Northampton Area Swimming

www.naswim.org

April 2, 2010

"Desire fuels Ambition... Ambition creates Opportunity... Opportunity makes way for success..."
- Gene Vasquez

Welcome

It is great to be back for the Spring/Summer season. Welcome back returning swimmers and families and welcome newcomers. Coaches are looking forward to working with everyone and are excited about a great summer program.

Reminders for Practice

• All swimmers attending practice should have turned in registration paperwork and fees. Paperwork is used to generate team email list and add swimmers into the computer for this season, so it is needed for all swimmers whether returning or new.
• Arrive to practice on time; stretching and announcements will begin promptly at the start of practice and should not be missed. Swimmers should use the bathroom facilities before practice, PLEASE.
• Regarding swimsuits: it is best for girls to wear a one piece, well-fitting swimsuit. Boys should try to wear a jammer or “speedo” brief to practice, as swim “trunks” are very cumbersome and create lots of drag for swimming (especially for newer, less experienced swimmers). Swimsuits can be ordered through the link on our website or a plain black suit can be purchased at any sporting goods store to wear for meets. Swimmers will prefer a less snug suit for practices, but should have a tight fitting suit for meets. Older, more experienced swimmers are encouraged to wear something for increased drag to practices (either a drag suit, a second suit, or tights).
• A swim cap is needed if hair is long (even to the shoulders) or covers the eyes. NAS caps will be needed for meets for any swimmer wearing a cap in the meet on the team.
• Goggles, fins, and pull-buoys are highly recommended for every swimmer, along with a water bottle filled with water to sip between sets at practice.
• Swimmers should be picked up within 15 minutes of the end of practice. Swimmers must be respectful of the property at JFK, the locker room facilities, and the members and patrons of the JFK facility. Swimmers are responsible to shower and exit quickly after practice, as there is little or no supervision in the locker rooms and a coach stays each night until all swimmers are picked up.
• Now is the time to develop good swimming technique/skills and habits, as well as organize time around swim practices and balancing homework and other activities; please make the effort to develop the good habits.

• Parents are not allowed on the pool deck during practice sessions; however, parents may utilize the room at the far end of the pool during practice.

Practice Schedules

There will be no Wednesday practices until 4/21/10, as the pool is being used for another program until then.

News, Information, and Communication

Our team families will each have a folder/mailbox, once registered for the team, which coaches will take out for swimmers or parents to check for newsletters, meet announcements, or other correspondence during practice time. Information also gets posted on the team bulletin board at the pool (far end) and the web site frequently, announcements are made in the beginning of practice regularly, and email is used often. Families should become familiar with the website and Team Handbook and policies (posted on the website): www.naswim.org. Feel free to call or email Sherry as needed, too: 586-1727 at home, 575-8559 (cell), or email sherbw@comcast.net.

Meet Schedule

The meets we run are our only team fundraisers and participation is required for all families. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 14^th for our first meet this season, which will be held at JFK. Families will all be expected to make a donation for the food table (about $10 equivalent or more if more than one child on the team), as well as work at the meet (at food table, timing, or other jobs, as assigned). Sign-up sheets will be posted for food table and preferred work assignments, so please sign-up, rather than be assigned closer to the meet. Our other meets will be held in June. We will help run the Bay State Games swimming qualifier at Smith College (a meet for swimmers 10 and older) and will offer a food table there (a fundraiser for us) on Friday and Saturday 6/11 & 12. All families will be expected to make a food table donation and work at the meet. Another meet may be added later.

Competitive Swimming Terminology/Jargon, etc.

The spring/summer swim season is considered the long course (LC) season, where most swim meets are held in long course pools (LCM), 50 meters, as opposed to the short course season, when meets are all in short course yards (25 yd. pools). The 25-yard pools are short course (SCY). There are also some pools which are SCM (short course meters), which are 25 meters, just a bit longer than 25 yards. There are swimming events in 4 competitive strokes: Freestyle (front crawl), Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly, as well as IMs (Individual Medley consisting of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle, in that order). There are also relays, usually Freestyle or Medley (medley order is Back, Breast, Fly, Free, which is different than the IMs). Swimmers will all practice all of the strokes, IMs, relays, and start and turns for all strokes and drills for all strokes, too, which will help with learning proper techniques. Each stroke, turn, and finish has its own set of rules and regulations, which swimmers must follow in competitions to avoid DQs or disqualification by swimming officials at meets. At practice and meets, swimmers begin in the water with a warm-up (a swimming set or prescribed distance to help prepare swimmers for the practice or meet).

Welcome NAS Swimmers and Families!!