The Hedingham Sharks Parent Handbook is available below for you to view. You will also find a copy available to download as well.

I.INTRODUCTION

The Hedingham Swim Team is a charter member of the Tarheel Swimming Association (TSA), which comprises swim teams from private, non-profit clubs in the Raleigh/Wake County area. Teams are placed into divisions of four teams each, based on the past-year performance in dual meets. The goals of TSA and Hedingham Swim Team are three-fold: to improve the swimming skills of each participant; to sponsor and encourage fun for the swim team members; and to provide a vehicle for that fun that encourages team spirit, sportsmanship, and an understanding of healthy competition.

Hedingham Swim Team expects each swimmer to support these goals, whether in team practices or team competitions. Swimmers should maintain a respectful, courteous demeanor toward all participants, show visitors to our pool a friendly welcome, and respond in a responsible and polite manner to coaches and meet managers. Parents can help their swimmers achieve these goals by encouraging their swimmers to adhere to the guidelines. Hedingham Swim Team Association (HSTA) directs Hedingham Swim Team.

The Hedingham Swim Team Association (HSTA) is responsible for the Hedingham Swim Team and reports to the Hedingham Homeowners Association. HSTA works in concert with the Community Manager and the Pool Manager for the Hedingham. Members are responsible for planning all aspects of the dual meets and soliciting workers to run the meets. Other duties of the Association include conducting an annual end-of-season review of the coaching staff and administrative procedures for that season, establishing practice times, and coordinating all aspect of the team for the current and future seasons. HSTA also selects a TSA Representative who serves as the head official for each dual meet. HSTA welcomes questions, comments, suggestions, and complaints about any aspect of Hedingham Swim Team. These should be directed to the Chairman of HSTA (not the coaches).

The success of Hedingham Swim Team depends on both parents and swimmers. Swimmers are encouraged to work hard but have fun; parents are encouraged to get involved by volunteering to fill the many jobs required to run a meet.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION

a. Eligibility

Hedingham Swim Team is made up of children ages 4 to 18 that are residents of Hedingham. Persons living in a Hedingham household may also participate on the team provided they have a Hedingham community card. A swimmer does not need to be a competitive swimmer to join the team since one of the aims is improvement of skills. However, the demonstration of minimal water safety is a requirement. Basic swimming ability is necessary to practice safely with the team. Swimmers may join the team at any point in the season and participate for any length of time during the season, as long as they sign up for the meets that they will be attending.

b.Fees

A registration fee is collected at the beginning of the swimming season to cover team expenses, trophies, a suit and a cap. The fee structure is outlined on the website and when you registered online: www.hedinghamSharks.com.

c.Suit Fittings / Registration

Each season the team holds swimsuit fitting fittings and registration at the Athletic Center in the Aerobics Room. You will be able to be custom fitted for your swimsuit and register in person if you prefer not to register online. It is very important to make the fittings to get your suit ordered with the team’s bulk order. Because we order in bulk the team gets a preferred discount. If you miss the fittings, you will still be able to get fitted and order a suit, however you will not receive the team discount. Please look in your email for additional details and it will be posted on the team website: www.hedinghamsharks.org

d.Volunteer Requirements

Each family of the swim team is required to volunteer for shifts throughout the swim season. Each swim family is expected to complete a minimum of 15 credit hours per season to fulfill the parent volunteer requirement. This averages out to around 3 volunteer shifts per season plus participation in various subcommittees to include fund raising, social committee or the end of year banquet. Fulfilling your volunteer requirement is a condition of the child swimming on the team. It takes over 40 volunteers to run each home meet.

e.Team Information

Team Structure - All interested swimmers can be participating members of the team.

Swimmers on the team should be able to swim a stroke unaided before swimming that stroke in a meet and be able to successfully complete the distance of their event (15 yards for 6 & under, 25 yards for 7-10 year old’s, and 50 yards for ages 11-18). Swimmers who cannot fulfill this requirement at the start of the season are encouraged to strive to reach this goal and will be given as much help as possible to get there. The team is not designed for offering swim lessons. Please check the team website for information on swim lessons.

TSA regulations specify that the age group of the swimmer is determined by a June 1 cutoff based on the swimmer’s birthday. Competitions are divided according to age and gender. The groupings are:

• 6 & under Boys 6 & under girls
• 7-8 Boys 7-8 Boys
• 9-10 Boys 9-10 Girls
• 11-12 Boys 11-12 Girls
• 13-14 Boys 13-14 Girls
• 15-18 Boys 15-18 Girls

Practices after the end of the traditional Wake County Public Schools calendar are held Monday thru Thursday until the season starts. At which time the Practices will be held Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with Meets being held on Tuesday. Please check the team website for specifics and possible schedule changes.

Children under 10 years old are required to have a parent or other designated adult present at all practices. All children must be signed in by a parent at the pool entrance.

