10/17/2013

SURVIVAL GUIDE

FOR

NEW(ER) SWIMMERS & THEIR

FAMILIES

10/17/2013 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Who is SVSC? pg. 3

What Is USA Swimming? pg. 4

New(er) Swim Parent Mentor Program pg. 5

Swim Groups pg .6

Equipment Requirements pg. 7-12

Getting Ready for Your First Swim Meet pg. 13-15

Meets Available To Your Swimmer pg. 16

Registering For a Swim Meet pg. 16

Preparing for the Meet pg. 17

Morning of the Meet pg. 18

The Meet Starts pg. 19-20

Long Course Season pg. 21

IMX Extreme, IMX Ready pg. 22-23

Swimming Words and Terms pg. 24-32

10/17/2013 3

Who is SVSC?

The Seneca Valley Swim Club (SVSC) is a developmental swim club associated with USA

Swimming.

The Seneca Valley Swim Club (SVSC) is a parent governed tax-exempt organization that is

managed by an elected Board of Directors. The operation of the club and the Board of Directors

are governed by Club Bylaws.

Purpose: The purpose of the Seneca Valley Swim Club (SVSC) is to educate, instruct, and train

all individuals in order to develop and improve their capabilities in the sport of competitive

swimming.

Mission: The mission of the Seneca Valley Swim Club (SVSC) is to develop competitive

swimming skills and good sportsmanship in children of all ages and ability levels.

Communication among club members is an important part of SVSC and a priority of the SVSC

Board. Our website can be found at:

www.Swimsvsc.org

10/17/2013 4

What is USA Swimming?

USA Swimming is the governing body for swimming in the United States. USA Swimming is

affiliated with the US Olympic Committee, and runs competitions both locally and nationally.

They are responsible for choosing teams to go to many international competitions that occur

throughout the year, even during non-Olympic years. USA Swimming is comprised of four

zones which are the Eastern Zone, the Southern Zone, the Central Zone and the Western Zone.

The Seneca Valley Swim Club (SVSC) is a member of the Eastern Zone. Each zone is

comprised of Local Swimming Committees (LSC’s) and each LSC has affiliated clubs. The

Eastern Zone has 13 LSC’s. The Seneca Valley Swim Club is affiliated with the LSC know as

Allegheny Mountain Swimming. Their website can be found at www.AMSwim.org

10/17/2013 5

New(er) Swim Parent Mentor Program

Purpose: The Swim Parent Mentor Program is designed to provide new swim parents and other

swim parents that are interested, the opportunity to communicate with a parent-mentor who has

been with the club for several years. This should help to accelerate new members’ understanding

of the swim program and make it more enjoyable and beneficial for both parents(s) and

swimmer(s).

It is not intended to replace the expert knowledge the coaching staff provides. In some instances

it will enable more effective communication and decision-making by parents, by more fully

understanding swimming rules and planning/protocol for meets.

How does it work?

Upon completing the tryout/registration process, a mentor family will be introduced to you and

your swimmer. Your parent-mentor will help guide you through your first year here at SVSC in

regards to practices, signing up for meets, what to bring to meets, directions to meets and the ins-

and outs of navigating your way through your first year as a member of USA Swimming.

10/17/2013 6

Swim Groups

The Seneca Valley Swim Club (SVSC) offers training and practice groups for swimmers of all

ages and ability levels. It is the goal of SVSC to offer age specific training for all of our athletes

geared towards challenging each individual and developing each individual to the best of their

abilities.

Novice: (Intro into Competitive Swimming Development)

Novice: (Intro into Competitive Swimming Development) The Novice group is for young swimmers who would like to join a competitive swimming team

and have already completed a-learn-to swim program. This group will primarily consist of

swimmers ages 10 under but may include older swimmers who are less experienced. The

primary focus of this group will be learning the fundamentals of swimming such as proper

balance, breathing and flip turns.

Requirements:

In order to join this group, swimmers must be able to complete two lengths of the pool in both

Freestyle and Backstroke, as well as demonstrate an awareness of Breaststroke and Butterfly.

Swimmers must also be able to complete a one hour practice session twice per week.

.

Bronze: (Competitive Swimming Development)

Bronze: (Competitive Swimming Development) Upon completion of Novice requirements, swimmers may enter the Bronze Group. Members of

this group will work to enhance their stroke technique in all four competitive swimming strokes

along with their starts and turns. In addition, swimmers will be introduced to basic training

concepts and understanding of the pace clock. Goal setting and achievement concepts will be

introduced.

Requirements:

In order to join this group, swimmers must complete 50 yards of Butterfly, 50 yards of

Breaststroke, 100 yards of Backstroke, 100 yards of Freestyle, and a legal 100 IM. Swimmers

should also be able to perform Freestyle and Backstroke flipturns and perform a racing start

from the block.

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Silver: (Intermediate Age Group)

Silver: (Intermediate Age Group) The Silver group is for the developing swimmer who satisfied the Bronze level requirements,

demonstrated regular practice attendance, and a desire to compete. The focus of this group will

be increasing aerobic capacity through elevated training volume. Swimmers must be able to use

the pace clock unassisted and demonstrate proper lane etiquette at all times. Dry-land training

will be introduced which consists of core stability, running and resistance exercises. Seasonal

goal setting is a required and evaluated.

Requirements

In order to join this group, swimmers must legally complete 100 yards of Breaststroke, 100

yards of Butterfly, a continuous 200 yard Freestyle and Backstroke, a legal 200 yard IM and

500yd or 400m free. Swimmers will be expected to regularly attend meets in order to evaluate

progression.

Gold: (Advanced Age Group Level)

Gold: (Advanced Age Group Level) This group places emphasis on competition and mastery of all four competitive swimming

strokes. Swimmers in this group have demonstrated a commitment to competitive swimming

through excellent practice and meet attendance as well as a strong work ethic. Pace work and

Test sets are done regularly. These swimmers set high goals and are dedicated to reaching their

full potential. Saturday practices are strongly encouraged and morning practices are offered but

not required. Regular participation in meets is required.

Requirements

Swimmers must complete a legal 200 of every stroke, 500 Freestyle and legal 400 IM in a meet

to enter this group. Swimmers must also be able to complete the following sets:

10 x 100 yard freestyle on 1:30

10 x 100 yard kick on 2:00

30 minute continuous swim

Senior A & B: (Senior/Varsity Level)

Senior A & B: (Senior/Varsity Level) This group is the highest competitive training group and reserved for swimmers who make

competitive swimming their top priority. Athletes in this group attend local, regional and

national meets regularly. They have an exceptional level of technical skill and a strong desire to

eventually swim at the collegiate level. Advanced weight and strength training are regularly

performed. Saturday and morning practices are required. Entrance to this group is through

appointment by the Head Coach only.

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Equipment Requirements

The Equipment Requirements are determined by the Head Coach and will be needed for

practice. The items can be purchased from our website www.swimsvsc.org under the

Seneca Valley Team Gear Icon. The equipment is listed by your swimmers level. You

can go back to the main website and click on Swim Outlet button on the left and begin

the order process.

Novice:

Equipment Bag

Junior Kickboard

Junior Pull Float

Flex Fins

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Equipment Requirements

Bronze:

Equipment Bag

Junior Kickboard or Kickboard

or

Junior Pull Float or Pull Float

or

Flex Fins

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Equipment Requirements

Silver:

Equipment Bag

Junior Kickboard or Kickboard

or

Junior Pull Float or Pull Float

or

Flex Fins

Snorkel

StrokeMakers

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Equipment Requirements

Gold and Senior A & B

Equipment Bag

Kickboard

Pull Float

Flex Fins

Snorkel

StrokeMakers

10/17/2013 12

Equipment Requirements Cont.

Gold and Senior A & B:

Pulling Ankle Strap

Tempo Trainer

10/17/2013 13

Getting Ready For Your First Meet!

OK, so your swimmer has been attending practice and the email goes out to “sign up” or register

for an upcoming meet. Now what?

First determine if this meet is one your swimmer can swim in. How do you do that?

Below is a general guideline of which swim meets are attended by each swim group. Swim

meets are offered according to the time standards identified by US Swimming National Age

Group Motivational Times. Some meets (A, B, BB) will have qualifying times for entry. The A

meets will allow entry in an event if your time is faster than the qualifying time in that event.

The B meets will allow entry if your times are slower than the qualifying times. The BB meets

list a range of times which must include your time to be eligible to swim in that event. If your

swimmer’s times do not qualify for a specific event, they cannot enter that event. “Open meets”

have no qualifying times; therefore any swimmer can swim the events listed for their age group.

Meets Available to Your Swimmer, by Group Novice – First & Last Splash, Mini & B Meets

Bronze– First & Last Splash, Mini, B & BB Meets

Silver– First & Last Splash, B, BB, A & Special Meets

Gold– First & Last Splash, B, BB, A & Special Meets

Senior – First & Last Splash, B, BB, A & Special Meets

All of our local meets (Western PA) are overseen by our Local Swimming Committee (LSC).

Our LSC is Allegheny Mountain Swimming (AMS). Time standards are guided by the National

Age Group Motivational Times (links to these and the other standards referenced below can be

found on our Time Standards page). The Short Course Season* only is outlined below. Swim

meets are generally defined as follows (meets are local, unless noted otherwise):

First Splash & Last Splash Meets General: this meet is offered to all swimmers

Time Standards: no qualifying times are required (all swimmers are eligible)

Proof of Time: none required. If the swimmer does not have a previous time for any event, the

coaches will provide a time when approving the entries

Age Groups: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14, 15 & older

Offered: these are the first and last meets of the season (October & March)

Mini Meets General: All swimmers 8 years old and younger qualify for these meets

Time Standards: no qualifying times are required, except for 100 yard events

Proof of Time: none required. If the swimmer does not have a previous time for any event, the

coaches will provide a time when approving the entries

Age Groups: 8 year old, 7 year olds, 6 & under

Offered: every 3 to 5 weeks in conjunction with two other groups as a Mini/Distance/BB Meet

(the Mini Meet is conducted alone as one of the four sessions of these meets)

Championships: same requirements as regular Mini Meets

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B Meets General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: generally no faster than the BB time standards

Proof of Time: none required. If the swimmer does not have a previous time for any event, the

coaches will provide a time when approving the entries

Age Groups: 10 & under, 11-12, 13 & older

Offered: approximately every 4 weeks

Championships: same requirements as regular B Meets

BB Meets General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: generally faster than BB times & slower than A times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14, 15 & older (or 13-14 and 15 & older are combined into

13 & older)

Offered: every 3 to 5 weeks in conjunction with two other groups as a Mini/Distance/BB Meet

(the Mini Meet is conducted alone as one of the four sessions of these meets)

BB Championships: same requirements as regular BB Meets

A Meets General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: generally A times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14, Senior

Offered: every 3 to 4 weeks

Age Group (A) Championships: same requirements as regular A Meets

Special Meets

Holiday A+ Meet (University of Pittsburgh)

General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: generally A times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: 6-10, 11-12, 13-14, Senior

Offered: December

Junior Olympics General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: generally BB times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: 6-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15 & older

Offered: January

10/17/2013 15

Eastern Zone Championships (Regional) www.easternzoneswimming.org

General: top swimmers that meet the time standards in each event, selected by the LSC

Time Standards: generally AAA times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15 & older

Offered: March or April

North & South Sectionals (Regional) www.easternzoneswimming.org

General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: generally AAAA times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: Open

Offered: March or April

USA Junior Nationals (National) www.usaswimming.org

General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: faster than AAAA times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: Open

Offered: December

USA Nationals (National) www.usaswimming.org

General: all swimmers that meet the time standards set for the meet may enter the meet

Time Standards: faster than Junior National times

Proof of Time: required

Age Groups: Open

Offered: December

* Short Course refers to short course yards (SCY) which means meets are held in pools 25 yards

long.

What if you don’t know the swimmers times?

If your swimmer has never competed before, Open meets, B meets and Mini meets (if under 8

years of age) are the meets you will be able to swim in. A “no-time” or NT will be listed for

your swimmers time in the heat sheet. When in doubt, always ask a coach.

10/17/2013 16

Registering for a Swim Meet

You can view swim meet invitations on line at the SVSC website (www.swimsvsc.org) or

through the AMS website (www.AMSwim.org)

If using the SVSC website;

1. Sign in and click on the Events tab to view the “Current & Upcoming Events” tab.

2. Click on the meet you wish to view. There you can view a description of the meet; events

suggested for your swimmer by the coaching staff; and the meet invitation.

3. Click on the “Attend this Event” tab. This will take you to the “Athlete Signup” page.

4. Click on the swimmers name and choose “yes, please sign me up for this event” or “no,

(swimmers name) will NOT attend this event”. After that a list of events will pop up.

5. Check the box to the left of each event that you wish to sign your swimmer up to swim (if

the events are listed in red, your swimmer cannot swim those events). Keep in mind the

event limitations for each session. Our webpage puts the events in chronological order

and does not determine which session (i.e. Saturday morning, Sunday morning) the event

is swam in.

6. When finished, click the “update” tab at the bottom of the page.

If using the AMS website;

1. Click on the “Meets & Events” tab at the top of the screen.

2. Find the date and meet you are looking for

3. Click on the Meet Announcement to view the invitation.

Information found on the invitation includes but is not limited to:

Date and Time of Meet

Pool location and sponsoring club

Directions to the meet

Entry limitations

Warm-up times

Events offered by age grouping

10/17/2013 17

Preparing for the Meet

OK, your swimmer is signed up and the meet is approaching. Now what?

The night before the meet, pack your bags! This way you have ample time to make sure you

have everything you will need.

What Do I need for a meet?

Team suit and a spare just in case (they can tear during the meet, especially if you have

worn it several times)

Team swim cap and a spare – again, they will tear

Goggles, at least two pair available for all meets (test them at practice!)

Warm gear – we never know if the pool area or swimmers area will be warm or cool, we

want to keep the swimmer’s muscles warm in between events

Towels, preferably two, things do get wet on deck

Deck sandals, avoid plantar warts and athlete’s foot

Healthy snacks –items that are easy to digest, soft good carb foods in moderate

proportions – no milk products or high protein foods.

Black marker or pen – to mark the event, heat and lane for each race on your hand

Things to pass the time- books, ipod, homework etc.

Inhaler – if your child is asthmatic, be sure to pack this, pool environments can trigger an

attack

Sunscreen – if you are attending an outdoor meet such as in long course season

Items Parents may want to pack:

Highlighter – highlight your swimmer’s events in the heat sheet.

Pen – to write down official times of your swimmer

Sunscreen – it gets very hot during the long course meets in the summer

Poncho/umbrella – long course meets

Lawn chair – between events there is always a place to stick your chair and read a good

book. You may also want to bring a big blanket or comforter for the kids to lay on the in

the gym or cafeteria areas.

