2023 Swim Season Parent Meeting Recap

    Kelly Felder

    Thank you to everyone who came out last night for the swim team meeting. Below is a recap of what was discussed. Please make sure to read this in full as there are some important dates that will be enforced, as well as changes to the volunteer requirements.

     

    1. Introductions
      1. Board Rep - Kelly Felder
    2. Coaches
      1. ​​Teri Hayburn
      2. Annie Hayburn
      3. Jimmy Hayburn
      4. Patrick Hayburn
      5. Joseph Hayburn
    3. Meet Managers
      1. A meet manager- Nicole Bartels and Lindsay O’Keefe
      2. B meet manager- Michelle Balfe
    4. Team Registration
      1. Registration is not complete until pool membership dues and the voluneer fee (fee later section) are submitted.
      2. If your swimmer was on a different PMSL team last summer, you must complete a team switching form https://formsmarts.com/form/285m
      3. Team Unify is the Swim Teams platform for all activities. It contains our schedule, reminder, job sign-ups and general information. Emails sent to swim team participants are done via Team Unify. All participating families, whether new or returning,  must register using this link. The DEADLINE to register is June 1st, 2023. http://www.teamunify.com/MemRegStart.jsp?team=recpmslwpt
    5. Schedule
      1. The team schedule is posted on Team Unify. A hard copy will also be available on the swim team bulletin board located in the snack bar area once the pool has opened.
        1. Practices
          1. Evening practices begin June 5th
            1. 12U 6:05-6:50pm
            2. 13+ 7:00-8:00pm
            3. Evening practices are for children who can swim a 50 freestyle, 25 breaststroke and 25 backstroke unassisted. If your child is not yet able to do that, please wait for morning practices to begin. This is an issue of safety.
          2. Morning Practiced begin June 19th
            1. 13+ 7:15-8:30am 
            2. 11-12 8:30-9:30am 
            3. 9-10 8:30-9:15am
            4. 8U 9:30-10am
            5. Mini 9:30-10am (Monday - thursday only)
          3. Minis
            1. Minis will begin once morning practice starts. Minis practice Monday-thursday
            2.  Minis typically begin at about age 5. Parents of minis still need to meet the volunteer/concession requirements (discussed later).
            3. If you are unsure if your swimmer should be in Minis or 8U, start them in minis. The coaches will move them up to 8U if appropriate to do so
          4. Parent Practice Expectations
            1. Parents should not stay on the pool deck during practice. Parents provide too much of a distraction for the swimmers. Please sit in the snack bar or awning area during practice and avoid interacting with your swimmer.
            2. While we all love our coffee in the morning, please be reminded that glass is not permitted anywhere in the pool at any time. Leave your glass coffee mugs/cups at home.
          5. Meets
            1. There are a variety of meets throughout the summer. All meets are noted on the calendar on Team Unify. Specific times will be provided as the meets approach.
            2. A Meets- These are the Saturday morning competitive meets. There is a limited number of swimmers that are able to compete at each meet and it is based on times and the ability to swim a stroke legally. Coaches determine the line up and it will be posted to the bulletin board and emailed out on the Thursday prior to the meet.  
            3. The Divisionals and All Star meets are also competitive league meets. They are even more restrictive in who can participate, but lists will be posted and emailed just as with the regular dual A meets. Whitehall will be hosting Divisionals this year.
            4. B Meets- We have two scheduled for this summer. These are on Tuesday nights. B meets are open to all swimmers who can swim in the lap lanes unassisted. If you are unsure if your swimmer should participate, you can ask a coach. B meets provide an opportunity for those who do not participate in A meets, or who do not place in A meets to have a meet experience. We ask that if your child has placed top 6 in any A meet event that they do not swim that event during a B meet. There is no sign-up for B meets - those interested just show up based on instructions provided.
            5. City Meet and City Relays- We will be participating in both. WPT is hosting city relays and BBT the city meet. These meets are very restrictive in participants, but we do encourage the whole team to come out and cheer!
            6. Mini meet- The mini meet is for the swimmers on the mini team! It is scheduled for the morning of July 20th. There will be limited volunteer opportunities at this event, so if you only have a mini swimmer, don't count on this as a volunteer option.
    6. Gear
      1. Metro Swim Shop provides the official Whitehall swimsuits.  They will be at the pool on May 10 from 6-8 to take orders. 
        1. Team suits are encouraged, but not mandatory. If swimming in a meet, we ask that a solid navy suit be worn. Please note that suits cannot have ties, zippers, etc.
        2. Swimoutlet.com is a great website that offers swimsuits at a reasonable prices. They also sell gear (fins, goggles, etc.) https://www.swimoutlet.com/whitehallwahoos/
      2. Swim Caps
        1. Whitehall swim caps will be available for purchase at the bathing suit fitting, at time trials, as well as throughout the season. The cost is $10. Cash or check.
        2. All swimmers are required to wear the whitehall swim cap at meets.
        3. If you have a swimmer who is not used to wearing a cap, we recommend having them wear one during practice to get used to them. Caps during practice do not need to be the official whitehall swim cap
      3. Fins & Goggles
        1. Fins are recommended for all age groups except minis. These are the long fins, not short.
        2. Swimmers should wear goggles.
      4. Apparel
        1. We are hoping to offer apparel. As soon as information is available it will be emailed out.
    7. Volunteer requirements
      1. Volunteering is mandatory. Year after year we are depositing about 30% of all swim team checks. Volunteers are required for meets to happen. It is not fair to teammates, coaches, and other families who have to step up time and time again because 30% of our families are not doing their share.
      2. Each participating family, regardless of whether or not your children are in minis, in meets, or simply attend practice, must turn in a $300 check made out to Whitehall Pool and Tennis Club. Swim team holds on to these checks. If your family meets the volunteer requirements (detailed below) throughout the season, then the check is shredded at the end of the season. If you fail to meet the requirements, then the check is deposited.
      3. Volunteer checks are due no later than the first practice (June 5th, 2023 - - note this date is later than what was communicated at the parent meeting)
      4. Please DO NOT turn these into the coaches. You can turn them in to Kelly Felder, Nicole Bartels, or they can also be dropped off in the pool office during regular hours.
      5. Failure to submit your family check by the June 5th date will result in your swimmers being deregistered from the team
      6. Minimum requirements
        1. Each family must volunteer at at least two meets - jobs sign-ups will be done through Team Unify
        2. Each family must donate two items to our concession stand during the normal season.. Sign-up for concessions is done via signupgenius and sent out prior to the meet. **Please see additional information below in relation to certified volunteers**
        3. Every family must donate 1 concession to the Divisionals concessions.
        4. If your child is swimming in Divisionals, you must volunteer at the Divisionals meet.
      7. What are volunteer roles?
        1. Certified Positions - We are in DESPERATE need of certified volunteers.
          1. ​IF YOU BECOME CERTIFIED AND VOLUNTEER IN THE CERTIFIED POSITION FOR YOUR 2 MANDATORY VOLUNTEER SESSIONS, YOU ARE EXEMPT FROM CONCESSION DONATIONS.
            1. Ref/Starter: The Ref/Starter is actually two roles. At home meets, Whitehall supplies the Referee. The Referee makes the ultimate call on Disqualifications, blows the whistle to signal new heats, and is in charge of pool safety. The Referee is the individual who is in charge of the swim meet. At away meets, Whitehall provides the Starter. The Starter announces the event/heat (if there is no announcer) and instructs swimmers to take their mark, begins the race, and makes disqualification suggestions to the Referee at the start of the race (i.e. false starts). To be a Ref/Starter you must have at least one year of Stroke and Turn under your belt and you must be PMSL certified. Training will be virtual and information will be shared once available. We are asking that EVERY person who is currently Stroke and Turn certified become Ref/Starter certified this year. Becoming Ref/Starter certified automatically renews your Stroke and turn certification too! 
            2. Stroke and Turn: Get a  great view of the pool and really learn the in’s and out’s of swimming. The Stroke and Turn officials are responsible for watching the swimmers and ensuring that the appropriate rules are being followed. No prior experience is required. There is mandatory training provided by the league. Training is virtual and about 2 ½ long, followed by an online, open book test. Must be PMSL certified to fill this role- certification is good for two years. Training information will be shared as it becomes available. We need at least a handful of new individuals to step into this role re
          2. "Regular" Positions
            1. Head Judge: Are you good with numbers? This is the job for you! While the title may sound intimidating, it is not a difficult role.  As timesheets are collected from the lane timers after each event, the Head Judge reviews the three lane times listed for each swimmer and circles the middle time, then clips together the timesheets, DQ slips, and place judge slips for each event and passes it to the Data Manager for data entry.
            2. Head Timer: Do you have good coordination? The Head Timer runs two watches for each event in order to substitute for any Lane Timer, as needed.  The Head Timer also instructs Lane Timers to clear watches after each heat to prepare for the next one.
            3. Roving Timer: The Roving Timer times the first place finish in each event for record purposes.  They may also step in as a back-up lane timer, if needed.
