Swimmer Eligibility
Any swimmer, age 4 to 18 may join the Bridgemill Bluefins. However, all swimmers MUST be able to swim the length of the pool, without assistance, to participate in swim meets.
Cost
The cost to join the swim team is $75 per swimmer. This fee only covers a portion of our expenses. Other team expenses are met through fundraising, sponsorships, concession sales, etc.
Swim Suits, Goggles, and Caps
Swimmers are required to purchase an official swim team suit to participate in meets. Swimmers must wear swim caps to participate in meets and are encouraged to wear goggles at practice and at meets. Suits, goggles and caps can be ordered during the Enrolment Fair. The swim team coordinator will have a limited number of extra goggles and caps for purchase during the season.
Coaching Staff
Head Coach - Rachel
Assistant Coaches - Jaclyn
Julia
Sam
Volunteer Requirements
It takes approximately 25 volunteers to run a swim meet. This does not include the volunteers needed for set-up and clean-up. Parent involvement is critical to the success of the swim team and one parent from each family must volunteer at 4 swim meets each season. Volunteer sign-ups will be posted at each enrollment meeting and must be completed for your child(ren) to swim with the Bluefins. The Volunteer Coordinator will make every effort to honor your assignment request. Should you not be able to attend a meet in which you are assigned a volunteer duty, you must contact the Volunteer Coordinator as early as possible. All volunteers must check-in with the Swim Team Coordinator (Natascha Hinduja or Mandy Cutts) at the beginning of each meet. Following is a list of volunteer positions required at each of the meets:
Practice Basics
· Swimmers are encouraged to attend at least 3 practices per week.
· Parents must drop off and pickup swimmers in the designated practice area at the designated time.
Swim Meet Basics
The age level of each swimmer for the current season shall be determined by the swimmer’s age on or before May 31st. Each swimmer shall swim in his/her age level for the entire season. However, a swimmer may elect to swim in the next higher age group for the entire season. This choice must be made before the start of the season (first meet), must be indicated on the roster, and once made, may not be reversed at a later date. Eligible 6 & Under swimmers may swim in 8 & Under events other than the 8 & Under 25M Freestyle without aging up for the season.
Event Eligibility
Each swimmer may enter a maximum of three individual events in his/her age group and a maximum of two relays in his/her age group. Listing a swimmer as an alternate in an event shall count as an entry in the event for the swimmer.
The Strokes
The four competitive swimming strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The combination of all four strokes is called an individual medley.
· In freestyle events, the competitor may swim any stroke. The stroke most commonly used is sometimes called the crawl, which is characterized by the alternate stroking of the arms over the surface of the water surface and an alternating (up-and-down) flutter kick.
· Backstroke consists of an alternating motion of the arms with a flutter kick while on the back. On turns, swimmers may rotate to the stomach and perform a flip turn and some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. The swimmer must finish on the back.
· The breaststroke requires simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pressed out from in front of the breast in a heart shaped pattern and recovered under or on the surface of the water. The kick is a simultaneous somewhat circular motion similar to the action of a frog. On turns and at the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at, above or below the water surface.
· Some consider the butterfly to be the most beautiful of the strokes. It features a simultaneous recovery of the arms over the water combined with an undulating dolphin kick. In the kick, the swimmer must keep both legs together and may not flutter, scissors or use the breaststroke kick. Both hands must touch the wall simultaneously on the turns and the finish.
· The individual medley, commonly referred to as the I.M., features all four strokes. In the IM, the swimmer begins with the butterfly, then changes after one-fourth of the race to backstroke, then breaststroke and finally freestyle.
The Relays
· The medley relay consists of 4 swimmers, each swimming a different stroke. The strokes are swum in alphabetical order (back, breast, butterfly and freestyle).
· The freestyle relay consists of 4 swimmers, each swimming freestyle.
Technical Rules
The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules designed to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer. If a swimmer commits an infraction of the rules that is observed by an official, a disqualification (DQ) will result. This means that the swimmer will not receive an official time and will not be eligible for an award in that event. A disqualification may result from actions such as not getting to the starting blocks on time, false starting, performing strokes in an illegal manner, or unsportsmanlike conduct. DQs are also a result of technical rules violations. They include but are not limited to:
Any swimmer, age 4 to 18 may join the Bridgemill Bluefins. However, all swimmers MUST be able to swim the length of the pool, without assistance, to participate in swim meets.
