Welcome to
the 2019 - 2020 Short course swimming season. Thank you
for your interest in the Elgin Cyclones Swim Team! As the premiere
team in Elgin, our mission is to provide the best competitive
swimming experience for all swimmers. We have designed this page to
provide you with detailed information and expectations for the
team. We understand this may seem overwhelming but it is a great
foundation for a creating a successful swimmer. We hope you find
this information helpful and after reading this information, should
you have any additional questions, feel free to email us at [email protected].
Below is a description of
the workout groups.
Cyclones Swim
Academy (CSA): The Cyclones Swim Academy (CSA) group is
where swimmers who have never been on a swim team explore the
challenge and fun of competitive swimming. The CSA session is
designed to transition swimmers who rise quickly into the 10 &
Under Bronze, or the 11 & Over Pre-Team Groups into those
groups. Swimmers learn many competitive swimming skills that build
on their swimming lessons and prepare them for swimming meets.
Among these racing skills are how to perfect their swimming
technique, perform starts and turns, train safely with other
swimmers in a lane, the nutrition and rest needed to race well,
racing with a relay team, and how to prepare and behave during a
meet. Swimming in meets with the team is strongly recommended but
at the discretion of the coach. Like all Cyclones swimmers,
CSA swimmers will be required to join Illinois Swimming.
Practice meets are held at the Centre of Elgin as part of the
CSA group swimmer’s exciting schedule. Cost:
$200
Pre-Team
Group: This group is for the relatively new competitive
swimmer that is not ready for the Gold, Platinum, or Senior groups.
Pre-team is designed to help the new swimmer meet the minimum
requirements for acceptance into their rightful workout group. Once
the minimum requirements are met, the swimmer will be transferred
to their right group. It is not uncommon for swimmers to spend an
entire season in this group. Cost: $425
Bronze
Group: The Bronze workout group is the initial team
experience for the beginning Cyclone swimmer aged 6 to 10. To
become a member of this group, swimmers must be able to perform the
following: 50 yards of freestyle from a standing dive; 25 yards
each of butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke (25 yards of
streamline dolphin kick may be substituted for the butterfly); and
a freestyle flip turn. The ability to listen and to follow
directions is important for success in this group. Cost:
$400
Silver
Group: This group is for the swimmer who has been in the
Cyclones or similar program and has achieved a designated level of
success based on effort, practice consistency, wim meet
participation, and time standard achievement. Swimmers must
successfully demonstrate a 200IM with correct starts and turns,
have the ability to swim between 3,500-4,000 yards/meters,
participate in as many ISI meets as possible and show up for a
minimum of 3 of the 4 workouts a week. The group will be
specifically working towards seasonal goals which include
developing a good work ethic, continued stroke and technique
development, goal setting for meets, and a love for racing! This
group is for those whose goal is to be a multi-event state
championship qualifier by the end of the short course season. Must
be able to swim 3,500 yards/meters per practice. Cost:
$450
Gold
Group: The emphasis of this group is to refine competitive
stroke technique, build strength & endurance, promote a healthy
lifestyle and expose 10-13 year old swimmers to greater racing
opportunities. Swimmers in this group are either working towards
being members of the platinum group or cannot make the commitment
required of the platinum group. Swimmers are expected to practice 4
to 5 times per week throughout the swim season and attend the
majority of meets including three ISI meets minimum. Must be able
to swim a legal 200 IM with correct stroke and turn technique.
Dryland training will be part of the training regimen. Cost:
$450
Senior
Group: This is for the 13 and older swimmer who has been
swimming competitively for numerous years and can make the time
commitment to continue to swim at the highest level. Competing is a
high priority. Swimmers on this level compete at most ISI meets as
well as Regionals, Age Group State, Senior State, Speedo
Sectionals, and any national meets a swimmer qualifies for.
These swimmers should have solid overall swimming technique and be
capable of competing in any stroke at any competitive
distance. Seniors will have dry-land training at least 2 days
per week. Cost: $500
FAQs
What are the swimming
seasons?
The Elgin Cyclones,
like most other teams, have two seasons: the Short Course Yard
(SCY) season and Long Course Meter (LCM) season. The short
course season is usually from September until early March.
The Long Course season is from April until late July. The
season start date is dependent upon your child’s group
(younger swimmers usually start later than the older swimmers) and
time standards.
