Swim FAQ
General
Q: In what age group will my child swim?
Swimmer age levels are determined by his/her age as of May 31st
Shrimps - 6 & under swimmers. In meets, they are expected to swim one lap (25m) of freestyle unassisted. Ribbons are awarded to the 1st through 4th place finishers, and heat ribbons will be given to all heat winners. Participation ribbons will also be given to all swimmers upon completion of the race. Children may also be entered in 7-8 events.
7-8 yr olds, 9-10 year olds. This group may compete in free style, backstroke, breast stroke, butterfly, individual medley (9-10 only), medley relay and free style relay. Each race event covers one length of the pool (25 meters in our case) with the relays being one length for each swimmer. Advanced 9-10 year old swimmers may compete in the Individual Medley in which one swimmer swims all of the individual strokes - one lap per stroke.
11-12 year olds, 13-14 year olds and 15-18 year olds. This group competes in all of the same races as the 7-8, 9-10 year olds, but the distance increases to 50 meters. Ribbons will be awarded in all individual events to the 1st - 4th place finishers.
Q: What if my shrimp cannot swim 25m of freestyle unassisted? Can he/she still be on swim team?
We want swim team to be a fun, positive experience for both swimmers and parents. A good measure of whether your shrimp is ready for swim team is whether or not he/she can swim 20 feet unassisted at the start of the season. Coaches will work with shrimps during the first two weeks of practice to help them progress to longer distances. Coaches may be in the water to assist a shrimp who needs help for the Ribbon Meet and the first two dual meets, but shrimps must be able to swim 25m unassisted for the third dual meet. Shrimps who have not achieved this distance are still on the team and welcome to attend practice but will not be entered in meets until they are ready to meet that standard.
Q: My child will be older than 6 but I don’t think he/she is ready for 8 & under. Can he/she swim with the shrimps?
No. The Greater Charlotte Swim League age level rules are very strict regarding age levels, and your child will need to swim with the 8 & under group. If you are concerned, you can bring your child to the first day of practice for an evaluation by the coaching staff. At that point, we can work with you to decide what to do for the 2019 summer season. As a general rule, we ask that your 8 & under swimmer be able to swim one length of the pool freestyle, with ease, and be able to demonstrate the capability of one other stroke.
Q: Am I required to purchase the team suit? Does my swimmer need a swim cap and goggles?
Team suits are not required, but are highly recommended. They enhance team unity and team spirit. You may purchase suits during Team Day on April 6th or order from Carolina Swim Shop. Suits with high school name imprinted are not permitted at meets.
Each swimmer will receive a team swim cap, and we recommend using them. With long hair, a child needs to wear a cap or a ponytail during meets. Caps from year round programs may not be worn during summer league meets.
Goggles are not required but will help reduce the burn of chlorinated water.
Q: Who do I contact with any questions or concerns regarding swim team?
Please contact your swim reps, Julie Bleimann and Marty Metzl and we can either answer or find the right person for you. Please do not approach any coach during practice unless you have an immediate safety concern.
Swim Meets
Q: What time should we be at the pool for a swim meet?
Home meets: We ask that swimmers be at the pool so that they are ready for home team warm-ups @ 5pm. For away meets, please arrive by 5:15 for 5:30 away team warm-ups.
Q: What if there is bad weather forecast on the day of a meet?
Come to the pool as scheduled, even if it is raining. The Greater Charlotte Swim League bylaws require that all swimmers be at the pool before the team representatives decide whether to postpone the meet. Regardless of the prevailing weather the meet is “On” and you should attend. Rescheduling a meet is extremely difficult, so we do our best to complete a meet even if that means waiting out rain delays. If we are able to run the IM relay (held at the mid-way point of the meet), we can call the meet complete.
Q: What is the Intrasquad Meet?
The Intrasquad Meet is a Sardis-only meet held at the beginning of the season in order to set baseline times for all swimmers for the season. Coaches will use these times to place swimmers in events for our first meet, and swimmers can use these times to set personal goals for the season. There will be no relays at the Intrasquad Meet. All swimmers other than shrimps will swim all four strokes, though certain exceptions may be made for breaststroke and butterfly. The Intrasquad Meet also gives families new to swim team a chance to learn a volunteer job before the season begins.
Q: What is the All-Star Meet and how do I know if my child qualifies?
At the end of the season, coaches will select, based on performance throughout the season, a certain number of swimmers to represent Sardis at the Division II All-Star Meet (to be held Saturday, July 5th, 6pm, and the MCAC), where they will swim against the All-Star swimmers from the six other teams in Division II. Under GCSL by-laws, for a swimmer to be eligible to swim in the Division All-Star Meet at the end of the current season, that swimmer must have competed in at least two (2) dual meets during the current season. There are no events for 6 & Under swimmers in the All-Star meet. However, 6 & Under swimmers shall be eligible to swim 8 & Under events in the All-Star Meet, including the 8 & Under 25M Freestyle event, without aging up for the entire season.
Q: How is a meet structured?
The order of events in all dual meets is Shrimp freestyle, medley relay (25/50m of each of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle – each leg by a different swimmer), freestyle, backstroke, individual medley (25/50m of each of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, all by an individual swimmer), breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle relay.
Swimmers in all age groups may enter only 3 individual events and 2 relays. The IM is considered an individual event.
Each race of a group of swimmers is called a heat. Faster heats are usually first. Heat assignments are made by the coaches according to the swimmer’s best time. A swimmer from any heat may win the race. Usually the home team uses the odd numbered lanes and the visiting team uses the even lanes. The clerk of course may alter this during the course of a meet for expediency.
Ribbons will be given for 1st - 4th place event winners including shrimps. Ribbons are given out to the 1st and 2nd place for relays. Best time ribbons will be given out whenever a swimmer improves on times. Heat ribbons winners are given out to swimmers ages 10 and under. All shrimps are given participation ribbons upon completion of their race.
Q: How do I know in which events my child will swim?
Event sheets, listing each swimmer and each event in which he/she is entered, will be posted by 4:30pm at the club on meet day. Once you find your child’s name, make note of the event, then check the heat sheet for heat number and lane. Many parents find it helpful to write the event, heat # and lane on their swimmer’s arm in Sharpie as a reminder. Heat sheets will be posted online on the day of the meet, and hard copies will be available for purchase for $2 at the meet.
Q: What if my child is an alternate for a relay?
If your child is an alternate for one of the relay teams, that counts as one of their two relay events. It is important for your child to stay for the entire meet if assigned as either an active participant or alternate on a relay team.