FOREST GROVE SWIM CLUB

 

THE FIERCE AND MIGHTY DRAGONS

 

TEAM HANDBOOK

2007-2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF

QUALITY PEOPLE PURSUING EXCELLENCE.

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

Section A…………………………………………3

Why Swim?

USA Swimming

Oregon Swimming

Section B………………………………………….4

History

Mission Statement

Coaching Staff

Section C………………………………………….7

Training Groups

Practice

Section D………………………………………….9

Parent Section

Questions for the Coach?

Communication

Section E………………………………………….12

Volunteer Policy

Section F…………………………………………..15

Board of Directors

Section G………………………………………….17

Dues

Section H………………………………………….18

FAQs

Meets

Section I………………………………………….21

FGSC Constitution and By-Laws

Section J………………………………………….28

Group Exit Criteria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SECTION A

 

HISTORY

Forest Grove Swim Club (FGSC) is a private, non-profit 501(c) 3, organization. The City of Forest Grove does not sponsor us; although we acknowledge and appreciate the many ways they support us. The club is run on the deck side by the coaching staff and on the business side by an elected board of directors. FGSC is a member in good standing with both Oregon Swimming and United States Swimming. The dues paid to the club go solely towards coaching salaries and cost of maintaining a top-flight program.

The Forest Grove Swim Club began in 1968 under the direction of Coach Bill Bauer with 40 swimmers. By the mid-seventies the Team had grown to over one hundred swimmers. By that time the club, now known as the “Dragons” had a reputation as one of the top clubs in the state. Over the years FGSC has developed numerous state, sectional, and zone champions; junior and senior national qualifiers; academic All-Americans; national Top 16 qualifiers, and Olympic Trials qualifiers.

OUR MISSION

 

Building a community of quality people pursuing excellence

 

OUR VISION

To prepare our athletes for success at the highest possible level of competition

 

TEAM PHILOSOPHY

 

The team philosophy is encompassed by the words COURAGE and PERSEVERANCE.

COURAGE is the willingness to accept risk(s) and endure failings. Courage does not exist unless there is a situation that presents the opportunity for success. We encourage our athletes to embrace these opportunities and not fear the outcome.

PERSEVERANCE is the backbone of success in any endeavor in life. One cannot succeed at the highest levels without enduring some setbacks. These difficult times can create a lack of faith, low self-esteem, and an obvious drop in enthusiasm. Perseverance is the quality that transcends these difficult times. It allows the individual to find the true strength of their character.

Forest Grove Swim Club believes that COURAGE and PERSEVERANCE developed by swimming will prepare the individual for the challenges they will face in life.

 

 

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach

The head coach of FGSC is Tim Hamlet. Tim became the Dragons Head Coach in the spring of 2006, replacing former head coach and close friend, Nathan Templeman. Tim joined the Dragons in the fall of 2003 as the Head Age Group coach where he helped boost numbers from 30 to over 90. As a member of the Dragon coaching staff, Tim has had over 80 Oregon Top 5 rankings, 24 state champions, 3 sectional champions, and 1 zone champion. He has coached state record holders and National Top 16 swimmers as well as Academic All-Americans. Tim holds his ARC CPR and Lifeguard certification as well as membership with US Swimming and Oregon Swimming. He is currently a certified ASCA level 3 coach. He works with the Gold (Senior) and Black (Pre-Senior) Groups and is an instructional assistant for Multnomah County where he works with severely disabled students at the Oregon State Hospital. Tim earned a BA in English Literature from Pacific University and is contemplating a return so that he might earn his teaching degree.

Head Age Group Coach

Nancy Eisenbies is a second generation coach, following her father and joining her brother who also coaches. Nancy works with the White Groups, helping our newest swimmers and swimming families to become familiar with the world of competitive swimming. She is an ASCA level 2 coach and holds her ARC CPR and Lifeguard certifications. When not on deck, Nancy enjoys spending time with her husband, Mike and driving her rocking new BMW.