Are swim meets
required?
Yes, meets
are required. Swim meets are a fun way to gauge your progress
as a swimmer. Imagine basketball players never playing a game!
Meets are the same thing for swimmers. Therefore, we require the
following commitments:
CSA: 2 swim meets
Bronze: 3 swim meets
Pre-team: 2 swim meets
Silver: 3 swim meets
Gold & Senior: as many as possible
Why do I have two
accounts?
You will need two
accounts: one is for registration onto the team while the other one
is specifically for the swim team i.e. meet fees, meet
declarations, etc. You will receive monthly invoices from the
team website for meet fees while the registration fees must be paid
to a credit card monthly, if not paid in full.
Is there a fee for
meets?
Yes. Each
swimmer must pay an Illinois Swimming surcharge of $2 per swimmer
per meet. In addition, there is a $1 per swimmer per meet
surcharge. Lastly, each event has a cost associated with it
along with each relay. For instance, there may be a fee of $5
per event and $12 per relay ($3 per relay participant). If
your swimmer is entered in 3 events and two relays, the cost is $19
for the meet. Some meets also have ancillary fees like a
facility fee.
Is my child ready for swim
meets?
Swimmers in Bronze,
Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Senior groups are ready for swim
meets. Swimmers in the Cyclone Swim Academy and Pre-Team
groups will be invited to swim in meets at the Coaches
discretion. Those not ready to swim in meets will be
disqualified if their strokes are not legal. Although
disqualifications happen to every swimmer, the novice swimmer
usually has a fragile psyche that can be damaged if
disqualified. Our goal is to teach the swimmer proper
technique then allow them to swim in meets. If you are unsure
if your swimmer is ready, email us at [email protected].
Are there any volunteer
requirements?
Yes. Swimming
is much different than other traditional sports where one coach and
one official can run an event. Because each swimmer is being
judged, based on time, each swimmer in each race needs to have at
least two timers. In addition, there are other volunteer jobs
that need to get done to confirm the official results.
Specific volunteer jobs can be found on the website under Event
Information when you log in. We will be offering training
sessions for all new parents or parents new to a particular job
assignment.
This season we will
have two home meets. Blizzard Blast is our annual swim meet hosted
December 14-16 and we also will host Regionals in late
February. In order to
better define the requirements of a meet, you must first understand
how a meet is configured. Most Illinois Swimming meets, including
ours, are broken into sessions, usually 5 or 7 sessions. Each
session is comprised of events i.e. boys 50
yard freestyle. Most
sessions are 3 - 4 hours depending on the number of swimmers and
events in each session; Illinois Swimming has a rule where sessions
cannot exceed 4 hours. With this in mind, the ECST has volunteer
requirements for meets with 5 sessions and requirements for meets
with 7 sessions.
Five Session
Home Meet
If a meet has 5 sessions, each
swimmer in CSA and Pre-Team will be required to work at least 1
session and each swimmer in Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Senior
will be required to work at least 2 sessions. If a family has more
than one swimmer, add up the requirements based on the level
they are in to
determine the number
of sessions you are required to
volunteer for, not to exceed 5 sessions. For example, if a family has 1 swimmer in Gold (2 jobs), 1 swimmer in Silver (2
jobs), and one swimmer in
CSA (1 job), the family will be required to work 5
sessions.
Number of Required Volunteer Sessions
for a 5 Session Meet
Practice
Group
| Number of
Required Sessions
|
CSA
| 1 Session
|
Pre-Team
| 1 Session
|
Bronze
| 2
Sessions
|
Silver
| 2
Sessions
|
Gold
| 2
Sessions
|
Platinum
| 2 Sessions
|
Senior
| 2 Sessions
|
Seven Session Home
Meet
If a meet has 7 sessions, each swimmer in
CSA and Pre-Team will be required to work at least 1 session and
each swimmer in Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Senior
will be required to work at least 3 sessions. If a family has more
than one swimmer, add up the requirements based on the level
they are in to
determine the number of sessions you are required
to volunteer for, not to exceed 7 sessions. For example, if a
family has 1 swimmer in
Gold (3 jobs), 1 swimmer in Silver
(3 jobs), and one
swimmer in CSA (1 job), the family will be required to work
7 sessions.