Things to pass the time; good book, cards, office work*

*When packing items to help pass the time, please remember that the spectator area of the pool is

often crowded, therefore, bringing a lot coats and stuff could be challenging. A tote bag or back

pack full of small items such as snacks, pens, camera, good book etcetera, should be sufficient to

help you get through the swim session. Also, keep in mind the pool area is very warm.

Remember to dress comfortably. If you do not wish to sit in the spectator area when your child is

not swimming, most meet locations offer the cafeteria and gymnasium where you can spread out

a little more. These areas will have a notification system in place (announcement or white

board) to let you know what number event is swimming and which event is “on deck” and ready

to swim next.

10/17/2013 18

Morning of the Meet

1. Eat a good breakfast. Nutrition is very important for a long meet. Wear your swimsuit to

the meet. Take directions to the meet with you (found on invitation and AMS website

under “clubs” tab).

2. Arrive at the pool deck 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time begins. This time

will be listed in the meet invitation. Swimmers use this time to stretch, loosen up, wake

up and get events written on hand by parents.

3. Upon arrival, find a place to put your swimmers’ blankets, swim bags and /or sleeping

bags. The team usually sits in one place, so look for familiar faces. *Remember, NO

PARENTS ARE ALLOWED ON DECK AT ANYTIME!

4. Check-in: The short course meets are generally pre-seeded, so the heat and lane

assignments for your swimmer will be listed by event in the heat sheet. These are sold

near the entrance or in the cafeteria of the school where the meet takes place. The heat

sheet is also posted on a wall near by in the event that you do not wish to purchase a heat

sheet.

For long course meets and distance events (400 yds or greater), the swimmers are

required to “circle in”. This means they must find the check-in area and initial and/or

circle their name in each event they are swimming. If this is not done, the swimmer will

not be allowed to swim that event. Check in is required to show the people that are

running the meet that the swimmer is there and intends to swim that event.

5. Five minutes before warm-ups, gather your cap and goggles and report to the coach and

assigned lane for warm-ups. It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up as a team.

A swimmer’s body is just like a car on a cold day – he/she needs to get the engine going

and warmed-up before he/she can go all out.

6. After warm-up, your swimmer will go back to the area where his/her team is sitting and

wait there until their first event is called. This is a good time to make sure he/she goes to

the bathroom if necessary, gets a drink or just gets settled in.

*According to USA Swimming rules, (because of insurance purposes), parents are not

allowed on deck unless they are serving in an official capacity. Similarly, all questions

concerning meet results, an officiating call or the conduct of a meet, should be referred to a

coach. He or she in turn, will pursue the matter through the proper channels.

10/17/2013 19

The Meet Starts

1. It is important for any swimmer to know what event numbers he/she is swimming

(again, why they should have the numbers on their hand). He/she may swim right

away after warm-up or they may have to wait awhile.

2. Most meets are computerized. There are generally two ways a swimmer gets to

his/her lane:

o A swimmer usually reports directly to his/her lane for competition a number of

heats before he/she actually swims. Check with your swimmer's coach for specific

instructions.

o In some novice meets, a swimmer's event number will be called, usually over the

loudspeaker, and he/she will be asked to report to the "clerk of course" or

“bullpen”. Swimmers should report with his/her cap and goggle.

3. Generally, girls events are odd-numbered and boys events are even-numbered.

Example: "Event #26, 10-Under Boys, 50 freestyle, report to Clerk of Course." The

"Clerk of Course" or “bullpen” area is usually where all swimmers checked in before

the warm-up.

4. The clerk will usually line up all the swimmers and take them down to the pool in

correct order. You can expect at least 4-8 heats of each event.

5. The swimmer swims his or her race.

6. After each swim:

o He/she is to ask the timers (people behind the blocks at each lane) his/her time.

o Depending on the coaches instructions, the swimmer may be asked to do some

recovery swimming if a "warm down" pool or lanes are available.

o The swimmer should then go immediately to his or her coach. The coach will

discuss the swim with each swimmer. Some coaches may wish to talk with the

swimmer before her recovery swim.

7. Generally, the coach follows these guidelines when discussing swims:

o Positive comments or praise

o Suggestions for improvement

o Positive comments

8. Things you, as a parent, can do after each swim:

o Tell him how great he did! The coaching staff will be sure to discuss stroke

technique with him. You need to tell him how proud you are and what a great job

he did.

o Take him back to the team area and relax.

o This is another good time to check out the bathrooms, get a drink or something

light to eat.

10/17/2013 20

9. The swimmer now waits until his next event is called and starts the procedure again.

When a swimmer has completed all of her events she and her parents get to go home.

Make sure, however, you, as a parent, check with the coach before leaving to make

sure your swimmer is not included on a relay. It is not fair to other swimmers who

may have stayed to swim on a relay where your swimmer is expected to be a member

and she is not there.

Results are usually posted somewhere in the facility. Awards are often gathered for a team and

given to the coach at the end of the meet. The coach will give the awards to the swimmers at a

later time.

