MOUNT
SWIM CLUB
HANDBOOK FOR SWIMMERS
AND PARENTS OF SWIMMERS
SEPTEMBER 2007/2008
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE:
Dear Swimmers and Parents:
Welcome to the new 2007/2008
swim season. We would like to first and
foremost welcome our new head coach Ms. Meredith Earle (Duffy) to our team she
brings along with her a number of years of coaching experience, enthusiasm and
some great new ideas for the team and the up and coming season.
Please take a few moments to
review our teams Philosophy and Mission Statement which you can find on our web-site
by going either to mpmarlins@gmail.com or by going to www.mountpearlmarlins.com .
The Executive would like to
welcome any new swimmer and returning swimmers as well as any new parents and
returning parents to the team for this season and wish them all the best for
the up and coming year.
For the parents please try
and be encouraging and enthusiastic with your child as they are getting back
into the swim of things. On the good days, as well as on the bad, a smiling
face is always a way to help brighten your child’s day.
The Executive would like to
also remind the swimmers that this is a new swim season with a new head coach.
There may be growing pains along with the successes, so seize the moments with
open arms and have fun.
Good luck to everyone and may
you all have a successful swim year.
AN INTRODUCTION TO COMPETITIVE SWIMMING
This Handbook has been
complied for one major purpose: to provide the parents of potential and novice
swimmers the opportunity to gain insight into the sport of competitive swimming
– its benefits, expectations and rigors.
Swimming programs are founded
on the belief that swimming offers an exciting and valuable experience in a
person’s life. They can appeal equally
to the novice or the aspiring Olympic athlete and their value goes far beyond
that of increasing efficiency in the water.
In a well-directed program, every participant can benefit from the
experience of competition even if he or she never mounts to the medal podium.
As your swimmer begins to
train and to participate in competitions, you will have many questions, some
pertaining to your swimmer’s participation and eligibility for meets, some
pertaining to your parental responsibilities.
Many of these issues are covered here in a general context; please check
with your Head Coach or Club President for specific information.
When your child joins a local
competitive swimming club the club registers him/her with the Provincial
Association (
More in-depth information is
available on our web-site.
WELCOME TO THE MOUNT PEARL MARLINS SWIM CLUB!
We would like to welcome you
to the exciting world of swimming. your child has become a member of one of the country’s
largest and most organized youth sports.
The Mount Pearl Marlins Swim
Club consists of swimmers, parents, coaches, officials and administrators. All working together toward
the fulfillment of the Mission Statements of Swimming/Natation
Canada (“to be a world leader in every aspect of competitive swimming’) and
The club is governed by a
volunteer Executive, comprised of parents of the Marlins swimmers. The Executive meets regularly and we
encourage all parents to become actively involved in the club.
While
training as a competitive swimmer, many skills will be acquired that will aid
in the development of the whole person. Swimmers learn to make commitments,
to set realistic goals, to deal with success and disappointment, to be involved
in social interactions, to budget time; they learn sportsmanship, teamwork,
physical conditioning, nutritional awareness, persistence, responsibility,
concentration, courage, discipline, diligence- numerous life-skills
Swimming Clubs Provide
·
Training and
competition of swimmers at all levels, consistent with ability, desire and performance
levels
·
Positive social
and emotional development
·
Development of
sportsmanship and concept of team identity, spirit, and support
·
Establishment of
a healthy lifestyle
·
Enhancement of
self-esteem and sense of personal worth through commitment to the sport
·
Participation and
skill improvement in the athletic activity which can be enjoyed throughout ones
entire life.
The
acquisition of records, trophies and medals, though gratifying, assumes a
secondary role to these objectives. In
all respects, competitive swimming is a preparation for life. The hardest worker in the pool does not
always win the race; however, each swimmer will learn that in order to reach
one’s highest potential, dedication and hard work are essential. Learning from present situations will prove
immeasurably valuable in the future.
Love
of competition is not the only reason swimmers swim, although it is a major
one. Swimmers form innumerable
friendships amongst fellow athletes, friendships that last for their
lifetimes. The p
The
sport of swimming has many benefits, including the people you and your child
will meet. The camaraderie among
swimmers is unique, with many swimming buddies becoming lifelong friends. In addition to being around fine people,
swimming provides one of the most beneficial forms of exercise for
cardiovascular and overall fitness.
Swimming is also relatively injury free and can be enjoyed throughout
one’s entire life. Perhaps the greatest
benefits of participating in an organized swim program are the life skills you
child will develop. Your child will reap
the benefits of swimming long after his/her participation in competitive
swimming ends.
A
swimming club and your involvement in it can help swimmers achieve their
goals. Yu may soon find yourself cheering at competitions, timekeeping on pool deck,
participating in executive decisions, or becoming involved as a committee
member. Whatever the role, your child’s
experience in swimming has much to do with your positive support. Please feel free to ask questions.
Whether
it is coaches, official or fellow parents, all have the same goal; to provide
our children with the best possible swimming experience.
TEAM PHILOSOPHY
The
Mount Pearl Marlins Swim Team is committed to creating strong well rounded
individuals who strive to meet their maximum potential in the sport of swimming
and all other aspects of life. Please
refer to our web-site.
COACHING STAFF
The
Mount Pearl Marlins Swim Club employs a full time Head Coach and three part
time Assistant Coaches. We also
incorporate members of our senior team as volunteer coaches with our youngest
swimmers. Our Coaches are highly trained
and are eager to assist each swimmer to reach his or her maximum potential.
Duffy
Earle………………………………………………..…….Head Coach
Duffy
can be reached by email at duffyearle@gmail.com
Jean
Stoyles…………………………………………………Assistant Coach
TBA
…………………………………………………………Assistant Coach
THE PROGRAM
The
Mount Pearl Marlins Swim Team is composed of a Pre-Competitive program and a
Competitive program which is comprised of four (4) Training Groups. All levels of the program build upon each
other in the development of our athletes to meet their maximum potential in the
sport of swimming.
Discovery Group-Pre-Competitive Program:
The main goal of this section
of the program is to create a love of the water and for the sport. The focus is to build on the techniques
instilled in lesson programs and carry them forward into competitive swimming
by teaching the basics such as the proper turn and start technique. Success is
measures through self improvement and swimmers are introduced to competitive
swimming in a low stress atmosphere.
Competitive Program:
Novice Training
Group (Beginners Competitive)
This is the first competitive
swimming training group of the Marlins program.
