CAJBCY PHILOSOPHY 

The YMCA strives to serve the whole community through programs expressing Judeo-Christian principles that build healthy spirit, mind and body. These programs will teach our young athlete’s values, responsibilities, goals, and directions to achieve these goals. The YMCA wishes the young athlete to be self-motivated, honest, by acting in such a way to show they are worthy of trust, to have integrity, making sure their choices match their values, to care about themselves and others, to be helpful, to be respectful of themselves, their team mates, coaches, officials and others, and to be responsible, by doing what is right, and to be accountable for their behavior, and obligations.  

We believe a swimmer’s mark of excellence should be determined by his/her self-improvement, self-determination, and self-accomplishment...not by medals or ribbons, but by standards or times set up by the coaches and the athlete.  

We recognize that our swimmers may have different priorities in their lives, so our programs are designed to work with all levels of priorities. If a swimmer wants to achieve specific times, then that swimmer has the option of attending more workouts.  

We are here to benefit our young swimmers, so coaches and parents need to fulfill their responsibilities to ensure the most positive experience for our athletes. 

COMMUNICATION

CAJBCY has several modes of communication information to its members: 

Each family will have a file, located on the pool deck as you enter from the gym. Informational handouts such as meet information, team news, important notices, practice schedules: will be placed in these folders. YOU are responsible to get this information on a weekly basis. 

The CAJBCY bulletin board is located in the pool stands and above the files. 

Announcements will also be sent by email and/or text messages if you provide this information on the registration form. 

The web site for CAJBCY is: www.cardinalaquatics.com 

The league website is: www.seowvswim.org 

CAJBCY PARENT ASSOCIATION will hold meetings as needed. All parents are encouraged to attend. These meetings will be announced in advance. 

ORGANIZATION 

CAJBCY consists of all swimmers and their legal guardians. It is supported by the Parents Association of which all parents are a member, the coaches, and the YMCA personnel. 

The Parents Association exists to provide both volunteers and monetary support to the swim team. Meetings are held as needed throughout the season, specific times and dates will be announced, and are open to all members. We strongly encourage all parents to attend. Officers for the Parents Association are elected yearly, and are referred to as the Executive Committee. By-laws for the Parents Association are on file at the YMCA, and available on the team website.  

COACHES

The coaching staff is responsible for the team practices, choice of meets, and choice of events. Coaches have the authority to remove athletes who are disruptive or not following their practice schedule. Swimmers will be grouped during practices to work according to their level of ability rather than strictly by age. All of our coaches welcome your questions, however PLEASE do not interrupt practice, ask before or after practice.   

SWIM MEETS

The coaching staff has put together a meet schedule that meets the needs of all of our swimmers. A meet schedule is enclosed in the CAJBCY HANDBOOK. It is your responsibility to know when and where, and to arrange transportation to and from all meets. Maps or directions are always made available for away meets.    

For dual meets, please inform coaches by leaving in writing what events your swimmer wishes to swim. (There are sign up sheets available, check your file). Coaches will put together relays. It is up to you to inform that coach if you are not willing to swim relays prior to the meet. If you are put in a relay and do not swim you will be charged with the cost of the whole relay. Relays are very important to the team. Relays are a great team builder.  

For invitational meets, entries for the invitational will be posted in your file. Please fill out and return with payment by the deadline. Fees are determined by the host team, and usually range from $2.50 to $3.50 per event. Coaches will make the decisions about relays. 

In order to run an efficient home meet we must have family participation. This could be working the concession stand, timer, official, working the bullpen, or scorekeeper. We also ask for donations for the concession stand. Please look for the sign up sheets on the bulletin board in the pool area. When the family participates, our meets run smoothly, thus all swimmers, coaches, and parents will have more fun. This is also a way to meet other swim parents and to show your child that your support his/her sport.  

VOLUNTEER CREDIT SYSTEM 

The volunteer credit system is designed to increase parent involvement, promote fairness and spread volunteer duties throughout the team. This will increase team unity, understanding and encourage growth. 

The new volunteer credit program will apply to all registered YMCA swimmers for the 2007-2008 winter season. This program works by establishing a specific numeric value for a specific volunteer duty. Each family will be required to obtain a specific amount of credits for home meets and the invitational. If a family does not accumulate the designated amount of credits for home meets, their child(ren) will not be permitted to participate in the league championship meet in Athens and there will be a fine of $25.00 to be paid within 14 days of the meet. If the fine is not paid, the child(ren) will not be allowed to practice. 

