OJAI HEATWAVES is a year-round competitive swim team with an emphasis on developing capable and confident athletes who value accountability, discipline, personal achievement, teamwork, and friendship.

Our goals are to offer the highest quality stroke instruction, create enthusiasm for high level competition and provide the opportunity to pursue swimming as a life-long sport.

We are members of Southern California Swimming and USA Swimming, 

Our program offers non-competition, novice competition and high-level competition.

We have five levels and practice Monday through Friday.

Ojai Heatwaves takes pride in carefully considering all aspects of our program from USA Swimming Safe Sport to the individual development of our athletes. Our team culture has had great impact on the success and growth of our team.

The aim of the policies outlined below is to further define that culture in order to improve our unity as a team and ensure that our participation in swim meets and at practice is consistent with our philosophy.

Athlete Expectations and Disciplinary Action Policy

Swimmers at all program levels will be expected to value sportsmanship and respect for teammates, coaches, and opponents. They will be encouraged to work together to help foster a positive training environment that is enjoyable and productive. Swimmers of all ages and ability levels are always expected to follow their coaches’ instructions. Swimmers who disrupt practices, have trouble following coaches’ directives, or disrespect their teammates, coaches, or the facilities they use will be reprimanded and their parents will be informed. Repeated offense may result in suspension or dismissal from the team.

Athlete Commitment

1. Be on time to practices and meets

2. Be ready to swim (on deck, with suit and goggles at the start of practice or warm up)

3. Treat others with respect

4. Support your coaches

5. Refrain from negative comments

6. Be supportive of your teammates

Disciplinary Action

1. The swimmer receives a verbal warning from the coach

2. The swimmer will be asked to sit out of the pool on the deck

3. The swimmer is asked to sit out for the remainder of practice and will not be able to return until meeting with the parent and head coach to discuss their participation moving forward

Parental Presence at Practices

Practice is the time for swimmers and coaches to concentrate on improving the swimmer’s technique, speed, and endurance while developing a strong relationship between the swimmers and his or her coach, as well as the swimmer and his or her teammates. It is important that parents allow this development to occur without interruption. Therefore, we ask that parents remain in a designated area on deck and refrain from communicating with their swimmer(s) during practice. Any messages that need to be passed onto a swimmer can be relayed to that swimmer’s coach so that the coach can tell the swimmer at an appropriate time. Coaches will be more than happy to address questions from parents before and after workouts. Whenever possible, parents are asked to refrain from conversations with coaches during practice time.

Swimsuit Policy

Team Suits and Caps Swimmers are required to wear appropriate race suits and team  caps at USA Swimming meets. 

Practice Suits Swimmers can wear any one or two-piece swimming suit that meets the team’s standards of decency and does not interfere with a swimmer’s ability to use proper technique at practice. All swimmers are required to wear a suit that is in good condition and fits appropriately. If a coach observes a swimmer not complying, they will be asked to change into a proper suit before returning to the pool.

OJAI Heatwaves Fee Structure (per/month)

Novice 1: $95

Novice 2: $95

Junior: $115

Junior Competition: $155

Senior Competition: $175

*Non-Members – Additional $20/month

Billing Policy

Proration: OVAC will prorate the start month only with commitment to the following month. This proration will only be allowed once per calendar year. There are no sibling discounts on prorated payments. Non-member fees will not be prorated.

Quitting: Quitting must be communicated by email prior to the 1^st of the month or your account will be charged regardless of attendance. A restart fee of $25 will be charged if a swimmer chooses to re-register within 6 months of quitting.

Members: Recurring automatic payments will be charged to your OVAC account on the 1^th of the month unless other payment arrangements have been made prior to the 1st. Members with a closed charge account must have a credit card on file or pay in advance three months. Cancellations and refunds may not be made for vacations, scheduled team breaks, holidays, or necessary practice cancellations. Only medical excuses from a doctor will relieve you from payment obligation. We do not offer drop-in classes. Quitting must be communicated by email before the 1^st month or your account will be charged regardless of attendance. Monthly payments are calculated by calendar months and there is no prorating, half months, refunds or sick make-ups.

