VALLEY SWIM ASSOCIATION 2016 LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP MEET
Dougherty Valley High School 10550 Albion Rd, San Ramon 94582
VALLEY SWIM ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MESSAGE
Welcome to the 2016 Valley Swim Association (VSA) League Championship Meet. The league serves over 2,000 swimmers, most swimming at the League Championship Meet competing in 82 events over two days. The two-day meet format is designed to create a competitive, fun, and spirited atmosphere for the swimmers, while enhancing the experience for parents who have work assignments spread out over two days. It also allows all swimmers to swim in three individual events plus relays.
The VSA board serves as the governing body for the Valley Swim Association. As such, the board convenes meetings throughout the year to address issues involving league rules, swimmer eligibility, dual meet scheduling, logistics and format, and related budgeting issues. However, the most important and most time consuming aspect of the board’s duties is to plan and put on the League Championship Meet. This job alone requires countless hours of time by each board member who must coordinate their respective part of the meet. Please take a moment to thank the VSA board members below for their contribution this year to make all the league meets, and particularly the League Championship Meet, a success.
TEAM VSA CONTACT MEET JOB
Blackhawk Leslie Sprague S&T / Starters / Timers
Crow Canyon Mike Biondi Hospitality, Vendors
Danville Deanne Poitras Programs
Del Amigo Jeff King Clerk of the Course
Diablo Tom McCloskey Computers
Round Hill Jeff Miller Facilities
San Ramon Alex Kaplenko Awards
Sycamore Shonda Layous Meet Director / Announcers
Each Valley Swim Association team owes its own success to the contributions of many more parents, who serve on team boards and volunteer in day-to-day and meet activities, as well as energetic capable and conscientious coaches. Thank you to all parents and coaches for making this season and the League Championship Meet a success.
MEET LETTER CONTENTS
· Meet Schedule
· Meet Format
· Designated Team Areas
· Pool Rules
· Swimmer Code of Conduct
· Parking
· Warm-up Times and Lane Assignments
· Timer Lane Assignments
· Clerk of the Course
· Swimmer Check-In Procedures
· Scoring and Awards
· List of Food & Non-Food Vendors
MEET SCHEDULE
The VSA League Championship Meet will be held at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon on Saturday and Sunday, July 30-31, 2016, starting at 8:30 am on Saturday and 9:00 am on Sunday.
The meet will have a Trials / Finals format for all individual events except for IM which will be a timed final. The top 20 swimmers in each event will qualify for consolation finals (#11-20) and finals (#1-10).
Trials events will have dual courses running on opposite sides of the pool.
· 6 & under girls and boys, 7/8 girls and boys, and 9/10 boys will swim on the football field side of the pool both days.
· 9/10 girls, 11/12 girls and boys, 13/14 girls and boys and 15/18 girls and boys will swim on the parking lot side of the pool both days.
· Any changes to this schedule or side of the pool for swimmers will be announced after entries are received.
Finals events will run on a single course on the parking lot side of the pool.
Order of events is as follows:
Saturday Sunday
7:15 am Warm-ups 7:45 am Warm-ups
8:15 am National Anthem 8:45 am National Anthem
8:30 am First Races Begin 9:00 am First Races Begin
Schedule of Events Schedule of Events
Individual Medley (Timed Final) Backstroke
Freestyle Butterfly
Breaststroke Free Relay (Timed Final)
Medley Relay (Timed Final)
Finals Finals
Parent Relays - Mens & Womens (100 yards)
Coaches Relay (200 yards)
Awards Ceremony
MEET FORMAT
· VSA swimmers may swim three individual events including IM’s.
· Teams can enter A, B, C, and D medley and free relays in each event. No additional relays will be accepted.
· Flyover starts will be used on all races (except backstroke).
· For trials events, the Clerk of the Course will be run for check in and lane placement for all swimmers 8 years and younger. 9/10's and up will check in at the Clerk of the Lane.
· For finals events, all age groups will check-in to the Clerk of the Course.
· A twitter feed under VSA 2016 will provide updates during the meet. More information to follow.
· Parents (Men and Women) 4 x 25 freestyle relays and Coaches 4 x 50 freestyle relays will be held prior to awards ceremony on Sunday.
· During the meet, the diving well warm-up pool will be available on the west side of the pool area. 9 and unders must be accompanied by an adult.