PROGRAM SPECIFICS:

1. Credit values for jobs are predetermined based on a number of factors including time, effort, expertise and experience. No partial credits will be given for incomplete service.
2. Each (family-regardless of number of swimmers) will be required to obtain the same amount of credits.
3. The number of home meets determines the total amount of credits needed by each family during the winter season, which begins October 1, 2007.
4. Credits can be earned through a variety of different jobs related to the proper and necessary function of a home meet and the invitational. Credits may be earned for job training during a home meet.
5. Families will be responsible for signing in and out. Volunteer chairpersons will monitor sign in/out sheets.
6. A substitute/replacement can be used to fill in for a volunteer, but the credit will be given to the initial volunteer.
7. Multiple family members/representatives can earn credits at any home meet.
8. No families, regardless of personal issues, are exempt from obtaining the necessary credits for home meets and the invitational.
9. Any unforeseen circumstances that would alter the credit system such as cancellation of a home meet due to weather, etc., will be considered when determining the credits.
10. The Cardinal Aquatics executive board and coaches reserve the right to modify the program depending on size of the team and other extenuating circumstances.
11. Families may present, in writing, to the Cardinal Aquatics executive board any unique circumstances that may prevent them from obtaining their credits. Keep in mind that the following circumstances are not considered unique: one parent family, swimmer’s guardians are not parents, spouse works on days of home meets, or certain physical limitations. All letters must be submitted prior to the first home meet for review.

SWIM MEET JOB DESCRIPTIONS

TIMERS: two per lane, plus one head timer. These people will time the swimmers in one lane. Two people are needed per lane so that we can average the two times to arrive at the swimmer’s official time, should the timing system fail. Both teams help. That means we need to supply timers even at the away meets and invitationals. 

BULLPEN: minimum of two for a dual meet. Put the swimmers’ into lanes and heats. Line up swimmers and see that swimmers get to their lanes (especially for the 8 and under). The home team is responsible for this job, but at away meets we need someone to make sure that our swimmers get to the bullpen on time. 

BULLPEN RUNNER: help get the relays from bullpen to lanes, help with the young swimmers. 

SCOREKEEPERS: two or three people for a dual meet. We use a timing system and will need to train a few people to operate the computer. Don’t worry, it is not difficult.

OFFICIALS: at least four people. You will need to be certified as an official. Please see Coach Bru for more information on this as we will need officials and you will have to take classes for this. Officials judge on stroke, turns, starts, and finishes. VERY IMPORTANT… 

CONCESSIONS: organize and sell items that each family brought. They also clean up the area afterwards. We will need someone to head the concessions. This person will contact families for donations and organize the helpers, count monies and give monies to the treasurer. 

RUNNER: This person collects the sheets from the timers and takes them to the scoring table.  

LOCKER ROOM SUPERVISOR: check locker rooms for swimmers, no playing in locker rooms. Need one for males and one for females. 

SET UP AND CLEAN UP: EVERYONE!!! We need everyone to help us set up the area and to clean up. When everyone helps, both of these jobs will take little time and effort for each of us.  

COMMITTEES

PUBLICITY/PROMOTION: The success and future of this team requires that people know about our team from the local areas. From newspaper to local radio, it is important that the community be informed about our team. 

CONCESSIONS: Organize and staff the concession stand for each home meet. 

FINANCE: This committee meets to review the finances of the organization working closely with the treasurer. They will make recommendations to the executive committee regarding financial policies. 

SCHOLARSHIP: New this year, we would like to begin a scholarship in Coach Bru’s name to honor his 25 years of service to the team completed last season. This committee will be responsible for organizing the scholarship itself and the selection process for recipients. 

NOMINATING: This committee is responsible for organizing and running officer elections each year. 

WEBSITE INFO COORDINATING: This committee will work to communicate with our webmaster, keeping the website updated and current. 

COMMUNICATIONS: Responsible for monthly newsletters and distribution of information. 

BANQUET: Arrange for Halloween and Christmas celebrations for swimmers in addition to the end of the season Awards Banquet. 

BASIC RULES OF CONDUCT

*Swimmers shall meet all requirements of their respective training level. Remember, attendance is necessary for conditioning and development of swimming skills. If a problem arises and you need to alter your workout schedule, please contact your coach. Please be ON TIME for workouts. 

*Swimmers, parents, and coaches are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will bring credit to them and to the CAJBCY TEAM. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated at practices or at swim meets. 

*All swimmers must be at meets at least 15 minutes before our assigned warm-up time. CAJBCY warms up as a team and not as individuals. This will provide our swimmers the adequate warm up to swim well in their events. Swimmers showing up late may mean switching relays around to accommodate those swimmers who are dedicated and on time. 

*Any swimmer found to have caused physical damage to one of the facilities we attend will be charged for the repair or replacement of the damaged property. Said swimmer may also be removed from the team. 

*Any coaching decisions that you have a question about should be discussed with the coach involved. Please DO NOT TALK TO THE COACH ON THE DECK. Wait to talk to him/her when time is available. Please do this in a confidential manner away from swimmers. 