Number of Required Volunteer Sessions for a 7
Session Meet
Practice
Group
| Number of
Required Sessions
|
CSA
| 1 Session
|
Pre-Team
| 1 Session
|
Bronze
| 3
Sessions
|
Silver
| 3
Sessions
|
Gold
| 3
Sessions
|
Platinum
| 3 Sessions
|
Senior
| 3 Sessions
|
***Please note, all families must volunteer
for all home meets, even if their child is not swimming in the
meet. This includes Regionals or any other time qualifying
meets.***
There is a $100.00 fine
for each job that you do not fulfill. For example, if you are
required to work 5 jobs and you only work 3, you will be fined
$200.00 for the 2 jobs not worked. All jobs must be filled
before the meet; you will not be able to sign up for a job at the
Volunteer Check-in table during the meet. I know this may seem
severe but this is meant to be punitive. We do not want your money.
We want your time and talents to create the best experience for the
swimmers.
If you are unable to
work a meet, you must find a sub. This means you may have to time
for another family at a different meet. For example, if you are out
of town for Blizzard Blast, ask a family to work Blizzard Blast and
you will work Regionals for them. If you do not work a meet, we
will be forced to fine you, regardless of the excuse.
Away Meets
For some away meets, we will be required to provide timers. In
these instances, you will be able to sign-up for the job on the
specific meet page on our website. For away meets, the
sessions are broken into hour-long jobs to help the flow of
the meet. Parents are allowed to sign up for the session they are
interested in timing. If we do not have enough timers the Monday
before the meet, parents will be assigned to time for the meet. We
will only assign those parents who have a swimmer in that session.
If you are not in that session, you will not be
assigned.
Although we do not
quantify the number of away sessions you are required to work, we
do take past jobs worked into consideration when assigning open
jobs. If all the jobs are not taken, we will assign families to
work those jobs. We will not assign jobs to families who do not
attend the meet.
If you have any
questions on the above information, please email us at [email protected]. It
is important that you understand the team requirements so
there is no confusion.
Swim-a-thon
In
addition, the team has a swim-a-thon once a year, usually in
the fall. The swim-a-thon is much
like a walk-a- thon where one
gets pledges on a flat rate basis or per lap. For more
information on this year's swim-a-thon, visit our
Events Page.
What are time
standards?
Each year, USA
Swimming establishes time standards, or "Cuts" for each of its
major meets, from BB or age group meets through Olympic
Trials, swimmers are always striving to make their next cut.
Time standards can be found on USA Swimming
website.
Does my child have to be a
USA Swimming member?
Yes. All
swimmers must become USA Swimming members. It shows a
dedication to the sport, team, and coaches. In addition, it
is an insurance requirement of USA Swimming clubs. Also, your
swimmer is coached by a USA Swimming member. Lastly, your
swimmer must be a USA Swimming member in order to swim in
meets. All meets are sanction by USA Swimming and their Local
Swim Committee, Illinois Swimming.
Your USA Swimming
membership is good for one year. We accept memberships at our
fall registration day and send in all memberships together.
If you register after that date, you are responsible for sending in
your membership and fee to Illinois Swimming.
What if my swimmer
transfers from another team?
If your swimmer
transfers from another team to the Elgin Cyclones Swim Team, they
will need to fill out a USA Swimming Transfer Request Form which
can be found on Illinois Swimming’s website. According to
USA Swimming rules, “For a swimmer to represent a USA
Swimming club in a competitive event, one hundred twenty (120)
consecutive days must have elapsed with the swimmer having
represented any other USA Swimming club in USA Swimming
competition.”
Do I need access to the
Cyclone’s website?
Yes. All of our
swimmers get access to our website. Access is essential for
signing up for meets, getting communication, signing up for jobs,
checking invoices, checking your swimmer’s times, and other
functionality. Unfortunately, our system does not allow you
to create your own account so please email
[email protected] to get your account setup. You
will be required to provide the following
information:
- Parent/Guardian
Name(s):
- Parent/Guardian Mailing
address:
- Parent/Guardian email
address (must be checked frequently):
- Parent/Guardian contact
phone number (1 required):
- Swimmer(s) name (First,
Middle & Last):
- Swimmer(s) Date of
Birth:
- Swimmer(s) level /
group:
Creating your account
usually takes one business day so please be patient.