· [NEW for 2016!] Competitive balance has been the rallying cry of sports leagues as far back as the beginning of competition. An argument can be made that leagues without balance will not have uncertain outcomes and thus participation and support might dwindle. It is no different for our VSA participants and their parents as they cheer on their recreational swimmers. In the spirit of preserving the healthiest balance of competition, the VSA will be implementing the below rule beginning with the 2016 VSA Championship. This rule mirrors current rules in place at both the high school level and higher levels of championship swim meets.
o [VSA Rule] Each team may enter an unlimited number of individual swimmers per event. However, no more than 4 swimmers per team may advance to compete and score points in the finals session. Any swimmer who places in the top 20 in the trials session (or top 16 if we run 8 lanes for finals) but is not one of the 4 fastest qualifiers on their team, will have their swim marked as an exhibition swim. Their trials swim will still count for all record-keeping purposes, but they will not be eligible to compete in the finals session, score points for their team, or receive any medals/ribbons for that event.
DESIGNATED TEAM AREAS
POOL RULES
Each team will be assigned an area outside the pool fences; these areas will be identified on a separate map that will be provided a week before the meet. Please set up in your team areas only. The VSA has strict maximum number guidelines that must be adhered to.
Everyone is asked to police their own areas for trash. Garbage cans will be provided throughout the pool and school complex. All trash including recycling can be dispensed of in the same trash containers. Recyclables will be separated out later.
There will be no seating or camping (remaining in the same spot for long periods of time) on the pool deck or around the pool. This area is only for getting into position for and watching an upcoming race. Please respect all roped/taped-off areas as those are for meet workers and volunteers.
There will be a small drop off area in front of the gym. It is recommended, however, that you simply proceed to park your car in the either the upper or lower parking lot, andcarry your gear to where your team area will be marked.
Parking at all of Dougherty Valley High School is on a first come first served basis. We believe the upper parking lot will support most, if not all, of our guests, however, there are other parking lots in and around the school. Please feel free to park (legally) wherever you wish.
NO Alcohol will be permitted on the Dougherty Valley High School Premises. Violation of this Rule will result in the Teams Disqualification from the Meet.
Swimmers are not permitted to have gum in the pool, as it clogs the filtration system.
No animals are permitted inside the pool complex for a variety of reasons.
Please be cautious in and around the locker rooms, as they will see a lot of traffic and floors can become slippery. Report any locker room service issues to the pool staff.
The bathrooms inside the pool fences will be available for our use. In addition, there are clean Port-a-Potties stationed near the Vendors and additional bathrooms near the basketball courts.
Teams may setup in their designated team areas beginning at4pmon Friday. All items left overnight are done so at your own risk. The VSA is hiring private security to monitor team areas overnight bothFridayand Saturdaynight, however will not be held responsible for any lost or damaged items. We highly recommend not to leave anything valuable overnight in your team areas.
There will be a special banner for swimmers to sign when they pop their times. This is a great photo opportunity. The banner will be located on the wall between the locker rooms behind the blocks.
SWIMMER CODE OF CONDUCT
· Swim for the enjoyment of swimming.
· Obey the rules of swimming.
· Be generous when you win.
· Be generous when you lose.
· Criticizing, name calling, taunting, physical abuse, use of abusive language or gestures will not be tolerated.
· Treat opponents and teammates with respect.
· Respect and accept the decisions of judgment officials with grace.
· Accept seriously the responsibility of representing your team and the VSA League.
· Swimmers should be free of all alcohol, tobacco and drugs at all VSA meets.
PARKING
The parking lot in front of Venture School (southwest corner of campus, closest to Bollinger Canyon Rd.) ispermit parking only. Any cars without a permit will be towed.
The staff parking lot on the northeast corner of the campus is available for swim meet parking onSaturdayonly. The lot is reserved for a church groupon Sundaywho has part of the Dougherty Valley High School campus reserved everySundayfor their weekly service.
Families may drop off and unload in front of the gym then park and walk in. All parking around the facility is of walking distance within a few minutes.No entrance into the parking lot before6:00 amboth days.
WARM-UP TIMES AND LANE ASSIGNMENTS
The pool will be available for warm ups between 7:15 and 8:15 AM on Saturday and between 7:45 and 8:45 AM on Sunday.
During the meet, lane 20 (closest to football field) will be available for warm up/warm down. Swimmers who are 9 years old and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Any swimmer not following standard warm up/warm down rules will be asked to leave the pool.
