General Information
-
How do you contact the coach?
- Email is best! [email protected]
- Can you send a list of contact emails or phone numbers?
- You can find everyone’s contact information on the Gator Website
- How warm is the water?
- The water is usually around 90℉. This is warm enough to be comfortable, but not too hot so that our swimmers don’t overheat during practices and meets.
- Where is a link to the SafeSport information? Who Needs to Complete it?
- SafeSport Link
- All swimmers, any parent and anyone who wants to volunteer MUST complete the training.
- Is the coach okay with kids doing both swim and another sport? This may mean practices are missed.
- Yes, the Gator coaches understand that swimmers may need to miss practice due to a scheduling conflict.
Text Area
Simple formatted text
Swimsuit/Gear
- What is the store link?
- All links can be found at Gator Shop
- Need Help? Email at [email protected]
- What is the most important number in suit sizing?
- A good rule of thumb is to look at the weight first, then height when looking at the sizing guide. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us and ask.
- Are swim caps required?
- Gator swim caps are only required during Meets. However, your swimmer’s hair may appreciate having a cap on (especially for those kids with longer hair) as chlorine dries it out a lot.
- Are names on back of both sweatshirts?
- If you want your name on the sweatshirts, it will only be on the back.
- Does the team supply caps?
- Yes, we will supply each swimmer with a latex Gator cap.
- If you want a thicker, silicone cap, they can be ordered through the team store.
Text Area
Simple formatted text
Practice
- Practice rain or shine? What weather cancels practice?
- Yes! Welcome to PNW summer swim season!
- We only cancel practice if there is lightning and will send email communication if that occurs.
- Will there be practice on the same days as meets?
- Yes, however, the coaches know not to wear out your swimmer on meet days!
Text Area
Simple formatted text
Meets
- How do I declare for a meet?
- Declaring happens on the Swimmingly Clubhouse website. Sign in, click on "Meet Schedule" on the left-hand menu, and then click on the individual meets, and RSVP accordingly. You can then select what event(s) your swimmer would prefer, selections are suggestions to coaches and not guaranteed. If you are unsure of what to select, leave event options unselected and only select attend or not attending. The coaches will place your swimmer in events they feel your swimmer would be most successful in and/or where the team needs them to swim. Swimmers can swim up to 4 events at a meet (a combination of up to 3 individual events; and up to 2 relays; but no more than 4 events total). The deadline for declaring for meets is the Friday before at 9pm. Late declarations will not be accommodated. All regular season meets are open, you can declare for the whole season if you already know what your swimmers' attendance will look like, or you can declare week-by-week. With either option, you are able to change your swimmer’s declaration up until the deadline.
- What is the difference between an A Meet and a B Meet?
- Each week we compete twice against the same team. One meet is an A meet and ANY swimmer can swim. One meet is a B meet meaning swimmers with A times CANNOT compete in the events with a standing A time acheived. This gives a chance to make the B meets more equitable for all swimmers to compete. Most families will not know the difference between A and B meets unless it applies to them and it is intended to be that way. We want ALL swimmers to feel confident, supported, and have fun first and foremost.
If you want to lean into the competition of summer swim league more intentionally, Midlakes has time standards for 2024 A Qualifying Times. Coaches diligently track swimmers who achieve, or are approaching, an A time and reward them with a special swim cap. We know this portion of swim league can be overwhelming and confusing. Feel free to dive in or ignore depending on your interest and temperament.
- Each week we compete twice against the same team. One meet is an A meet and ANY swimmer can swim. One meet is a B meet meaning swimmers with A times CANNOT compete in the events with a standing A time acheived. This gives a chance to make the B meets more equitable for all swimmers to compete. Most families will not know the difference between A and B meets unless it applies to them and it is intended to be that way. We want ALL swimmers to feel confident, supported, and have fun first and foremost.
- What is an exhibition?
- These are events where swimmers can achieve an official time (aka no DQ) but do not officially place for the meet and do not score points for the team. It is a way to get more swimmers swimming while keeping the point system of meet scoring equal. Exhibition placement is always at the coaches discretion.
- What is expected of swimmers before and after events?
- Swimmers please check in with coaches before heading to staging and after your event finishes for tips and feedback. A few swim sportsmanship tips: stay in the water until the last swimmer finishes; do not get out of the water if a swimmer from your heat is still swimming. Please make an effort to acknowledge and congratulate the swimmers on either side of your lane after your event for a job well done. Popular choices are a high five, fist bump, hand shake, or a smile/saying “Good race!”. These are excellent sportsmanship habits to build for all swimmers regardless of experience or performance.
- How do relays work?