Is there a new parent
meeting?
Yes. We hold new
parent meetings in March and September for the Long Course and
Short Course seasons. We usually review the website, an
introduction to the sport, and other pertinent information along
with a Q&A session at the end of the meeting.
Are there tryouts for the
team?
At this time, the
team does not have tryouts. Instead, we have
evaluations. The purpose of our evaluations is to determine
if your child is ready for a competitive swim team and if they are,
to determine what group your child belongs on.
Is there a payment plan
available?
Yes. The Elgin
Cyclones offer a payment plan. For the Short Course season,
$50 is due at the time of registration, usually August, and the
remaining balance is equalized over 5 months, October, November,
December, January, and February.
Does my swimmer get ribbons
for meets?
Swim meets do offer
ribbons and some offer medals and trophies for the top
finishers. In the meet packet, posted on the website under
the event link, the host team has identified the finishers that
will receive a ribbon. For instance, at our Blizzard Blast
meet the top 16 finishers receive rosettes and ribbons. At
other meets, it might be the top 8 finishers. If your swimmer
were to receive a ribbon, all ribbons are placed in their folder,
just west of the pool desk.
Besides a suit, does my
child need anything else?
Each group has
certain items that are necessary for training. It is strongly
encouraged that all swimmers bring a water bottle with them to each
practice. Having water is essential in training but also
minimizes the amount of out-of-water time walking to the water
fountain, instead of swimming.
- Cyclones Swim Academy:
Goggles, swim cap for those with longer hair, competitive swimsuit,
and fins.
- Pre-Team: Goggles, swim cap
for those with longer hair, competitive swimsuit, and
fins.
- Bronze: Goggles, swim cap
for those with longer hair, competitive swimsuit, and
fins.
- Silver: Goggles, swim cap
for those with longer hair, competitive swimsuit, and
fins.
- Gold:
- Platinum: Fins, pull
buoy(Proportionate size to swimmer), Large Water Bottle (For Daily
Practices) and hand paddles.
- Senior: Goggles, swim cap
for those with longer hair, fins, hand paddles, and a water
bottle.
Tips for a successful swim
meet
Warm-ups:
Arrive at the pool with enough time to find a parking space, a
seating place, find the locker rooms, and ready to go 15 minutes
before warm-ups for our team are to start. Please look at the meet
information packets carefully to find out our warm-up
times.
Post
Warm-Ups: Your swimmer needs to know the event(s) they are
swimming in. Many pools will have these assignments posted in
various locations, and the team coaches will have copies as well.
It is helpful for the swimmers to write their event numbers, heat
assignment, and lane assignments down at this time. Many swimmers
opt to write this information on their hands or arms. Also
during this break, your swimmer should use the restroom, and
perhaps even a quick snack.
Meals:
Your swimmer needs to eat a big meal before they come to the pool.
They should have it finished about 30 to 60 minutes before warm-up.
This meal will need to carry them through approximately 30 minutes
of constant swimming during warm-ups (including laps and
warm-downs). It needs to be big, but comfortable. Let them eat what
they like within reason. Pack some nutritional snacks in their bags
(bagels, bread, crackers, fruit or vegetables are great choices),
and also some rehydration drinks (Gatorade, Propel, fruit juices,
or plain water are good choices).
During the
Meet: Your swimmer should be aware of what event is
swimming, and when their next event is. Many pools will have an
announcer calling the events to the deck and getting them in their
correct lane assignments. Other pools will utilize the scoreboard
to show which event is currently in the water swimming. For our
younger swimmers (8 & Under), many pools will utilize a
“bullpen”. This is an area located near the pool, where
the swimmers are put into order for their lanes and are supervised
by parent volunteers. Many swimmers will read, or play games
with other teammates. This is great, however, please don’t
get so distracted that you miss your event or cause your teammate
to miss their event! At the meets, please keep in mind that
you are representing the Elgin Cyclones Swim Team—your
behavior should be respectful to the host team, other spectators,
and also to our team.
After the
Meet: After your last event, the swimmers are officially
done. Please ensure that you clean up the area around where
you were sitting before you start to pack up their gear and head to
the showers (unless specifically told by the coaches to
stay with the group), and subsequently join their families. Awards
are distributed back at the Centre in our Cyclones mailboxes at the
Centre Pool Desk.
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