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BLAZER FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Do you have to be a fast swimmer to make the
team?
No. The Blazers are open to anyone
with an interest in swimming who can meet the minimum
requirements. Although some swimmers will go on to swim in
college and at national meets, many others will simply have a lot
of fun, get great exercise and compete against other swimmers at
the same level as themselves. Unlike some sports there are no
"benchwarmers" in swimming.
What are the minimum requirements to make the
team?
The swimmer should be able to swim on
length of the pool freestyle (with rotary - or side-breathing) and
backstroke.
The swimmer must be six years old.
What if I can’t decide whether my swimmer belongs on the
team?
Many times this question of desire
rather than ability. The Blazers are known for our many elite
swimmers, but all of them had to start somewhere! We love to
have new swimmers join and we promise to develop them in a
positive, nurturing environment. Please call the head coach
at the site nearest you and ask for a meeting for you and your
swimmer. You will be invited to try us out for a couple weeks
(a grace period conveyed by USA-Swimming, our National Governing
Body) and the coach will help you in your decision.
What equipment does my child need?
Practice suits, goggles, tennis shoes and
socks>
Suits and goggles can be purchased at Swim Quik, they are the
official dealer of Blazer apparel. Swim Quik also carries
Blazer shirts, sweats, parkas and swim caps.
How long is the "team" season?
The Blazers swim year runs from mid-September
through the first week in August.
We break our swim year into three Phases:
Phase I - runs from September to December and ends with the Level
II or I Championships Meets.
Phase II - runs from January to March and ends with the Short
Course Division I or Division II Championship meets.
Phase III - runs from April to August and ends the year with
Division I or the Zone Championship meet.
When are meets and how long do they last?
For our Blue program
swimmers we offer the Blue/Gold series. These meets are
instrasquad meets with our developing swimmers. they are held
on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. They last
approximately three hours. Most Advanced Blue and Gold
swimmers go to "invitational’s". Teams from all across
the region compete at these meets. They are held on the
weekends. At the invitational’s you can expect warm-up
to last one hour and the competition to last four hours.
Where are meets held?
Novice and Blue swimmers can expect meets to be
held at pool in the Greater Kansas City area. On occasion
there will be meets offered in Lawrence or Topeka.
Advanced Blue and Gold will attend meets in the Greater Kansas City
area but will also travel throughout our LSC including Columbia,
Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita.
How often are meets held?
Most swimmers can
expect to be offered the opportunity to swim in two meets per
month.
How much does it cost to enter a meet?
Our in-house Blue/Gold meets offered to the
Novice and Blue group will cost $15.00
An invitational meet will usually cost between $15-35 depending
upon the length of the meet.
How do I register my swimmer for a meet?
A month before a meet
you will receive a meet list in your mailbox/website/bulletin
board. This list will tell you: 1) meet location, 2) what
time to be there, 3) who is invited, 4) goals for the meet.
At the bottom of the page is a Rejection Slip. If you do not
wish to attend the meet you MUST follow the instructions to either
email or US Mail your rejection, and we will NOT enter your swimmer
in the meet. If you wish to attend the meet you do
nothing. The coaches will choose your swimmer’s events
and you will be billed for the meet expenses on your next monthly
statement.
How do I find out what events my swimmer is swimming at the
meet?
Your swimmers events
for a meet can be found in two places. Every pool has a
bulletin board that has all meet entries posted on it. You
may also find your child’s events on the Blazer website under
the pool site page.
Are meets required?
All Blazers have the
options of rejecting a meet. But most swimmers enjoy
measuring their progress by swimming in meets once they get over
the initial anxiety. The Blazers have always looked at
competition like a test in school. After attending classes
all week you have a test to find out what you know and what you
still need to learn. It is also a great social time for the
swimmers and parents - a time to celebrate all of their hard work
and to bond as a team.
What is the difference between a pre-seeded meet and a deck
seeded meet?
In a pre-seeded meet
all of the swimmers will swim their events in a lane and heat
determined by their entry time as submitted prior to the
meet. If a swimmer doesn’t show up for his/her event
then the lane they assigned to will be empty. That is
allowable. In a deck seeded meet the heats and lanes are not
determined until about 45 minutes before the event. This
allows swimmers to enter and scratch from events on the day of the
meet. The main purpose of this is to prevent having empty
lanes in a heat, that slows the meet down.
What is meant by "Short Course" and "Long Course"?
The terms refer to the
length of the pool. Short Course is a 25 yard pool and Long
Course is a 50 meter pool. However, the names are also used
for the two seasons in USA Swimming. September to March is
the Short Course season when meets are held in 25 yard pools.
April to August is the Long Course season, as meets usually are
held in 50 meter pools.
How often should my swimmer attend practice to get faster?
Novice:two to three times
per week (depending on age)
Blue: two to three times per week
Advanced Blue: three to five times per week
Gold: Four (minimum requirement for Gold swimmers) to six
timers per week
Are Blazers too competitive?
The Blazers are
designed to provide the opportunity for all interested swimmers to
participate in competitive swimming at whatever level they
choose. It is the goal of this program to provide the
opportunity and the motivation to get the swimmers to reflect our
team motto - "Commitment to Excellence" and to "Be the Best You Can
Be." The Blazers program strives to provide the opportunity
for those who want to be recreationally competitive and also the
opportunity to pursue the Olympic Dream.
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