Each team will be provided with a younger kid block for warm-ups.
Lane Count starts at the Parking Lot side of the pool:
Lane 1 / Del AmigoLane 2 / Del Amigo
Lane 3 / Round Hill
Lane 4 / Round Hill
Lane 5 / Diablo
Lane 6 / Diablo
Lane 7 / Blackhawk
Lane 8 / Blackhawk
Lane 9 / OPEN, NO BIG BLOCK
Lane 10 / Danville
Lane 11 / Danville
Lane 12 / Sycamore
Lane 13 / Sycamore
Lane 14 / Crow Canyon
Lane 15 / Crow Canyon
Lane 16 / San Ramon
Lane 17 / San Ramon
Lane 18 / OPEN, NO BIG BLOCK
Lane 19 / OPEN, NO BIG BLOCK
Lane 20 / OPEN, NO BIG BLOCK
TIMER ASSIGNMENTS – TRIALS - SATURDAY
Timer Lane Assignments Saturday - Trials
Timer Lanes – (Football Field, younger kids)
Head Timers: Sycamore
Starter/Whistle Round Hill, Round Hill
Lane / Timers all Day1 / Sycamore, DCC, SRAC
2 / RH, DANV, HOX
3 / Sycamore, DCC, HOX
4 / DCC, DANV, HOX
5 / Sycamore, SRAC, HOX
6 / DCC, DANV, HOX
7 / Sycamore, HOX, CCCC
8 / SRAC, DANV, HOX
Timer Lanes – (Parking Lot, older kids)
Head Timers: Blackhawk
Starter/Whistle DEL, DEL
Lane / Timers all Day1 / Sycamore, DCC, SRAC
2 / DCC, DANV, HOX
3 / Sycamore, SRAC, DANV
4 / DCC, DANV, HOX
5 / Sycamore, SRAC, CCCC
6 / DCC, DANV, HOX
7 / SRAC, HOX, CCCC
8 / DCC, HOX, CCCC
TIMER ASSIGNMENTS – TRIALS - SUNDAY
Timer Lane Assignments Sunday - Trials
Timer Lanes – (Football Field, younger kids)
Head Timers: CCCC
Starter/Whistle Blackhawk, Blackhawk
Lane / Timers all Day1 / Sycamore, DCC, SRAC
2 / RH, DANV, HOX
3 / Sycamore, DCC, HOX
4 / DCC, DANV, HOX
5 / Sycamore, SRAC, HOX
6 / DCC, DANV, HOX
7 / Sycamore, HOX, CCCC
8 / SRAC, DANV, HOX
Timer Lanes – (Parking Lot, older kids)
Head Timers: Sycamore
Starter/Whistle CCCC, CCCC
Lane / Timers all Day1 / Sycamore, DCC, SRAC
2 / DCC, DANV, HOX
3 / SRAC, DANV, DEL
4 / DCC, DANV, HOX
5 / SRAC, CCCC, DCC
6 / DCC, DANV, HOX
7 / SRAC, HOX, DANV
8 / DCC, HOX, CCCC
TIMER ASSIGNMENTS - FINALS
Timer Lane Assignments Saturday - Finals
Head Timer: SCAR
Starter/Whistle Blackhawk, Blackhawk
Lane / Timers Finals1 / Sycamore, DCC, HOX
2 / DCC, SRAC, DANV
3 / Sycamore, DCC, DANV
4 / DCC, SRAC, HOX
5 / Sycamore, SRAC, DANV
6 / DCC, SRAC, HOX
7 / Sycamore, SRAC, HOX
8 / DCC, SRAC, HOX
9 / Sycamore, HOX, CCCC
10 / DCC, HOX, CCCC
TIMER ASSIGNMENTS - FINALS
Timer Lane Assignments Sunday - Finals
Head Timer: Blackhawk
Starter/Whistle CCCC, CCCC
Lane / Timers Finals1 / Sycamore, RH, DCC
2 / DCC, SRAC, HOX
3 / Sycamore, SRAC, DANV
4 / DCC, SRAC, Sycamore
5 / DCC, SRAC, HOX
6 / DCC, SRAC, HOX
7 / Sycamore, HOX, DANV
8 / DCC, HOX DANV
9 / Sycamore, HOX, CCCC
10 / DCC, HOX, DANV
CLERK OF THE COURSE