Welcome Packet

If your child has a poor race and comes out of it feeling bad, talk about the good things theydid. You never talk about the negative things. If your child comes up to you and says, “Thatwas a bad race; don’t tell me it wasn’t,” remember there is nothing wrong with a swimmernegatively evaluating a race. Their evaluation may be the truth! The important thing is that thechild doesn’t dwell on it. You should move the swimmer on to something good. Talk about thenegative things in a constructive way. “All right, you have had a bad race. How do you thinkyou can do better the next time?” Immediately start talking about the positive things.Realize it is the coaches’ job to point out the negative things so that an athlete can improve. It isyour job as the parent to encourage and “cheerlead.” The easiest way to remember this is toavoid the word “but.” A parent’s job is to say “good job.” The coaches’ job is to say “good jobbut…” Coaches have “buts” parents don’t.DQ:Most of our meets do not have disqualifications (DQs). If we go to a meet that does disqualifyathletes, please realize that DQs happen to all swimmers at one time or another. I have evensee DQs at the Olympic trials! It is important to focus on the experience as an opportunity tolearn and to grow. Swimmers need not be embarrassed, since even the best swimmers DQ.Special Parent’s Note:Indoor pool areas are usually VERY warm and muggy. Therefore, you need to make sure thatyou dress appropriately.Outdoor pools are enslaved to the weather. Be prepared. Remember, it is better to have andnot need than to need and not have.Basic Swimming RulesThe technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair equitable conditions ofcompetition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rulesdesigned to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over anotherswimmer. In some meets, trained officials observe the swimmers during each event to ensurecompliance with these technical rules. If a swimmer commits an infraction of the rules, adisqualification (DQ) will result. This means that the swimmer will not receive an official timeand will not be eligible for an award in that event. DQs may result from actions such as notgetting to the starting blocks on time, false starting, advancing themselves by walking orpushing off the bottom of the pool, pulling on the lane lines, or unsportsmanlike conduct. DQsare also a result of technical rules violations. They include but are not limited to: