The Shelton Monroe Swim Team

HANDBOOK

Table of Contents

Welcome to the Shelton Monroe Swim Team!...... 3

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team Mission Statement………………………………..3

Board of Directors………………………………………………………………………...4

Coaching Staff4

Parents….Your Athletes Need You4

Problems with the Coach5

Communication6

Team Requirements7

Parent Requirements7

Timing Assignment Policy8

Rapids Teams9

Practice Policies13

Philosophy of Competition13

Swim Meets/Competition – Everything You Need to Know13

Pool Rules17

Swimmer’s Code of Conduct17

Discipline Policy18

Job Assignments/Descriptions 18

Board of Director Positions (volunteer positions)18

Meet-Related Activities/Jobs (volunteer and assigned)19

Team-Related Activities/Jobs (volunteer)19

Explanation of Fees20

Fundraising20

Rapids Club20

Glossary of Swimming Terms22

Welcome to the Shelton Monroe Swim Team!

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team was established in 2005 by combining the swimmers from the Shelton Seals Swim Team and the Monroe Gators Swim Team. The Shelton Monroe Swim Team is a widely respected team for swimmers of all ages and ability levels. We offer programs for swimmers who have just learned to swim through college age.

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team offers swimmers the opportunity to develop personal potential through swimming. We have a phenomenal coaching staff and a superior parents’ organization.

We encourage you to take a few moments to review this handbook. It contains a great deal of information regarding swimming in general, the coaching staff, forms of communication, team and parent requirements, policies, rules and fundraising activities.

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team Mission Statement

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team's mission is to be a competitive swim program in the community providing lifetime skills to its members including physical, intellectual and emotional development. Through swimming, members learn the values of sportsmanship and teamwork.

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team's goal is to develop character, skills, and the desire necessary to achieve each individual's potential.

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team's philosophy of motivation and determination prepares swimmers to face challenges in life and teaches strength of character.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is a group of volunteer parents that are committed to providing a swim program in the community for youth swimmers. If you would like to contribute in any way please feel free to contact any of the Board members. A list of current Board of Directors as well as contact information can be obtained from the Team website ( on Boards and Committees). We hold monthly Board Meetings at the Shelton Community Center. If you have a specific comment or concern that you would like addressed, please contact the Team Presidentand he/she will bring your comments/concern to the Board of Directors at the next Board Meeting.

Coaching Staff

Nothing has a greater influence on the quality of children’s sports than the excellence of the coach. Certified coaches in USA swimming programs possess training and experience in the physiology and psychology of adolescent development. Our coaching staff provides the assurances that the time your children spend in swimming will be quality time.

The coaches’ job is to supervise the entire competitive swim program. The Rapids coaching staff is dedicated to providing a program for youngsters that will enable them to develop the highest level of competitive excellence possible for every swimmer. Therefore, the coaches must be in total control in matters affecting training and competition.

  1. The coaches are responsible for placing youngsters in practice groups. This is based on the age and ability level of each individual. When it is in the best interest of a swimmer, he/she will be placed in a more challenging training group by the coach.
  2. Sole responsibility for stroke instruction and the training regimen rests with the Rapids professionally trained coaching staff. Each group’s practices are based on sound scientific principles and are geared to the specific goals of that group.
  3. The coaching staff makes the final decision concerning which meets the Rapids will attend. The coaching staff also makes the final decision concerning which events a swimmer is entered into.
  4. At meets, the coaching staff will conduct and supervise warm-up procedures for the team. After each race, the coaches will offer constructive feedback regarding a swimmers performance. It is the parent’s job to offer love and understanding regardless of their youngster’s performance.
  5. The building of a relay team is the sole responsibility of the coaching staff. See relay policy.

To see our current roster of coaches please refer to the website.

PARENTS…..YOUR ATHLETE NEEDS YOU!

To have a successful program there must be understanding and cooperation among parents, swimmers, and coaches. The progress your child makes depends to a great extent on this triangular relationship. It is with this in mind that we ask you to consider this section as you join the SMST Rapids and re-acquaint yourself with this section if you are a returning parent.

You have done a great deal to raise your child. You create the environment in which they are growing up. Your child is a product of your values, the structure you have provided, and the model you have been. Human nature, however, is such that a parent losses some of his/her ability to remain detached and objective in matters concerning his/hers children’s activities. The following guidelines will help you keep your child’s development in the proper perspective and help your child reach his/her full potential as an athlete.