Age Group Coach

Tabor Waterstreet returned to his roots when he became a coach for FGSC. He grew up swimming for FGSC and for Forest Grove High. Tabor works with the Purple group and has been known to whistle in the rain. He works at FGAC as an instructor and also teaches yoga. He is an ASCA level 1 coach and holds his ARC CPR and Lifeguard certification.

 

 

SECTION B

WHY SWIM?

 

The United States Swimming (USS) age group swimming program is America’s largest program of guided fitness activity for children. Swimming is a considered a “life sport,” a sport that can be successfully executed into your 90’s and beyond.

 

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

 

Many physicians and pediatricians consider swimming the ideal activity for developing muscular and skeletal growth. So why do doctors like it so much?

• Swimming develops high quality aerobic endurance, the most important key to physical fitness. In other sports an hour of practice may yield as little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise. A 60-minute swim practice could yield up to 55 minutes of aerobic exercise.

• Swimming does a better job in proportional muscular development by using all the body’s major muscle groups.

• Swimming enhances children’s natural flexibility by exercising all of their major joints through a full range of motion.

• Swimming helps develop superior coordination because it requires combinations of complex movements of all parts of the body, enhancing harmonious muscle function, grace, and fluidity of movement.

• Swimming is the most injury free of all major children’s sports.

• Swimming develops skills and endurance that will enhance performance in other sports.

 

INTELLECTUAL COMPETENCE

 

In addition to physical development, swimmers can develop greater intellectual competence by participating in a guided and well-organized program of physical activity. Learning and using swimming skills engages the thinking processes. As they learn new techniques, children must develop and plan movement sequences. They learn that greater progress results from using their creative talents. Self-expression in a swimming program can be intellectual as well as physical.

Swimmers will also learn organization and goal setting skills, and how to use their time more efficiently.

 

UNITED STATES SWIMMING

 

The national headquarters are located at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. Programs and services are provided to the membership through the national headquarters. Among the many services are publications, educational programs, fundraising activities, sports medicine programs, resources and general information about swimming-related activities. The headquarters staff is available to assist you in answering questions or providing general information about USA Swimming.

USA Swimming is made up of approximately 2,800 teams from all over the country. Of these clubs, nearly half have 80 swimmers or less, and a handful of teams have over 500 swimmers. A team may be comprised of any number of swimmers, parents and coaches.

USA Swimming

One Olympic Plaza

Colorado Springs, Colo. 80909

719.866.4578

Hours: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, M-F

www.usaswimming.org

Mission Statement

USA Swimming is the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming. We administer competitive swimming in accordance with the Amateur Sports Act. We provide programs and services for our members, supporters, affiliates and the interested public. We value these members of the swimming community, and the staff and volunteers who serve them. We are committed to excellence and the improvement of our sport.

 

Vision Statement

To inspire and enable our members to achieve excellence in the sport of swimming and in life.

Core Objectives

USA Swimming has adopted three core objectives. These core objectives establish the foundation of the strategic business plan for our sport. USA Swimming encourages all members to participate in the local, regional and national efforts to ensure that these objectives are accomplished.

 

Build the Base

We seek to expand our membership in order to share our sport with as many other people as possible. We are especially committed to sharing the values of our sport with young people who may discover that swimming is an activity they can enjoy for their entire life.

 

Promote the Sport

We want swimming to receive as much publicity as possible because we believe that the more people learn about our sport the more inclined they will be to join the ranks of our membership. We are proud of our sport and we seek to celebrate it whenever possible.

 

Achieve Competitive Success

USA Swimming has been ranked as the number one swimming nation in the world for more than 40 years. We seek to continue this tradition of competitive excellence. When our elite athletes are successful in fulfilling their Olympic dreams our society benefits from the inspiration these athletes give us.

