Oak Ridge Swim Club

Oak Ridge, NC 

Oak Ridge Swim Team

Parent Meeting 

 

• In order to be a part of the swim team, your swimmer must be able to swim across the pool (25 meters) unassisted.  This is for your child’s SAFETY!  We have to make sure that every swimmer is given equal attention and we can NOT provide one on one coaching. 

• Communication: Summer Swim has a lot that happens during a short amount of time.

  1. Remind - Go to remind.com/join and enter code ge6e49  We use this for reminders, practice changes due to weather, etc.  This is our fastest and easiest way to communicate.  Remind is no longer sending text messages, so be sure to download the app and be on the lookout for notifications.  You can also send a message through Remind if you have a question or last minute your child is sick and can’t swim in a meet (it will only be sent to Carrie, not the whole team and we can relay the message to coaches).  

  2. Our website https://www.orcaswim.org/2023swimteam has meet sign-ups, practice schedules, etc.  

  3. Email - If you have concerns you would like to discuss with the coaches, please send an email to swimteam@orcaswim.org  This will allow coaches to focus on the kids at practice.  Please also, let us know if you have a secondary email you would like added to our distribution list. 

 

• Sign Up Genius:  You must OPT IN for each meet. This means you must sign your child up on the sign-up genius for each swim meet if they want to swim.  Sign- ups are located on the pool website at https://www.orcaswim.org/2022summermeetinformation This must be done BEFORE the deadline.  Meets are on Tuesdays, so the deadline is Saturday before each meet at 10am.  

       NEW THIS YEAR - Coach Jacob is giving the option for each swimmer to choose 2 of their              individual events. When signing up your swimmer, you may put in the comments 2 events they would like to swim at that meet.  This is not a guarantee but he will do his best to accommodate. If you want coach to choose, then leave it blank.

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• Meet Events:  In the 5 regular season meets, each swimmer will swim up to 3 individual events and up to 2 relays (free and medley).  Exception - 6 and unders only have 2 individual events and 1 relay (free). 

       6 and under – 25 free and 25 back

       7/8s – 25 free, 25 back, 25 breast, 25 fly, 50 free

       9/10s – 50 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly, 100 free, and 100 IM

       11 and ups - 50 free, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly, 100 free, and 100 IM

• Black and White Meet:  This is a practice meet and will be held on the morning of May 31st.  It runs like a regular meet except that swimmers swim all 4 strokes (6u free and back only), so that coaches have baseline times to prepare meet line ups.  This year, we will add in the option for 9 and ups to swim the 100 free and/or 100IM.  Volunteers will be needed for this meet.  If you are new to the swim team, this will be a great chance to learn from a veteran.  

• Meet Day:  Morning practice will be held on meet days once Guilford County Schools are out.  Meets usually start around 5:30 which means that warm ups usually start around 4:15.  Warm up times will vary depending on if we are home or away.  Parking at home meets will be across the street at the elementary school to allow for this visiting team to park in our lot.  

• What to bring:  It can be extremely hot so hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.  You also will want to make sure everyone has plenty of water and snacks.  The grill will be open during home meets with a limited menu.  Your swimmer will need their swimsuit, goggles and swim caps.  They also may want to have 2 towels as well as a sweatshirt or jacket because it can get cool once the sun goes down and they are wet.  Parents may also want to bring chairs.

• Ribbons: Each family will have a file folder with their name on it.  Please check for your swimmer’s ribbons at practices following each swim meet.  

• Heat Sheets and Sharpies:  While it is our hope to have heat sheets to you before the meet, it is sometimes out of our control because we may be waiting on the other team to send in their entries.  As soon as we have them, we will make them available to you.  We will also have them posted at the swim meet.  The sharpies are for marking your child’s events.  You will write your child's name on their back and on their arm, you will write your child’s event number, heat number, and lane number.

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• Volunteers: Swim meets, especially home meets, take an extraordinary amount of people.  Below are descriptions of different volunteer positions.  There is a 1st shift and a 2nd shift.  Sign up to volunteer on the same sign up genius you sign your swimmer up on.  We do keep track of who volunteers and will assign open positions to those who have not volunteered.   

1. Runner:  Collect timer sheets from the timers and take to scoring table.  Also, collect DQ slips from stroke and turn judges, bring to meet referee to initial and then to scoring table

2. Clerk of Course: Organizes and seats the swimmers by heat and lane. 

3. Hospitality: Prepare snacks and drinks and walk around the pool providing refreshments to volunteers and coaches throughout the swim meet. 

4. Ribbon Labeler: You sit at a table placing pre-printed labels on ribbons indicating the swimmer's event, age, group, time, and place. Then you file the ribbons alphabetically so swimmers can pick up their ribbons the next day. 

5. Stroke and Turn Judge: Must be certified by CSA.  Determines if each swimmer is swimming the stroke legally as defined by USA Swimming Rules. It is the responsibility of the S&T judge to disqualify any swimmer whose stroke, start, turn, or finish is illegal. 

6. ORCA Tank: Lining swimmers up to be taken to Clerk of Course

7. Head Timer: Start stopwatches at the beginning of each event.  If a timer misses the start or stopwatch doesn’t work, they get the timer from the head timer.  The head timer can also fill in if someone needs a bathroom break

8. Timers: Time the swimmers in each race using stopwatches proved by each team. 2 per lane (per half) at each home meet.  1 per lane (per half) at each away meet. 

9. Heat Treat Winners: Pass out treats to heat winners.

10. Data Entry: Enter times for each swimmer and DQs.  Perk - you are in air conditioning for this one

11. Clean-up: Clean up after meet

 

• City Meet: is a three-day event that includes the entire community and all of the community swim teams. It is held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center (the GAC) and serves as the culmination of the community swim season.  It will be July 10-12th.  We will have a meeting July 2nd with more information, but we would love all our swimmers to participate.

• Swim for Cancer: Every year swimmers raise money and see how many laps they can swim during practice - all for a good cause! 

• CSA Form: Every swimmer must fill out the CSA form online in order to participate in the first dual meet.  Please check the website for the link and fill it out ASAP.   

• Bigs and Littles: We are making this optional!  We will buddy up two swimmers (hopefully younger and older but may also do new and veteran).  If you would like to participate, you must sign up and agree to the following: 

1.    Cheer for your buddy!  Tell them great job, high five them, etc.  

2.    Bring them a small treat to each meet.  This can be a note of encouragement, their favorite     drink or candy, etc.  Suggested amount $3 to $5 per meet.