Non-Members: Payments must be made prior to swimming. Non-Members must have a valid credit card on file for monthly payments. Recurring payments will be charged to your card on file by the 1^th of the month unless other payment arrangements have been made prior to the 1^th. An additional charge of $20 per month will be charged separately for each non-member. Cancellations and refunds may not be made for vacations, scheduled team breaks, holidays, or necessary practice cancellations. Only medical excuses from a doctor will relieve you from payment obligation. Quitting must be communicated by email before the 1^st of the month or your account will be charged regardless of attendance. Monthly payments are calculated by calendar months and there is no prorating, half months, refunds or sick make-ups. Illness with a doctor’s note will be offered a makeup session. Non-members must adhere to and sign the non-member swim policy attached to this packet.

Sibling Discount: All families that have a paying sibling on the team will receive a $10 monthly discount per sibling. Siblings must be enrolled in the same month. Please note on the registration form above that the swimmer qualifies for the sibling discount.

Employee Discount: At OVAC employees will receive a 20% employee discount. This discount will show on your OVAC statement total.

Additional Fees:

All  swimmers must register with USA Swimming annually 

Swim meet fees vary depending on meet and # of events

Coaching fees for travel meets TBD by distance and attendance

Headset for Training

Anti-Bullying Policy

Bullying of any kind is unacceptable and there is a zero-tolerance policy in place for this type of behavior. Bullying is counterproductive to our team culture as we are committed to providing a friendly, positive and safe environment for our athletes. Parents and swimmers should understand that incidents of bullying, should they occur, will be dealt with promptly, swiftly and efficiently.

Bullying Defined Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

There are many roles that kids can play. Kids can bully others, they can be bullied, or they may witness bullying. When kids are involved in bullying, they often play more than one role. Sometimes kids may both be bullied and bully others or they may witness other kids being bullied. It is important to understand the multiple roles kids play in order to effectively prevent and respond to bullying.

How we will handle bullying When coaches respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior, they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. There are simple steps coaches can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep kids safe:

1. Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another coach to help.

2. Separate the kids involved.

3. Make sure everyone is safe.

4. Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.

5. Stay calm. Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.

6. Model respectful behavior when a coach intervenes.

7. Get the story from several sources, both adults and kids.

8. Listen without blaming.

9. Don’t call the act “bullying” while you are trying to understand what happened.

Resolution A prompt, swift and efficient resolution will be put in place once all sides of the story have been heard. While the resolution is taking place, all parties involved may be suspended from participation to maintain a safe environment for other members of the team. Once the final decision has been reached, all parties involved will be notified and appropriate action will follow.

Photo Policy

Periodically, photos and/or videos may be taken of the swimmers for instructional or promotional use. The team may take photos and post them on the team’s social media pages. The team may take videos, both above and under the water, in order to better instruct swimmers on stroke technique and to illustrate both positive and negative aspects of a swimmer’s stroke or racing skills.

Weather Policy for Practices

We will always strive to hold practices. In a light rain, we will swim. Hard rain with no lightning, we will swim. If lightning is sighted, the pool and deck will be cleared for 30 minutes. If the pool is cleared due to lightning and there are 30 minutes or less of practice remaining, practice will be over. If there are more than 30 minutes remaining, we will wait it out in most cases. If storms move in before practice starts and it looks like they are going to remain over the area during practice time, we will make every effort to cancel practice as early as possible via email.

Group Placement and Transitions

When swimmers join the team, or when current swimmers are looking to advance to a higher practice group, the coaching staff will observe the swimmers and may ask them to complete a skills test as a means of determining what level each swimmer should be in. Group advancement will be based on the athlete’s ability to perform the prerequisites and advancement goals outlined in this Parent Handbook. All swimmers are placed in groups based on their ability and goals. In addition, consideration will be given to the swimmer’s maturity level as well as his/her ability to be successful in a group.

Non-Member Swim Policy

OVAC welcomes non-members to our Swim Program!

