LSC Documents and Forms updated 4/2/2010
Welcome:
The purpose of this handout is to provide new swimmers and parents with a general overview and understanding of Lebanon Community Swim Club.
LCSC is a Lebanon based competitive swimming organization committed to developing and improving competitive swimming skills. We believe that being part of a competitive swimming program can be a rewarding and life enriching experience for the swimmer as well as the parent. The sport of swimming has many benefits. Besides the obvious physical benefits, competitive swimming promotes self discipline, sportsmanship, camaraderie, and best of all, fun!
Although many swimmers join the team for varying reasons and everyone progresses and improves at different rates it is helpful to remember that not everyone becomes a world record holder but everyone can gain from their experience and participation on the team. The benefits of being a part of LCSC will stay with your child long after he’s left the pool.
Mission and Vision Statements:
“The Lebanon Community Swim Club is committed to reaching out to the Lebanon community providing affordable competitive swimming opportunities.”
“Lebanon Community Swim Club will be an inviting and active 60 plus member swim team aspiring for state, sectional and higher levels of competition known statewide and locally for achievement in the sport of swimming.”
As you can see, we are an enthusiastic and growing organization with worthy goals and expectations. However, our organization can only be a strong as the members who comprise our team, which is why we need the support and contribution from our swimmers and parents alike. Volunteerism is an important aspect to our team’s successful continuation.
Parental Volunteerism is the backbone of the club: How can you help?
The club’s constitution and bylaws require that all families volunteer throughout the year. It is expected that all families will volunteer a minimum of 15 hours during the fall/winter season and a minimum of 10 hours during the spring/summer season. The club has a variety of options to meet the volunteer expectations. Such activities include but are not limited to: helping at club hosted swim meets, helping at award banquets, and helping at car washes or other team sponsored fundraising events.
Swim Practice: What’s expected?
Every one has likely heard the old adage, “practice makes perfect?” However, for those of us in the swimming community, we know that only…”perfect” practice makes perfect. For this reason, consistent practice is the foundation for swimming success. The coaches put time and energy into creating workouts designed with your swimmer in mind! Please make every effort to have your swimmer at the pool during the designated practice times and prepared to swim. If your child will be out for several days due to illness or other reasons please contact the coach to let them know. Although our team has our own practice times, we some times must share the pool facility with other pool users which is why our swimmers need to be on their best behavior while using the locker rooms and pool. All swimmers must obey all pool rules and respect the authority of the pool staff. Please remind your swimmer that they are representing our team to the “public” and we want a good representation!
Communicating: How can you get information and share concerns?
LSC does not have an office, as such, at the pool. For that reason we work very hard to communicate with swimmers and parents as much as possible. We do, quite often, send papers and information home with the swimmers. Please make a point to ask your swimmer if they brought anything home after swim practice. Paper usually does not hold up too well after being thrown in a bag with a wet suit! The team’s main way of communicating is through our website. Information is routinely updated and revised on our website and should be checked by the parent, regularly. Although the coaches do not have “office hours” the coaches will be available on specific days, after practices. Please check with your child’s specific coach as to when they will be available. The coaches will also be willing to set up other times, as needed. The club has elected board members who are the first line of communication. The board members are more than willing to listen to concerns. The practice setting is not the best time to try to talk to a coach or to bring up concerns.
The important thing to remember is that we all want the same thing…for your child to succeed! Therefore, it is imperative that conflicts be dealt with, as soon as possible. Bad mouthing a coach/parent/swimmer in the locker room, at swim meets or out in the lobby is not a constructive way to deal with frustrations or to resolve issues.
Swim Meets: How important is competing?
LSC is a competitive swim team with the goal of developing and encouraging all swimmers to achieve their personal best in the sport. However, every one has different goals and progresses at different rates. Therefore, we do encourage all swimmers to participate as much as they can. The meets are usually fun and hold great team building opportunities! Although we do not “require” attendance at meets, we would like to see as many athletes as possible representing our team. While attending the meets, it is expected that parents of swimmers volunteer to “time” in the team’s designated lane. All teams are given a lane in which we are required to help provide timers. (Timing at swim meets is not part of the expected ten hours of volunteering.) The club, generally, has about one swim meet a month and they are almost always over a weekend. If your swimmer can not make it for the entire weekend it is very acceptable to participate on only one of the days. The meets usually last all day or most of a day so it is a good idea to bring nutritious snacks and drinks for your child as well as a blanket to rest on or to keep warm. Most meet venues do offer a concession stand as well.
