Welcome
Swimmers and Parents:
The Fontana Aquatics Club (FAC) Board of Directors would like to welcome both new and returning swimmers and parents to the team. This handbook is designed to assist you in helping your child succeed in swimming. Remember, not every swimmer becomes an Olympian, or a world record holder, but everyone gains success from his or her own swimming experience.
Swimming is recognized as the number one recreational participation sport in the country today for children and adults. For those interested in a competitive swim program, FAC offers a year ‘round age group program designed for swimmers ages 5-18. Swimmers are placed in workout groups based on their ability. We hope you will find our competitive swim program to be not only challenging, but rewarding and educational as well. Your child's experience in swimming has much to do with your positive support.
The coaches and board of directors are here to help our children develop their swimming strengths and abilities to do the best they can at all times. The Executive Board of Directors & coaches are all registered with USA Swimming. The entire board and coaching staff have passed USA Swimming background checks and Live Scan with the Fontana Police Department. The coaches are CPR & first aid certified along with, the Platinum and Gold group coaches being ASCA certified. The Executive Board of Directors consists of volunteer parents elected at the annual year-end banquet.
Parent involvement is a REQUIREMENT for our club to be successful. Please visit our website frequently. The website is www.fontanaaquatics.org. The website contains information that may be missed at parent meetings or in this handbook, such as upcoming events, deadline dates, meet information, maps, practice info (cancellations, extreme weather), etc. Please ask questions of your coaches, board members, officials, and other team parents; we all have the same goal: To provide your child with the best possible swimming experience.
Thank You,
The FAC Board of Directors and Coaches
Mission of the Fontana Aquatics Club:
To empower youth to reach their athletic & life goals through competitive swimming, building a sense of community, integrity & team commitment.
Vision Statement:
To strive to be the premier swimming club in the Inland Empire. We recruit the best coaching staff available to guide our youth in practicing the principles of stroke refinement, endurance, nutrition, fitness, and sportsmanship. We have parent volunteers that have the best interests of our swimmer’s goals & character always in mind. We want to instill in every member a sense of belonging through our commitment to team-work, celebration of individual accomplishments, community involvement, team-building social activities and embracing diversity across all lines.
Index
Communication………………………………...... 4
Board & Coaches………………………………...... ……5
Parent Expectations………………………………...... 6
Participation & Service Hours………………………...... 7-9
Team Rules………………………………...... …... 10
Grounds for Expulsion………………………………...... 11
Swim Meets……………………………...... 12
Meet Entry Process………………………………...... 13
Suggestions for Meets………………………………...... 14
Fundraising………………………………...... 15
Fees & Dues………………………………...... 16-18
Leave of Absence………………………………...... 19-20
Acceptance & Consent forms……………………...……….21
Communication
Team communication is essential. Our website www.fontanaaquatics.org is a vital tool to stay connected and informed. Please check the website daily. The website has the most up to date practice schedule, meet information, team event information, swimmers times, and so much more. In order to receive information, it is very important that your contact information (phone and email) is current. If you do not have internet access, please inform a board member immediately as the website will be our PRIMARY SOURCE of communication.
Mailboxes: Most written communications, such as receipts, meet information sheets, billing info, and other notices will be put in a file folder with your family name on it. It is the swimmer's responsibility to check their mailbox daily or at least weekly.
Coaches: If you need to speak to your coach about a coaching issue, please approach them before or after practice only. Please do not interrupt coaches during practice. If you would like to speak about other issues that do not pertain to coaching, please see a board member.
Parent Meetings: Parent meetings are typically conducted once a month on the first Thursday of each month. These meetings are very important for communication. If you are unable to attend a parent meeting, you can visit our website and click on “Parent Meetings” to view past or current parent meeting agendas.
Board Members: Board members will available on deck and can be contacted at any time by email, phone or text regarding any questions or concerns.
Parent Mentors: Parents designated as mentors will be at all short course meets & will be wearing a badge to identify them0.
selves.