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Long Course Season

Long Course Season (LC) for our LSC runs from May to August. During Long Course

season, swimmers will swim in pools that are 50 meters long and the majority of those

pools will be outside! The SVSC swimmers will move outdoors to practice for our Long

Course Season in June of each year.

Other than pool size, one of the bigger differences between seasons will be the

swimmers’ times. During Long Course, swimmers “swim” further distances and have

fewer flip-turns during their races. They do not have the advantage of propelling off the

wall. There is generally a meet for each swim group during the months of May, June, and

July. Long Course swim meets and their requirements will be listed on our website;

www.swimsvsc.com.

During the transition from short course to long course, meet invitations will generally

have a short course yards (SCY) column when viewing the events and qualifying times

section. To determine if the swimmer qualifies for the meet, go by the fastest time the

swimmer has swam that event in short course yards. Sometimes the swimmer may not

have swam that event during long course season, or has a qualifying time for SCY but is

slower for long course meters (LCM). There are conversion factors that can convert the

times from one season to another, however, USA Swimming does not formally endorse

any conversion factors between different courses. Each course (long course meter and

short course yards) is unique.

When arriving at a long course meet, swimmers must “circle in”. Events that the

swimmer signed up for will be listed on separate sheets of paper near the entrance to the

pool area. Each swimmer is to find their name and either circle their name or initial next

to their name for each event that they are going to swim. Approximately 30 minutes

before the meet starts, all sheets are collected and given to the meet administrator. The

meet administrator then places the swimmers into heats and lanes for each event. No heat

sheets will be available for sale during long course meets. Psych sheets may be sold

instead. A psych sheet contains a list of all swimmers swimming an event ranked from

fastest to slowest. There are no heat or lane assignments listed.

During the meet, the meet administrator will post heat and lane assignments for

upcoming events in the pool area. An announcement is usually made directing swimmers

when events are posted and where to look for them.

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IMX EXTREME AND IMX READY

From the USA Swimming Website

http://usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1492&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en

During the course of the swim season, you may hear our coaches talk about IMX or an IMX

score. IMX is a motivational program that allows swimmers across the nation to compare

themselves to the thousands of other athletes in their age group. All you have to do is swim a

combination of events, at least one time per season, and USA Swimming will automatically give

you your ranking!

Every swim listed in the USA Swimming times database includes a Hy-Tek Power Point value.

This point system allows for comparison of the quality of performances across strokes, distances

and events, as well as between age groups.

An IMX or IM Ready score is only established after a swimmer has swum all of the events

required for their age group in a sanctioned meet since the start of the current season; both short

and long course seasons start September 1 and end August 31 for IMX/IMR purposes.

Additionally, a swimmer must complete all of the events in the same course (SCY or LCM) to

have a score in that particular course.

The first step in the IMX Challenge is IM Ready (or IMR). To get "IM Ready," swimmers

compete in a series of five events at shorter distances. Below, we've listed the line-up by age

groups.

9 & Under; 10-year olds: 100 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast, 50 Fly, 100 IM (SC) or 200 IM (LC)

11-year olds; 12-year olds: 200 Free, 50 Back, 50 Breast, 50 Fly, 100 IM (SC) or 200 IM (LC)

13, 14, 15, 16, 17, & 18-year olds: 200 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 200 IM

The next step is IM Xtreme (IMX). The IMX ranking includes a series of five or six events at

longer distances. Once you've completed the IMX program, you can find out where your IMX

score ranks nationally, within your zone, within your LSC rank and within your club.

9 & Under; 10-year olds: 200 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 200 IM

11-year olds; 12-year olds: 400 Free (LC) or 500 Free (SC), 100 Back, 100 Breast, 100 Fly, 200

IM

13, 14, 15, 16, 17, & 18-year olds: 400 Free (LC) or 500 Free (SC), 200 Back, 200 Breast, 200

Fly, 200 IM, 400 IM

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USA Swimming automatically scores and calculates results for all athlete members! Swimmers

only need to sign up for a Deck Pass Account, then compete in each required event, at a

sanctioned meet, at least once in a season. Swimmers have the option of printing certificates that

displays their scores for either IMR or IMX. They can also optionally print their national, zone,

LSC and/or club rankings.

10/17/2013 24

Swimming Words and Terms

ABANDONMENT — termination of an open water event prior to its completion due to safety

considerations.

AGGREGATE TIME — times achieved by four individuals in separate starts which are added

together to arrive at a relay time for entry purposes.

AMATEUR SPORTS ACT — the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (1998) (or as

applicable, the Amateur Sports Act of 1978), as amended from time to time.

APPRECIABLE — sufficient in extent to be recognized.

APPROVAL — a permit issued by an LSC for meets conducted in conformance with USA

Swimming technical rules in which both members and non-members may compete.

ARM — that part of the body that extends from the shoulder to the wrist.

ATTACHED — status of an athlete member who represents a member club in competition after

having met the requirements of Article 203.