OREGON SWIMMING

The state headquarters for our Local Swim Committee (LSC), also known as Oregon Swimming Inc. or OSI are located at:

1750 SW Skyline Blvd #103 Portland, OR 97221-2545

www.oregonswimming.org

SECTION C

TRAINING GROUPS

The Forest Grove Swim Club program has been structured on the premise that there are four basic phases of athlete development in age group swimming. At each level of the program, we continually try to evaluate and adapt to the multitude of factors, both scientific and sociological, that influence the growth and development of young athletes. Experience has taught us that the perfect age group program is a moving target that changes as the population we serve changes and as we learn more about the development of young people.

 

Program Overview
Phase	Group	Ages	Teaching vs. Training	Practices/Week	Yardage per Week
Basic Skill Development	White	8-11	80% / 20%	3	2000-3000
	Purple	8-10	70% / 30%	4	7000-10000
Basic Training Development	Black	11-13	60% / 40%	5 school year / 5 + 2 Dryland summer	20000-35000
	Cross Training	12-18	50% / 50%	5 + 2 Dryland	15000-25000
Progressive Training	Gold I	14+	40% / 60%	8 + 2 Dryland school year/ 8+2 Dryland Summer	30000-50000
Advanced Training	National	14+	20% / 80%	9 + 2 Dryland	40000-65000

 

PRACTICE AND ATTENDANCE POLICIES

 

The following guidelines are to inform parents and swimmers of the coaches’ policies regarding practice. These policies have been developed over many years and are designed to provide the best possible practice environment for all.

1. Each training group has specific attendance requirements appropriate for the objectives of that group. As a rule, the least possible interruption in the training schedule will produce the greatest amount of success. The club encourages younger swimmers to participate in other activities in addition to swimming. The expectation level of the coaches to attend practices increases as swimmers move to higher groups.

2. For the swimmers’ protection, they should arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before their workout time. They should also be picked up no later than 15 minutes after their practice is over. Swimmers should be ready to swim ten minutes before the start of their practice.

3. In case a youngster is late for practice, it is our hope that the parents will send a note with the child explaining the reason for tardiness.

4. Athletes should plan to stay the entire practice. The last part of practice is very often the most important. Usually, there are also announcements made at the end of each practice.

5. Occasionally, most of a practice group may be attending a meet, in which case you will be notified of a practice change or cancellation.

1. The club has an obligation to act as guests while in the pool facility (both swimmers and parents). Every member of the club needs to do everything possible to respect this privilege. Any damages to FGAC property may result in financial liability of the swimmer's parents. Any damage may also result in the swimmer being asked to leave the team permanently.

2. Parents are not allowed on the pool deck during practice unless it is an emergency.

 

White Group This is where it all begins. The novice group spends the majority of their time working with Coach Nancy on stroke technique, balance, line, and posture. These swimmers practice 3 times a week for 45 minutes. To move from White group to Purple group, the athlete must be 9 years old, able to swim all four competitive strokes legally, and meet the exit criteria. (See Section I for exit criteria.)

 

Purple Group

Purple group members bring the positive stroke techniques learned in the white group, and transfer those techniques to actual practice sets. During this group Coach Tabor will still emphasize on stroke development, but goal setting is added as well as speed. These swimmers practice 4 times a week for 75 minutes. 15 minutes of dry land and 60 minutes of swimming. To move from the Purple group to the Black group, the athlete must be 12 years old and able meet the exit criteria. (See Section I for exit criteria.)

 

 

Black Group

Black group members are those athletes who have demonstrated not only fast swimming, but are also starting to make a commitment to the sport. Training becomes more of an emphasis as well as goal setting, arousal control and over all speed. These swimmers practice 5-6 times per week for 2 hours. 30 minutes of organized dry land and 90 minutes of swimming. To move from the Black group to the Gold group, the athlete must be 14 and meet the exit criteria. (See Section I for exit criteria.)

 

 

Gold/National Groups

These athletes have demonstrated and willingness and ability to swim fast while maintaining technique. They have also made the difficult decision to focus exclusively on one sport. These athletes are expected to be mature, dedicated, responsible, and dependable role models. As our more advanced swimmers increase their commitment to swimming, we insist that they maintain good academic standing, and develop leadership skills. These swimmers practice at least 8 times per week.