The focus of this training group is to further enhance the training of
the athletes towards achieving Provincial Championship Time Standards, and East
Coast Championship Time Standards. 80%
attendance is required along with a basic understanding of measurements of
personal improvement.
Marlins 3 Training Group
(Intermediate Competitive Program)
The Marlins 2 training Group
is the second competitive training group in the Marlins program. Along with continuing to improve technique the
focus of this group is to build upon the and further enhance
the training towards East Coast Championship Time Standards. Practice includes moving towards increasing
endurance, nutritional education and a more formalized goal setting.
Marlins 2 (Advanced Competitive Program)
The Marlins 2 Training Group
is the third competitive training group in the Marlins program. This group is for serious athletes who are
physically and mentally mature enough to handle advanced training. Swimmers in
this group must show independence and the ability to interpret their training
results. Dryland training and morning practices are essential to a swimmers
success beyond this point. Swimmers in this group should be dedicated to
performance and optimal personal fitness. Swimmers should be striving to
compete at a national level.
Marlins 1 Training Group (High Performance Competitive
Program)
The Marlins 1 Training Group
is the top competitive training group in the Marlins program. It is comprised of the most advanced athletes
on our
*swimmers could spend multiple years in each group and not all swimmers
will spend time in each group.
SWIMMERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES
YES, AS A CLUB SWIMMER, you
have responsibilities. No matter how old
you are or how well you swim, you have certain responsibilities to yourself, to
your club-mates, and to those in the Parents’ Group who work for you. To understand this better, let’s take a look
at just what a swimming club is and why it exists in the first place.
A competitive swimming club
is simply a group of individuals, swimmers and parents, who have joined forces
to better pursue a common interest. They
work together so they can have:
1.
blocks of pool
time (imagine all the swimmers in your club trying to practice on their own
during public swimming hours)
2.
coaching and
instruction
3.
swim meets
(individuals going their separate ways can’t run swim meets)
4.
fundraising
schemes to raise money for travel and other expenses (reducing the cost to the
club members)
5.
the fun of being with others with a similar
interest. One thing is certain: without
you and the other swimmers in the water, there would be no point in having a
club at all. You are important to your
club, and as in any type of club, membership brings with it certain
responsibilities.
In Training:
1.
Obey all pool regulations. You have a
duty to do your part in keeping your club’s good relations with the pool
staff. Aall it
takes to spoil things for the whole club is one or two “bad apples”. Do your part and see that others do theirs.
2.
Be on time for workouts. Be on deck,
ready to swim (goggles adjusted, bathing cap on, etc.) at least 15 minutes
prior to the start of a training session.
Report to the coach when you are late or when you have to leave early.
3.
Be cheerful and co-operative. Productive
swimming training should be “serious fun”, so to speak; even though at times it
is physically demanding and perhaps boring, remember that it’s what you came to
the pool for. Above all, don’t interfere
with or impede the training of others.
4.
Be a regular attendee.
Improvement in swimming, like
in any other sport, is very much a matter of attending workouts regularly,
being on hand when the various skills are taught, and logging mileage. Casual, hit-or-miss attendance, no matter how
“talented” the individual, cannot bring you to your highest potential.
5.
Know your best times. You should
know your best times for all of the events both in competition and in
training. While you are at it learn the
various qualifying times, Provincial Championship, East Coast Championship, and
Senior Nationals, for the events in your age group. This can add zest to your training.
NOTE: The above are of a general nature, true for any swimmer anywhere. Your coach and/or club will undoubtedly have
additional special rules of conduct expected of you at the pool. Remember the rules are designed to help you
become a better swimmer.
At Meets:
1.
Report to your Coach or Team Manager upon arrival at
the pool. “Check in” at each session in which you are to
swim. Check in early enough to take
advantage of the warm-up period(s). Your
coach wants to know you are on hand and preparing for competition. If you are entered but cannot attend, notify
your coach so you can be scratched and the coach can re-arrange any relays you
were to be in. Final relays will be posted, coaches will notify you on arrival time and of any
scratches.
2.
Sit with your team mates. Be a part of
your team. Your
Coach and Team Manager want to know where you are at all times. It’s fine to have your parents in the stands,
but apart from short visits, stay with your team mates and enjoy the time with
your team.
3.
Come prepared. You want to be warm and comfortable, so learn from the
great swimmers and dress warmly when waiting for your events. A good track suit, sweat-shirts, deck shoes,
warm socks, spare towels, perhaps a robe, spare (dry) swim suit (warm up in one
then change to a dry one while waiting for your event), a duffle bag, etc. are
all part of every serious swimmer’s swim-meet kit. MARK ALL SUCH ITEMS WITH YOUR NAME AND CLUB
NAME. Obviously, don’t leave valuables
in your duffle-bag, lock them in a locker; leave them with your parents or with
your team officers. Wear your team
uniform, so you are identified as a member of your team.
4.
Respect the decisions of meet officials. Any protest
should come through your Coach or team official, not you or your parent.
5.
When watching races, stay well back from the edge
(including the end of the pool). You can see just as well from farther away, for one
thing, AND YOU MAY BE RULED OUT OF THE MEET; also YOUR SWIMMER(S) MAY BE DISQUALIFIED
BY YOUR ACTION. There are Swimming/Natation Canada Rules covering this, rules which are
designed to allow better officiating and to restrict coaching during
races. Remember that at meets you are
identified with your club; help your club keep its reputation for fair play and
courtesy.
6.
In individual events stay in the water until all have
finished. Stay in your lane, in the water. It’s just good sportsmanship and it allows
the officials to do their jobs better. In relay events: swimmers number 1,2,
and 3 on a team must get out of the water without delay when they have finished
and THEY MUST STAY OUT UNTIL ALL TEAMS HAVE FINISHED THE RACE; jumping in
before all teams have finished will cause your team to be disqualified.
7.
Watch what you eat.
You will swim better if you eat properly. For some, the
nervous state of their being (which is quite normal and can even be helpful)
may dictate extra caution; seek the advice of your coach on this. Generally speaking, there are no “magic”
foods or elixirs that will somehow make you faster, but there are things to be
avoided.
8.
Please advise the coach in special medical cases. i.e
Allergies, asthma etc.
9.
Learn from others.
During your development years
in the sport you can learn a lot from watching the best swimmers conduct
themselves at meets, both in the water and when waiting for their events. You can pick up the tricks of the trade, so
to speak.
In General:
Your Chief responsibility is
to yourself. You owe it to yourself to
learn that this sport of competitive swimming demands a high degree of
dedication and self-discipline. It’s a
precision sport in which mere one hundredths of a second can determine the
winner.
PARENTS’ RESPONSIBLILITIES
To Your Club
One of the keys to continued
success and development of any swim club is participation by the members. The club executive that oversees the day to
day operation of the swimming club is made up of parent volunteers. There are many opportunities for volunteers
to contribute. The club cannot operate
effectively without parent volunteers.
Your swimmer trains and races
hard to realize his/her goals. As a
parent, you achieve a sense of pride and excitement when these dreams are
attained. Volunteering
your time, will only serve to heighten your sense of pride and excitement.
Committees
The Mount Pearl Marlins is a
non profit, competitive athletic club that relies on the volunteer labor from
its members to conduct its ongoing administrative and fundraising
operations. Without this resource, the
program will stall. Our club will thrive
if we channel the talents of our parents into the committee structure.
The following are
descriptions of various committees that are necessary to conduct a successful
parent-run sport organization.
ELECTED EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President
The President has the
responsibility of being the club’s delegator,
mediator, and evaluator. The President
shall preside at meetings and perform all duties pertaining to this
office. He/she shall enforce due
observance of the rules and regulations and in general, exercise control over
the officers and business of the Team.
Vice-President
The Vice-President shall
preside at meetings and exercise the powers of the President in the absence of
the President. The Vice-President shall
carry out those duties as assigned by the Executive.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall have
custody of all funds of the Team and shall receive, collect, and deposit all
funds. The treasurer shall keep an
accurate record of all receipts and disbursements and shall make all payments
by cheque upon approval of the Executive.
Secretary
All official correspondence
pertaining to the club in general is generated through the Secretary. The Secretary keeps the minutes of all
executive and club meetings. The Secretary
is responsible for creating and distributing important information to all club
members via newsletters, email or other means.
Registrar
The Registrar shall ensure
that all swimmers are properly registered and provided with all necessary
information. The Registrar shall
maintain an accurate record of names and addresses and any other information as
may be required.
Chair of Fundraising
The Chair of Fundraising
shall attend and participate in all Executive meetings. The Chair of Fundraising shall be responsible
for planning and implementing all fundraising activities with the aid of
committees.
NON-ELECTED COMMITTEES
Team/Equipment Manager
The Team/Equipment Manager is
responsible for helping the team acquire new equipment and team apparel.
Travel Coordinator
The Travel Manager is
responsible for coordinating travel schedules, ground transportation, hotel
reservations and meal arrangements for overnight trips.
Phone Committee
The Phone Committee works in
conjunction with all other committees as required.
Social Committee
The Social Committee
organizes all team social events. Ie. Team
breakfasts, Christmas Party, Year-End Banquet, Team meals after meets, canteen
at team events, Team outings
Competition Support
Volunteer officials are
needed to officiate, supervise, and conduct sanctioned competitions. Please see further information in the
Handbook.
Officials Coordinator
The Officials Coordinator is
responsible for recruiting and organizing the training of members of the club
to be certified competition officials.
The Coordinator will assist the Meet Manger to ensure Mount Pearl
Marlins meets are adequately staffed.
Swim for Hope
This committee will organize
all aspects of this stand-alone event.
Media/Swimmer Recognition
This person is responsible
for releasing pre and post competition results and any other articles of
interest to the media. This person is
also responsible for Swimmer Nomination Applications.
Team Photographer
The Team Photographer is
responsible for arranging a picture day each season. This person is also responsible for taking
and compiling digital photos of athletes during competition and other team
events for use by the team and as a presentation at awards banquets.
TO YOUR SWIMMER
You are becoming part of the
parent, coach, and athlete triangle. The
parent provides emotional support (an anchor) and physical support for the
athlete. The coach provides technical
expertise that is unavailable anywhere else in the triangle, motivation, in the
form of vision, challenge and emotional support. The athlete brings the raw material….the
eagerness to learn, to develop, and to respond.
As a parent, your major
responsibility is to provide a stable, loving and supportive environment. Show your interest by ensuring your swimmer’s
attendance at practices, by coming to meets and being active in the Club. Parents are not participants on their child’s
team, but they do contribute to the success of the team. Be
careful as a parent not to impose your own standards and goals on your swimmer. Do not over burden your child with winning or
achieving best times. The most important
part of your swimmer’s experience is that he/she learns about himself/herself
while enjoying the sport.
Leave the coaching to the coach. Be
enthusiastic and supportive, but remember that your child is the swimmer. Swimmers will establish their goals in
conjunction with their coach and make their own progress. The best way to help a child achieve his/her
goals and reduce the natural fear of failure is through positive
reinforcement. No one likes to make a
mistake, but, as your swimmer progresses, mistakes will be made. The value in this for your swimmer is in
learning all he/she can from mistakes and then moving forward. Encourage your child’s efforts and point out
the things they did well. As long as
they gave their best effort, you should make them feel like a winner.
As an Official
Each year most SNL (
Each session at a swim meet
requires at least 40 officials. The
Officials’ Coordinator will contact all club members to positions prior to your
club’s hosting a meet.
Parents must take clinics
prior to officiating at meets. There are
different training courses given by certified officials throughout the year to
qualify parents as swimming officials with duties ranging from timekeeping, to
judging strokes and turns, to marshalling swimmers, to acting as starter, to
managing the meet.
Most parents will complete
their “Level 1 Clinic” during their first year of membership and go on to do timekeeping
at meets. Volunteers are needed to move
beyond Level 1 and become certified at the higher levels.
Listed below, not necessarily
in order of importance, are parents’ responsibilities that have grown out of
the years of experience:
1.
see that your
child gets to the pool on time;
·
on time workouts
·
on time for swim
meets
Car
pools involving several families can help here, alleviating at least to a
degree the “total involvement “ of personally driving
to the pool mornings and evenings everyday.
2.
Keep your child
at home when he or she is realistically sick.
You as a parent should learn the rest requirement for your
children. Swimming training can be hard
work, so be especially on guard with respect to rest requirements following a
bout of illness. It is not a crime to
miss a workout when there is a valid reason.
Parents will usually know how much rest is required in order that the
swimmer will not suffer a relapse on returning to a full slate of workouts.
3.
