2007 Timber Lane Tigersharks Swim Team

2011 TIMBER LANE TIGERSHARKS SWIM TEAM

Welcome to Timber Lane Swim Team. We hope the following information will explain our activities and expectations for the 2011 season.

**Please Note: There are three forms that are attached to this packet all of which are due not later than June 1st – swim team registration form (with payment), swimmer eligibility agreement (one per family) AND your t-shirt order form.

SWIM TEAM MEMBERS:

All members in good standing of Timber Lane Swim Club, ages 4 to 18 are invited to join the swim team. (No houseguests or babysitters) Each child will be required to swim a ½ lap of the pool prior to the swim season and a full lap by time trials (6/14/11). Swimming lessons are taught by our swim team coaches during the swim team season. Lesson sign-up sheets will be posted on the bulletin board area prior to the lessons beginning. All swim team members MUST complete the attached NBSL Eligibility Agreement Form.

REGISTRATION AND FEES:

You may register your child for swim team by filling out the form at the end of this packet or the forms available on the bulletin board wall at the pool. Please submit completed form to Katie Ciecko by June 1st. (303 Weldin Road, Wilmington, DE 19803 – mail prior to first practice, only). Please include your non-refundable $35 per swimmer – including first year swimmers - (not to exceed $90 per household) registration fee with the form. This money helps pay for social activities, entry fees to championship meets as well as ribbons and trophies. (Your registration payment will include one swim cap with team logo.)

In order for your child to participate on the Tiger Shark Swim Team, you, as a parent, must volunteer. It will be required that all swimmers have representation through parent volunteer hours. Swimmers that do not have such representation will not be able to be members of the team. Please

understand that summer swim meets CANNOT happen without several, if not all, parents! Please see below for a list of specific areas for which you can volunteer your time. Volunteer sign-ups will occur at the Pot Luck Dinner/ Parent Meeting. Please feel free to email Katie Ciecko () with questions or concerns regarding parent volunteering. Thanks!

COACHES:
We would like to send a big welcome to Timber Lane’s new head-coach, Erin Hammond. Erin graduated from the Tiger Shark Swim Team last season and is excited to lead us into another exhilarating swim season. Alex Weiler will return for his forth year as co-coach. We would like to congratulate Alex on his new position as pool manager and are eager to have his assistance with our swim team once again this year. A warm welcome is also sent to Paige Bennett as she joins our team this season not only as a swimmer, but as our

6 & Under coach. Erin, Alex and Paige are busy planning a successful season for all of our Tiger Shark swimmers!

PRACTICES:

Please attend as many practices as possible. This is a great way not only to improve your skills, but to make new friends. Some of our social activities will take place after practice. Practice will occur during rainy weather; however, never during a storm with thunder or lightening. If weather is questionable, please call the pool to speak to a coach.

After school practices are May 31st – June 10th (weather permitting)

4-5pm Ages 11 and Over

5-6pm Ages 10 and Under

Morning Practices begin on Monday, June 13th

8:30-9:30 Ages 13 and Over

9:30-10:30 Ages 9 thru 12

10:30-11:30 Ages 8 and Under

Monday evening practice times will be available beginning Monday, June 13th for those swimmers that cannot routinely attend morning practice due to camps or daycare.

*This schedule is subject to change.

SWIM MEETS:

· Timber Lane Swim Team participates in the North Brandywine Swim League (NBSL). Our NBSL representatives are Laura Hammond, Shari Bennett and Mary Manley. An NBSL representative will be present at each of our swim meets.

· Swim Meets begin promptly at 6:00 pm. Swimmers should arrive at the pool by 5:00 pm.

· If your child is not able to swim in a meet, it is important that you notify the coach as soon as possible. Check the bulletin board area for “unable to attend” meet sheets.

· According to NBSL rules, children may swim in two individual events and two relays. Please be mindful that our team policy states that Coaches determine placement in events. At no time should a parent offer input or advise as to what an individual swimmer should swim during a meet. It is the responsibility of the coaches to keep the team’s best interest in mind.

· Age groups are divided according to the child’s age as of June 1st. Groupings are as follows: 6&under, 8&under, 10&under, 12&under 14&under, and 18&under. Ages 11 and over swim at least 2 laps and ages 10 and under swim 1 lap in meet events.

· Volunteers are needed to be timers, scorers, ribbon writers, announcers, starters, runners, place judges, stroke and turn judges, gatherers for each age group and snack bar helpers. Without volunteers, we are unable to run a meet. Check the bulletin board for sign up sheets as well as a master list available at the Pot Luck Dinner.

· Parents are responsible for their own children at swim meets. Gatherers are there to line up children in the correct lane. They are not to baby-sit or find children who have strayed. If your child cannot be located by the gatherer, there is a chance that your child could miss his/her event.

· During HOME MEETS – please DO NOT park in the Timber Lane Swim Club parking lot. Timber Lane swimmer’s families are asked to park on the street and leave the parking lot available for our visiting team. The neighborhood requests that we park on one side of the street (TL pool side.)

BUDDIES: **New Information** Each swim team member will be assigned a “buddy” by the coach. Please understand that the coaches put a lot of thought and effort into choosing appropriate buddies for each swimmer. It is asked that parents do not make specific requests regarding a particular buddy. The purpose of our buddy system is to build team unity, encourage children to engage with peers that they may not have otherwise and encourage all of our swimmers to cheer for each of our talented swimmers as we build team spirit. Your child will meet his/her buddy at our Team Pot Luck Dinner / Parent Meeting. Younger children will be assigned an older buddy and vise versa. It is expected that each child will make a poster for their buddy to be exchanged prior to the start of each swim meet, including Prelims and Championships. Posters should be decorated with encouraging words such as “swim fast”, “you can do it”, etc. Posters need only be a ½ piece of a full poster board. New this year: Candy and other treats or trinkets are not to be taped onto the poster. We will focus on encouraging words and not additional items. The posters will be hung along the fence line to show team spirit and can be removed at the end of the meet to be taken home as a keepsake.