2015-2016
FAC Board of Directors
President Loreen Rosalez
(909) 743-1392
Vice President Rachael Saline
(909) 702-9495
Secretary Bertha Aguirre
(909) 233-9847
Treasurer Britny Mustaller
(951) 640-4013
Fundraiser/Sponsorship Director Reina Nunez
(909) 640-6452
Meet Director/Webmaster Tracy Garcia
(909) 559-7744
Apparel/Equipment Officer Maria Zuniga
(909) 589-4365
Coaches
Platinum Scott Dillon
(909) 561-3095
Gold Katherine Holian
(909) 803-4387
Silver Matthew Chong
(714) 402-3588
Copper/Bronze Jamie Glover
(951) 640-3712
Expectations of FAC Parents
Have swimmers to practices, meets, and functions ON TIME. If time permits, allow them to stay until the end of the meet to cheer on their teammates or to socialize with others on the team. Many rewarding friendships are formed from being on a swim team.
Please wait until AFTER practice to discuss issues and/or concerns with the coaches. If you should have a concern and/or issue which requires more time due to the confidentiality/sensitivity of the concern/issue, a board member can assist you with an appointment or a time for you to speak with a coach, should the need arise. Remember, coaches are specifically there to coach your kids swimming. All other concerns should be handled with a board member.
Expect to spend at least ½ hour-1 hour (or more should the need arise) timing at every swim meet in which your swimmer participates. Parents are also required to work several hours each day of an FAC hosted event. Your participation is essential to cover all required positions in order for the swim meet to run smoothly. There will be a Timing Coordinator at each meet with the timing assignment sheet. It is the PARENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to find that representative and check in for their timing assignment.
Please supervise your children (swimmers and siblings) when they are “off deck” at swim meets and practices. It is the parent’s responsibility to make sure their children are dropped off and picked up ON TIME, and to make sure children do not wander out of or around the pool area unsupervised. The lobby of the Aquatic Center is a safe place for your child to wait; however, noise levels need to be kept to a minimum in order for the City to effectively conduct business. NEVER drop your swimmer(s) off at a meet by themselves.
Please check your email frequently and our website for updates and news. Please attend as many parent meetings as you can. These meetings are only once a month (first Thursday of the month, unless noted otherwise) and contain much information. Meetings are conducted during practice time so that if you bring your child to practice, you should be able to attend. Please check your mailboxes frequently as well.
Participation & Service Hours
The community service obligation for the 2015-16 season is 3 hours per swimmer.
ON DECK REQUIRED PARTICIPATION
MEET TIMING RESPONSIBILITY:
Swim meet participation is required and not optional. You are joining a competitive swim team that competes in swim meets all year ‘round and your involvement is vital to the success of the team. All swimmers are encouraged to attend at least one (1) USA swim meet per month.
*If you sign up your swimmer for a competition meet, you are required to sign up for a timing position as well (30 min.-1 hr.) until all positions are filled, without exception.
*If you do not sign up for a timing position, your swimmer WILL NOT be able to participate in the meet, &/or you may be charged a $25 fee.
*However, if all of our team required timing positions have been filled by our members, your swimmer will be able to participate in the meet, but you will be required to sign up for a timing position(s) the next meet your swimmer is entered in.
*Also, to encourage team unity, when you sign up for a timing position, please sign up during the time at which your child is estimated to swim. For example: don’t sign up for an “am session” timing position if your swimmer is only swimming in the “pm session” (unless you want to stay and time for both sessions).
*At all swim meets it is the parent's responsibility to check in with the Timing Coordinator at the beginning of each session to sign-in on the job sign-up sheet. Timing slots signed up for online reflect approximate start and stop time but may need to be adjusted based on the meet admins actual timeline after the start of the meet.
*A session is defined by a set of swim events. There is usually one session on Friday night (if it is a three day meet) & there are usually 2 sessions each on Saturday & Sunday. In general these shifts are approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour long.As a team, if we do not fill our assigned timing seats at meets, we are fined bySCS (Southern CA Swimming)and it could effect our involvement in future meets.
