MEET
PARTICIPATION
Hosted Meets: Team Santa Monica has a reputation of hosting swim
meets of the highest caliber. Fifteen percent of our operating
budget is generated from the Club hosting meets. One of the
commitments you make when joining TSM is to help work our own swim
meets. Every family member is expected to work at the meet.
Participatory Meets: Parents are
expected to accompany their swimmers to the meets. The team is
responsible for providing timers at each meet based on the
percentage of swimmers attending that specific meet. TSM may
therefore have to provide 1, 2, or 3 timers for the entire day.
Every parent with a swimmer entered in the meet is expected to
volunteer for a portion of each day they attend.
ADMINISTRATION
The administrative functions of the club are overseen by the Board
of Directors. The board consists of parents elected for three year
terms. The elections for board positions are held annually in the
fall. For a list of the current members and their positions, please
see the Roster included with this packet. The Board and other
interested parents meet once a month. These are open and
informative meetings and all parents are encouraged to attend. The
date and time future meetings is generally communicated via a memo
in the swimmer’s file or email. These meetings are excellent
opportunities for parents of new swimmers to learn more about the
club, meet other parents, and talk with the coaches.
TSM POLICIES
All parents/caregivers should park in designated areas for dropoff
and pickup. Younger kids should be walked to pool entrance. All
pickups should be at the pool. The SMC parking lot is not a safe
place for unaccompanied swimmers, particularly after dark. We
recognize the added inconvenience of having to find a parking spot,
but our kids’ safety is the most important priority. We know
that many families need an extra parking permit. We have requested
more and will continue to pursue this. In an emergency, you can
always park for $3 by entering the main parking area at Pico and
19th, and park in lot C.
• After drop-off, all swimmers should stay at the pool. We do
not want the kids on the SMC campus looking for snackbars or
anything else. This, again, is a safety issue. Parents need to know
their kids are at the pool and no where else.
• Parents are to remain in
the designated parent areas--on the second level sun deck which
overlooks the pool. Please do not try to talk to your child’s
coach during practice. Coaches will be available for a few minutes
after practice to talk to parents.
• Swimmers and parents need
to make every effort to be on time for practices. When the kids get
in late, it is distracting to their fellow swimmers who are in the
middle of their practice. Swimmers should have all of their
equipment with them so that they can participate fully.
• TSM has a zero tolerance
policy for inappropriate locker room conduct, disrespect toward
coaches or other swimmers, or pool personnel. Good citizenship is
assumed and enforced in all team activities.
• All families are encouraged
to be part of making TSM a great place for kids to thrive as
swimmers and people. As we enter this period of growth and
regrouping, we encourage all parents to get involved in some way.
We are looking to you for new ideas to make our team the best it
can be. Along with those wonderful ideas, we need your help to make
them happen. Ask any Board member how you can get more
involved.
PARENTS’ RESPONSIBILITY
To have a successful program there must be understanding and
cooperation among parents, swimmers, and coaches. The progress your
youngster makes depends to a great extent on this triangular
relationship. It is with this in mind that we ask you to consider
this section as you join TSM.
You have done a great deal to
raise your child. You create the environment in which they are
growing up. Your child is a product of your values, the structure
you have provided, and the model you have been. Human nature,
however, is such that a parent loses some of his/her ability to
remain detached and objective in matters concerning his/her child?s
athletics. The following guidelines will help you keep your
child’s development in the proper perspective and help your
child reach his/her full potential as an athlete.
The coach is the Coach!: We want
your swimmer to relate to his or her coach as soon as possible
concerning swimming matters. This relationship between coach and
swimmer produces the best results. When parents interfere with
opinions as to how the swimmer should swim or train, it causes
considerable, and oftentimes insurmountable, confusion as to whom
the swimmer should listen. If you have a problem, concern, or
complaint, please contact the coach.
Best kind of parent: The
coach’s job is to motivate and constructively criticize the
swimmer’s performance. It is the parent’s job to supply
the love, recognition, and encouragement necessary to make the
child work harder in practice, which in turn gives him/her the
confidence to perform well in competition.
Ten and Unders: Ten and Unders are
the most inconsistent swimmers and this can be frustrating for
parents, coaches and the swimmer alike! Parents and coaches must be
patient and permit these youngsters to learn to love the sport.
When a young swimmer first joins TSM, there may be a brief period
in which he/she appears to slow down. This is a result of the added
concentration on stroke technique, but this will soon lead to much
faster swims for the individual.
Not every time: Even the very best
swimmer will have meets where they do not do their best time. These
"plateaus" are a normal part of swimming. Over the course of a
season times should improve. Please be supportive of these "poor"
meets. The older swimmers may only have two or three meets a year
for which they will be rested and tapered.
Parents’ Role: Please make
every effort to have your swimmers at practice on time. Realize
that your child is working hard and give all the support you can.
Encourage good diet and sleeping habits.