SWIM TEAM LUNCHES:

Swim Team Lunches happen on the day of each of our meets. Hot Dogs or Pizza are provided for $2 per person. A sign up sheet will be posted prior to each lunch – PLEASE SIGN UP FOR THE LUNCHES! It is difficult to order the proper amount of food without knowing how many children and parents are attending the lunches. It is asked that each family provide either a bag of chips, pretzels, crackers, a bag of cookies or fruit to share. It is asked that each swimmer and family member attending the lunch provide their own drinks.

Sandi Kovach will be our Team Lunch Coordinator this season. She is developing a lunch schedule where each age-group will be assigned a meet to provide/coordinate a team lunch for. Look for information regarding this schedule to be posted on the swim team information wall at the pool. Lunches can only be provided for the swimmers with parent volunteers – please consider helping.

CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Every child is eligible to swim in either Preliminary or the Championship meets. The Prelims are meets for swimmers whose times do not exceed the pre-determined level. The swimmers will have one more chance to meet the qualifying time. If the swimmer successfully makes the qualifying time they will be invited to Championships. All 6&U swimmers will swim at Prelims unless they have an 8&U qualifying time for Championships. Swimmers who have times that meet the requirements are automatically entered into the Championship meet. Championship qualifying times can be found on the NBSL website.

SNACK BAR:

During the home swim meets the team provides a snack bar to raise money to help fund all of our activities. It is important for each family to donate items (baked goods, fruit, veggies, soda, water, etc.) for the snack bar for each home meet. A sign up sheet will be posted and it is expected that each family will provide items for the snack bar. Volunteers are also needed to work in the snack bar during the meet.

Tracey Goorland and Julie Christman have volunteered to be the new snack bar chairs; however, they are in need of having parents that are willing to assist. Please consider doing so; the snack bar is the biggest fundraiser that we have and both the swim team and the pool need it to run as well as it has in the past. If you are interested in assisting with organizing the snack bar, please see Tracey or Julie.

COMMUNICATION:

The success of any team is good communication. If you have any questions for the coaches, please wait until after practice to address them. We do not want to take their attention away from the kids on the team. If you have a question, concern or comment that can be addressed by the swim team representative, please see Katie Ciecko.

TEAM SUITS:

We will be ordering our team suits from The Swim Shop in Fairfax Shopping Center. Our suits will continue to be navy blue with our team logo. Due to the convenient location of The Swim Shop, there will NOT be a suit fitting held at our pool. Each swimmer is responsible for going to the store and purchasing a Timber Lane swim team suit prior to the first swim meet of the season.

TEAM APPAREL

Timber Lane Tiger Shark apparel will be ordered early this year! We are pleased to announce that this year Timber Lane Swim Team is pairing up with the B+ Foundation. Our team t-shirts will have the B+ logo printed on them and $1 from each shirt purchased by our team will be donated to the B+ foundation. We are hopeful that all swimmers and their families will remember to B+ during this adventurous swim season! All forms and payments are due no later than June 1st! Please see the attached order form to be submitted to Shari Bennett.

SWIM TEAM PICTURES:

Swim Team pictures will be taken prior to our second home meet on July 7th. The photographer will have payment envelopes for the coaches to distribute. Please DO NOT hand picture money over to a coach, but instead, complete your order form/envelope, enclose the payment and turn it directly over to the photographer. **The photographer will not take personal checks. Team Photos can be purchased with cash only.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

· We will start our season off with a Swim Team Pot Luck Dinner for the entire family on Thursday, June 9th at 5PM. Look for a sign up sheet prior to the event! This is a great way to meet the coaches, see old friends and make new ones as well as receive important information about the upcoming season AND sign up to volunteer during the meets.

· During the season, we will have an ice cream party after each home meet.

· Our team will once again participate in the B+ 5K run/walk on Thursday, June 16th. Please look for information regarding this event on the team bulletin board. Questions? See Tracey Goorland

· We will have Saturday Swim Team “Practice and Pancakes” (weather permitting) on June 25th beginning at 8:00AM

· On Tuesday, July 19th we will have our Tye Dye Bagel Breakfast…details will be posted. (Each swimmer must provide his/her own white t-shirt to be dyed.) Volunteers will be needed.

· We will close the season with an End-of-Season celebration dinner on Sunday, July 24th in which the entire family is invited.

PD ____ Check Number ____

REGISTRATION FORM ($35.00 FEE PER SWIMMER)* (Includes swim team cap fee.)

Parent’s Name(s) ______

Address______

Phone Number (H) ______(C) ______(W) ______

E-Mail(s) ______

Swimmer ______D.O.B. ______Age as of June 1st _____ Age Group ______M or F

*Payments are non-refundable Registration Form and Payment are DUE by June 1st!

*Not to exceed $90 per family

*Please make checks out to Timber Lane

Is there any additional information that you feel would be necessary for the coaches to know about your child(ren)?

______

***Please check the area(s) for which you are willing to volunteer. Please note that registration forms will not be processed without doing so. Note: Selecting a position below is not a guarantee – official volunteer list will be posted the Friday following the Pot Luck.

_____ Snack Bar _____ Team Lunches _____ PA System

_____ Meet Referee _____ Runner _____ Post Meet Clean Up Team

_____ Starter _____ Announcer _____ Post Meet Ice Cream

_____ Stroke and Turn _____ Scorer _____ Other: ______

_____ Place Judge _____ Ribbon Writer

_____ Head Timer _____ Timer

*Please note: three forms must be submitted by June 1st - registration, apparel & eligibility