1. All non-members must sign-in and out stating the time at the front desk on the Non-Member Sign-In Form

2. All non-members must have a signed Swim Program registration form & liability waiver on file

3. All non-members must also sign a liability waiver at the front desk annually

4. Only non-members who are currently enrolled in swim lessons or swim team may enter the club. Parents who wish to watch must sign/out at the front desk also

5. Non-members may only arrive 15 minutes before the lesson/ class begins and must leave 15 minutes after lesson/class is over

6. Only the child enrolled in the swim lesson/class may use the pool designated for the class. No other family members can use any OVAC pool unless they pay a guest fee

7. Non-members are required to comply with all OVAC pool rules and regulations

8. Non-member must pay class fees PRIOR to attendance.

9. If non-members wish to use the pool after lessons, they must pay a guest fee each day.

10. Only non-members who follow these procedures will be allowed to participate in the program.

11. If non-members fail to check in at the front desk or do not adhere to this policy, they will lose their ability to participate in OVAC swim programs

How to Sign Up for a USA Swimming Meet and What to Expect at the Meet

As part of USA Swimming our Junior Competition and Senior Competition teams regularly compete at USA Swimming sanctioned swim meets. The following details will help you navigate your first few meets. It may seem overwhelming at first, but you will soon find yourself helping a new parent, and until then, there are plenty of other parents and coaches to assist you. Coaches sign up swimmers to participate at swim meets after you choose your swimmer’s events. This is done online on our website. We will let you know about upcoming meets well in advance, along with the deadline for registering. Once you choose your swimmer’s events, the coaches will register your child and your account will be charged for the meet entry fee. A few days before a swim meet, we will send out meet information. This information includes the address to the location of the swim meet, warm up times for our team and the meet timeline.

There are usually four sessions in a meet: Saturday morning and afternoon, as well as Sunday morning and afternoon. Different age groups swim at different times. Please carefully check the meet information and make sure you arrive at the meet for the correct session. Swimmers are always required to arrive before meet start times for warm up, regardless of when their events are scheduled in a session. Please arrive on time, in Heatwaves team apparel (swimsuits, caps, and t-shirts).

The first thing to do when you arrive at a swim meet is to have swimmers check in at the check-in table. This is crucial and must be done by each swimmer, in person. The meet volunteers at check-in will remind swimmers of their events. Swimmers must check in on each day/session of the swim meet. Once swimmers have checked in, they should find where our team is set up, and touch base with their coaches. Swimmers should go to their coaches before and after each race, for pre-race strategy and post-race feedback.

Heat and lane assignments are posted a few at a time, throughout the meet. Please regularly check the board where these are posted, to find out your child’s heat and lane assignment for each event. Parents, please assist your swimmers by making sure they get behind the blocks in advance of their heat. According to USA Swimming regulations, parents are not allowed behind the starting blocks, unless they are volunteering in some capacity. There is also never to be any type of photography or video taken from behind the starting end of the pool. Even with the best preparation, sometimes swimmers (even the more experienced ones) get disqualified for a rule violation when starting, swimming, turning or finishing. When this happens, a meet official will speak with the swimmer as soon as they get out of the pool, to explain why he or she was disqualified. This can be a little scary if it happens, especially for the youngest swimmers, but meet officials are there to help. Any further discussion about the disqualification must go through the coach. The coaches will do their best at practice to ensure our swimmers are well prepared to compete and avoid mistakes that can lead to disqualifications.

Parents are routinely expected to volunteer at swim meets. Each team that is participating is asked to provide a certain number of timers for the meet, and parents fulfill these timing assignments. Expect timing assignments to last between 30 minutes to an hour. Heatwaves families are strongly encouraged to sit together at meets. An EZ UP and folding chairs always make the experience more enjoyable. Be sure to bring healthy snacks and water for refueling between events. Your swimmer should warm down after each event. There are lanes usually assigned for warming down. An ideal warm-down is a slow swim of about 200-300 yards/meters. Communication between swimmer and coach is very important. If for any reason you plan to skip a day or a meet that your child has been entered in, please promptly communicate this to the coach or the meet admin staff. Coaches will scratch any swimmers from events if necessary. We do not want swimmers and parents making these decisions on their own. These decisions should be made by swimmers and coaches, together. Any ribbons awarded to our swimmers for the meet will be picked up by coaches and distributed on the following week.

Swim meets can be fun for the whole family. We request that parents leave all coaching to the coaches, and instead enjoy the swim meet by cheering on our swimmers. An encouraging and positive parent is a great swim team parent!

What to Bring to a Swim Meet

1. Team suit

2. Team swim cap

3. 2 pairs of adjusted goggles

4. Warm Clothing/Team Apparel

5. Towels

6. Chair

7. Healthy snacks (water, juice, sports drinks, fruit, pretzels, granola bars, bagels, etc.… NO Candy or soda!)

Tech Suits at USA Swimming Meets

Southern California Swimming's House of Delegates (HoD) voted unanimously to prohibit the wearing of "Tech" suits by swimmers ages 12 years and under at all USA Swimming sanctioned swim meets, except for Junior Nationals, Nationals, US Open and Olympic Trials.

Video and Photography Rules at USA Swimming Meets

USA Swimming rules do not allow for any photography behind the starting area during the sequencing of the start. This includes digital and/or video cameras, cell phones or any recording devices. This begins with the whistle commands for the race and ends once the swimmers are in the water. Two-piece swimsuits are prohibited at any swim meet. Swimmers must warm up and warm down in their team suits.

Southern California Swimming Time Standards

Time standards can be found at http://www.socalswim.org/time-standards/

Recommended mobile Apps for USA Swimming Meets

Meet Mobile

Competitive Swimming Terminology

AGE GROUP SWIMMING

—All swimmers, 18 and under, registered with USA Swimming, are divided by age for the purpose of competition and time standards. Traditionally recognized age groups are 10 and under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18. Many local meets feature 8-and-under, single age groups, or senior events. Regardless of skill, all swimmers are required to compete in their age group. This is distinct from high school swimming for instance, where ability determines where you are placed. A swimmer’s age on the first day of the meet determines his or her age for that meet. A swimmer ages up on his or her birthday.

CUT

—Informal term for a qualifying time or standard that needs to be met in order to participate in certain meets.

DQ or DISQUALIFICATION

—Occurs when an official observes a rule violation by the swimmer. A disqualified swimmer cannot receive an award or use the result as an official time.

DRY LAND TRAINING

—Training done out of the water. Aids and enhances swimming performance. Usually includes stretching, weight training, and/or calisthenics.

FALSE START

—Swimmers are supposed to be perfectly still at the starting signal. Even the slightest movement on their part will be deemed a false start and the swimmer will usually be disqualified from that event.

FLAGS

—Pennants strung across the pool 5 yards or meters from the end of the pool. They enable backstrokers to execute a turn more efficiently by counting their strokes from the flags to the wall.

IM (INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY)

—A race done by an individual swimmer consisting of one leg of each of the competitive strokes-butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle, in that order.

LONG COURSE (LCM)

-A type of competitive pool, which measures 50 meters in length. The standard size for all international competition and all world record swimming is the 50-meter course.

OFFICIAL

—A judge on the deck of the pool at a sanctioned competition who enforces USA Swimming rules. There are stroke and turn judges, administrative officials, starters, timers, and referees.

REFEREE

—The USA SWIMMING official who has the authority over all other officials at the meet. He makes all final decisions and sees to the efficient running of the meet.

SCRATCH

—To withdraw from an event in a competition.

SEEDING TIMES

—The best official time previously earned in an event by a swimmer. It is used to “seed” the swimmer and will determine his or her heat and lane assignment at a meet.

SHORT COURSE (SCY or SCM)

—A type of competitive pool, which measures 25 yards (SCY)or 25 meters (SCM) in length. Typically meets conducted from October through the end of March are swum Short Course.

SPLIT

—A per-lap time for an event that is longer than one length of the pool, for instance, a swimmer’s time for each 25-yard leg of a 100-yard event.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SWIMMING (SCS)

—The name of the Local Swimming Committee (LSC), charged by USA SWIMMING to govern competitive swimming in Southern California. Information about time standards, upcoming meets, meet results and a host of other swimming related information can be found at their website, www.socalswim.org.

STAGING

—When swimmers, usually 8 and under but sometimes older, are gathered together in one spot before some events, and meet volunteers make sure they get to the correct heat and lane on time. Not all meets have staging. If there is, they will summon swimmers, over the microphone, to the designated staging area, several events before they are supposed to swim. Staging is usually held for events where swimmers are starting at the opposite end of the pool rather than behind the blocks.

STARTER

—The USA SWIMMING official at a meet responsible for starting each heat and calling the next to the blocks.

STREAMLINE—The position used to gain maximum distance during a start and/or push-off from the wall in which the swimmer’s body is as tight as it can be.