· For those families who have older swimmers that may drive themselves to meets, your family is still responsible for helping with away timing sessions. It is your responsibility to fulfill your timing obligation either by your swimmer timing or by making arrangements with another family.
· Parents of swimmers in the long distance events (400IM, 400/500 free, 800/1000 free, 1500/1650 free) are responsible for timingandlap counting those events.
· Parents of swimmers who participate in Prelim/Finals meets. If your child makes it back to finals, you are expected to help time.
· At Senior meets or Championship meets where a limited number of swimmers are attending, additional or longer timing sessions may be required.
*If you are sick, have an injury or have any other reason that prevents you from attending on the day of the swim meet, it is the PARENT'S RESPONSIBILITY to notify your coach and a board member.
*Refusal to time or not showing up for any pre-scheduled job sign-up service/timing position will result in a fine of $25/hour.
HOME MEET REQUIRED RESPONSIBILITY:
FACHosted Meets:
FAC typically hosts 1 meet a year.Each home meet is 1-3 days, depending on the type of meet it is. A job sign-up email is sent out 3 to 4 days prior to each meet and alljob descriptions for working at our home meets are posted on the website under events. Home meet “required participation” jobs include: snack bar help, as well as the positions required to operate the meet (i.e. set up, meet admin, timers, runners, check-in, announcer, set-up, break down, tear down, etc.) Each day of a meet, from set-up to tear-down, is typically a 15-17 hour day (5am-7pm).
Food items and donations, such as raffle baskets, are needed for FAC hosted meets. Notices are sent out via email prior to FAC hosted meets asking for donations.
Because our team needs everyone’s participation:
*We will require that all families work no less than 5 hours per day of the meet (whether your swimmer is swimming or not).
*At all swim meets it is the parent's responsibility to check in with the Timing/Job Coordinator at the beginning of each session to sign-in on the job sign-up sheet. Timing slots signed up for online reflect approximate start and stop time but may need to be adjusted based on the meet admins actual timeline after the start of the meet.
*If you are sick, have an injury or have any other reason that prevents you from attending on the day of the swim meet, it is the PARENT'S RESPONSIBILITY to notify your coach and a board member.
*Refusal to time or not showing up for any pre-scheduled job sign-up service/timing position will result in a fine of $25/hour.
OFF-DECK REQUIRED PARTICIPATION
Parent participation is vital to the operation of the team. This is a parent run organization and without parental involvement, our team cannot function. To ensure successful team fundraisers, team socials, clinics, parades, community service events, etc., our team must require your participation:
*If you sign up your swimmer for a fundraising event, community service event, team social, clinic, parade, etc., which requires parent participation, for example: SWIM-A-THON, you must also sign-up to help in the event.
*However, if all of the required parent-participation positions have been filled, you will be expected to sign up for the next off-deck event.
For the current year, 3 hours of community service will be required of each parent.
Not showing up for any pre-scheduled required parent-participation position will result in a fine of $25/hour.
Team Rules
1. Swimmers must show respect for the coaches and their team-mates at all times. Good sportsmanship is to be practiced at all times.
2. Parents/Guardians & spectators must remain off the north side and of the pool deck during practice. Also, for safety reasons, no parents are allowed along any edge of the pool. Coaches & lifeguards are the only persons allowed in the pool, along the edge of the pool, or on the north side of the pool/deck during practice. There is no sitting, waiting, or socializing behind the coach.
3. During practices & at all swim meets, girls must wear a “tightly-fitted” one-piece swimsuit; boys must wear jammers or speedo-type briefs. No rash guards, swim trunks, t-shirts, street clothes, or wetsuits may be worn. Team suits are for competition and pictures only and should not be worn for daily practice.
4. During swim meets, ALL swimmers must wear a team cap. If a swimmer’s hair is below the jaw line, a swim cap must be worn at practice as well. Goggles are strongly encouraged for practices & meets.