The swim meets have nominal fees that are in addition to the club dues and U.S.A Swimming fee that is paid upon joining. Typically, all swim meets are signed up for and sent into the hosting team about 3-4 weeks prior to the actual day of the swim meet. Virtually all of our meet entries are done on line through our web site. If a swimmer does not have access to the internet, please speak to the coaches about signing up your swimmer. All meets fees must be paid prior to the start date of the swim meet. Please remember to make checks out to LSC.
If you are unsure what events your swimmer should swim please feel free to discuss this with the coaches. The coaches have a very good idea as to what events they should be swimming or what events they are ready to try! Please keep your meet schedule in a handy place so that you can help your swimmer in making it to as many meets as possible. There are nominal fees associated with the swim meets.
The usual fees are as follows: $ 3.00 Oregon Swimming Surcharge
$ 2.00 per individual event
$ 2.00 per relay
Generally the swimmers can only swim a maximum of 3 or 4 individual events per day along with one relay. Relays are an important part to swim meets. The coaches will place swimmers into relay teams for specific meets after all of the swimmers have signed up for each swim meet. If a swimmer signs up for a meet and then does not end up swimming at that particular swim meet they are still obligated to pay their meets fees. Hosting teams have many costs associated with putting on a big swim meet and can not refund money back to the various clubs for swimmers who do not show up and swim at meets. Therefore, it is very important to compete in the meets that you have signed up for.
Team Suits and equipment: What should they wear?
Swimmers should have a practice suit, goggles, and cap. It is also a good idea to have a back-up or spare pair of goggles and caps. These items always break or get lost at the worst possible times! All of these items as well as the team suit can be purchased from the team’s gear store. LSC has a designated team suit that is to be worn for competition, only. The team suit should last a full year, with normal wear, as long as the swimmer is not wearing their team suit to practices. The team suit is available through our suit supplier, Action Accents.
- USA Swimming, the governing body over the sport of competitive swimming as adopted a new rule of wearing only one suit while in competition at swim meets.
LSC Team Cap Policy: In an effort to strengthen our team’s identity and to build and enhance our team’s unity, all LSC swimmers, who wear swim caps, will be expected to wear a team cap in races while at swim meets representing LSC. For those who have a latex allergy; they shall wear a red silicone (non-latex) cap. The team caps are available for purchase in latex or silicone.
Practice suits should be used only for practice. Suits tend to wear out fast with daily swimming so please remember to check your child’s suits to see if they need to be replaced. What about those full-body suits, fast skins, or racing suits that I see a lot of the older kids running around in? Full-body or “racing suits” are expensive and not that practical for swimmers who are just starting out. The coaches would like to see all of the swimmers wear the official team suit at all meets and save those body suits or fast skins for state and national level competition.
What Do I Need to Take to Swim Meets?
Swim meets can be fairly long events and are held in all types of pools and facilities. Below is a list of suggested items to bring for your swimmer to have and use while at swim meets.
Suggested Gear List for Swim Meets
Blanket or Sleeping bag (to stay warm before and after races)
Lawn chairs (some swim meets do not have adequate spectator seating)
Extra dry clothes (swimmers are always wet and therefore prone to getting chilly and it is very important to keep warm and dry between races)
Extra towels
Plenty of water or sports drink (staying hydrated is key to swimming fast)
Healthy snack items (Keeping the body re-fueled is key to swimming fast)
Extra goggles or swim cap
A large duffle or sports bag to keep gear in
Sun Screen (for outdoor pools in the summer time)
What should I eat and drink while at swim meets?
Most swim meets last for several hours and most swimmers can have up to three or four individual throughout the course of a meet. Most swim meets will have a concession stand in which to buy food items. However, it is usually more economical to bring your own snack items. The general guide lines are that you want your swimmer to have complex carbohydrates andfoods that are low in fat and are easily digested. Foods that are high in protein and fats are harder to digest and are not readily available as an energy source. It is NOT a good idea to consume sodas; candy and or “energy drinks” while at a swim meet. Below is a list of suggested food/drink items to bring to a swim meet. This list is not, by any means, a complete list of recommended foods but is to be used as a guide line only.
Suggested Food/Drink For Swim Meets
Fruit
Bagels
Water or Sport Drink
Cup O’ Noodles
Yogurt
Jell-O
Peanut butter/jelly sandwiches