BLOCK—The platform on which the swimmer stands and pushes off to start each race.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS – unless otherwise noted, shall mean the USA Swimming Board of

Directors.

BODY — the torso, including shoulders and hips.

BONUS – (C FINAL) – the third fastest heat of swimmers competing in Finals.

CAP—a latex or lycra swim cap used during a race or practice to protect a swimmer’s hair from

the effects of chlorine in the water as well as help cut down water resistance from the swimmer’s

hair.

CHAMPIONSHIP – (A Final) – the fastest heat of swimmers competing in Finals.

CIRCLE SEED-- At championship meets, the top heats of an event are circle seeded, putting

each of the top three swimmers in different heats.

CLOSED COMPETITION — competition exclusively among members of a single club, or

among two or more USA Swimming member clubs within an organization or group formed for

the specific purpose of such competition or series of competitions that are open only to members

of that group or organization. Examples of this would include YMCA clubs and leagues

10/17/2013 25

consisting of a limited number of USA Swimming clubs within an LSC. It does not include

groups or organizations such as an LSC, Zone, Region, or Section within USA Swimming.

CLUB — an organization which has been accepted for membership in USA Swimming.

CONFORMING TIME — time achieved in a course that corresponds to the meet competition

course.

CONSOLATION — (B Final) – the second fastest heat of swimmers competing in Finals.

COURSE — designated distance over which the competition is conducted.

LONG COURSE — 50 meters.

SHORT COURSE — 25 yards or 25 meters.

DECK ENTERED-- Some meets limit the amount of entries in an event. This is particularly

true in a long distance event. Swimmers must check in by a stated time and those swimmers are

placed into assigned lanes before the event.

DFS—Declared false start.

DISTANCE—Recreational pools are 25 yard or 25 meters for one lap. Eight and unders swim

one lap. Nine and above swim two or more laps. A long or Olympic course is 50 meters for one

lap.

DPS-- Distance per stroke.

DQ—The disqualification of a swimmer as determined by the meet referee. D.Q.s may occur

because of illegal starts, strokes, turn, or finishes. False starts in relays are also D.Q.’s. Note

there are illegal strokes in breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, but generally not in freestyle

(which is free style by definition).

DRAFTING OR SLIPSTREAMING — swimming behind or next to another open water

swimmer or support craft for the purpose of taking advantage of the reduced water resistance

created by the former’s

wake.

DRAG SUIT—A second loose-fitting swimsuit worn by swimmers in practice and warm up to

add a certain amount of weight and resistance to the flow of the water around the swimmer.

DRAW — random selection by chance.

DUAL COMPETITION — competition between two teams.

END OF COURSE — designated wall for racing turns and finishes.

10/17/2013 26

ESCORT CRAFT — boats or paddle boards used in open water competition for the swimmers’

safety and logistical support.

ESCORTED SWIM — an open water event in which each swimmer is required to have an

escort craft accompany the swimmer throughout the race.

EVENT — any race or series of races in a given stroke and/or distance. For competitive limits,

one event is inclusive of preliminary heat(s) plus its related final(s), or one timed final, or one

time trial.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR — unless otherwise noted, the Executive Director of USA

Swimming.

EX-OFFICIO — a member of a board or committee serving by virtue of some other office or

position held (whether in USA Swimming, in an Allied or Affiliate Member, or otherwise), or by

virtue of an appointment to such committee or board pursuant to the Bylaws of USA Swimming.

Ex-officio members have full rights of membership including the right to vote (unless otherwise

provided in the Bylaws or Policy Manual). Ex-officio members without the right to vote are not

counted to establish a quorum (unless expressly provided otherwise in the Bylaws).

FLASE START—Occurs when a swimmer leaves the starting block, or is moving on the block,

before the starter officially starts the race. In USA swimming, one false start will result in an

automatic disqualification from the race.

FEED POLE — a mechanical implement used by coaches or support personnel to deliver fluid

and/or food to open water swimmers during the race.

FINALS — a session of a meet in which the concluding heats of an event are contested which

may include championship, consolation, or bonus finals.

FINISH — the instant that a swimmer touches the wall at the end of the prescribed distance.

FINISH POINT – the physical location where an open water race terminates.

FIRST DAY OF MEET — day on which the first competitive swimming event is conducted.

FOREIGN SWIMMER — an athlete member of a FINA member-country federation, other

than USA Swimming, or an athlete member of USA Swimming who is not eligible to represent

the United States in international competition due to FINA sports citizenship requirements. (See

Sports Citizen).

FORWARD START — an entry made while facing the course.

FOUL — an instance of obstruction, interference, collision, or equipment malfunction which

prevents the successful completion of a race.

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GUTTER—The area at the edges of the pool in which water overflows during a race and is re-

circulated into the pool. Deep gutters catch surface waves and don’t allow them to wash back

into the pool and affect the race.

HEADQUARTERS — USA Swimming’s office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

HEATS — a division of an event in which there are too many swimmers to compete at one time.

(See Preliminary Heats and Timed Final Heats).