Avoid altering
transportation and/or accommodation arrangements for out-of town swim meets
once the club’s committee has them set up.
Under no circumstances should plans be changed without notifying those
in charge of the team and its movements.
A child who is missing from a club-arranged departure point because a
parent, on his own (without telling anyone), has decided to drive him to or
from the meet can cause unnecessary delays and worry to everyone concerned.
4.
Notify the coach
if your swimmer has any unusual medical problems.
5.
Take down in writing
all messages the telephoning committee gives you; you may want to refer to the
information later.
6.
Instruct your
child in how to look after money and other personal belongings at swim meets or
when traveling with the team. If your
child is quite young, you may choose to have a chaperone be a custodian of his
change purse or wallet. It is strongly
recommended that all towels, suits, goggles, swim-meet garments, etc. be marked
with your swimmer’s name.
7.
If you don’t like
the way things are going in the club, discuss your problem only with the club
executive. The executive will discuss
the issue with the coach. If necessary a
meeting will be set to review concerns, but above all, don’t make the problem
the topic for the dinner table when swimmers are present. Remember, the swimmer may be quite content
with things they way they are.
8.
Swim clubs cannot function without Volunteers to serve
on the executive and various committees.
Do not leave everything to be done by the same few people who did it
last year. Take the time to find out about the sport. It can be fun, it can be rewarding, it can become a “family” involvement.
9.
In the final
analysis, remember that the child is swimming against himself/herself to
improve his/her own time. there is only one “first”,
but every tenth of a second of improvement makes that swimmer a “winner”. Encourage your child to strive for the next
level up in the club, then the next level, and so on.
10. Be patient.
Champions are not made overnight in this sport. It takes years to acquire the skills and
polish of the best international swimmers, years of faithful attendance, hard
work, and dedication and years of encouragement from you, the parent. Make your encouragement realistic.
READY FOR COMPETITION
Once
your child had a good understanding of the competitive strokes and has been
introduced to the basics of racing, it will be time for their first swim
meet. The coach will determine when your
swimmer is ready to compete at a meet.
At
the beginning of the season, swimmers are given a tentative meet schedule to
assist families in their time and financial planning. Please record the swim meet schedule on your
calendar and plan your activities accordingly.
What is a Swim Meet?
Competition
is a means of personal development.
Learning about and becoming comfortable in a competitive setting, trying
racing strategies, managing stress and dealing with losing and winning all
contribute to the development of your child.
In a competition, swimmers from the same club, or from more than one
club, gather together at the pool. They
do what they have been doing in practice, except they go as fast as they con
while applying their racing strategies.
Competition is a way to measure success of training sessions, and it
allows the swimmer to race the time clock, as well as their peers and/or
swimmers outside their peer group.
There
are different types of swim meets. Some
meets are held at home, others require travel.
Some are designed to let any swimmer race and others have qualifying
times that the swimmer must achieve before being entered. All swimmers are governed by a set of
technical rules regarding the starts, strokes, turns and takeovers, to ensure
competition is fair to all. These
technical rules are established by Swimming/Natation
Canada (SNC) and are monitored/enforced by officials.
Age Groups and Time Standards
For
the purpose of competition, swimmers are placed into age groups. Age groupings at SNL Development Meets are as
follows: 10 &
Under; 11 & 12; 13 & 14; 15 & 17; and 17 and over. This is determined by the individual Meet
Managers at each meet. At Championship
Meets they are 12 & Under; 13 & 14; and 15
& Over.
Swimmers
will usually compete within their own age grouping with the exception of
relays. In a relay 1 or 2 younger
swimmers may move up an age group in order to allow the club to enter a relay
team.
Before the Competition
The
coaches will determine which swimmers are to go to a competition, based on ability and/or
qualifying. Once entries are confirmed,
the information is e-mailed or mailed to the hosting club. You will be responsible for meet entry fees.
Entry
fees are non-refundable.
Travel to Meets
Group travel arrangements to swim meets will be made by the Travel
Coordinator, in consultation with the Head Coach when required. The club will arrange the most cost effective
and safe means to get the swimmers to competitions. You will be billed your swimmer’s share of
the travel.
The
Travel Coordinator will book blocks of rooms for away meets. Parents must contact the Coordinator if they
require a room.
If
required at Short Course Championships and East Coast Championship when they
are away parents are welcome to chaperone.
Classes of Competition
There
are various levels of swim meets, designed to offer competition to swimmers
from the novice to the elite levels of ability.
Meets
are held in either a 25 meter pool (short course) or a 50 meter pool (long
course).
Meets
in
·
Time Trials: competition
between club members (or 2 teams) to prepare beginning swimmers for
competitions or to provide an opportunity for swimmers to attain a qualifying
time for an up-coming competition (no qualifying times are required).
·
Development Meet: competitions designed for multiple clubs (may be “province- wide” or
“split”) for beginning swimmers or those who are attempting to meet a time
standard (no qualifying times are required).
·
Invitational Meets: swimmers must meet qualifying time standards to be entered in this
type of meet. Each swim is a final. How you and your team place is how you place.
·
Provincial Championships: swimmers must reach the qualifying time standard to
compete. These meets will have heats and
finals and both individual and team scoring.
·
Regional Meets:
generally with more difficult entry standards then provincial championship.
·
Nationally Designated Meets: meets having more stringent qualifying times and
generally involving greater expense, the club and SNL provide some travel
assistance for swimmers reaching this level.
Explanations
of and guidelines for these various competitions are included in the “SNL
Operational Policies” available on-line or from the
In
addition to “in-province” competitions, many of our swimmers will travel
“out-of-province” to compete at meets that will challenge their abilities. Each SNL club will define their club’s needs
and schedule their annual program accordingly, taking into consideration the
need to support provincial initiatives.
THE STROKES
Your first encounter with the
competitive swimming strokes and the rules governing them is bound to be a bit
puzzling. The terms used and the strict
enforcement of the rules is likely to make you wonder. But be assured there is sound reasoning
behind them. In no time at all you will
come to appreciate the need for the rules.
Who makes the rules? The International Swimming Association makes
them. The correct name for the world
body is “Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur”, but it is usually called FINA
(pronounced Feenah) for short. FINA has retained its original name in French
although its working language is English.
