OSPREY AQUATICS PARENT GUIDE

 

Group Placement:

The Osprey team has several different practice groups, each with its own set of standards and expectations. Swimmers are placed in groups based on various factors. Of course the swimmers speed is taken into consideration but it is by no means the only factor in group placement. Other factors that will be considered when swimmers are placed are attendance, coachablility at practice and at meets, attitude, maturity (mental and physical), age, technique and flexibility. Each group has standards in these areas and these standards will be upheld. Each coach uses the Osprey Way to train and teach their swimmers. Our system offers the ability for a swimmer to move from one group to another with very little difficulty, as all groups use basically the same methods.

Coaches:

Please remember that the coaches are there for the kids. Your relationship with the coach is not nearly as important as your child's relationship with their coach. It is our belief that the methods that we use in training and teaching are on the cutting edge and are the best possible methods in use at this time. Complaining to other parents or to your child will only cause friction, and a lack of confidence in the coach. Your child's confidence in his coach is more important to their swimming than their technique; if it is undermined it will be difficult for your child to be successful. In the long run, if you don't like the coach's methods, change teams rather than try to change to coach. Find the best situation for your child, that's your right and responsibility.

Practice:

It is important that swimmers practice with their own training groups. When a swimmer has another commitment and asks to practice in another group, they will usually be told "No." Asking a coach to train a swimmer in a group to which they are not suited is asking the coach to run a private practice. This usually disrupts the group that a swimmer comes into, or causes the swimmer great stress trying to keep up. Each group has its own attendance standards.

Meets:

Swimming in meets is a very important part of your child's swimming experience. In any other sport if you train daily and never got a chance to "play the game," you would not last long. Some parents feel the inconvenience, or added stress of a meet is best handled by not attending. It has been our experience that swimmers who do not compete in meets on a regular basis do not stay with the sport.

Meet schedules are set up by the coaches at the beginning of each season. Sometimes due to new additions or difficulties in getting into a particular meet there are changes in the schedule. Please understand that these changes are in the best interest of the swimmers and are kept to a minimum. Meets are also set up in a training cycle for each swimmer. There may be times when a swimmer qualifies for a particular meet but is not asked to attend. This decision is made for many reasons—from the swimmer not being ready for that level meet, to the meet not fitting into a particular swimmers cycle. Please speak to your child's coach if you are interested in the reason behind the decision for your child to swim or not.

Trials and Finals Meets: - All swimmers swimming at a Trials and Finals meet—usually Far Westerns, the AA+ and Championship meets—should understand that if they qualify for finals, they will be expected to stay through the entire finals period. We need to develop and environment of support to all of the swimmers swimming. Swimmers staying for finals will be expected to cheer on their fellow teammates.

Travel Meets: - All chaperoned travel meets will require at least an 80% attendance during the training cycle prior to entering the meet. Swimming in these meets, as well as the Championship meets AA+, FW, and Tapered Senior meets, are a privilege and not a right. The privilege goes to those swimmers who eat well, drink right, get to bed on time, warm up and warm down as expected and compete with a positive attitude and their best effort. A swimmer must also demonstrate to the coach a strong level of preparation for the entire training cycle prior to the meet. An unprepared or uncoachable swimmer under performs and only hurts themselves and the team at a major meet. Any swimmer not giving their best in preparation, effort, and attitude can and will be held back from the meet.

Taper Meets: - Our meet schedule is set up in training cycles with end points in mind. Those end points are peak performance or "taper meets." Please note these meets when they are on the schedule. It is imperative that you not plan vacations in the month prior to a taper meet. If it is unavoidable for a swimmer to miss a large amount of practice prior to a taper meet, the meet may be taken off that swimmer's schedule. Sometimes it will work to have a taper meet for that swimmer at another time; however, this is highly unlikely. Please speak to your child's coach if there is a conflict between a taper meet and an unavoidable absence.

Events at Meets: - The coaches have a plan for each swimmer's success. Before entering a meet the coach may tell your child which events to swim, or not to swim. Please be sure to ask your swimmer if this has happened before you fill out their entry form. Many times as a parent, you feel your child is either ready or not ready for a particular event; however, their coach will know for sure.

Warm Ups: - Swim meets always start with warm-ups. This is the first, and one of the most important parts, of the meet. Warm-ups are a time for the swimmer to loosen up, to see how their strokes are looking and feeling on a particular day, to get use to blocks, walls and the flags at new pools, and to build their confidence for racing. Warm-ups also help loosen muscle groups to prevent injury, establish pacing and speed, and ready energy systems to race. Your child's coach will tell them what time to be at the pool for warm-ups. Typically the child should be there at least 15 minutes prior to getting in the water so that they can check in before warm-up

Warm-ups before each event are crucial to performance. Warm-ups prepare the swimmer for the next race mentally, physiologically, and tactically. Warm-downs after each event buffer lactic acid and are crucial during the course of a meet in sustaining peak level swims. Warm-down also helps to train the body to use lactic acid as fuel for future fast swims.

All Osprey are expected to warm-up and warm-down as the coach directs. Failure to do so demonstrates a lack of discipline, readiness and ability to compete. In such cases, the swimmer can expect to be scratched from one or multiple events, and possibly the entire meet. It is expected that everyone will do their best, and warm-ups and warm-downs are part of that.

Contacting a Coach:

Most of the practice groups have at least 20 swimmers in them. If each parent wanted to speak to the coach for only 5 minutes a day it would take an hour and 40 minutes. This would take too much time away from the job that the coach is actually there to do-coaching the kids. If you would like to contact a coach, the easiest and most convenient way is to e-mail them. You can reach any of the Osprey coaches at [coach's first name]@ospreyaquatics.com. If a meeting is necessary, Brian can usually meet after the late practice, about 7:25 pm on most weeknights if prearranged.

Get Involved:

The best way to know what is going on and to support your child is to get involved with the team. There are many parent volunteer jobs available, many hands make light work.

Vacation Policy

If a swimmer goes on vacation, and can find a suitable pool (15 yards or more) and they are able to do a workout of at least an hour or more that has been approved by their coach, they will receive half credit. This means, for every two days of practice on their own, they will receive one day of credit with the Osprey.

If the same swimmer can find a USA swim team in the area, and works out with that team, they will receive full credit. That means for each practice they do, they will receive one credit for Osprey practice. The reasoning for this is as follows: the workout they do with another team will be more structured, more competitive, likely longer, and have a professional coach present.

Moreover, swimmers can receive up to but not more than 16 days of credit while on various vacations during the course of the entire year. The reason for this is that I want to see our swimmers committed to the Osprey swim program, and not some other one in some other town. We believe in our program, and you do too or you wouldn't be here. Our workouts are designed with our swimmers in mind, and we believe our system is the best for our swimmers.

Osprey Incentive Award Plan:

Our Osprey Incentive program, (which is totally unique, insofar as I know), is a means to an end, and not an end to a means. We hold out an incentive, to help teach our swimmers that hard work and commitment lead to success and excellence. Many beginning, lukewarm, or struggling swimmers often feel almost hopeless in their efforts to succeed. They haven't come to enough practices to really achieve the time standards they seek, but ironically, they lack the belief in their ability to achieve these standards, (B, A, AA+, and so on)…so they don't come enough! Children must be taught to set goals, believe in their ability to reach them, and persevere. Often such children have never won or earned any trophy of distinction in their lives. They can feel defeated, as though they just don't measure up, and they aren't winners. The Commitment Trophy is designed with that sort of person in mind. If we can get them to go for the 85% in the short term, (one year), they will have something to shoot for that is more tangible and attainable in their minds. Of course, by showing up so consistently, they gain skills, stamina, fitness and momentum. They begin to achieve new time standards they have set as goals, and all of the sudden they are successful! They have created a positive expectation for achievement in their lives. That is what we are trying to do for all of these kids.

