|
 FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS BY PROSPECTIVE SWIM
PARENTS:
Is my child qualified to begin
swimming on your swim team? Swimmers should be at
least 6 years old, and have successfully completed a Level 5 Red
Cross swim class (and/or be able to swim at least 50 yards of
front crawl and backstroke without stopping).
Where are practices
held? Most practices during the school year are held
at Oak-Land Junior High. Sometimes, practices are held at
Stillwater Junior High, or Oxford Community Center (94 &
Lexington). During the summer, some practices are also held at the
Highland Park pool, which is an 8-lane, 50-meter pool.
Although convenience for parents is important, pool availablity,
pool size, and rental prices are all factors that must be
considered when booking pool time.
How do I know which group (level)
my child should join? Coaches decide on the
appropriate placement of each swimmer. Before your
child’s first time swimming with our club, you should talk
with a coach and provide background information related to your
child’s swimming experience (classes a child has completed,
strokes a child can swim, distances a child can swim). If
your child has competitive swimming experience, share your
child’s times with a coach as well. A coach may request
a try-out before your child’s first practice, or may wait to
evaluate your child on the first night of practice.
Can my child try a few practices
before we decide whether to join the team? Your child may
come to practices with our club, at the beginning of a session, for
one week, at a cost of $5.00 per practice that your child
attends. Please have $5.00 cash with you at each practice, or
write a check for $5.00 made out to SCSC. At the end of one
week of practices, please let your coach know if your swimmer
intends to join the team. If you do join, all money you have
already paid for trial practices will be applied to your swim
dues.
How long is each swim
session? Each session is approximately 8-weeks long,
depending on the last meet of the season that your child qualifies
to participate in.
How much does each swim session
cost? The cost of each session depends on the group
your child swims in. Currently, the costs per session are:
Silver Rays $175, Blue Rays $255, Juniors $315, and Seniors $350
($400 during the summer). Dues are subject to
change.
Can we receive a refund if we quit
before the end of a session? No refunds will be
given to swimmers that quit the team before the end of a
session. However, a credit may be applied to your account for
future sessions, or for other swimmers in your
family.
Can we receive a refund for missed
practices? No refunds will be given to swimmers that
miss pracitce due to a vacation, participation in other
sports/activities, or short-term illnesses.
Can my child start swimming in the
middle of a session? Although it is preferred that
swimmers begin swimming at the beginning of a session, swimmers may
join the team in the middle of a session. If a swimmer starts
swimming more than two weeks into a session, the swim dues will be
prorated based on the remaining number of weeks in the
session. Contact the team treasurer, Robert Jacobs, for
specific details.
How long is each
practice? The length of each practice varies based
on the group. Most of the time, Silver Rays have a 1 hour
practice, Blue Rays have a 1.5 hour practice, Juniors have a 2 hour
practice, and Seniors have a 2 hour practice (plus 30 minutes of
dryland training when indicated on the practice
calendar).
Is my child expected to attend
every practice? Although coaches would love to see
every swimmer attend every practice, they realize that other family
obligations may make that impossible. It is recommended that
Silver Rays attend at least 2 practices per week, Blue Rays at
least 3 practices per week, Juniors at least 4 practices per week,
and Seniors should attend all 5 practices per week. There are
no refunds for missed practices.
Does my child need to show up
early for practice? Swimmers should arrive at
practice 15 minutes before the scheduled practice time.
During the 15 minutes before practice, swimmers should remove outer
clothing, put on a swim cap and goggles, gather any additional
equipment, and meet the coach on deck. However, swimmers
should NOT go on the swim deck until their coach arrives on
deck. Please make every effort to have your swimmer on deck,
ready to swim, on time.
What should my child wear to each
swim practice? It is recommended that swimmers wear
a practice swim suit (not a beach swim suit or bikini), a swim cap,
and goggles. If you need to purchase swim related apparel or
equipment, we recommend Elsmore Aquatic. You can shop online
with Elsmore
Aquatic. Please make sure younger swimmers
arrive at practice with their swimsuits on underneath their
clothing so time does not need to be wasted in the locker room
changing clothes. All clothing, shoes, and bags should be
left in the bleachers with parents. Shoes should never
be worn on deck by swimmers or parents.
Does my child need to bring any
special equipment to practice? All swimmers should
bring a water-bottle on deck during practice. Be sure the
bottle is labeled with your child’s name, is not made of
glass, and contains water only. Water bottles should not be
left on deck after practice - please take home to recycle or
wash. Depending on the group your child is in, other
equipment may be recommended/required, and can be purchased through
Elsmore
Aquatic. Your coach will let you know what equipment your
swimmer needs. See the "Apparel & Gear" tab for more
information. It will be acceptable to your coach if you do
not have the other equipement for the first couple of weeks of your
first session with our club.
Can I watch my child’s
practice? Parents may watch practice from the
bleachers inside the pool area. However, please do not make
any attempt to talk to or "coach" your child from the
bleachers. Do not make any attempt to talk to your
child’s coach during practice either, except in the case of
an emergency. The coach will tell your child everything they
need to know. Your role is to support and encourage your
swimmer, while resisting the urge to be a second coach to your
child. Please remain in the bleachers - do not go on
deck. Assure your child that you will meet him/her in the
bleachers at the end of practice.
When can I talk to my
child’s coach? If you’d like to talk to
a coach while at a practice, if possible, please wait until AFTER
practice. Before each swim practice, your child’s coach
will be busy preparing for practice, putting in lane lines,
reviewing the prepared workout, etc. This is usually not a
good time for parents to talk to a coach. After practice,
however, you may talk with your child’s coach in the bleacher
area. Please be respectful of your coach’s time, and be
aware that other parents may be waiting to talk to the coach,
too. If you need to have an extended or private conversation
with a coach, consider emailing or phoning a coach instead of
approaching the coach on her way out of practice.
Can my child use the locker rooms
after practice? Children may use the locker rooms to
shower and change after practice. However, it it HIGHLY
recommended that parents of children under 12 years of age
supervise their children in the locker room. This
recommendation is related to both appropriate behavior in a locker
room as well as child safety. The coaches are NOT in the
locker rooms to supervise and provide security...this should be
done by parents. Of course, only same gender parents are
allowed in locker rooms (there are no family locker rooms).
Consider having your swimmer NOT use the locker room if you are not
able/willing to supervise a child under 12. One other thing,
swimmers have 15 minutes following practice to be out of the locker
room and pool area. Swimmers that are too slow in the locker
room, or exhibit inappropriate behavior in the locker room, will
lose their locker room privileges.
Where should I pick up my child
after practice? Unless a child has driven themself
to a practice, a child’s parent should meet the child in the
bleachers (NOT IN THE PARKING LOT) after practice. ALL
children, regardless of age, should exit the locker room into the
pool area before leaving practice when practice is at Oak-Land
Junior High. Please remind your child not to wear shoes on
the pool deck! Swimmers can put their shoes on in the
bleachers before leaving practice.
|
