in good standing of the JCC of Louisville, have paid all swim team fees, sign up through the JCC Gators SwimTopia webpage, and documents signed on SwimTopia. No one will be permitted to participate in a practice or meet if fees remain unpaid or documents have not been signed after attending two workouts.

1. It is expected that swimmers wear the team suit at all meets (not wearing them to practice will help reduce wear and tear and lengthen the life of your swimmer’s suit). Team suits with logo and other equipment are available through our team supplier, Swimville USA11800 Shelbyville Road 245-8911. A team cap is provided at no charge to each swimmer (one per swimmer). The members of the swim team boosters will distribute team shirts and swim caps the day we take team pictures.

1. SwimTopia - SwimTopia is “everything you need to run a swim team in one powerful, web-based, swim team software solution.”We will be using it for: communication, swim meet entries, swimmer’s times, and our calendar. You will need to register your child on the site. You can access our team page at www.jccgators.swimtopia.com.

Louisville Swim Association - Dual Swim Meets

The LSA swim meets are held on Monday nights. The warm-up will start at 5:00 pm for meets at JCC and 5:30 pm for away meets. JCC swimmers are expected to be at the meet location by 4:45 pm if at home, and 5:15 pm if away. Athletes are responsible for their own transportation. Parents must provide supervision for children age 11 and under. Meets will begin promptly at 6:00 pm and last approximately three and a half to four hours.

There are 80 swim events covering the age groups of 6 and under, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12, 13 and 14, and 15-18. Ages of athletes on June 1 will be the age category in which they will compete for the entire season. Each swimmer will swim a freestyle event. The team is limited to the number of swimmers and relays in stroke events. The 6 and under age group compete only in freestyle, backstroke, and freestyle relay events. This age group is finished at the halfway point of the meet. The second half of the meet typically starts around 8, but this is not a set time and is only for 7-18 age group swimmers.

After the warm-up, swimmers are to report to the appropriate age group area and parent volunteer(s), who will have a copy of the entries. The age group volunteers are responsible for organizing each assigned group on deck, checking that all swimmers are present, and know when they will swim. All swimmers must stay in the team area during the whole meet. If the parent(s)/guardian(s) choose to keep their swimmer(s) with them outside the team area, it will be the responsibility of the parent(s)/guardian(s) to have their children report to the team area and age group volunteer on time, in order for them to be lined-up properly for their events.

The league will score and award each event through sixth place. Final results and awards will be posted the next day. Ribbons may be picked up from the ribbon box in the outdoor Aquatics Office (by the Lap Pool).

LSA meets are run solely with volunteer parents. The LSA is a parent-run organization that counts on your ongoing volunteer support to conduct high-quality swim meets. Each meet will need timers, stroke and turn judges, computer table workers, and age group parents.

Swim Meet Procedures & Expectations

• Parents must declare whether or not their child(ren) is swimming in a meet the Wednesday BEFORE the meet. If not, your child(ren) will swim only freestyle - no relays.

• JCC will warm up as a team before all meets.

• JCC will have a team area at all meets. We encourage all swimmers to sit together as a group, promoting team unity and spirit, and helping to maintain order and control. The team will sit together in the team area, which will be made known with a sign or banner.

• Swimmers are expected to be aware of their event numbers and will have their event number written on their arms with a Sharpie.

• Swimmers should never scratch an event without first consulting a coach, as this may affect the events of other swimmers.

Link to Louisville Swim Association: https://www.eteamz.com/louisvilleswimassociation/

Qualification Meet Information

The Qualification Meets (Quals) are held on two different days at the completion of the dual meet season. Swimmers in each age group who meet a pre-determined cutoff time for each event are invited to participate in Quals. (You will be informed via email on how to identify if your child has qualified when we email final results from each Dual Meet). Results will also be available through SwimTopia. Swimmers who make the cut will compete against all swimmers from the other teams in our division who have also meet the standard cutoff times.

Swim Team: The nine & up Quals will be held on July 5th at the JCC (JCC Only) and the seven & under Quals will be held on July 8th at the JCC (JCC Only). Swim Championships are TBA.

Parent’s Responsibilities

1. VOLUNTEER

The LSA is a parent-run organization that counts entirely on your ongoing support to conduct these high-quality swim meets. It takes approximately 30 volunteers per half to run a dual meet, so a total of 60 volunteer positions need to be filled for each meet. More volunteers are needed for home meets than away meets. See pages 6 and 7 for a list of volunteer jobs that we are required to fill per LSA rules and their descriptions. To ensure that we have adequate parent volunteer participation, we have established a minimum volunteer point requirement system. Our goal is to make requirements easy enough to discourage non-participation.

Each family with at least one swimmer who is 7 or older is asked to earn a minimum of 12 points during the course of the 5 dual meets, 2 Quals, and Championships. Any family with children in the 5 & 6 age group ONLY, must reach 8 points to meet their volunteer requirement. If the minimum volunteer point requirement is not met, a $100 volunteer fee will be charged to their account.

You earn 2 points for every ½ meet worked -1 parent works either 6 half-meets or 3 whole meets. If both parents work a meet they each earn 2 points per half meet. You can work any combination you want towards a minimum of 12 points.

**Any parent that has a child participating on Championship Sunday MUST volunteer for at least ½ of the meet that day. If you do not sign up, you will be assigned a job. If you do not fulfill that job, or find someone to fulfill it, you will be charged $50 to your account that will go to the JCC Gators fundraising account .**

1. STAY INFORMED

Please check your email daily. If you have a spam filter set on your account that only allows emails from addresses you specify, please adjust your settings and look out for emails from Coach Kiley at [email protected] and the Swimtopia site. We may contact you about inclement weather that would warrant a change in practice this includes: thunder, lightning, or very heavy downpours that affect visibility. We will always do our best to hold a dry-land workout in place of each practice the pool is closed. It is also a good idea to become of member of the JCC GATORS page on Facebook.