The coach is the coach:We want you swimmer to relate to his or her coach as soon as possible concerning swimming matters. This relationship between coach and swimmer produces best results. When parents interfere with opinions as to how the swimmer should swim or train, it causes considerable, and often time insurmountable, confusion as to whom the swimmer should listen to. If you have a problem, concern, or complaint, please contact the coach.

Best kind of parent:The coach’s job is to motivate and constructively criticize the swimmers performance. It is the parent’s job to supply the love, recognition, and encouragement necessary to make the child work harder in practice, which in turn gives him/her confidence to perform well in competition.

Ten and Under:Ten and unders are the most inconsistent swimmers and this can be frustrating for parents, coaches, and the swimmer alike! Parents and coaches must be patient and permit these youngsters to learn to love the sport.

Not every time:Even the very best swimmer will have meets where they do not do their best times. These “plateaus” are a normal part of swimming. Over the course of a season times should improve. Please be supportive of these “poor” meets. The older swimmers may have only two or three meets a year for which they will be rested and tapered for optimal performance results.

PROBLEMS WITH THE COACH?

One of the traditional swim team communication gaps is that some parents seem to feel more comfortable in discussing their disagreements over coaching philosophy with other parents rather than taking them directly to the coach. Not only is the problem never resolved that way, but also in fact this approach often results in new problems being created. Listed below are some guidelines for a parent raising some difficult issues with a coach:

  1. Try to keep foremost in your mind that you and the coach have the best interests of your child at heart. If you trust that the coach’s goals match yours, even though his/her approach may be different, you are more likely to enjoy good rapport and a constructive dialogue.
  2. Keep in mind that the coach must balance your perspective of what is best for your child with the needs of the team or a training group that can range in size from 20-200 members. On occasion, an individual child’s interest may need to be subordinate to the interests of a group, but in the long run the benefits of membership in the group compensate for occasional short-term inconvenience.
  3. If another parent uses you as a sounding board for complaints about the coach’s performance or policies, listen empathetically, but encourage the other parent to speak directly to the coach. He/she is the only one who can resolve the problem.

Communication

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team is a large team with multiple coaches, various age levels, staggered practice times,two pools and swim meets with multiple sessions. On a regular basis, the Team communicates with the swimmers as follows:

Email: Our primary method of communicating with swimmers is via email. At swimmer Registration, families were provided an email address where notices can be sent electronically. Emails will be limited to notification of Team events including practice changes and cancellations as well as job assignments for swim meets. It is important to inform us of any changes to your email address so that you can receive email from the Team without interruption. Please check your e-mail daily!

File Folders: Each family is assigned a file folder in the team mailbox at both the Shelton and Masuk High School pools. Handouts and various communications will be put in these folders. It is important to check your folder frequently.

Team Website: The Team website is located at . Team information is posted under the following sections on the Team website. This website is updated on an ongoing basis. Please check for updates regularly.

  • SMST News: Notices are posted in this section. Check this section of the website daily.
  • Events: A list of USA Meets and other meets both local and national that our team will be attending, Meet announcements, Team entries, Meet results, directions and a list of timing assignments are posted here.
  • Team Information: Information such as practice groups, practice schedules, team handbook, group descriptions, swimmers development, team requirements and team skills.
  • Calendar: What is upcoming and/or changes to the normal schedule.
  • Directions: Directions to pools where meets are held are posted here.
  • Team Records: Team records are posted here
  • Rapids in college: We have an extensive list of swimmers who have gone on to participate in college. Also information for those swimmers looking to swim in college.
  • Articles: Informative article ALL parents should read.
  • Other Information: Look here if you can’t find it elsewhere.
  • Links: Helpful, useful and interesting swimming related links.
  • Coaches: A list of Team coaches and their background is posted here.
  • Registration: The tab used for registration in the fall and in the spring.
  • Boards and Committees: A list of the Team’s Board of Directors, contact and committee information is posted on the coaches’ page under the coaches’ information.

Shelton Community Center Hotline: In the event of bad weather (lightning, winter storms, etc.)you may call the Community Center hotline at 203-331-4120 to see if the Shelton pool is open. Generally if the pool is open, we will hold practice (or a Swim Meet, if that is the case). The pool is closed ½ hour following any lightning or thunder. Do not drop swimmers off for practice without checking to make sure that practice is “on.”

Monroe Parks and Recreation Hotline: In the event of bad weather (lightning, winter storms, etc.) you may call the Monroe Parks and Recreation Hotline at 203-339-6106 to see if the Masuk pool is open. Generally if the pool is open, we will hold practice (or a Swim Meet if that is the case). The pool is closed ½ hour following any lightning or thunder. Do not drop swimmers off for practice without checking to make sure that practice is “on.”

Team Requirements

The Rapids are a Speedo sponsored team. This means that all our apparel has the Speedo logo on it and the majority of our equipment will be Speedo.

Team suit– Practice suits are required to be worn at all practices. A team racing suit is required at all Meets. Swimmers have the option of purchasing a Solid blackAquablade with the team logo or the traditional team suit. It is a good idea to purchase several practice suits for the season. Team suit orders are taken at the beginning of the Fall/Winter season.

Championship Suits:Championship suits are not required, although the coach may encourage older swimmers to wear championship suits at higher level meets.Championship suitsmaynotbe worn at meets unless specified by the coachas a focus meet or championship meet.If a child chooses to wear a championship suit for focus meets, we recommend Aquablade for 12/U. 13/O may select a technical suit of their choice as long as it complies with FINA regulations.

Team cap – Caps are required to be worn at both practice and Meets for all swimmers with long hair. Team caps are required at Meets. Caps are optional for swimmers with very short hair. Team caps are available in both latex and silicone styles. Orders are taken at the beginning of the Fall/Winter season.

Team Warm Up Jacket – A Speedo warm up jacket is required for Junior, Senior and National swimmers to be worn at Meets. The jacket is an optional purchase for Sophomore, Freshman and Developmental swimmers. Team Warm up Jacket orders are taken at the beginning of the Fall/Winter season.

Goggles– Goggles are required for practice and Meets. Goggles can be purchased at Olympia Sports, Blanchettes Sporting Goods, Dicks Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, Metro Swim Shop, and at USA Swim Meets.

Swim fins – Swim fins are required for Developmental, Freshmen, Sophomore and Junior practice groups. They may be purchased at the Metro Swim Shop in Westport where you may have the swimmer’s foot fitted for the correct size fins. You may also purchase them at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority. Fins may also be offered for sale on the bulletin board by swimmers who have outgrown them. Please put your swimmers name on with permanent marker, a lot of fins do look alike.

Parent Requirements

The Shelton Monroe Swim Team is dependent upon parental support. A well-run Swim Meet requires 30-40 parents to officiate, time, score, ribbon write, assist in parking and run concessions. Throughout the year, parents will be assigned jobs for Intersquad, Dual and USA Meets on a rotating basis. These assignments are not optional. You will be notified via email of your job assignment prior to a Meet. If you are unable to fulfill your assignment, you are required to find a replacement. If we do not fulfill our Team assignments at a Meet, our Team will be fined. We appreciate your cooperation. See also, Timing Assignment Policy.

  • Parents are responsible for their swimmers before and after practice. Parents should walk their swimmer into the building and be sure the swimmer arrives on the pool deck before the parent leaves the building. For the safety of your swimmer, parents should arrive to pick up their swimmer before the end of practice. Coaches are not responsible for swimmers before or after practice.
  • Parents should check your mailbox folder and e-mail frequently.
  • Please make the commitment to get your child to practice on time.
  • It is vital that the swimmers arrive to meets on time for warm-up. At meets, coaches are required to notify Meet officials of scratches 45minutes prior to start of a Meet.
  • If you need to communicate with your swimmer’s coach, you can email them, call them on the telephone or speak to them before or after practice. Please do not approach the coaches during practice or at Meets.

TimingAssignment Policy

As a parent of a child participating in Intersquad, Dual or USA Meets, you are required to provide assistance to the Team. As described above in the Parent Requirements section, throughout the year you will be assigned certain tasks on a rotating basis along with parents of swimmers who also participate in Meets. Families with an active USA Official are exempt from timing assignments. (Officials are required to spend an entire Meet on the pool deck. When our Team provides officials at a Meet the host team will usually reduce the number of timers we must provide). Our parent coaches are also exempt from timing assignments.

When our Team is entered into a Meet, the Team hosting the Meet will notify us of the number of timers we are required to provide. The number of timers that teams are assigned is based on the number of swimmers from each team in each session. The Rapids USA Timing Chairperson will assign families to time based upon the swimmers entered into a meet. Usually, three pairs of timers are assigned per session. For a USA Meet, each timing assignment is shared by two timers who each time ½ of the session because USA Meets tend to run 3 to 4 hours. For Dual Meets, we generally assign 1 person to fulfill each timing assignment because these meets are shorter. Sometimes, a family will be assigned to time, but don’t end up timing because they are not needed. A family will only receive credit for timing if they actually timed.