FINA has a Technical Committee (with Canada represented) which meets
periodically especially during world gatherings, such as the Olympic Games, to
review the rules, paying heed to suggestions filed by the 100 plus member
nations. Once ratified by FINA’s supreme body, the “Bureau”, any changes in the rules
become law for international competitions and
The rules are designed to
ensure that all swimmers in a race are subject to the same restrictions – they
regulate fair play, in other words (They are NOT designed merely to see that
“proper form” – for form’s sake – is maintained.) The rules cover strokes, starts and turns,
the dimensions of the pool, the dimensions of the starting blocks, the width of
the lanes, pool markings, and so on; even the numbering of the lanes is covered
by FINA rules.
If you are a “swimmer
parent”, your best way to become familiar with the rules is turn out for an
“Official’s Clinics”. Such clinics,
which are usually friendly, get togethers where you
can meet the other parents in the club, will take you by easy stages through Timekeeping, finish Judging, Stroke Judging and other area
of swim meet officiating. You may obtain
a “Swimming Rules Handbook” from the Section Office and get yourself into the
act. (And you may stay at least even
with your child’s understanding of the sport)
But for the purpose of this manual a brief run down of the rules can get
you started.
The four competitive swimming
strokes are freestyles, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Your swimmer will learn all four strokes as
he/she progresses through the program.
They will begin with instruction that is practiced over small
distances. As their skill level
increases, so will distance and endurance.
Each of the strokes are combined into the
follow race events.
Freestyle
The swimmer may swim any
stroke he/she wishes. The usual stroke
is the freestyle. This stroke is
characterized by alternate overhead motion of the arms and an alternating up and
down flutter kick. The freestyle is swum
over 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 meter distances.
Backstroke
The swimmer must stay on
their back. The stroke is an alternating
motion of arms. At each turn, a swimmer
will roll onto their front, is allowed one arm stroke and then performs a
tumble turn. At each turn the swimmer
must touch the wall with some part of their body. After the turn the swimmer pushes off the
wall on their back. Swimmers must
surface within 15 metres after the start of the race
and after each turn. Backstroke race
distances are 50, 100, and 200 metres.
Breaststroke
Perhaps one of the most
difficult strokes to master, the breaststroke requires simultaneous movement of
the arms on the same horizontal plane.
The hands are pushed forward from the breast, on or under the surface of
the water and brought backward in the propulsive stage of the stroke,
simultaneously. The kick is a
synchronous thrust of the legs called a “frog” or breaststroke kick. No flutter or dolphin kick is allowed. At each turn a simultaneous, but uneven,
touch is permitted. Any competitor who,
on his approach to a turn or finish allows his shoulders to leave the
horizontal plane before touching the wall with his hands shall be
disqualified. Officials, called “Turn
Judges”, are stationed at the pool ends to see that this rule and the other
rules for turning (for all strikes) are adhered to. Breaststroke race distances are 50, 100, and
200 metres.
Butterfly
This is the most beautiful
and physically demanding stroke. The
butterfly features the simultaneous overhead stroke of the arms combined with
the dolphin kick. In the dolphin kick
both legs move up and down together. No
flutter kicking is allowed. Swimmers
must surface within 15 metres after the start and
after each turn. Learning the timing is
the most difficult part of this stroke.
The butterfly is swum in 50, 100, and 200 metres
distances.
Individual Medley
Usually
called simply “I.M.” (eye-em), the Individual Medley , as
its name umplies, is a medley of the four strokes
already discussed, performed by an individual (not to be confused with the
Medley Relay). The swimmer swims
Butterfly for a quarter of the distance, the Backstroke for a quarter of the
distance, the Breaststroke for one quarter of the distance and Freestyle for
the last quarter of the distance. The
strokes must be done in order stated above and each part of the race, right up
to the touching of the wall, this must be done according to the rules of the
separate strokes. The most common I.M’s are for 200 and 400 metres,
but for the younger age-groups and novice swimmers in general the 100 I.M. is
sometimes swum in short course pools (one length of each stroke). The order is
Fly, Back Breast and Free.
Relays
There are Freestyle Relays
and Medley Relays. In each case each
team consist of four swimmer, each swimming one
quarter of the4 distance continuously.
(It is not permitted to have a team of just three swimmers, for example,
with one swimmer swimming two legs of the race.)
Relay swimmers are selected by the coach. These
selections are based upon the swimmer’s times and their age group. When numbers warrant there is an A and B
relay in each group. When there are
insufficient numbers the relays will be picked based upon fastest time per age
group. NS means scratch.
It is possible for two
swimmers to swim up an age group in order to field relay teams. in this case it is
not necessarily the fastest swimmers that move up. This decision is made, again solely by the
coach. For example, if there are seven
13-14 female swimmers and only two 15-17 female swimmers, the coach would make
his/her decision based upon the level of competition within each age group at
that particular meet. Moving the two
swimmers he/she feels will score the best results for each relay. Relays are posted by the end of warm ups.
At each meet not all swimmers will swim a relay. Again
relays are a coaching decision.
In a Freestyle Relay each
swimmer may swim any stroke or any combination of strokes, just in a Freestyle
event. In a Medley Relay each of the
four swims are different strokes. The Backstroker, who swims first, starts in the water as he
would for any backstroke event. The
Breaststroker swims next starting from a dive once the backstroker
touches the wall, then the Butterflier and finally
the Freestyle. In that order Back, Breast Fly and Free.
When one swimmer is finishing
his leg of the relay, the next swimmer must remain in contact (with his toes at
least) with the front edge of the starting platform until the incoming swimmer
touches the wall. The swimmer taking
over may be “winding up” or in the process of diving as long as he is still
touching the block when the incoming swimmer “touches out”. Relay swimmers must swim in the order the names
appear on the entries (card or sheet).
Obviously, if any one of the
team members is disqualified because of his actions in the race, the entire
team is disqualified.
Starts and Turns
Many races are won or lost in
starts and turns. In the start, the
swimmer is called to the starting position by the Starter who visually checks
that all swimmers are still. Then, once
the Starter is satisfied, the race is started by either a gun or electronic
tone.
Quick turns are essential to
a good race. In all events the swimmer much touch the wall, but in the Freestyle and
Backstroke the swimmer may somersault as he reaches the wall, touching only
with his feet. In the other two
competitive strokes, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands before
executing the turn.
Of interest is the rule that
allows the time of any portion of a race that begins with the starter’s signal
to be accepted for official purposes (for records, Time Standards Awards, meet
entry times, etc.) In individual events,
for example this means that in, a 1500 metre race, an
official time taken at the 800 metre point can
count. In relay events, the time of the
lead-off swimmer is a legal entry time and will appear in the meet results.
In Summation
The foregoing is only a partial
account of the rules of the strokes and events.
We recommend that each of you become familiar with the Rule Book. (Available from SNL).
HOW TO WATCH A SWIM MEET
The Meet
Swimmers are allowed to enter
up to 5 events and 2 relays per meet.
Swim meets usually run from Friday night until
Strategies
Coaches determine what
strategies work best for each swimmer, help to avoid parent coaching.
A swimmer may be disqualified
after a race. Disqualification is meant
to point out parts of the swimmer’s stroke that needs to be corrected. Although your swimmer may be very
disappointed, it is to be treated as a learning experience. The rules require that reasonable effort be
made to notify the swimmer or his coach of the reason for
disqualification. The decision of the
official is final as far as the swimmer is concerned; however, the Coach may
question the decision, if he/she feels it is warranted.
Officials are present at all
competitions to monitor the technical rules of swimming and to ensure that the
competition is fair and equitable. As
part of training, officials attend clinics, pass written test, and work at
meets before being certified.
Seeding and Lane Assignment
The competitor with the fastest
qualifying time or submitted time – shall be seeded in the center lane of any
pool with an odd number of working lanes, or in the lane immediately to the
right of the centre, facing the course, in pools with an even number of lanes. The second fastest competitor shall be placed
in the lane immediately to the left of the fastest, the third fastest on the first’s
right, and so on alternately from left ot
right working outward. (i.e. in a six lane pool, the fastest swimmer in the heat is
in lane 3; in an eight lane pool, lane 4.)
The intent of this rule is to
seed no swimmer more than one-half the pool width away from the fastest swimmer
entered in the heat.
Basic Officiating at Swim Meets
A successful swim meet in a
six lane pool requires at least 50 officials.
Swimming official are all
volunteers. They are usually
parents, grandparents and/or friend of swimmers, or of former swimmers, but
basically they are just people who enjoy being involved in the sport. Besides officiating at swim meets, their involvement
includes taking clinics and workshops to improve their officiating skills as
well as conducting clinics to help others become better officials.
Meet Manage –
responsible for pre-meet, meet and post meet organization and operations.
Referee – chief
official over all others during the meet ensures fairness and makes decisions
during the session.
Starter –
starts each race with gun or horn, making sure each start is fair.
Chief Finish Judge – determines final time of each competitor and compiles the order of
finish of a race.
Timekeeper –
takes times of swimmers in each race and marks times on swimmer’s entry card or
Timekeepers’ sheet. There should be
three Timekeepers per lane.
Chief Timekeeper – responsible for all Timekeepers and watches; takes time of winner in
heat.
Clerk of Course – checks in swimmers and directs them to proper heats and lanes;
maintains quiet and order on the pool deck; usually has one or two Marshals to
assist him/her, may seed or re-seed heats on deck.
Marshal – assists
the Clerk of Course in maintaining order on deck and directs the swimmers to
their proper heats and lanes.
Stroke Judge
– on each side of the pool, watches correctness of strokes to ensure that no
swimmer gets an unfair advantage.
Turn Judge –
watches correctness of turns at both ends of the pool.
Recorder/Scorer – usually in a separate room, records results and keep scores for
awards.
Computer Operator – inputs swimmers’ time using HY-TEK Meet Manager Software.
Prior to every swim meet, the
basic responsibilities of the officials are reviewed by the Referee. The Chief Timekeeper talks
to the Timekeepers; the Chief Finish Judge to the Finish Judge; and the clerk
of the Course to the Marshal (pre-meet briefing).
In addition, there are
runners, people to prepare and serve refreshments to the coaches and officials
and sometimes a person on the door for admission (or to sell programs,
t-shirts, etc) a rough minimum of 50 volunteers is needed!!!!!
As the meet gets under way,
the first heat of swimmers is moved forward by the Clerk-of the Course and
marshaled to a position behind their starting blocks. You
child must check to be sure that he/she is in the correct lane and heat for the
event specified. When the heat ends
the Timekeepers record their times, and at the end of the event the Runner
picks up the sheets and takes them to the Chief Finish Judge. Meanwhile, the next heat of swimmers moves
into place and the process continues.
To make the meet a complete
success for the point of view of smoothness and competency, depends very much
on the efforts of the Meet Manage.
He/she must ensure that all the equipment and officials are ready to
operate at the same time. there are
myriad other jobs, duties, and equipment which are the Meet Manager’s responsibility
– if he needs help, volunteer – the next Meet Manager might be you!!!!
Official’s Behaviour
Swim meets are for
swimmers. Officials are only there to be
sure that all swimmers have the best chance of having the best swim. To achieve
that goal, all officials must do a competent job which includes behaving
appropriately.
1.
Arrive at least a half hour before the
meet. This allows time to find out what
job you are doing and to be briefed.
2.
Dress in white –
looking like a good official will help make you a good official.
3.
Be fair to all
competitors, your own children and the opponents alike. Don’t
coach or cheer for swimmers while on deck.
4.
Be inconspicuous
– let the swimmers be the focal point.
Be friendly to swimmers but do not distract them if they are preparing
mentally for a race.
SWIM SEASON
The swimming year runs from
September 1st to August 31st of each year. most swimmers attend
their last competition in June or early July and do not train through July and
August.
The swim year is divided into
two sections, short course season and long course season. The short course season runs from September
to February with all competitions held in a 25 metre
pool. The Provincial Short Course
Championships is held in early March.
The long course season runs from March to August with competitions held
in a 50 metre pool.
The Provincial
Long Course Championships are held in late May.
National meets are from June to August.
TRAINING
Your swimmer will be
registered into a training group that suits his/her abilities and age and will
be under the direction of a coach. You
will be given a schedule of regular practice days and times at
registration. It is expected your child
will get to their respective practice 10-15 minutes early so that they can be
ready prior to the scheduled start time with all their swimming gear.
Please remember to inform the coach of a swimmer’s
absence from practice, in advance of the situation, whenever possible. Ensure
that your swimmer has warm clothing to wear home after practice. A toque is an important swimmer’s aid, in the
winter. Swimmers need a snack
(carbohydrates, ie. breads and fruits) before
practice and a snack awaiting them after practice. Healthy snacks perk up a swimmer, and keep
them satisfied longer than junk food!!