CODE OF CONDUCT

 

• Any youth swimmer who is known to use alcohol, drugs or tobacco is subject to suspension from the team.

• Never interfere with the progress of another swimmer during practice or otherwise.

• At all club functions, whether practice, meets, or social gatherings, we expect each swimmer to behave in such a way that their actions reflect positively on the team.

• All members of the club, whether parents or swimmers, shall continue to protect and improve the excellent reputation the club has throughout the city, state and country.

 

 

 

 

SECTION D

PARENTS… YOUR ATHLETES NEED YOU…

To have a successful program there must be understanding and cooperation among parents, swimmers, and coaches. The progress your athlete makes depends to a great extent on the triangular relationship. You have done a great deal to raise your child. You create the environment in which they are growing up. Your child is a product of your values, the structure you have provided, and the model you have been. Human nature, however, is such that a parent loses some of his/her ability to remain detached and objective in matters concerning their child’s athletics. The following guidelines will help you keep your child’s development in the proper perspective and help your child reach his/her full potential as an athlete.

We want your swimmer to relate to his or her coach as soon as possible concerning swimming matters. This relationship between coach and swimmer produces best results. When parents interfere with the coach’s opinions as to how the swimmer swim or train, it causes considerable, and often times, insurmountable confusion as to whom the swimmer should listen to. If you have a problem, concern, or complaint, please make an appointment to meet with the coaching staff.

The coach’s job is to motivate and constructively criticize the swimmer’s performance. It is the parent’s job to supply the love, recognition, and encouragement necessary to make the child work harder in practice, which in turn gives him/her the confidence to perform well in competition.

10 & Unders are the most inconsistent swimmers and this can be frustrating for parents, coaches, and the swimmer alike! Parents and coaches must be patient and permit these young athletes to learn to love the sport. When a young swimmer first joins FGSC, there may be a brief period during which he/she appears to slow down. This is a result of the added concentration on stroke technique, but in the long run this will lead to much faster swims for the individual.

Even the very best swimmer will have meets where they do no swim their best times. These “plateaus” are a normal part of swimming. Over the course of a season times should improve. Please be supportive of the meets when a swimmer does not post a best time. The older swimmers may have only two or three meets a year for which they will be rested and tapered, thus able to achieve that elusive best time.

 

The best contribution you can make to your swimmer’s progress is to be a loving, supportive parent.

 

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR PARENTS OF ATHLETIC CHILDREN…

Reprinted from The Young Athlete by Bill Burgess (“The Swim Parents Newsletter”)

 

1. Make sure your child knows that win or lose, scared or heroic, you love him/her, appreciate their efforts, and are not disappointed in them. This will allow them to do their best without fear of failure. Be the person in their life they can look to for constant positive reinforcement.

2. Try your best to be completely honest about your child’s athletic ability, competitive attitude, sportsmanship, and actual skill level.

3. Be helpful, but don’t coach him/her on the way to the pool or on the way back, or at breakfast, and so on. It’s tough not to do, but it’s a lot tougher for the child to be inundated with advice and pep talks.

4. Teach them to enjoy the thrill of competition, to be “out there trying,” to be working to improve swimming skills, and attitudes. Help him/her to develop the feel for competing, for trying hard and for having fun.

5. Try no to re-live your athletic life through your child in a way that creates pressure; you lost as well as won. You were frightened, you backed off at times, and you were not always heroic. Don’t pressure your child because of your pride. Athletic children need their parents so you must not withdraw. Just remember there is a thinking, feeling, sensitive free spirit out there in that uniform who needs a lot of understanding, especially when his world turns bad. If he/she is comfortable with you – win or lose – he/she is on their way to maximum achievement and enjoyment.

6. Don’t compete with the coach. If the coach becomes an authority figure, it will run from enchantment to disenchantment with your athlete. It is better to show your child that the coach, parents on the team, and other swimmers on the team are all working towards the same goal.

7. Don’t compare skill, courage, times, or attitudes of your child with other members of the team.

8. Get to know the coach so that you can be assured that the coaching philosophy, attitudes, ethics, and knowledge are such that you are happy to have your child under their leadership.

9. Remember that children often exaggerate. Temper your reaction and investigate before over-reacting. Work with the coach to get all of the facts and develop a plan of action if necessary.

10. Make a point of understanding your child’s level of courage. Some of us climb mountains, and are afraid to fight. Some of us will fight, but turn to jelly if a bee approaches. Everyone is frightened in certain areas. Explain that courage is not the absence of fear, but a means of doing something in spite of fear or discomfort.

 

COMMUNICATION

 

Communication such as the newsletter, meet calendars, meet information, qualifying times, etc., will generally be sent out in electronic form. Please make sure that the coaching staff, registration chair, and meet entry chair all have your email address.

 

Meet entries will be posted as a hard copy on the team bulletin board above the drinking fountains. Please double-check these against the entries that are posted on the website. Mistakes happen. It is easier to correct prior to the meet than on the day of the meet.

 

QUESTIONS FOR THE COACHING STAFF?

 

When contacting the coaching staff, please be considerate. The best way to speak with the coaches is to meet them after practice, however this may not always be possible due to overlapping practices. Setting up an appointment, via e-mail, would be the quickest and most efficient way to guarantee a meeting.

 

Listed below are some guidelines for a parent raising issues with a coach on staff:

 

1. Try to keep foremost in your mind that you and the coach have the best interests of your child at heart. If you trust that the coach’s goals match yours, even though his/her approach may be different, you are ore likely to enjoy good rapport and a constructive dialogue.

2. Keep in mind that the coach must balance your perspective of what is best for your child with the needs of the team or the group. A training group can range in size from 5-35 members. On occasion, an individual’s interest may need to be subordinate to the interests of the group, but in the long run the benefits of membership in the group compensate for the occasional short-term inconvenience.

3. If your child swims for an assistant coach, always discuss the matter first with that coach, following the guidelines listed above. If the assistant coach cannot satisfactorily resolve your concern, then ask that the head coach join the dialogue as a third party.

4. If another parent uses you as a sounding board for complaints about the coach’s performance or policies, listen empathetically, but encourage the other parent to speak directly with the coach. He/she is the only one can resolve the problem.

 

A. Standing positions

• Volunteer Coordinator – Sponsored by President

• Fund raising committee – Sponsored by VP

•  

  • All fund raising activities including swim meet ad sales

  • Pacific University meets

• Special events committee i.e. celebrations – Sponsored by Member at Large.

• Meet Coordinator – Sponsored by Coach and Board

• Meet preparation – Sponsored by Meet coordinator

•  

  • Meet supplies

  • Meet prep, printing, collating, assembly

  • Heat sheet typesetting

• Equipment and storage manager – Sponsored by Secretary

•  

  • Work days – Sponsored by Equipment and storage manager

• Board member – Sponsored by parents

•  

  • Meet registrar – Sponsored by Board

  • Documentation and Education – Sponsored by Secretary

  • Website maintenance & development

• Cash contribution. Payment of $15/hour is a valuable and appreciated alternative in lieu of volunteer hours.

• Grant writer - Sponsored by President

 

1. Positions associated with swim meets

• Stroke and Turn Official

• Starter

• Referee

• Console Operator

• Computer

• Head Timer

• Hospitality

• Concessions

• Runner

• Awards

• Announcer

 

C. Roles not considered for overall volunteer hours

• Lane Timers (Exception - up to 5 hours of lane timing at home meets will count toward yearly total)

• Fund raising activities not approved or managed by the VP/fund raising committee

 

Detailed job descriptions for meet positions are posted before each meet.