Points are awarded for attendance which will go toward the trophy awarded at the end of the season.

We encourage parents to stay for practices at the pool, but not directly by the practice area. This is to allow the coaches to concentrate on coaching the team and allows the swimmer the ability to concentrate on the coach’s instruction. A child who exhibits disruptive behavior at practice may be pulled from practice by the coach and, if the situation warrants, may even be asked to leave the pool area. Swimmers are encouraged to attend as many practices as possible. Individual conflicts with the scheduled times should be discussed with the Head Coach.

If the weather causes practice to be cancelled, we will post a message on Hedingham Swim Team website www.hedinghamSharks.ORG as soon as a decision is made to cancel practice. We will send an email to the e-mail address you provided with your swim team registration.

f. Time Trials/Mock Meet

Time trials are held to determine each swimmer’s ability to compete, to give the swimmers an opportunity to experience what a meet is like, and to provide parents the experience of running a swim meet. It is especially important for swimmers to attend since this provides the basis for determining the main event swimmers for the first meet. If a swimmer cannot attend, parents should contact the Head Coach to arrange a make-up time for timing the swimmer. Swimmers who participate on a year-round swim team may use their current official times from a competitive meet to establish their times if they are unable to attend the time trial.

g.Parents’ Meeting

At the beginning of the swim season a parents’ meeting is held to review all the expectations for the season. It is important that parents attend because it is at this time that the groundwork is laid for the summer (rules are explained; volunteer slots are filled; and team officials, coaches and goals are introduced). If you are not able to attend, please see the HSTA Chairman for information distributed at the meeting.

h.Ribbon Day

The Wednesday following meets the Team Coaches will award swimmers with their main event Ribbons. All heat winning swimmers are awarded their ribbons at the meet as soon as the exit the pool for their event.

i.Social Activities

A chance to have fun and make friends is what the Hedingham Swim Team is all about. Following are some activities that are provided.

• •Team Building Day – Typically hosted at a local park prior to the season starting to get to know your teammates outside the pool
• Dairy Queen Ice Cream Social – The day after each meet, we meet at Dairy Queen at 7:30 P.M. for a Free Ice Cream cone and socialize.
• •End of year Parade - We decorate and parade our cars thru the neighborhood honking horns and celebrating our year.
• •End of the Year Party (Banquet) – A dinner setting to award trophies and reminisce the year past.

III.Hedingham Swim Team Association (HSTA)

a.General Information

Membership of the committee will consist of Hedingham Swim Team Parents, each serving an annual term. At the beginning of each calendar year the Association and Parents shall elect its chair and/or co-chair who will appoint the necessary sub-committees to carry out the responsibilities of the Association. The Association shall also develop rules and regulations for the coming year for program operations in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Association and with any changes to be approved by the Association.

b.Meet Information

All meets are held on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. For home meets swimmers must be at the pool by 4:45 p.m. for warm-ups; for away meets swimmers should arrive by 5:15 p.m. If a swimmer cannot arrive at these times, please notify the coach. A reminder to parents that there is no alcohol at swim meets, this is a TSA rule.

Directions to away meets are posted on the team website: http://www.hedinghamSharks.com

Meets are held in the rain, but not during thunder and lightning. If the weather looks uncertain, please go to the meet, as weather can vary from one side of town to the other. The TSA representatives from the two teams will decide together and announce if a meet will have a rain delay or have to be rescheduled. Rescheduled meets are rescheduled for the next evening. Please make sure to go online to opt your swimmer(s) out of the meet if you will not be able to swim in a rescheduled meet. If a meet is delayed due to lightning all swimmers and parents must clear the pool deck and wait inside the building, breezeway, or your car for further announcements. Nobody should be on the golf course or outside areas. It is important for the coaches to know which swimmers will be at a meet. You should have elected your meets when you registered online.

Parents must make sure that they indicate at least a week before each meet whether or not each swimmer will or will not be in attendance. On the team site, parents are able to opt in/out a swimmer for an entire event or for part of the event. Parents must notify the coach at once if a swimmer cannot attend a meet at the last minute, such as in the case of a sudden illness and update your account online.

Swimmers are expected to remain for the entire meet. If a swimmer must leave before his/her last relay, parents must notify the coach at least one day before the meet. This courtesy will eliminate the disappointments that occur if a swimmer is scheduled to swim on a relay and the other members of the relay team do not get to participate because one team member left early.

c. Assignment of Events

The Coaches will determine the team representatives in all races, both scoring and non-scoring heats. Each swimmer aged 7-18 may swim only three Main Events; each may also participate in two relays and in another non-scoring individual event.

