Aquatics

The operation and facilitation of the Makos Swim Team is a combined effort by the coaching staff and parent volunteers! Parents are required to participate and volunteer in a fair share different job titles to make the swim team run effectively and efficiently. No experience is required!

The River City Swim League requires our team to provide workers for all dual meets (home and away) including championships. The dual meets require between 24 workers per meet, and we need each swimmer(s) family to volunteer to help out at least four times during the dual meet season.  Per child we require at least 3 shifts per child (multiple children family gets a shift “discount”) During championships, the work load will increase to almost 50 shifts of work, depending on the number attending Champs and we need every family to volunteer for at least one of these shifts.

Please be accountable and do your fair share of volunteering, so that the responsibilities of these duties do not fall on a few select families because it has to be a total team effort. These positions are very easy to work and should not be something that will impact participation.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

• 6-Timers (2 shifts)=12 total
o Timer has stop watch to record time of swimmer in particular event and records time on swimmers event card, 2 timers per lane, one from each team.

• 2-Clerks of Course (2 shifts)=4 total
o Clerk of course hands out event card for each swimmer when there heat is called to line up for their event.

• 1-Runner (2 shifts)=2 total
o Runner will relay the event cards from timers to Computer Official.

• 1-Bull Pen (2 shifts)=2 total
o Organizes swimmers into right lanes for their event and helps get swimmers where they need to be.

• 1-Starter (1 shift)=1 total (Home Meets Only)
o Announces upcoming heats, announces when swimmers need to get to the clerk of course and starts each race.

• 2-Official [same person for all meets]=2 total
o Watches each race to determine if anyone is not doing the right stroke or illegal turns.

• 2-Concessions (1 shift)=2 total (Home Meets Only)
o Sells food, drinks and swimming equipment.

• 1-Awards/Computer Helper [same person for all]=1 total (2nd half shift only)
o Works with computer official to get a race records entered and coordinates the awards to be handed out to both teams.

Dual meets are the method of competition to prepare each swimmer to participate in RCSL Championships.  The league will sponsor a complete dual meet schedule and will post all relevant information regarding meets, standings, points, etc. before and during the season. Dual meets are usually held on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Since we are a Jewish agency, we are not allowed compete on the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown). In the event of a rainout the coaches will determine if any of the events will be made up at a later date which we will inform everyone via email. The meet schedule will be posted on the registration form.

The age groups for dual meets will be the same as for championships (8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18).  Ribbons will be awarded to the top eight finishers in each individual event and to the first place relay teams, which usually results in every swimmer winning at least one ribbon at each meet. Should any swimmer fail to win a ribbon, the team awards them “participation” ribbons for their effort. Ribbons are available throughout the practice week in each swimmer’s file folder that will be located at the outdoor pool following each dual meet.

While dual meets are scored on a team basis, our coaches measure success more by how our swimmers improve over the course of the season than by places and points in the meets. This emphasis makes every swimmer a winner. Our coaches and swimmers take these meets very seriously and everyone is urged to participate in as many of the meets as possible. If your swimmer will be unable to attend a particular meet, please notify the coaches in writing by the Monday practice preceding the meet so our entry will be correct.

The biggest meet of our season is RCSL Championship Meet held at Cecil Field Aquatics Center. This meet is one of the largest meets in the country from year to year.  It is the only meet where all 20 teams in the league come together to compete for the coveted team championship trophy.
This year’s championships will be held July 26 – 29.  The 6 & under Championships will be only on Thursday, July 26.  The rest of the age groups will compete Friday evening, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday.

The 6 & under session is set up to run in about 2½ to 3 hours on Thursday evening and for these novices to the sport of swimming, it will offer a taste of what they can expect in years to come when they compete in the older group championships. The awards for the 6 & unders include medals for the top 16 places while the awards at Championships include team trophies, medals for “A” times and “B” times and the fastest 16 “C” times. Each child will also receive a RCSL participation pin.

• No food in the indoor pool or locker rooms.
• No glass containers on either pool deck.
• No one over the age of 5 in the baby pool.
• No swimmers in the lifeguard stand.
• No using diving blocks unless supervised by a coach.
• No running in pool areas.
• No diving unless under coaches supervision.
• No pushing or horseplay.
• Please place all trash in trash receptacles and return soiled towels to designated towel bins.
• Parents must make sure that swimmers ages 9 and below are picked up promptly at the end of their swim practice. They are not allowed to free swim after practice.

We will almost always swim (practice and meets) in the rain.  However, in the event of thunderstorms and lightning, practice may be canceled or meets may be postponed or canceled. For practice or meet updates related to weather, please call the courtesy desk at 730-2100 ext. 243. Please do not drop off children under 9 years of age for practice if a threat of bad weather may force a cancellation of practice or meet. If the lifeguards close the pools due to weather, please remove all belongings from the deck and go inside the JCA until advised on a plan of action by the coaching staff.