TIME STANDARDS—Certain benchmark times which are set annually by USA SWIMMING for all age groups and events, in all levels of meets, to ensure that competitors are reasonably matched in ability. A swimmer's goal should be to consistently improve his or her times, progressing through the time standards. See also BRW above. Time standards can be found athttp://www.socalswim.org/time-standards/.

TOUCH PAD

—Part of an electronic timing system that rests on the wall below the surface of the water at the finishing end of each lane. Swimmer's times are electronically recorded when the pad is touched.

UNATTACHED

—The status a swimmer receives when changing from one USA SWIMMING club to another. A swimmer must be "unattached" for 120 days from their last competition with their previous USA SWIMMING club. Although the swimmer practices with and attends meets with his or her new team, the swimmer is not officially considered a part of the team for the purpose of competition. During this time, they may swim individual events, but not relays.

USA SWIMMING -the governing body for all amateur swimming in the United States. The national headquarters are in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their website is, https://www.usaswimming.org/

Training Group Progression

Novice I – Ages 5-10

Prerequisites

• -Must be able to swim 25 Freestyle without assistance
• -Must be able to listen to the coach and follow instructions

Skill Focus

• Freestyle technique
• Body position
• Side breathing
• Side kicking
• Kicking with board
• Backstroke technique
• Body position
• Side kicking
• Body roll
• Kicking on back (hands at side / streamline position)
• Competitive technique
• Ready Position”
• Dolphin kicking
• Streamlines
• Flip turns
• Race starts from deck

Practice Format

• 2 days/week – 45 minutes
• Warm-up, drill work, introduction to training sets, games

Advancement Goal (to Novice II)

• Swim 50 Freestyle with side-breathing (both sides), and streamline to flags
• Swim 25 Backstroke
• Basic dive from the deck into diving well
• Ability to listen to the coach and follow instructions
• Motivation to move to next level

Parent Responsibility and Commitment

• Make sure swimmer arrives to practice on time
• Make sure swimmer comes to practice prepared with training suit (Boys: jammer or brief, Girls: one piece), cap, and goggles
• Recommend participation in OVAC “Home” Swim Meets
• Pay swim dues in a timely manner

Novice II – Ages 6-10

Prerequisites

• -Novice I prerequisites, plus:
• -Swim 50 Freestyle with side-breathing (both sides), flip turn, and streamline to flags
• Swim 25 Backstroke, with streamline, and finish on back
• Basic dive from the deck into diving well
• Ability to listen to the coach and follow instructions

Skill Focus

• Continued development of Freestyle and Backstroke technique
• Butterfly technique
• Body position
• Body wave
• Dolphin kicking
• Coordination of arms/legs/breath
• Breaststroke technique
• Body position
• Body wave
• Proper breaststroke kicking technique
• Coordination of arms/legs/breath
• Competitive technique
• Ready Position”
• Backstroke flip turns and finishes
• Open turns
• Streamlines
• Race starts from starting block

Practice Format

• 2 days/week – 60 minutes
• Warm-up, drill work, basic training sets, games

Advancement Goal (to Junior)

• Swim 100 Freestyle with side-breathing (both sides), and streamlines to flags
• Swim 50 Backstroke with flip turn
• Swim 25 Breaststroke
• Swim 25 Butterfly
• Swim 100 IM
• Race starts from starting block
• Ability to listen to the coach, follow instructions, and perform basic level drills
• Motivation to move to next level

Parent Responsibility and Commitment

• Make sure swimmer arrives to practice on time
• Make sure swimmer comes to practice prepared with training suit (Boys: jammer or brief, Girls: one piece), cap, and goggles
• Recommend participation in OVAC “Home” Swim Meets
• Pay swim dues in a timely manner

Junior – Ages 7-13

Prerequisites

• Swim 100 Freestyle with side-breathing (both sides)and streamline to flags
• Swim 50 Backstroke with flip turn
• Swim 25 Breaststroke
• Swim 25 Butterfly
• Swim 100 IM
• Race starts from starting block
• Ability to listen to the coach, follow instructions, and perform basic level drills

Skill Focus

• Continued development of all four competitive strokes (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle)
• Continued development of competitive technique
• Basic Understanding of “legal” competitive swimming
• Intermediate level drills
• Flip turns
• Open turns
• Streamlines
• Race starts from starting block and finishes

