General Information Questions
- 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?
- https://kingsgategators.swimtopia.com/safe-sport
- 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! Allie also played many sports when she was younger and understands that you may need to miss practice due to a scheduling conflict.
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Swimsuit/Gear Questions
- What is the store link?
- All links can be found at Gator Shop
- Need Help? Contact Tammie 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? Can coaches tell kids to wear them
- 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.
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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, Allie knows not to wear out your swimmer on meet days!
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Meets
- 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:
- 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:
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Family Participation
- How to sign up for family participation positions?
- Signups 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 our Family Participation Coordinator 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 participation in the helping with the Gator's Season is measured in a points system. Each family needs to complete a specified number of points, and they 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.
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