6 & under swimmers may swim two Main Events and one other non-scoring heat. 6 & under swimmers do not swim butterfly or relays.

d. Age Group and Order of Events

Swimmers compete according to age and gender (see Team Structure). The boys’ event is held before the girls’. The order of events is: Medley Relays (6 & under do not swim this event); Freestyle; Backstroke; Breaststroke; Butterfly (6 & under do not swim this); Freestyle Relay (6 & under do not swim this).

e. Team Score

Points are only scored by swimmers in the Main Event and these points determine the teams score for a meet. For individual swimmers, points awarded are 1st = 5, 2nd = 3, and 3rd = 1. For relays, points (5) are awarded to the first place team only.

IV.AT THE SWIM MEET

a.What a Swimmer Should Do at the Meet

Below is a summary of what is expected of a swimmer at a meet. We hope this scenario will help the swimmer and parents understand how the meet is conducted.

• 1. As a swimmer, you will arrive on time and sit with your age group in the designated Hedingham Swim Team area. You should bring a water bottle or sports drink and you may want to bring a few healthy snacks. Your event assignments will be posted in a prominent place so that you’ll know which races you’ll be in. When the coach tells you, get in the water for warmups.
• 2. After warmups, go back to where the team is sitting and listen for the announcer to call you to your race. For example, the announcer will say “first call for boys 9 -10 Freestyle”. For the younger swimmers, volunteers will also walk around rounding up the swimmers it is time to go to the Clerk of Course. You should go to the Clerk of Course promptly and remain quiet and listen for instructions. The Clerk of course will line you up for the proper heat and lane and make sure there is an event slip for you.
• 3. When it is almost time for the race, you will be told to go to your lane and wait for your heat. At Hedingham Swim Team there is a chair behind your lane and you sit in that until it is your turn to swim.
• 4. The starter will tell you to step up to the starting blocks when it is time for your heat. They will tell you which stroke you are swimming. In a main event, the starter starts the race with an electronic starter.
• 5. If you are in the Main Event (the first group of swimmers to swim the event), a Place Judge with a number on his vest will indicate the order of finish. If you swam in the Main Event and qualified for a ribbon, you will receive your ribbon at a swim team practice later that week. If you swam in one of the heats, a worker will give you a ribbon when the event is over and will record your time. Heat winners get a special colored ribbon.
• 6. Each stroke has certain rules that your coach will explain. If you make a mistake while you are swimming a particular stroke, you may be disqualified by a Stroke-and-Turn Judge. This is nothing to worry about, but you should try to understand what happened so that you can work on correcting the mistake for next time. If the disqualified swimmer is in the Main Event, he/she does not receive a ribbon or score team points.
• 7. After you have finished your swim go back to where your team is sitting and pay attention for your next event. Swimmers should sit with the team throughout the meet

b. What a Parent Can Do at the Meet

A successful swim meet depends on parent volunteers. In order for your child to participate on the swim team each family is required to volunteer for at least three swim meets, home and/or away, year-end banquet, or help with other swim team social activities. Many of the volunteer positions take little or no training. Below is a description of the tasks required to run a swim meet.

• 1.Volunteer Sign-Up - A Volunteer is required of each Family of a swimmer. Swim meets have been forfeited because some swim teams did not have enough volunteers. On the site after signing up, your Family is required to sign up for at least fifteen (15) credits. Credits range from 1 – 30.

If you have signed up for a volunteer shift and are unable to make the event, YOU ARE REQUIRED to find someone else to replace your shift. On the swim team site, you can see who is signed up and who has not. Please email these individuals to ask for assistance.

• 2.Starter - (1 needed each home meet) - The Starter starts each event with gun, horn, or whistle. The starter will ask whether judges and timers are ready. He then announces the age group and gender of swimmers, the distance and stroke of the upcoming race and will direct swimmers to “take your mark” and starts the event. This position requires that the person be trained at clinics offered by TSA during the season.

• 3.Stroke-and-Turn Judges - (1 needed each meet) The Stroke-and-Turn Judges determine whether the proper stroke, turn, and finish are executed. This position requires that the person be trained by attending TSA clinics. See a member of HSTA if you are interested.

• 4.Place Judges - (3 needed each meet) Place Judges determine the order of finish for the first heat events and indicate the order of finish to the Recorder.

• 5.Kid Pushers - (6 needed each meet) One person works with the 6 & under boys, one 6 &under girls, one with the 7-8 boys, one with 7-8 girls, one with 9-10 boys, and one with 9-10girls. They round up the swimmers and stay with them to make certain swimmers are at the Clerk of Course on time. Kid Pushers also help the Clerk of Course line up the swimmers in the proper starting order, take the swimmers to the lanes for their events, and, if needed, help the swimmers fill empty lanes on all heats after the main event.

• 6.Clerk of Course - The Clerk of Course lines the swimmers up according to the event slips to ensure that swimmers are in the proper lanes for their events.

• 7.Runners - (2 needed each home meet) One runner takes the event slip from the Clerk of Course to the Recorder and then takes the event slip from the Recorder to the Scorer; the second runner takes the disqualification slips from the Stroke-and-Turn Judges to the Scorer.

• 8.Recorder - (1 needed each home meet) The Recorder records place finishes and the winning time on event slip based on the order of finish indicated by the Place Judges.

• 9.Scorer - (1 needed each meet) The Scorer calculates points on the score sheet from the place finish recorded on event slips.

• 10.Ribbon Table Workers - (3 needed each home meet; 2 each away meet) Ribbon Table Workers write swimmers’ names on the appropriate place ribbons for Main Event finishes according to slips provided by the Scorer.

• 11.Team Timers - Timers use a wireless stopwatch console to time our team’s swimmers in all heats and record the times on the time sheets.

• 12.Relief Timers - (2 needed each meet) Relief Timers fill in for timers when they need a break, help pass out water to all meet officials, fill in for hospitality and assist other volunteers if they need a break

• 13.Hospitality - (2 needed home meets only) Hospitality Workers deliver drinks to workers.

• 14.Heat Ribbons - (2 at home meets only) Heat Ribbon Workers distribute participant and heat winner ribbons to swimmers.

• 15.Concessions - (4 at home meets only) Parents will serve and sell concession items to members of both teams at the meet. This is a great fund raiser for the team and volunteers are needed to help set up and clean up too.

c. How the Meet is Run

Prior to the meet the Coach completes the event slips, which list the swimmers for each event. At the meet the event slips are given to the Clerk of Course before the start of the meet.

At approximately 5:45 p. m. all meet workers are assembled and given instructions by the TSA Rep of the home team.

At 5:50 p.m. all 7-8 boys’ medley relay swimmers and all 7-8 girls’ medley relay swimmers report with their Kid Pushers to the Clerk of Course. The Clerk of Course lines the swimmers up and sends them with the Kid Pushers to their starting positions for the relay.

At 5:55 p.m., the 9-10 boys’ and 9-10 girls’ medley relays are lined up and sent to their starting positions, ready and waiting behind the 7-8 swimmers. The 9-10 event slips are taken to the Recorder.

Each age group should be ready to be lined up well before the start of their event.

At 6:00 p.m. the Announcer calls the start of the meet. The Starter starts the first event, the 7-8 boys’ medley relay. The swimmers swim. The Kid Pushers help the swimmers stay lined up in the right order and help them pay attention, but they do not coach the starts by telling the swimmers when to go (unless the swimmer has lost focus and is obviously late).

The 1^st Place Judge uses a stopwatch to get the time of the first-place finisher. As the race finishes the Place Judges indicate the order of finish to the Recorder, who writes the winning time and order of finishes on the event slip and gives it to a Runner to take to the Scorer. If a swimmer makes an improper turn or stroke, the Stroke-and-Turn Judge disqualifies the swimmer and completes a disqualification slip that a Runner takes to the Scorer.

The Scorer records the points and tallies the score. If there has been a disqualification, the Scorer adjusts the event slip. At the completion of all competition in a stroke, and if the Scorers from both teams are in agreement, the Scorer sends the score to the Announcer. The Announcer announces the current score. After recording the points, the Scorer gives the event slip to the Ribbon Table Workers.

The above cycle is repeated for each event.

At the conclusion of the final relay, when the Scorers from both teams are in agreement, the TSA reps look over the score sheets and sign them. The final score is taken to the

Announcer and announced.

V.END OF YEAR CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS

Near the end of the dual meet season TSA will hold a TSA Championship, open to anyone to participate and will be held at Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. This is the only Championship meet the Hedingham Swim Team will participate.

The Head Coach arranges entries in these meets. Swimmers must swim in the age group they were in as of June 1st. At the championship meet swimmers may swim in a maximum of three individual events and two relays, but they may swim fewer events, at the discretion of the Head Coach. At the Greater Raleigh Meet our team can enter up to three individuals in each individual event and one relay team per relay event. No relay age-ups are allowed at the meet, we need 4 swimmers of each true age group to enter a relay. All rules regarding strokes, turns, starts, and finishes apply.

Team scores are kept and both team and individual awards are made at each of these meets. Please look over your family calendars early in the season, to know whether your swimmers will be available for the meet in which they are selected to swim. Good participation in these meets helps our team to be successful. Volunteers run the championship meet and Hedingham Swim Team will be given an assignment of worker slots to fill. If your child swims in one of these meets, please be prepared to do a share of the volunteer work.

VI.ANNUAL AWARDS & BANQUET

At the Hedingham Swim Team Banquet, dinner will be served, and swimmers are presented with awards for the season. All swimmers who participate in at least three dual meets will be awarded a trophy based on points earned through the season. In addition to the individual trophies, special awards are presented at the coach’s discretion.