 

 

 

 

SECTION F

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

The Board of Directors oversees the administrative functions of the club. The board consists of five individuals elected for one-year terms with the elections happening annually in September. Please refer to team by-laws for specifics concerning election rules

 

Your Board of Directors for ’07 - ’08 is:

 

President Paul Butcher

paul.butcher@intel.com

 

Vice President Russ Smith

rhs97106@yahoo.com

 

Treasurer Crystal Vanek

cvanek333@msn.com

 

Secretary Kate Allnutt

allnutt@verizon.net

 

Member at Large Jim Kenny

jkenny@cooksonelectronics.com

 

With the focus of the club always on the swimmer, the Board of Directors exists to ensure the continuation and excellence of the Forest Grove Swim Club by:

·         Providing necessary business functions

·         Assisting and supporting the coaching staff

·         Communicating

·         Communicating

·         Communicating

 

Board Job Responsibilities      

 

Each board member is assigned a specific area of responsibility. For a list of the current members and their positions, please see Appendix B located in the back of this handbook. Following are the board positions and their general areas of responsibility:

 

President

Conducting meetings

Board membership

Counseling

Facilitator

Coordinator

Appoint Committees

Calling special meetings

Delegating authority and responsibility

Holding elections

Board membership/job descriptions

Locating/organizing pool availability

Maintaining staff

Vice President

Conducting of meetings in absence of President

Oversees fundraising committees

Oversees social committee

Treasurer

Registration with USA Swimming (in conjunction with Membership chair)

Payroll/benefits

Budgets

Filing taxes

Paying bills

Maintaining receipts

Financial reports

Collecting fees, dues

Oversees finance committee

Secretary

Maintaining business records

Recording minutes of meetings

Sending thank you notes

Maintaining historical records

Club mailings

Writing necessary letters

Sending gifts

Maintaining publicity scrapbook

 

Each board member is also assisted by standing committees, which are composed of appointed parents from the club.

 

 

 

SECTION G

 

CLUB DUES

The current monthly club dues are:

15% discount for additional family member(s).

Discount taken off lower priced dues.

White	$45.00	$38.25
Purple	$50.00	$42.50
Black	$60.00	$51.00
Gold	$70.00	$59.50
National	$90.00	$77.50
College*	$35.00

 

*This group is specially built for Pacific University swimmers who want to maintain a training base while not in season.

These fees reflect only club dues. Members are also required to purchase pool memberships.

 

Any changes in standing with the club need to be sent to the coaching staff and the treasurer in writing beforehand for any changes to become official. (Example if you are leaving for the summer and you tell the coach but do not tell the treasurer, you will continue to owe dues for the months that you are gone.)

 

Dues are paid monthly, but a seasonal commitment is assumed of each swimmer. To avoid accounting difficulties, billing will not be suspended for periods of less then three months; e.g., while a child participates in another sport.

 

It is required of all Forest Grove Swim Club swimmers that they have a current United States Swimming (USS) membership. This membership not only supports swimming throughout the country, it also provides very important accident and medical insurance for every swimmer and every club.

The annual membership cost for United States Swimming is currently $48.00 per year. This fee is charged and collected at the time of registration.

 

Each swimmer is covered at any organized practice of Forest Grove Swim Club and every competition that is USS sanctioned. Insurance does not cover social outing or events. A summary of the coverage is available upon request.

 

Characteristic of any business, FGSC expenses begin the first day of every month. A positive cash flow is required to assure payroll requirements and various other expenditures. It is, therefore, imperative for all FGSC parents to pay their swimmer’s monthly installment on or before the first of each month, just as you do your credit card, mortgage or utility payments.

 

 

 

SECTION H

 

COMPETITIVE STROKES

 

The four competitive strokes are: Freestyle; Backstroke; Breastroke; and Butterfly. Events are held in all competitive strokes at varying distances depending on the age of the swimmer. An individual medley (IM) is the swimming of all four strokes in turn. Other swimming events include relays, where are a group of four swimmers who either all swim Freestyle (Free Relay), or each swim on of the competitive strokes (Medley Relay).

