Alamo Heights Pool Shark Handbook
for Swimmers & Parents
WELCOME & HISTORY
Welcome to the Alamo Heights Pool Shark Swim Team. This E-handbook was created as a resource for new and current swim team members to answer questions about the organization. Any concerns that are not covered or explained clearly may be brought to the attention of the parent organization, coach, and/or the Alamo Heights Pool Director.
HISTORY
The team has been a successful summertime activity for Alamo Heights youth through the cooperation of the Alamo Heights Swimming Pool and the swim team parents.
Our Purpose
The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for youth from the Alamo Heights School District along with St Luke’s and St Peter’s and surrounding areas to develop a competitive aquatics program and learn the necessary skills to become better swimmers as they mature into their respective high school programs.
Our Goals
- To sponsor and promote amateur competitive swimming in the best interest of the participants.
- To develop good sportsmanship, socialization, enthusiasm, and responsibility among all participants.
- To promote and maintain the highest level of fitness, spirit, ethics, growth, and fun.
- To promote swimming as a lifetime sport.
- Be on time for swim practice and attend as often as possible.
- Notify the coach at least a week before the swim meet if you will be unable to attend.
- All Alamo Heights Pool rules must be followed as posted.
- No food or drinks are allowed on the pool deck, except for water bottles.
- Be courteous and respectful of coaches, officials, adult volunteers, and fellow swimmers.
- During the swim meet, each age group will be assigned a waiting area to gather in while others are swimming. Do not leave this waiting area without first notifying your adult Waiting Area Representative.
- There is also a holding area where swimmers will gather immediately before their event is to race. Report to this holding area at least 4 events prior to stepping on deck for your event.
- Seek individual goals and work to achieve your fullest potential.
- Be a positive role model by showing good sportsmanship at all times toward coaches, officials, opponents, and teammates.
- Schedule meetings with the coaches as necessary and do not interrupt practice times.
- Since the pool deck is relatively limited in space, please remain at the tables, on the wall, or in the grass to watch the team practice.
- If an emergency arises, and you need to talk to your swimmer during practice, please see the coach first.
- Volunteer to help with the team’s activities. Sign up to volunteer in at least 4 volunteer activities during the season. It takes approximately 80 volunteers at each home meet to make them run successfully.
- Get your swimmers to practice on time. Warm up periods are important in reducing injuries and increasing a swimmer’s performance.
- Do not drop off unsupervised swimmers during a meet.
- Assist in helping your swimmer keep track of his/her events during a meet. Swimmers have good intentions but sometimes fail to keep track of time and will miss events. Missed events = no team points.
- Attend any parent’s meeting held by the coach or the team.
- Check your E-mail and the bulletin board at the Alamo Heights Pool regularly for team information. We will try to keep everyone informed but you must do your part.
- In the event of bad weather, contact the Alamo Heights Pool at 824-2595 to check the status of swim practice.
- Be a positive role model by showing good sportsmanship at all times toward coaches, officials, opponents, and teammates.
- Let the coach be the coach and the parent be the parent. The coach has your child’s and the entire team’s best interest at heart.
- Schedule meetings with the coach as necessary and do not interrupt practice times.
- Volunteer to help with the team’s activities when asked. Sign up to volunteer in at least 4 volunteer activities during the season. It takes approximately 80 volunteers at the home meets to make them run successfully.
- Get your swimmers to practice on time. Warm up periods are important in reducing injuries and increasing a swimmer’s performance.
- Do not drop off unsupervised swimmers during a meet.
- Assist in helping your swimmer keep track of his/her events during a meet. Swimmers have good intentions but sometimes fail to keep track of time and will miss events. Missed events = no team points.
- Attend any parent’s meeting held by the coach or the team. Check your E-mail and the bulletin board at the Alamo Heights Pool regularly for team information. We will try to keep everyone informed but you must do your part.
