Swim Skills 2013/2014

1. Swim Skills 2013/2014

2. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 S wimming W inning I ndividual Medley M aintenance of Stroke Sculling Kicking Improve Listen Learn Support ALL SWIMMERS IN SWIM SKILLS WILL ‘BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE’

3. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 Within Swim Skills sessions swimmers will need various items of training kit to help develop skills . All of these are available to buy from our club shop. Goggles Pull Buoy Kick Boards Fins Snorkels Hand/Finger Paddles Tracksuit Jacket Tracksuit Trousers Hoodie Fleece Lined Jacket Polo shirt ShortsNon training kit T-bag shirt Holdall bag Back pack Club Bottles Swim Hat ALL KIT AVAIALABLE ON POOLSIDE ON A SUNDAY 5.15-7.15PM

4. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 • Personal Conduct: Swimmers • Be honest in your attitude and preparation to training. Work equally hard for yourself and your team and cooperate with coaches and staff in their endeavor to prepare you for competition at the highest level. Be frank and honest with your coach concerning illness and injury and your ability to train fully within the program requirements. • Conduct yourself in a considerate manner relating to language and temper. Language in a public place or relevant group situation must always be appropriate and socially acceptable. • Alcohol and smoking is totally forbidden for athletes under age as defined by law. • The use of performance enhancing drugs and illegal substances is totally forbidden. • It is your responsibility to check that any medication you take, does not contain a banned substance. The A.S.A. continually updates their list of banned substances so you must be vigilant. When away with the team, all medication being currently taken must be reported to the team staff prior to traveling. • Respect For Others: • Respect the rights, dignity and worth of fellow swimmers, coaches, officials and spectators. • Respect the talent, potential and development of fellow swimmers and competitors. • Abide by the rules and respect the decision of the official, making all appeals through the formal process and respecting the final decision. • Do not tolerate acts of aggression. • Personal Appearance: • Take pride in your appearance. At all time, your appearance shall be appropriate to the circumstances as indicated by the team staff. • Team kit should be worn if directed by the team staff. • Team Requirements: • A willingness to adopt, develop and sustain a “positive attitude” towards team goals and objectives is required, together with a high level of team co-operation with other team members and team staff. • Punctuality on all occasions is a desirable quality. • When required, team accommodation and transport as allocated by the team staff shall be used. • When away with the team, members must attend all team meetings and other functions as directed by the team staff and any team curfews must be observed. • Team Sanctions: • Breaches of this code shall be dealt with in the first instances by the team staff. Where necessary, the team staff will follow this up with a report to the Executive Committee of Gloucester City Swimming Club who shall take further action as is deemed necessary.

5. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 • Personal Conduct: Parent & Guardian • As a parent / guardian of a swimmer / participant in any activity held by or under the auspices of the club, you are expected to meet the following requirements in regard to your conduct during any such activity or event: • Remember that your child participates in sport for their own enjoyment, not yours. • Focus on your child’s efforts and performance rather than winning or losing. • Never ridicule or yell at your child and other children for making a mistake or losing a competition. • Show appreciation for good performance and skilful performances by all athletes (including opposing players). • Demonstrate a high degree of individual responsibility especially when dealing with or in the vicinity of persons under 18 years of age, as your words and actions are an example. • Respect officials’ decisions and teach children to do likewise. • Do not physically or verbally abuse or harass anyone associated with the sport (swimmer, coach, umpire and so on). • Be a positive role model.

6. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014

7. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 Competition Check list!!! • Swimming Trunks / Costumes x 2 • Goggles x 2 (spare just in case of breakages or misplacing a pair) • Swimming Hat – Gloucester City Hat • Gloucester City T-shirt / Hoody / tracksuit • Drinks Bottle (lots off or remember to refill it!!) • High energy food (not chocolate and sweets) i.e pastas, fruit, • Limited time on gaming devices I,eiphone / ipad / DS etc • If staying in a hotel over night or a friends house take your own pillow. Why? – comfort, will help you sleep better. (this does work)

8. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 TEAM SELECTION PROCESS • The coaches will discuss the standard of the competition and nominate swimmers for that gala. For all A and B team galas the strongest team will be selected. All other galas the selection will take place with the aim of giving swimmers of various standards a taste of competitive swimming. • Normally league teams will consist of 4 swimmers in each age group but where younger swimmers are currently faster than older swimmer then the fastest swimmers may be selected irrespective of age. Swimmers will not necessarily lose their team place as a result of being beaten on a single occasion. • The selection may require some swimmers swimming 2 or more individual strokes while other swimmers will be required to strengthen the relay teams. • Information regarding times is taken from the Hy-Tek system currently used by GCSC. • If a swimmer is entered in a meet that has not been designated as a club meet, the times can be submitted to our Hy-Tek system on the production of the results sheets. • Team Sheets will be displayed on the notice board and web site. Every effort is made to give swimmers and parents as much notice as possible. Prompt acceptance by ticking the team sheet on the notice board is required. If for any reason a swimmer is not available then please inform a coach ASAP with the reason they are not able to attend. • A coach may change the selected team on the poolside at a gala for tactical reasons. • Swimmers must obey the instruction of the Team Managers and coaches in regard to discipline, conduct on the poolside and events to be swum. Failure to comply with these instructions could lead to the Club being disciplined by the ASA and the swimmer being excluded from eligibility for selection for future events. • Team Managers for galas may vary from time to time.

9. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 • I. Thou shalt not impose thy ambitions on thy child. • Remember that swimming is your child's activity. Improvements and progress occur at  different rates for each individual. Don't judge your child's progress based on the performance of other athletes and don't push him based on what you think he should be doing. The nice thing about swimming is every person can strive to do his personal best and benefit from the process of  competitive swimming. • II. Thou shalt be supportive no matter what. • There is only one question to ask your child after a practice or a competition - "Did you have fun?" If meets and practices are not fun, your child should not be forced to participate. • III. Thou shalt not coach thy child. • You are involved in one of the few youth sports programs that offers professional coaching. Do not undermine the professional coach by trying to coach your child on the side. Your job is to provide love and support. The coach is responsible for the technical part of the job. You should not offer advice on technique or race strategy. Never pay your child for a performance. This will only serve to confuse your child concerning the reasons to strive for excellence and weaken the swimmer/coach bond. • IV.Thou shalt only have positive things to say at a swimming meet. • You should be encouraging and never criticize your child or the coach. Both of them know when mistakes have been made. Remember “yelling at” is not the same as “cheering for”. • V.Thou shalt acknowledge thy child's fears. • New experiences can be stressful situations. It is totally appropriate for your child to be scared. Don't yell or belittle, just assure your child that the coach would not have suggested the event or meet if your child was not ready. Remember your job is to love and support your child through all of the swimming experience.

10. Swim Skills 2013 / 2014 • VI.Thou shalt not criticize the officials. • Please don't criticize those who are doing the best they can in purely voluntary positions. • VII.Honor thy child's coach. • The bond between coach and swimmer is special. It contributes to your child's success as well as fun. Do not criticize the coach in the presence of your child. • VIII.Thou shalt be loyal and supportive of thy team • It is not wise for parents to take swimmers and to jump from team to team. The water isn't necessarily bluer in another team's pool. Every team has its own internal problems, even teams that build champions. Children who switch from team to team find that it can be a difficult emotional experience. Often swimmers who do switch teams don't do better than they did before they sought the bluer water. • IX.Thy child shalt have goals besides winning. • Most successful swimmers have learned to focus on the process and not the outcome. Giving an honest effort regardless of what the outcome is, is much more important than winning. One Olympian said, "My goal was to set a world record. Well, I did that, but someone else did it too, just a little faster than I did. I achieved my goal and I lost. Does this make me a failure? No, in fact I am very proud of that swim." What a tremendous outlook to carry on through life. • X.Thou shalt not expect thy child to become an Olympian. • There are 250,000 athletes in USA Swimming. There are only 52 spots available for the Olympic Team every four years. Your child's odds of becoming an Olympian are about .0002%.