            4. Lane Timer: Can you look at a light and press a button (gamers, we are looking at you!)? That is the skill set needed to be a Lane Timer! Lane timers start a stopwatch at the beginning of each race and stop the watch when the swimmer touches the wall. There are three lane timers per lane and one person per lane also records all three times on paper. If you mess up and accidentally don't start the watch on time, not to worry- the Head Timer runs two back-up watches for every race! 
            5. Runner: Trying to get your steps in? Consider being the Runner! The Runner collects time cards from each lane after each event and hands out heat winner ribbons.
            6. Ribbons: Stickers!! At "A" Meets you will be responsible for placing results stickers onto the correct ribbons (by place). At "B" Meets the ribbon volunteers handwrite ribbons. For both "A" and "B" meets you will also file the ribbons away in our teams ribbon box for swimmers to pick up.
            7. Clerk of Course: The Clerks of Course line up swimmers (in chairs) for correct lane assignments and get them to their proper lanes prior to each event.  You work as a team of 2-4 clerks and will find that this is a great way to get to know our swimmers!  Any teachers out there?  You will excel in this job!
            8. Concessions: Concession volunteers are responsible for selling food, drinks and occasionally other items at our concession stand.  We always have enough workers so parents can slip away to watch their swimmer’s race too!  
            9. Hospitality: Hospitality makes sure that all of the volunteers and coaches are well hydrated. It can get hot in the sun, so our hospitality volunteer delivers water to the other volunteers.
          3. Season Positions - If you are interested in filling either of these roles, please reach out via email to [email protected] ASAP
            1. Data Manager- We are looking for a secondary data manager to assist our current data manager who is not available for all meets. This position is for A meets only, but requires work on Thursday evening and then again on Saturdays during and after the meet. The position is not difficult, but does have a learning curve for the swim team software. This person should be comfortable on a computer. Someone who is interested in doing this long term (i.e., future season) would be a great candidate as there is a little bit of ramp up time!
            2. Concession Manager- We are looking for 1-2 people to take over as concessions manager. This role is responsible for creating the weekly signup for concession items, marking off that concessions were brought in by the families who signed up, and setting up/breaking down concessions. Concessions are held at all home meets. The current concession manager is willing to train new people this summer - her swimmer graduated from the team several years ago and we have appreciated her support, but it is time for a current family to step up!
          4. Incentive Program
            1. In case the shredding of your $300 check is not incentive enough to complete your volunteer/donation requirements, we are establishing an incentive program this season.
            2. Complete your 2 mandatory volunteer sessions and earn 1 ticket entry into a raffle
            3. If you do your 2 mandatory sessions in a certified position (Stroke and turn or ref starter),  you get 2 ticket entries
            4. Every additional session you volunteer earns 1 additional ticket for “regular” positions and 2 tickets for certified positions
            5. At the banquet we will do a drawing. There will be two $50 amazon gift cards and one $200 gift card winner.
    8. Additional Events
      1. Team Beach Trip
        1. The swim team and families meet at the beach at Cape Henlopen for the day. Scheduled for July 24th
      2. Team Banquet
        1. Awards, recognitions, and a fun night of swimming, dancing, and making memories.Scheduled for the evening of July 26th
      3. Team photos
        1. Individual and team photos are scheduled for the morning of July 19th
    9. Other information
      1. At the City Relays, which are going to be held on June 27th at Whitehall, there is a parent relay. Interested in participating? Please use this signup. We need 4 male and 4 female volunteers, at a minimum (it is always good to have backup options). Each participant swims 1 length of the pool. To be eligible you must have a swimmer on the swim team that is over the age of 5.
      2. Does your swimmer sing or play an instrument? Last year we had an abundance of volunteers to sing the National Anthem at our swim meets. In an effort to be better organized, we are asking parents to use this signup if your child is interested. Please indicate if they will be singing or playing a musical instrument. Please note that signing up does not guarantee that they will be selected, as there are minimal opportunities available. If there are many children interested, then a selection process will be determined. Please note that those signing up should know the Anthem in full and can sing it unassisted in a respectable fashion.

     

    As always, if you have any questions, do not hesistate to reach out to [email protected]

     

    Kindest,

    Kelly Felder