EQUIPMENT TO GET STARTED
Swimmers will need the
following at each practice session:
BAG: Swimmers should have a
bag that can be carried out on to the pool deck. Although lockers are available at the pool,
valuables are best left at home. If your
swimmer uses a locker it is advised they use a lock as theft does occur in
locker rooms.
BATHING SUITS: All swimmers will need a training bathing
suit. Have your swimmer rinse out their
bathing suit in cold water, after each practice, to keep it lasting a bit
longer. Chlorinated pool water is hard
on bathing suit fabric. Never put the
suit in the dryer as the heat will damage the lycra.
CAP: A cap will keep hair out of the swimmer’s
eyes and will reduce water resistance.
It also protects hair from chlorine damage.
GOGGLES: Goggles are worn by
swimmers to enhance vision and protect their eyes from the effect of the
chemicals in the water. To fit a pair of
goggles, press the eyepieces to the eyes without the strap. There should be momentary suction suggesting
that the shape of the eyepiece fits the shape of the swimmer’s eyes.
TOWEL: Most swimmers prefer a
large thick beach towel.
WATER BOTTLE: Make sure your
swimmer takes a water bottle to every practice.
At the beginning of each year the coaches will advise you if there is
specific equipment that will be needed in your child’s group. Equipment, club clothing and bags can all be
purchased through the Team Equipment Manager.
To ease the frustration and
disappointment of losing equipment, remember label everything with permanent ink – (name & phone #).
Club Objectives
Every club will have its own
objectives, but generally they are similar to these:
To provide a speed-swimming
program of development training which will enable every swimmer in the Club to
develop to the full extent of his or her level of interest, commitment and
ability.
To promote the amateur sport
of competitive swimming through the cooperation of
To promote
good sportsmanship, leadership and character.
Club Structure
Swimming Clubs in
Club programs are directed by
Head Coaches. The Head Coaches are
responsible for guiding the professional coaching staff. administration,
policy and operational activities supporting the programs are planned and
carried out under the direction of the volunteer executive and committees.
The ongoing success of our
Club depends on the teamwork, dedication and efforts of all involved. Each SNL club is identified with their own
team colours and club logo. Swimmers are expected to wear team clothing
and colours when representing their club. This builds team spirit and makes swimmers
proud of the club they are associated with.
Parents are invited to participate as well.
Registration
Registration day for new and
returning members usually occurs in September.
Registration packages will be given out on that day. The registration packages will include
registration forms, fee structure and schedules, fundraising commitments for
the coming year, medical history and consent forms and training schedules.
Each swimmer will be
registered with
Registration of new swimmers
can occur at anytime in the year.
Funding the Swim Club
Raising sufficient money to support
a swim club is a continual challenge.
Club fees are the major source of revenue. To supplement revenue from fees, clubs
participate in a variety of fundraisers, including the Swim-for-Hope and
hosting swim meets. Support of these endeavours is part of your membership commitment. Fundraising is vital as a source of revenue
to every club. Families are responsible
for payment in full of registration fees, monthly training fess, fundraising
commitments, transportation cost to meets, swim meet entry fees, and swim meet
accommodation costs.
Monthly Training Fees
Monthly training fees are
used to pay pool rental costs, coaches’ salaries and administrative costs.
Swim Meet Fees
Families are charges meet
entry fees when their swimmer attends a meet.
National meet fees are based upon the number of events that swimmer is
entered in. If your swimmer has been registered for a meet and an emergency or
sudden illness arises, the costs of the meet may not be refunded by the hosting
club, in which case you will still be responsible for the payment of these
entry fees.
Your Swimmer’s Coach
For the swimmer, the coach is
the first level of communication within the club. The coach will direct an issue to the
executive if need be. The best time to
talk with the coach is after practice.
Parents should direct their
questions to the executive, no to the Coach.
The executive will bring issues forward to the Coach if unresolved.
Please remember nothing can
be done about a problem not discussed, and that a problem will remain you own
until it is dealt with.
Remember,
when parents interfere with training and competing, it causes considerable and
often insurmountable confusion as to who the swimmer should respect and listen
to regarding their swimming.
Periodically, come to a practice and watch what your swimmer id
doing. Please approach you swimmer’s
coach with any questions or concerns you may have, by scheduling a meeting with
the coach after practice.
Swimmers Advancement
Swimmers advance through the
program based on subjective and objective criteria, which is available from
your coach. Swimmers will advance
through the competitive program when they achieve specified criteria. Promotion is based on both subjective
criteria (commitment to program, emotional/social readiness and performance)
and objective criteria (mastery of skills), as well as the availability of room
in the next level of the program.
Your swimmer’s coach will
make a recommendation for advancement.
It will be reviewed by the coaching staff and finalized by the Head
Coach. The parents will be consulted
prior to informing the swimmer.
When a swimmer moves to a new
training group, parents will be advised of the new monthly fees, changes to
fundraising commitments and the new training schedule.
Nutrition and Rest
In any sport, good nutrition
plays a key role in athletic success.
Discuss concerns regarding your swimmers’ nutrition with the coach. Following
At swim meets, swimmers should
drink more water than usual and eat “smart” snacks like fruit crackers,
etc. stay away
from high fat/high sugar snacks (i.e. nuts, junk food, cheese) during a
competition. You need to provide the
right fuel for racing. Eating out at
restaurants is often part of traveling.
Educate your swimmer on the right foods to order, such as pasta,
chicken, salads, etc. Even in fast food
restaurants, good choices can be made.
Rest is important to your
child’s performance as well, so ensure your child is getting to bed at a
reasonable hour.
Swimming and School
School and swimming work
together and swimmers often improve scholastically. Their swimming schedule will challenge then
to be organized. Parents and coaches
must help in this respect. This requires
communication between all three parties.
Increases in training, social events, competitions, and academic
expectations come with responsibilities. Initially, the athlete will not handle
these without error, but with encouragement and initiative delegated to your
swimmer, success will be realized.
Blaming missed assignments and poor grades on swimming schedules is not
acceptable. Swimmers are expected to plan ahead and ensure that work is up to
date; that studying for exams starts well ahead of the exam date; and that
teachers know well in advance the days that will be missed because of swim
meets. – Swimming and school sports can
work together. Feel free to meet discuss
your swimmer’s involvement in school sports with his/her teacher.