HEAT SHEET—The program for the meet, showing all of the “heats” or races in chronological

order, including swimmers’ names and seed times. These are generally available at the pool

entrance for several dollars.

HORIZONTAL — parallel to the surface of the water.

IM—Individual medley of strokes where an individual swimmer will swim one or more laps

each of Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle, in that order.

INITIAL DISTANCE — that first portion of a race for which an official time may be recorded

but which is not in itself a completed event.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION — any athletic competition between any athlete(s) or

member organization(s) of USA Swimming, either individually or as part of a team, and any

athlete(s) or member organization(s) (e.g., clubs) representing any foreign country.

INTERNET DISTANCE CHALLENGE – a swimming competition conducted in multiple

pool locations with results compiled in a central location.

JUNIOR OLYMPIC — a type of Age Group competition conducted by Zones and LSCs.

LANE, LANE ASSIGNMENT—most pools have 6 lanes, some have 8 or 10 lanes. Their

swimmers are “seeded” based on their fastest previous times. For a six lane pool, the fastest

seeded swimmer will be in lane 3, next fastest lane 4, then 5,2, 1 and 6.

LANE LINE — continuous floating markers attached to a line stretched from the starting end to

the turning end of the course for the purpose of separating each lane.

LEAD BOAT — the boat used as a course guide for open water swimmers.

LENGTH — extent of the course from end to end.

LSC (LOCAL SWIMMING COMMITTEE) — an administrative division of USA Swimming

with supervisory responsibilities within certain geographic boundaries designated by USA

Swimming.

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MANUAL START — the start of any timing device by an individual in response to the same

starting signal given to the swimmer(s).

MAY — permissive, not mandatory.

MEET ANNOUNCEMENT — document setting forth information of the meet events,

schedule, and procedures.

MEET COMMITTEE — Unless otherwise specified in the meet announcement, the Meet

Committee shall consist of the Meet Director, Meet Referee, and coach and athlete members as

appropriate.

MIXED CLASSIFICATION — meet in which events of Age Group and Junior, Senior, or any

other Classification are offered.

NATIONAL AGE GROUP (NAG) RECOGNITION TIME — an official time that qualifies

as one of the fastest for a given age group as defined in the SWIMS portion of the Policy

Manual.

NEGATIVE SPLIT—A race strategy in the distance events in which a swimmer covers the

second half of the race faster than the first half.

NON-CONFORMING TIME — entry time achieved in a course which does not correspond to

the course in which the meet will be conducted.

NS—No Show. Swimmer did not start or show up for their scheduled event.

OBSERVED SWIM — a swim observed by assigned USA Swimming officials for

conformance with USA Swimming technical rules in a meet conducted under other than USA

Swimming rules.

OFFICIAL—A judge on the deck of the pool. Various judges watch the swimmer’s strokes,

turns, and finishes or are timers.

ON THE BACK — position of the body when the shoulders are at or past vertical towards the

back.

ON THE BREAST — position of the body when the shoulders are at or past vertical towards

the breast.

OPEN COMPETITION — competition which any qualified club, organization or individual

may enter.

OPEN WATER SWIMMING — any swimming competition that takes place in rivers, lakes,

or oceans.

10/17/2013 29

OUTREACH MEMBERSHIP — a reduced-fee category of athlete membership for under-

represented and/or economically disadvantaged swimmers.

PACING — an attempt by a person not participating in an open water race to enter the water

with the intent of providing moral support or otherwise assisting a swimmer in setting the tempo

of the race.

PADDLER — a person on a paddle board or manually propelled craft who supports an open

water swimmer or group of swimmers.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT — person assigned to aid a disabled swimmer.

PLACE JUDGE — official assigned to record the order of finish of all swimmers by lane in

each heat.

POLICY MANUAL — document adopted by the USA Swimming Board of Directors that

specifies policies and procedures not contained in Rules & Regulations.

PRACTICE — the instruction of swimming techniques, skills, knowledge, conditioning,

aptitude and Motivation.

.

PRELIMINARY HEATS OR PRELIMINARIES — competition in which a number of heats

are swum to qualify the fastest swimmers for the Finals.

PROGRAM — the order of events, including starting times and intermissions in a meet or

portion thereof (See Session), sequentially listed by class of competition, sex, age group,

distance, and stroke as set forth in the meet announcement.

PROPULSIVE — having power to propel.

REINSTATEMENT — return of all or limited rights of membership in USA Swimming.

RELAY — a race in which each team member swims a specified portion of the course.

RELAY EXCHANGE—The exchange between the swimmer in the water and the next

swimmer on the relay team. A perfect exchange will simultaneously have the finishing

swimmer’s hand on the touch pad and the starting swimmer’s feet just touching the starting

block with the rest of the starting swimmer’s body extended over the water.

RELAY LEG — the part of a relay event that is swum by a single team member.

ROLL—To move on the starting blocks prior to the starting signal. A roll is usually caught by

the starter and called a false start, but swimmers will often try to guess the starter’s cadence and

get a good start. Similar to illegal procedure in football.