- If you have a concern or problem, contact the coach or the team representative directly. Venting to other parents only worsens the problem and does not offer any solutions. During the season if you have concerns or questions regarding your child’s swimming you need to speak to the coaches. Alfi, Karla, and Christine have generously offered to remain at the pool one half hour after each practice for parents who would like to speak with them. In order to do that there will be a clipboard with a sign up sheet at each practice. Put your name on the sign up sheet and then after practice at 9:30 you will have an opportunity to speak to Alfie, Karla, or Christine . This allows the coaches to focus on the children uninterrupted during practice. All other concerns, questions, comments...compliments please contact one of the Pool Shark Parent Organization officers. You will most likely be able to find one of us at the practices or email us.
- Timers – 3 per lane
- Timer 1 – Times and verifies swimmers name
- Timer 2 – Times and verifies event and heat
- Timer 3 – Times and records times on the Lane/Timer sheet and circles the official time.
- If there are three times take the middle time as the official time. If there are only two timers the times are averaged by the data entry volunteers and the average is the official score.
- Unofficial place judges – 1 per lane – Passes out appropriate ribbons to swimmers as they finish the race
- Runner – The runner collects all 4 lane/timer sheets when the sheets are complete and takes them to the data entry volunteers at the scoring table. The runner posts the confirmed computer race results.
- Data Entry – 2 (one from each team) One reads off the results from the Lane/Timer sheets while the other inputs the results.
- Audit – 2 (one from each team) Compare the computer results to the Lane/Timer sheets.
- Ribbon Labelers – 2 at scoring table. Place labels printed from computer on appropriate ribbons. Place labeled ribbons in ribbon folder.
- Starter – Certified Deck Official – Starts each race with bullhorn (see page 21 of the AASSL Rule Book).
- Referee – 1 Certified Deck Official (see page 19 in the AASSL Rule Book).
- Turn/Finish Judges – 2 per 2 Lanes (2 at each end of the pool) – Certified Deck Officials – Starter and Referee can be two of the turn/finish judges.
- Stroke Judges – 2 Certified Deck Officials (walks each side of the pool watching two lanes each).
- Wranglers – Will manage Pool Shark swim meet participants in designated holding area. Wranglers will write Event /Heat/Lane on each swimmer’s arm. They will organize swimmers according to their events and heats and get them to the ready bench. The ready bench consists of 4 rows of 4 chairs arranged behind the starting blocks poolside. While the ready is bench being loaded wranglers will organize the swimmers in sequence of events/heats/lanes. Once the ready bench is empty the next set of swimmers will proceed to the ready bench.
- Set up/Take down – The set up volunteers will set the pool up for the meet the night before the meet. The volunteers will meet at the diving well at 7:00 pm to set up. Take down occurs when the meet is over. The meet equipment is removed from the diving well and put away. The pool chairs are arranged as they were before the meet and any litter is thrown away. The pool needs to be ready for Alamo Heights Pool Guests.
- Concessions - Purchase, set up and sell concessions at the home meets.
Swim Team Profile
Alamo Heights Pool Sharks Swim Team includes swimmers ages 5-18. This program is designed to instruct and encourage young swimmers through stroke development with strength and endurance exercises.
Swimmers will learn strokes, training techniques, starts and turns, as well as flexibility, and race and meet strategies. It will prepare them for a competitive race at any level, and most importantly; it will promote swimming as a lifetime sport.
COACHES:
Our coach is Phillip Davis, the head swimming coach from The University of the Incarnate Word.
OUR POOL:
The Pool Sharks hold all practices and home meets at the Alamo Heights Pool (picture, map) unless otherwise specified.
All-Stars Swim Meet
After the regular season, the league will have an All-Stars swim meet. The coach will discuss with the child and/or parents who will go to the meet and what events the athlete will compete in. The top finishers (standards set by league) in the competition for all divisions and of their respective age group and event will qualify for the League Championship Swim Meet.
