Practices
1. Does my child need to have any skills before joining the swim team?
Yes, your child should be able to swim the length of the pool at D&E independently, even if it is doggy-paddling. Please note that the pool at D&E is 25 yards in length, which is much larger than the pool at the YMCA.
2. Does my child have to swim in the designated time based on his/her age?
Yes, it is our policy to have your child swim in the appropriate age group. This allows him to practice with other swimmers for age-based relays and also to practice the same skills as other kids. It also helps us have the correct amount of coaches and lifeguards available for busier practice times. If on occasion, you need to switch to a different time slot, we understand and will try to accommodate.
3. When are practices for summer season?
You can choose to practice Monday-Thursday mornings (4 practices/week) or Monday/Wednesday evenings (2 practices/week). Age groups have different practice times; see our homepage for exact times.
4. Will the balcony be open for summer season practices?
Yes, at this time, the balcony will be open for parents to watch and wait. Please continue to remember that per D&E policy, no parents/guardians can wait in the hallway during practice.
5. Why is there morning and evening practice available during summer season?
Traditionally, the summer season practices were held in the morning once school was finished. However, there were some parents with difficulty in getting their children to these practices, so evening practices were added. If you choose evening practices, unfortunately, you only get 2 nights/week due to swim meets being held on Tuesday/Thursdays throughout the summer.
Meets
1. Is participation in swim meets required?
No, swim meets are not required. You can choose to participate in some, none, or all of the summer meets based on your preferences. However, you will need to RSVP to each meet by a certain time the day before the meet in order for your child to participate. If you do not RSVP, your child will not be given any events, even if you come to the meet.
2. Where are the meets?
The meets are held on Tuesdays/Thursdays at various locations and directions for each facility can be found on the team website. Home meets are held at D&E.
3. Who chooses events for each swimmer?
At this time, we allow parents to pick their children's events. However, the final decisions regarding meet events will always be left to the coaches' discretion. The coaches base these choices on what strokes the child is competent in, how many other events are available to other kids in the age group, etc. We are often limited on how many kids can swim per each event based on the size of the meet.
4. How will the coaches know who is coming to the meet?
There will be an RSVP function for each meet this summer that parents will be required to submit. If you do not RSVP, we will assume you are not coming and your child will NOT be assigned any events, even if you bring him to the meet.
5. What should I bring to meets for my child?
Children should have extra towels and a change of clothes, warm clothes for in between events, plenty of healthy snacks and hydration, and extra goggles and swim caps.
6. What should parents bring to meets?
Parents should consider bringing chairs or picnic blankets for seating. Some facilities have a limited amount of chairs that can be used as well. You may also consider an EZ-up for hot, sunny nights and blankets and umbrellas for cooler, wet meets. You should also bring snacks and hydration, although some facilities offer concessions.
7. How will we know if meets get canceled?
The decision to cancel a meet due to weather is usually made very late in the day after careful consideration of the weather prediction. You should check your email or consider downloading the swimtopia app for notifications.
8. Can you tell me a little about the championship meet?
The championship meet will be held in Buckhannon on July 14-15. It is an all-day event. Friday is for qualifying heats, while Saturday is for relays and the top 6 finishers for ages 11 and up and the top 12 finishers for ages 10 and under from each event the day before. There is no limit for the amount of entries in any given event, and each child will be given an entry form to choose which events he wants to participate in for the meet. Relays will be chosen by the coaches. Each individual event entry is $6 and is the parents' responsibility, whereas relays are paid for by the team. For children 8 and under, you can choose 4 events per child. For those 9 and older, the maximum is 5 individual events.