10/17/2013 30

SANCTION — a permit issued by an LSC to a USA Swimming group member to conduct a

meet in conformance with all USA Swimming rules in which all participating swimmers are

athlete members of USA Swimming, except as provided in 202.3.1.

SCISSOR KICK — use of the top of the instep of one foot and the bottom of the other foot in

the propulsive part of the kick.

SCRATCH (from an event) — withdraw an entry from competition.

SEASONAL ATHLETE MEMBERSHIP — an individual athlete membership in USA

Swimming which may be offered at the option of the LSC for one or two periods of not more

than 150 days in a registration year pursuant to Article 302.

SEASONAL CLUB — an organization which has been accepted for membership in USA

Swimming and which operates within a period of time specified by the LSC.

SEED — to distribute the swimmers among the required number of heats and/or lanes,

according to their submitted or preliminary times.

DECK-SEED — swimmers are required to check in for their events on the day of the meet.

After scratches are determined, events are seeded.

PRE-SEED — all entrants are seeded prior to the day of competition.

SESSION — any portion of a meet distinctly separated from other portions by locale, time, or

type of competition, i.e., preliminaries and finals; morning and evening; Senior and Age Group,

etc.

SHALL — mandatory.

SHOULD — recommended but not mandatory.

SIMULTANEOUSLY — occurring at the same time.

SPLIT—A swimmer’s intermediate time in a race. Splits are registered every 25 yards (or 50

meters) and are used to determine if a swimmer is on record pace.

SPORTS CITIZEN — an athlete who has represented a nation other than the United States in

international competition is a sports citizen of that nation and is considered ineligible to represent

the United States until FINA requirements for changing sports citizenship (sport nationality)

have been met. (See Foreign Swimmer)

SPORTS ORGANIZATION — a corporation, club, federation, union, association, or other

group organized in the United States which sponsors or conducts any athletic competition.

SPRING-- A sprint is a high energy burst of speed for a short distance.

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SUPPORT PERSONNEL — persons in an open water swimmer’s escort craft who provide for

feeding, navigating, coaching, and other supporting activities.

SWIMS (Swimming Web-Based Interactive Membership System) — a single integrated

database system which includes USA Swimming membership data and a databank of achieved

times that are considered official and are recognized for proof of entry and recognition programs.

SUSPENSION — deprivation of all rights of membership in USA Swimming.

TAPER—The resting process in training for swimming competition. During the middle of the

swimming season a swimmer may endure intense daily workouts. As major competition draws

near, the swimmers will taper off the distances swum each day. A perfectly designed taper will

enable the swimmer to compete at their peak capability and is one of the most difficult aspects of

swim coaching.

TAPPER — personal assistant who uses a pole with a soft-tipped end to tap a blind or visually-

impaired swimmer as notification of turns and the finish.

TEXTILE MATERIALS — natural and/or synthetic, individual and non-consolidating yarns

used to constitute a fabric by weaving, knitting, and/or braiding, or as further defined under

current FINA swimwear rules.

TIMED FINAL HEATS OR TIMED FINALS — competition in which only heats are swum

and final placings are determined by the times achieved in the heats.

TIME STANDARD — the time a swimmer must have previously achieved in order to compete

in that event at a designated competition.

TOUCH — contact with the end of the course.

TOUCH PAD-- The area at the end of each lane in the pool where a swimmer’s time is

registered and sent electronically to the timing system, then the scoreboard.

TRYOUT — practices where a swimmer who is not a member of USA Swimming participates

with a USA Swimming member club for a period not to exceed thirty (30) consecutive days in a

twelve month period to determine the swimmer’s interest in becoming a member of USA

Swimming.

TURN — a point where the swimmers reverse or change direction.

TURNOVER—the number of times a swimmer’s arms turn over (cycle) in a given distance or

time during a race.

UNATTACHED — status of a member who does not represent a club or FINA member

Federation in competition.

10/17/2013 32

UNESCORTED SWIM — an open water event where swimmers compete without a designated

support craft.

USA SWIMMING — USA Swimming, Inc., a Colorado corporation.

VENUE — the area located on the sides and ends of the pool, spectator area, team areas within

the pool facility (e.g., portion of the building designated for teams and swimmers, or fenced area

around an outdoor pool), locker rooms, and such other areas as may be specifically designated by

the host club or organization, meet director, or referee. In open water competition, the

geographical area and environs where the meet is conducted.

VERTICAL — perpendicular to the water surface.

WALL — vertical portion of the pool, contiguous surfaces of the deck and overflow gutter, the

front portion of the starting block or platform, or the touchpad at the end of the course.

WARM DOWN-- Used by the swimmer to rid the body of excess lactic acid generated during a

race or practice.

WARM UP-- A pre-meet swim used by the swimmer before the race to get the muscles loose

and ready to race.

WARNING SIGNAL — a bell, whistle, air horn, or other appropriate audible device.

WAVE — at an open water event, a second or subsequent start used if the start area cannot

accommodate all contestants at the same time.

WEBSITE — the official site maintained by USA Swimming on the internet

(usaswimming.org).