League Championship Swim Meet
After the regular season, the league will have a combined meet with all teams within the division. The coach will discuss with the child and/or parents who will go to the meet and determine in which events the athlete will compete.
Swimmer Information
Responsibilities
SWIM PARENT INFORMATION
Responsibilities
In order to have a successful team there must be an understanding and cooperation among parents, swimmers, and coaches. To help your child reach his/her highest potential as a swimmer, it is important that you do the following:
If you have a concern or problem, contact the coach or the Parent’s Organization representative directly.
SUPERVISION
Safety is our number one priority. Our coaches are the only lifeguards on duty during swim practices, and they are extremely busy with the practice in the diving well. They cannot watch children in the 50-yard pool or the baby pool. Please use your judgment when leaving your swimmer at the pool unsupervised. Children 8 and under should not be left unattended. Parents, relatives, or guests of swimmers are not allowed in the baby pool or the 50-yard pool at any time during practice. Accidents can occur suddenly. Swimmers are not to be in the 50-yard pool, either, unless specifically allowed by the coaches. While we encourage kids to have fun, horseplay or rough housing is not tolerated. Please remind your child that running around the pool is dangerous and not permitted.
VOLUNTEERS
Swimming is a little different than most other team sports our children participate in. One swim meet might have 40 or more events and each event may have several heats. Coordinating the overall meet with children from age 5 to 15 in multiple events is a large project. Without the help from the parents, we would not be able to have a team. It is absolutely necessary that each family provide help at each home swim meet, and is available to help at the away swim meets.
We need a number of volunteers to stage/run a home swim meet. Here are the jobs that need parent volunteer assistance:
Swim Parents' Responsibilities:
In order to have a successful team there must be an understanding and cooperation among parents, swimmers, and coaches. To help your child reach his/her highest potential as a swimmer, you will agree to:
VOLUNTEERING
Swimming is a little different than most other team sports our children participate in. One swim meet might have 40 or more events and each event may have several heats. Coordinating the overall meet with children from age 5 to 15 in multiple events is a large project. Without the help from the parents, we would not be able to have a team. It is absolutely necessary that each family provide help at each home swim meet, and is available to help at the away swim meets.
We need a number of volunteers to stage/run a home swim meet. Here are the jobs that need parent volunteer assistance:
Swim Meet Information
General Information
Your first swim meet will be a learning experience for you in many different ways. Prepare to be away from home for several hours, especially if it is not a home meet. Typically the home team warms up first so they will be swimming when the visitors arrive. This means the home team will have first choice of the best seating at the pool. It is not unusual for the visiting team to be in less desirable areas (little shade, no grass etc). THEREFORE, you should be fully prepared to protect your children from these sorts of possibilities. They will need sunscreen, hats, water, something to sit on (usually a blanket or large beach towel), and shoes or flip-flops to protect their feet.
Parents "To do" List for Day of the Meet
| What should I bring? |
2 Extra Towels
Shirt And Pants/Shorts Fruit, Drinks (Water, Sport Drinks, Juice) Blanket or Sleeping Bag Shoes or sandals Goggles (2 pair?) Sun screen Insect repellant Sunglasses Hat Chair to sit in Sharpie pen Money for concession stand Books, cards or other quiet diversion Bag to carry everything in Sharpie Pen |
| What NOT to bring: | Valuable Items |
| What Time Is Breakfast? | At least One Hour Before Your Warm Up Time. |
| What's GOOD for a swimmers breakfast? | Cereals, Bagels, Pancakes, Oatmeal, Fruits, and Juices. |
| What's NOT GOOD for a swimmers breakfast? | No Fried Foods, or Meats. |
| What To Do During The Meet: |
Stay warm and loose! Stretch before your event! Support your teammates during their events! Stay on deck, unless coaches say otherwise! Parents - remain behind the wall unless working the meet Quiet is needed at the start of each event so swimmers can hear the officials directives. |