"Meets" Award - Meets are the place where Preparation "meets" opportunity. Any swimmer attending at least 90% of the meets appropriate to there ability will receive a patch. The coach will determine the meets that they should attend.

Swim Meet Achievement - A GOLD star is given to a swimmer who has improved all times at one meet. The swimmer must swim all events assigned, improve on previously posted times, and swim a minimum of 6 events.

Single Event Improvement - A SILVER star is given to a swimmer who has improved an event three times in one season. Times must be improved from previously posted times, and must be achieved at a qualifying meet.

PRAT - A RED star is given to a swimmer for each PRAT that they achieve at a meet. PRAT stars must be earned in either yards or meters and will be awarded in both.

Q - A WHITE star is given to a swimmer for achieving a Q time. White stars are given only once per event either yards or meters.

Commitment Award - This is awarded to any swimmer who is in attendance at 85% of the practices for their group. Exceptions are not made for illness, other sports or commitments, or vacations. However, the very reason the trophy is prized so much, and has real value, is because it's not attained easily. It is of course accessible to all, but based upon sacrifice and commitment, not just talent. In fact the greatest talent is desire. I believe the Commitment trophy is the best incentive we have, because it rewards discipline and desire. I also believe it is the most misunderstood.

Remember, the vast majority of AA+ swimmers on the Osprey, are 85% and above in their attendance. AA+ swimmers have a strong measure of confidence, and have demonstrated the ability to succeed. So the trophy, which was initially a huge goal for a swimmer not yet fully engaged, in time becomes a byproduct of excellence. That is the entire purpose of this trophy. I think it is important, as always, that we remember this, and keep it in perspective.

Uniform Policy:

Osprey Aquatics, like any other team, has a uniform. Just as your child would never show up at a soccer or baseball game wearing something other than their team uniform, your child should be prepared at every swim meet to wear the team suit. This will necessitate a measure of planning and foresight, but the resulting team recognition and identification will enhance our visibility and prestige within the swimming community.

Swimmers are also required to wear a team T-shirt to all meets. As with any team, the identity is important and a team uniform is essential to this. Please make sure that you have purchased at least one team t-shirt for your child. Any Osprey shirt from this year or previous years will be acceptable.

If your child has JO+ time standards (PRAT for 8 under), they may at times be allowed to wear the team racing suit. This suit has been chosen by the coach, who will inform them at which meets it may be worn. The suit is a Navy Speed Aqua blade or similar fast suit of another brand. This suit must be all navy, no two tone suits. A swimmer will only be allowed to wear it at meets where they are rested or tapered. If your child owns this suit, it may not be worn at a meet where the coach's approval is not given. If your child shows up at a meet without a regular team suit and only have the JO+ racing suit you must either return home to retrieve their team suit or purchase another one at the meet. Swimmers not in proper team suit will participate without the benefit of a coach and could face further sanction. It is important that we are all on the same page, participating in good faith for the good of the swimmers and the program.

Any swimmer 13 and above with Q+ times, or under 13 with individual NAT times, may order a Speedo Fastskin racing suit, or other similar racing suit. Often it is difficult to get these suits in exact team colors. It is our hope that you will attempt to come as close to the team colors of Navy, Gold, and White as possible. A Fastskin suit may only be worn at the coach's request and only for Q+ meets. These suits are very costly so no swimmer will be required to own a Fastskin suit. If you would like to purchase one for your swimmer understand that they are only allowed at the most elite competitions, and are only expected to last for a limited number of meets.

Lastly a team cap must be worn during all races at team meets. If your child does not own a team cap please purchase one (or two) now. If they arrive at a team meet without a team cap, you will be required to purchase one or borrow one for your child's races.

As the team grows, it becomes more and more difficult to follow our swimmers when they are wearing suits and caps that do not follow the team requirements. We will enforce these rules fully so please purchase the suits that your child needs and plan on bringing the appropriate suit to the appropriate meet. The Osprey Aquatics is a team, and as in any other sport there is a team uniform. Please be prepared to cooperate with this uniform policy.

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