Cost
The cost to join the swim team is $75 per swimmer. This fee only covers a portion of our expenses. Other team expenses are met through fundraising, sponsorships, concession sales, etc.
Swim Suits, Goggles, and Caps
Swimmers are required to purchase an official swim team suit to participate in meets. Swimmers must wear swim caps to participate in meets and are encouraged to wear goggles at practice and at meets. Suits, goggles and caps can be ordered during the Enrolment Fair. The swim team coordinator will have a limited number of extra goggles and caps for purchase during the season.
Coaching Staff
Head Coach - Rachel
Assistant Coaches - Jaclyn
Julia
Sam
Volunteer Requirements
It takes approximately 25 volunteers to run a swim meet. This does not include the volunteers needed for set-up and clean-up. Parent involvement is critical to the success of the swim team and one parent from each family must volunteer at 4 swim meets each season. Volunteer sign-ups will be posted at each enrollment meeting and must be completed for your child(ren) to swim with the Bluefins. The Volunteer Coordinator will make every effort to honor your assignment request. Should you not be able to attend a meet in which you are assigned a volunteer duty, you must contact the Volunteer Coordinator as early as possible. All volunteers must check-in with the Swim Team Coordinator (Natascha Hinduja or Mandy Cutts) at the beginning of each meet. Following is a list of volunteer positions required at each of the meets:
- Starter: Announces event and heat. Positions swimmers for start and starts race.
- Stroke & Turn Judge: Judges take-offs, strokes, kicks, turns and finishes and relays.
- Head Clerk of Course: Lines up swimmers in lanes for upcoming events.
- Asst. Clerk of Course: Lines up swimmers in lanes for upcoming events.
- Runner: Takes lane sheets from timers in each lane and DQ slips from judges to Computer Operator. Gives water to all timers, clerks of course, stroke and turn judges and starter.
- Head Timer: Ensures timers are ready, signals starter and runs back up stopwatch.
- Computer Operator: Enters times for swimmers and DQ slips into Meet Manager software, generates labels for ribbons and reports for coaches/timers/clerks of course.
- Timers: Uses stopwatch to time swimmers in assigned lane. Records time on lane sheets.
- Ribbon Writers: Sticks labels on ribbons.
- Concessions: Sets-up concession stand. Sells concessions at meet. Cleans-up concession stand and stores supplies.
Practice Basics
· Swimmers are encouraged to attend at least 3 practices per week.
· Parents must drop off and pickup swimmers in the designated practice area at the designated time.
- Swimmers should gather as a group in the designated swim team area until the coach has instructed swimmers to go to the deck or to get into the water.
- Swimmers must listen to the coaches when they are talking.
- No horseplay, cursing or other inappropriate behavior is allowed at practice. Swimmers will be asked to leave practice after warnings. Parents will be notified if problems persist and the swimmer may be asked to leave the team.
- Swimmers are at practice to practice. They are not allowed in the other areas of the pool while at practice.
- For safety reasons, no one is allowed in the swim team lanes of the pool, other than the swimmers and the coach.
- Swimmers should be at the pool 5 minutes prior to the scheduled practice time, ready to swim.
- Upon arrival to practice, swimmers should have on their swim suits, goggles and swim caps and should be ready to get into the water. Swimmers should use the restroom before practice begins.
Swim Meet Basics
- All swimmers should be at the pool at 5:00 pm for home meets and 5:15 for away meets. Warm-ups are 5:30-5:45 at home meets and 5:45-6:00 at away meets. Meets start at 6:00 p.m.
- Should your child need a ride to the meet, please let the coaches know at least 1 day prior to the meet.
- Swimmers should immediately check-in with the Clerk of Course upon arriving at the pool. Please make sure your child's events are written on his/her right arm in sharpie. This helps him/her remember what events he/she is swimming.
- After warm-up, your swimmer will go back to the area where his/her team is sitting and wait there until his 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. Please make sure your child remains seated with his/her team. Do not allow your child to sit with you during a meet. He/she may purchase concessions but must return immediately to the swim team area.