Practice Format

• 3 days/week – 60 minutes
• Warm-up, drill work, intermediate ­training sets, games

Advancement Goal (to Junior Competition)

• Swim 200 Freestyle with side-breathing (both sides), and streamlines past flags
• Swim 50 Backstroke with flip turn
• Swim 50 Breaststroke
• Swim 50 Butterfly
• Swim 100 IM
• Race starts from starting block
• Ability to listen to the coach, follow instructions, and perform intermediate level drills
• -Strong motivation to excel as a registered USA Swimming Competitive Athlete
• Commitment to annual swimming

Parent Responsibility and Commitment

• Make sure swimmer arrives to practice on time
• Make sure swimmer comes to practice prepared with training suit (Boys: jammer or brief, Girls: one piece), cap, and goggles
• Recommend participation in OVAC “Home” Swim Meets
• Pay swim dues in a timely manner

Junior Competition – Ages 8-13

Prerequisites

• Juniors, plus:
• Strong motivation to excel as a registered USA Swimming Competitive Athlete
• Commitment to annual swimming
• Swim 200 Freestyle with side-breathing (both sides), and streamlines past flags
• Swim 50 Backstroke with flip turn
• Swim 50 Breaststroke
• Swim 50 Butterfly
• Swim 100 IM
• Race starts from starting block
• Ability to listen to the coach, follow instructions, and perform intermediate level drills

Skill Focus

• Continued technique development and training for competitive swimming (Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle, and Individual Medley)
• Commitment to becoming the best version of self, possible
• Competitive focus
• Commitment to attending ALL scheduled USA Swimming swim meets
• Goal setting
• Pursuit of Southern California Swimming time standards
• Training technique
• Ability to train using the pace clock (interval training)
• High level conditioning and athletic training

Practice Format

• Minimum required attendance: 3 days/week (recommended 4-5 days) – 90 minutes
• High level competitive swim training, including drill work and dryland

Advancement Goal to Senior Competition

• Ability to perform advanced level drills and training, and show strong leadership skills
• Strong motivation to excel as a registered USA Swimming Competitive Athlete
• Ability to swim competitive quality:
• 200 Freestyle
• 100 Backstroke
• 100 Breaststroke
• 100 Butterfly
• 200 IM

Parent Responsibility and Commitment

• Make sure athlete arrives to practice on time
• Make sure athlete comes to practice prepared with training suit (Boys: jammer or brief, Girls: one piece or two piece training suit), cap, goggles, and water bottle
• Required team competition gear (Navy blue competition suit with team logo, team cap, team shirt)
• Annual registration with USA Swimming
• Participation in All scheduled swim meets
• Pay swim dues in a timely manner

Senior Competition – Ages 13-18

Prerequisites

• Previous experience as a committed Junior Competition Team Swimmer, plus:
• Strong motivation to excel as a registered USA Swimming Competitive Athlete
• Ability to perform advanced level drills and training, and show strong leadership skills
• Recommend commitment to single-sport training
• Ability to swim competitive quality:
• 200 Freestyle
• 100 Backstroke
• 100 Breaststroke
• 100 Butterfly
• 200 IM

Skill Focus

• Continued technique development and training for all competitive events
• Continued pursuit of becoming the best version of self, possible
• Competitive focus
• Continued commitment to attending ALL scheduled USA Swimming swim meets
• Advanced goal setting and understanding of training periodization
• Continued pursuit of Southern California and USA Swimming time standards
• Training technique
• Highest level conditioning and athletic training

Practice Format

• Minimum required attendance: 4 days/week (recommended 5 days) – 120 minutes
• Highest level competitive training (dryland and water)

Parent Responsibility and Commitment

• Make sure athlete arrives to practice on time
• Make sure athlete comes to practice prepared with training suit (Boys: jammer or brief, Girls: one piece or two piece training suit), cap, goggles, and water bottle
• Required training equipment: gear bag, paddles, fins, snorkel, tempo trainer
• Make sure athlete has appropriate dryland training gear (shoes, shorts, shirt, etc.)
• Required team competition gear (appropriate competition suit, team cap, parka or jacket with team name)
• Annual registration with USA 
• Swimming in all scheduled swim meets
• Pay swim dues in a timely manner