Discipline
A disruptive swimmer takes
the coach’s time away from other dedicated swimmers. Excessive misbehavior on the part of swimmer
may result in disciplinary action. The
coach will warn swimmer and they may be asked to leave the practice if they
disregard the warning if behavior continues, the dismissal may involve more
than one practice.
GOVERNING BODIES
Programs- As the provincial
sport governing body for the sport of swimming.
Swimming/Natation
GLOSSARY OF SWIMMING TERMS
Age Group Swimming: nationally recognized age groups are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, and
15 and over.
“A” time:
time required to compete in Championships
Billeting:
accommodation for swimmers away from home. Swimmers stay at the home of
another swim family when they travel to a meet in another city.
Block: the
starting platform for the beginning of a race.
Chaperone: a
swim parent who accompanies the team from the point of departure to point of
return, on out of town swim meets.
Consolation Final: in a meet with finals, after the top 6-8 swimmers (depend on number of
racing lanes) have been selected for the Final, the next 6-8 will race in the
Consolation Final or “B” Final.
Cut: slang
for a qualifying time. it refers to a time standard required for a swimmer to
attend a particular meet or event.
Deck Entry:
when the number of athletes in a Heat is less then the number of lanes in the
pool, a coach may request to enter a swimmer the Event. The swimmer is referred to as a “Deck Entry”.
De-qualifying: swimming
at a level that is too fast for the qualifying times of competition.
Disqualified: occurs
when a swimmer has committed an infraction of some kind as determined by an
official.
Distance: refers
to events over 400 meters.
Drill: an
exercise involving a portion or part of a stroke used in training to improve
technique.
Dry Land Training: training done out of the water
that aids and enhances swimming performance.
Dry land training usually included stretching, calisthenics and /or
weight training.
DQ:
slang for Disqualified
Event: specific
races in which an athlete may enter.
Each group of athletes that race against each other are
referred to as a Heat. Generally the
number of Heats within an Event can be calculated by dividing the number of
swim lanes into the number of athletes, plus one more for any remainder.
False Start: when
a swimmer is moving at the start of the race, before the gun/electronic tone
sounds. (Cause for disqualification)
False Start Rope: a rope about 15m from the starting end of the pool. In the event of a false start, the rope will
be dropped into the water to stop the swimmers and get them back to the
start. Usually the electronic tone, or gun/whistle will sound repeatedly to also let the
swimmers know there has been a false start.
FINA:
Federation International Aquatique is the world
governing body for swimming.
Final: the
championship of any event in which the top 6 or 8 swimmers (depending on the
number of lanes in the pool) from the preliminaries compete. These are generally held in the evening and
will determine awards and team points.
Flags:
backstroke flags are placed 5 meters from each end of the pool. They enable swimmers to execute a turn more
efficiently by indicating the closeness of the approaching wall. From the flags experienced swimmers know how
many strokes it takes them to get to the wall thus when to turn.
Goal: a
specific time, strategy or tactical achievement a swimmer sets and strives for.
Individual Medley: an event in which the swimmer swims all four strokes in the following
order; fly, back, breast and free.
Heat: each
group of athletes that compete within an Event make up
a heat.
I.M.: slang
for Individual Medley.
Long Course: refers
to the pool length and the season. The
Long Course season usually runs from March to August and competitions are held
in a 50 meter pool.
Marshalling Area: used at a swim meet for organizational purpose. It is the area
where swimmers must report prior to racing.
Meet Fees: a
meet fee is the fee required to swim at a meet.
Middle Distance: refers to events of 200 to 400 meters in length.
Negative
Official: a
judge on the deck of the pool at a sanctioned meet. They include Stroke and Turn Judges,
administrative official, Starters, Timekeepers and Referees.
Pace Clock:
large clock with a large second hand and a smaller minute hand, used to check
pace or maintain intervals in practice (may also be digital).
Prelims: slang
for Preliminaries.
Preliminaries: in
these races swimmers are trying to qualify for the championship and consolation
finals in an event.
Racing Suit:
the team suit worn at swim meets, these are sized to fit snugly so they do not
gap or sag during the race.
Relay: event
in which four swimmers compete together as a team.
SNC: Swimming/Natation
Sanction: clubs
must receive a permit from Swimming Newfoudland and
Scratch: to
withdraw a swimmer from an event in a competition.
Seeding: the
heat and lane position given to a swimmer based on his/her entry time.
Senior Swimming: there are no age categories in Senior Competitions. It is designed to afford maximum opportunity
for participation, provide an educational experience, enhance physical and
mental conditioning and develop a pool of talented athletes for National and
International Competitions.
Shaving Down: where
a swimmer shaves off all the body hair to reduce drag and increase sensitivity
to the water, usually done after a taper, before a major competition.
Short Course: refers
to the pool length and season. The short
course season runs from September to March and competitions are held in a 25
meter pool.
Sprint: refers
to the shorter events (50 and 100 events).
It also refers, in training, to swimming as fast as possible for a short
distance.
Stop watches: accurate
watches (usually electronic) are used to time swimmers during a
competition. When automatic timing
equipment is used, stop watches serve as a backup.
Streamline: the
position used to gain maximum distance during a start and/or push from the wall
in which a swimmer’s body is as tight (with arms forward of head) and long as
it can be.
Suicide Turn: the
name given to a backstroke turn performed at the ends of the pool in which the
swimmer competes the action by doing a back flip. The swimmer enters into the turn on the back
and pushes off the pool end with their feet.
Also see Tumble Turn.
Taper: the
final preparation phase before competition.
Characterized by a reduction in the meters covered in
practice and the intensity.
Time Standards: each provincial regulatory board establishes time standards used to
determine a swimmers relative performance.
These determine which meets each swimmer is eligible to attend.
Time Trial: a
“time only” swim that is not part of a regular meet. A swimmer is racing to achieve a certain
qualifying time. It cannot be used to
establish records.
Touch Pads: a
large sensitive board at the end of each lane where a swimmer’s touch is
registered and sent electronically to the timing system.
Tumble Turn: the
name given to the turn performed at the ends of the poll in which the swimmer
performs a forward somersault to change direction. Entry into the turn is face downward, the swimmer pushes off the pool end with their
feet.
Warm Down: is
a low intensity swim used by a swimmer after a race or main practice set. A warm down rids the body of excess lactic
acid and gradually reduces heart and respiration rates.
Warm Up: is
a low intensity swimming used by a swimmer prior to a race or main practice to
get muscles loose and warm. A warm up
gradually increases heart and respiration rates and may include some short
sprints.