*At meets, if a problem arises regarding officiating or meet format, please inform the coach as soon as possible. Do not take matters into your own hands.  

*Be open in your communications with your child, with the Executive Committee, YMCA, and the coaching staff. We want to know what you think, and thus avoid problems and misunderstandings.  

*When arriving at a swim meet, please sign in with the coaches. 

*Please, no parents on deck during workout times or during meets unless you are volunteering. Do not ask a coach how your child is doing as they are watching more than just your child. Wait until practice is over! 

*Coaches have the right to send a swimmer home for disruptive behavior. A coach has the right to request a meeting with the swimmer, parent, and head coach if behavior persists. 

*If swimming at the YMCA for practices, swimmers must show membership card and adhere to the YMCA RULES OF CONDUCT.  

PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES

*Encourage swimmers through praise. 

*Support coaching (questions are welcome AFTER practice). 

*Comments should be addressed without swimmers present. 

*Attend Parent Association Meetings. 

*Participate in fundraisers. 

*See that your swimmer is prepared for practices and meets. 

*Have swimmers at practice and meets at least 15 minutes before required time. 

*If you know your child is not going to be able to attend a meet, leave a written note in the box where sign ups are turned in. If not able to attend a meets signed up for, contact coach or leave message with another swimmer that is coming to tell coaches your child won’t be coming. 

*ALWAYS STAY OFF THE POOL DECK DURING PRACTICES AND MEETS (UNLESS WORKING) TO ENSURE SWIMMER SAFETY. PLEASE ALLOW THE COACHES TO OBSERVE OTHER SWIMMERS DURING THEIR EVENTS. 

*Encourage swimmers to see their coach before leaving deck and before seeing you. Everyone is required to see the coach before leaving the deck. 

*Check your file every night your swimmer comes to practice. Also check your emails and team website. This is how we communicate as a team. 

*Be sure coaches are aware of illness and injuries. 

*Check the bulletin board in the pool stands and above files. 

*Provide refreshments for the concession stand at our home meets. 

*Work all home meets, some away meets and at Championships. 

*Always be positive with all swimmers. 

*Meet other parents. 

ABSOLUTELY NO PARENTS ALLOWED ON DECK DURING PRACTICE TIMES!  

 SWIMMERS RESPONSIBILITIES

*Be positive and encouraging to all swimmers and yourself. 

*Give your best effort at every practice and meets. 

*Don’t complain about workouts or what the coaches ask you to do. (You may discuss with coaches after practice, but NOT during). 

*At practices and meets be ready to get in the pool 15 minutes before required time. 

*Stretch before every practice and meet. (If you are late stretch on the way, as long as you are not driving). 

*USE RESTROOM BEFORE PRACTICE NOT DURING! 

*See the coaches before leaving the swim deck at meets. 

*Make sure you drink plenty of water during practices and on meet days. 

*Watch your diet two days prior to a meet. (Watch the junk foods). 

*Eat small amounts of food before practice and a meet. (Try to eat an hour before you swim). 

*Eat low-sugar or sugarless items on meet days until after you finish your events. 

*Stay at a meet until it is over unless you have spoken with your coach. 

*Check your file every evening before you leave. 

*Help clean up pool deck after practices. 

*Please inform coaches of injuries and illnesses. 

*Participate in fundraisers. 

*Remember that this is a TEAM sport and everyone will swim every one else sometime during the season if possible.  

GLOSSARY

BULLPEN: The area where swimmers report before each event to check in and pick up entry card 

DISQUALIFICATION: A technically incorrect stroke, kick, turn, or a false start. Times do not count. 

DUAL MEET: Two teams compete at one location 

EVENT: The race in which a swimmer participates. 

FALSE START: Leaving the blocks before the sound of the starter or before swimmer touches the wall on relay exchanges. This leads to a disqualification. 

HEAT: Placed in race with swimmers seeded with same level. May have more than one per event. 

HEAT SHEETS: A listing of all swimmers by heat and lane assignments at an invitational. These may be purchased before the meet. 

INVITATIONAL: More than 4 teams participate at a meet. 

QUALIFYING TIMES: Established times have been set-up by the Cluster, Zone and National Committees for swimmers to obtain. “All Star” recognition and or advance to post season competition (Zones and Nationals) coaches will speak to swimmers and parents what goals your swimmer may have and/or what the coach sees in your swimmer. 

REFEREE: The official who is in charge of all other officials at a meet. Referee makes all final decisions and sees to the running of the meet. 

SCRATCH: Not to swim an event a swimmer entered. Must have coaches’ permission. 

SEEDTIME: The time used to enter a swimmer into a meet. This determines a swimmer’s heat and lane assignment.  

STARTER: The official responsible for the start of each heat and calling swimmers to the blocks. 

STROKE JUDGE: The official that determines the legality of a swimmer’s stroke and/or their turns.