1. KEEP THE COACHES INFORMED

Our coaches will prepare entries on the Wednesday prior to the Monday meet. During this process, entry cards are filled out and relays are arranged. Parents must declare whether or not their child(ren) is swimming in a meet the Wednesday BEFORE the meet On Swimtopia. If not, your child(ren) will swim only freestyle - no relays. This helps avoid any confusion at the meets, excessive paperwork problems, and last-minute scrambling to fill unexpected vacancies. If a swimmer scheduled for a relay is absent, this prevents three other swimmers from competing. Your conscientiousness and consideration will prevent this from happening. It is vital that the coaching staff be informed in writing, at the earliest date possible, of those meets that an athlete will not be attending. Any last minute changes can be emailed to

Coach Kiley at [email protected] or you can call or text her at 502-472-4885.

1. ARRANGE SUPERVISION

ONLY swimmers will be allowed to come inside the pool area. Siblings who are not swimmers will be asked to stay outside the pool area with parent supervision. This cannot be the parent who is volunteering at the meet.

Cooperating with the Coaches

Parents play an important role in the success of any swimmer. With the right kind of support and encouragement, your swimmer will progress steadily and enjoy a rewarding experience.

• Be a supporter and nurturer through the ups and downs of victory and defeat. Encourage swimmers to take their swimming-related problems to the coaches on staff. They have the training, experience, and perspective to deal with these issues.

• Leave the coaching to the coaches. Do not pressure or offer swimming advice. It is the coaches’ job to offer constructive criticism of a swimmer’s performance. It is the parent’s job to supply the love, recognition, and encouragement necessary to help their swimmers feel good about themselves.

• Parents are welcome to attend swim practice but should not interfere or interrupt the coach during practices. If you have any coaching concerns, please bring them to the attention of the Head Coach or the Aquatics Director.

• During competition, the deck attitude of parents should be positive and sportsmanlike. Parents, relatives, and friends belong in the spectator area, not in team meetings or in the team area. Parents’ assistance is welcome in the Team Area, especially with the 8 and younger age groups.

• Parents are of great importance to age group swimming. Your participation in volunteering is necessary and appreciated. Please volunteer when you can.

• Coaches will always try to do what they feel is fair and right. Their job is to think of all swimmers.

Swimmers’ Responsibilities

Commitment – being part of a team…

• Arrive to practice on time.
• Wear your mask at all times unless you are in the pool.

• Maintain an upbeat and positive attitude - listen to your coaches.

• Remind your parents to inform the coaches in writing or by email if you will be absent from a meet, and in cases of last-minute emergencies, call Kiley or Amy Koloff - NOT JOHNNY!

• Arrive prepared with correct swimwear, goggle, and swim caps.

• Any bullying or negative teasing will not be tolerated. Please report any instance to coaches. Consequences could lead up to dismissal from the team.

At the Meets:

• Be respectful and courteous to all meet officials, workers, coaches, and opponents.

• Behave properly in all public places.

• Be on time - wear a team suit, cap, and t-shirts to show spirit.

• Stay in your designated area, and report to your age group parent if you must leave the area. Keep the team area neat – clean up after yourself.

• Know your event numbers and report to the age group parent on time.

• Direct any questions regarding meet results or officiating to JCC Coaches.

• Cheer for your team and for each other.

• Have fun and do your best!

Volunteer Position

Additional volunteer positions will be added to help assist with covid protocols.

TRANSPORTATION AND SUPERVISION

As a parent, I understand that it is my responsibility to see that my child is at all practices and meet on time (including Qualifications and Championship). I will provide my child’s transportation to all meets and will provide adult supervision for my child (11& Under) at all practices and meets.

“12 POINTS PER FAMILY”

I understand that the Gators Swim Team cannot function without volunteer help. I agree to fulfill the “12 points per family” volunteer requirements (working half of a swim meet equals two points - a total of 12 points must be earned by each family by the end of the swim season). If you have a child 6 and under, you are only required to reach 8 volunteer points. The $100 VOLUNTEER FEE will be charged to your JCC account after August 1st 2021 if your volunteer points have not been met.

CONDUCT

Good behavior and sportsmanship are vital for any athlete and athletic program. Teammates fighting with other teammates and/or members of other teams will not be tolerated. Taunting, rude comments, and any other unseemly behavior are seen as grounds for dismissal from the meet, and possibly from future swim meets. I further understand that as a parent, I must display mature, responsible, and sportsmanlike conduct at all swimming events. The JCC reserves the right to ask any adult exhibiting improper behavior to leave the premises.

COMMUNICATION

I understand it is my responsibility to read the parent information packet as well as knowing the important dates provided by the JCC Gators Swim Team. I also understand that the coaches must know who will not be present before 4 PM on Wednesdays prior to each Monday meet and correspondence between coaches and parents is done primarily via email. I acknowledge it is my responsibility to regularly check my email to remain informed throughout the swim season.

MEET ABSENCES

I understand it is vital that the coaching staff be informed in writing, at the earliest date possible, of those meets that an athlete will not be attending - ideally, no later than the Wednesday before a swim meet. Furthermore, I understand that if my child cannot compete in Championships due to absences, then they will not be entered to swim in the Qualifications meet so that an eligible child may fill that position.

FEES

I understand that my child(ren) will not be entered for swim meets until I have registered him/her on SwimTopia and all fees are paid. I also understand that there will be additional fees to pay during the swim season, such as swim team pictures and a banquet admission fee (extended family and guests).