 

SWIM SEASONS

The swim year is divided into two seasons. The “Short Course” season (SC) runs from September to March. These meets are held in 25-yard pools (SCY) and 25-meter pools (SCM). The “Long Course” season (LC) runs from April to August. Meets are generally held in 50-meter pools. This is the distance used at the Olympics and World Championships.

 

TYPES OF SWIM MEETS

 

1. Developmental Meets – also known as Dual Meets, these are generally held on Saturday mornings. They generally do not have qualifying times. Great meets for new swimmers. Each athlete generally swims 2-3 individual swims and 1 relay.

2. Invitational Meets – Large meets, generally 300 or more athletes, which run 2-3 days. Most are open to all athletes regardless of time.

3. Qualification Meets – These meets have some type of qualification time standard(s) that a swimmer must meet in order to enter the meet. For example, in order to participate in an A/B meet, a swimmer must have a “B” time in each event entered.

4. State Championship – Oregon Swimming, our LSC, holds State Championship meets every season. 10 & Unders are at one meet; 11-14 at one meet; and the Senior Champs meet that is open to any swimmer who has achieved the qualifying standard.

5. Age Group Sectionals – An age group Championship level meet that includes LSCs from the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii. These times are faster than the State Championship times.

6. Senior Sectionals – A Championship level meet that includes LSCs from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming. This meet is one step below Junior Nationals.

7. Junior Nationals – The fastest meet for 19-under swimmers.

8. Senior Nationals – The fastest annual meet in the country. There is a SC meet and a LC meet. Swimmers can qualify for various national teams that represent the U.S. in international competition by their performances at Senior Nationals.

9. Olympic Trials – Generally considered the fastest meet, top to bottom, in the world. This is where our Olympic Team is chosen.

 

MEET SCHEDULE

 

Each season’s meet schedule is distributed at the outset of the season.

 

1. The meet schedule has been established with the expectation that swimmers will attend the highest meet they qualify for.

2. Groups will generally have 1-2 meets per month.

3. The coaching staff will make the meet schedule and also enter the athletes into events.

4. It is the goal of the coaching staff that all athletes will swim every event every season in their age group. The more meets swum, the more opportunities to swim preferred events.

 

TEAM UNIFORM

 

Beginning in April the Forest Grove Swim Club will be sponsored by Reebok. All meet suits must be Reebok and all team members are encouraged to purchase Team Warm Ups to fully represent the Team at all opportunities. The team colors are purple and black. These colors are to be worn at meets and outings where athletes will be representing the FGSC. Team suits as well as a team cap are a required part of the uniform when competing.

 

Team suits as well as caps, goggles, kick-boards, sweats, parkas, etc. are available at JD Pence.

3139 Pacific Avenue

Forest Grove, OR 97116

(503) 359-4779 | 1-800-547-2520

 

SO WHAT DO I BRING TO A MEET?

 

Going to your child’s first meet can seem like you are packing for a cross-country trek. Here is a list to help you the first couple of times.

1. Bring your swimmer. No swimmer… no meet.

2. Swim suit.

3. Backup suit.

4. Goggles

5. Replacement goggles

6. Towel (x3)

7. A blanket/sleeping bag, something to sit on.

8. Sweats/Parka/PJs – something to wear to keep warm. This also means shoes and socks.

9. T-shirts.

10. Games – I-pods, computer games, books, board games, HOMEWORK.

11. Snack food… and snack food means HEALTHY snack food. Granola bars, yogurt, juices, fruits, sandwiches. And lots of WATER.

 

You’ll notice that everything is plural. When in doubt bring an extra. They are kids and they will lose something… or forget something… or think that because it’s July they don’t need sweats. As I write this it is July 18^th and it’s raining.

 

Special Parent's Note

The pool area is usually very warm. Therefore, you need to make sure you dress appropriately. Nothing is worse than being hot at a swim meet. It makes the time pass very slowly! At some of the meets, the parents are allowed to sit with the swimmers at the blanket area. If you don't think that a gym floor is comfortable, feel free to bring folding chairs to sit on. Better yet, become an official and get involved! You get to be close to the action and take the focus off of your own child!