- This is one of the MOST FUN parts of summer swim league. Coaches determine relay placements for all swimmers. Relay participation is an honor and will be earned by attending practices and meets; supporting the team goals; and exemplifying the team philosophy. If you are selected for a relay and do not show up, the entire relay is scratched and it is quite possibly the most disappointing experience of a swim meet for those who were there but unable to swim.
- What if I declared "attending" for a meet and can no longer attend?
- This is called Meet Scratching. If you have an emergency and cannot attend though you have declared attending, please email the coaches ASAP. If this happens the day of the meet, or even at a meet, let the coaches or a board member (green lanyard crew) know immediately so they can scratch your swimmer and are not spending time trying to find you. If your swimmer is able to physically swim but is struggling mentally by potentially experiencing stress, anxiety, or any other emotion, please reach out to the coaches ASAP. We challenge you to bring your swimmer to the meet if possible and rely on the support systems we have built for you. These are common emotions with many swimmers regardless of age or experience. The coaches are here to support your family and are pros at pre-race pep talks and getting your swimmer prepared and confident. Buddies and swim friends are also an excellent resource for this if you feel comfortable utilizing this resource. Some pre-meet jitters will stick around forever, even in the best swimmers, but we will continually push them to become better humans. Most pre-meet jitters will self-correct over time with support, awareness, and communication. Either way, it is truly amazing to witness the breadth of growth all of our swimmers achieve.
- Do you have a suggested way to have the kids write their events/heats on their arm with a sharpie?
- Great idea! Look to the older/experienced swimmers on our team. They usually write their Event #, Heat # for the event, and Lane # on their arm using a Sharpie. It looks something like this:
Text Area
Simple formatted text
Family Participation
- How to sign up for family participation positions?
- Sign-ups are done through this site by visiting the Calendar. When sign-ups are opened for an event, a green "Job Signup" button will appear next to it.
- Some positions, such as Announcer and Officials require that you've completed some training before you can select them. Swimtopia will show you all the jobs that match your eligibility.
- Can anyone sign up to be an official?
- Yes! Midlakes requires every official to complete at least one training course each year. As long as you've completed a training course, you can work as an official. Please contact Tyler & Lauren our Family Participation Coordinators if you are interested.
- What does an official do?
- Great question! There are a couple of different types of official jobs:
- Stroke and Turn:
- These officials walk along the pool deck and observe swimmers during meets to ensure they follow all swim stroke and turning rules. For instance, if a swimmer performs the breast stroke during a butterfly event, that swimmer would be disqualified for that event by the Stroke and Turn Official.
- Relay Exchange:
- These officials watch the swimmers during relays to make sure that all swimmer exchanges (one swimmer touches the wall before the next swimmer leaves the block) are fair.
- Starter:
- This official monitors the swimmers at the start of each race to make sure each event and swimmer has an equitable start. You will recognize the Starter as they are the ones that start and end the race with a buzzer and use the whistle to let swimmers know to hop up on the blocks.
- Stroke and Turn:
- Great question! There are a couple of different types of official jobs:
- For family participation, is there a list of jobs on the website?
- Yes! Descriptions of different ways families can contribute are posted on our Family Participation page.
- Do timers need training?
- Timers will be trained on deck before each meet by our Head Official. If you have any questions beforehand, please don’t hesitate to ask.
- How can our family fulfill our participation commitment?
- Our Gator family participation commitment is measured by points that are determined annually based on the number of swimmers on the team. Each family must complete a specified number of points. Family participation points can be fulfilled by any family member: parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc. Details about the current season can be found on our Family Participation page.
Text Area
Simple formatted text
Awards
- How do I get my ribbons?
- Every family has a file in the ribbon boxes (located in the pool lobby under the bench). After swim meets have been completed ribbons will be prepped/sorted/filed (typically 72 hours or up to eternity after a meet). Check your file regularly and please only grab your own ribbons. We will also notify the team as updates arise. For Gators, we award 1st through 4th place ribbons by event (not heat), Personal Best, and Exhibition Ribbons. Away pools also award ribbons too and will be prepped/sorted/filed after our away meets. Again, typically the timeline for this is 72 hours or up to eternity.
- What is an A Time cap?
- Swimmers who achieve A times during a meet will earn a special white swim cap announced each Monday (while evening practices are held) and each Friday (while more practices are held). One swim cap per swimmer, not per A time achieved.
- What is Swimmer of the Week?
- Each week the coaches will select 2 swimmers from each age group who are supporting our team goals and philosophy and will be announced each Monday (while evening practices are held) and each Friday (while more practices are held). Swimmers of the week get a special green kickboard, pull buoy, and swim cap to use during the week of practice.
Text Area
Simple formatted text