- Heat sheets are sold at each meet. Heat sheets list all swimmers in each event in order of "seed time". When the team entry is sent in, each swimmer is listed with his/her previous best time. If the swimmer is swimming an event for the first time, he/she will be entered as a "no-time" or "NT". A "no-time" swimmer will most likely swim in one of the first heats of the event.
- Swimmers should ask the timers (people behind the blocks at each lane) his/her time after each event.
- Concessions are sold at all meets.
- Spectators should bring chairs to each meet. Seating is usually very limited.
The age level of each swimmer for the current season shall be determined by the swimmer’s age on or before May 31st. Each swimmer shall swim in his/her age level for the entire season. However, a swimmer may elect to swim in the next higher age group for the entire season. This choice must be made before the start of the season (first meet), must be indicated on the roster, and once made, may not be reversed at a later date. Eligible 6 & Under swimmers may swim in 8 & Under events other than the 8 & Under 25M Freestyle without aging up for the season.
Event Eligibility
Each swimmer may enter a maximum of three individual events in his/her age group and a maximum of two relays in his/her age group. Listing a swimmer as an alternate in an event shall count as an entry in the event for the swimmer.
The Strokes
The four competitive swimming strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The combination of all four strokes is called an individual medley.
· In freestyle events, the competitor may swim any stroke. The stroke most commonly used is sometimes called the crawl, which is characterized by the alternate stroking of the arms over the surface of the water surface and an alternating (up-and-down) flutter kick.
· Backstroke consists of an alternating motion of the arms with a flutter kick while on the back. On turns, swimmers may rotate to the stomach and perform a flip turn and some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. The swimmer must finish on the back.
· The breaststroke requires simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pressed out from in front of the breast in a heart shaped pattern and recovered under or on the surface of the water. The kick is a simultaneous somewhat circular motion similar to the action of a frog. On turns and at the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at, above or below the water surface.
· Some consider the butterfly to be the most beautiful of the strokes. It features a simultaneous recovery of the arms over the water combined with an undulating dolphin kick. In the kick, the swimmer must keep both legs together and may not flutter, scissors or use the breaststroke kick. Both hands must touch the wall simultaneously on the turns and the finish.
· The individual medley, commonly referred to as the I.M., features all four strokes. In the IM, the swimmer begins with the butterfly, then changes after one-fourth of the race to backstroke, then breaststroke and finally freestyle.
The Relays
· The medley relay consists of 4 swimmers, each swimming a different stroke. The strokes are swum in alphabetical order (back, breast, butterfly and freestyle).
· The freestyle relay consists of 4 swimmers, each swimming freestyle.
Technical Rules
The technical rules of swimming are designed to provide fair and equitable conditions of competition and to promote uniformity in the sport. Each swimming stroke has specific rules designed to ensure that no swimmer gets an unfair competitive advantage over another swimmer. If a swimmer commits an infraction of the rules that is observed by an official, a disqualification (DQ) will result. This means that the swimmer will not receive an official time and will not be eligible for an award in that event. A disqualification may result from actions such as not getting to the starting blocks on time, false starting, performing strokes in an illegal manner, or unsportsmanlike conduct. DQs are also a result of technical rules violations. They include but are not limited to:
- Freestyle: Walking on the bottom, pulling on the lane rope, not touching the wall on a turn, or not completing the distance.
- Backstroke: Pulling or kicking into the wall once a swimmer has turned passed the vertical onto the breast during a turn. Turning onto the breast before touching the wall with the hand at the finish of the race.
- Breaststroke: An illegal kick such as flutter (freestyle), dolphin (butterfly), or scissors (side stroke); not on the breast; alternating movements of the arms; taking two arm strokes or two leg kicks while the head is under water; touching with only one hand at the turns or finish.
- Butterfly: Alternating movements of the arms or legs; pushing the arms forward under instead of over the water surface (underwater recovery); a breaststroke or freestyle style of kick; touching with only one hand at the turns or finish.
- INDIVIDUAL EVENTS: First Place – 5 points, Second Place – 3 points, Third Place – 2 points, Fourth Place – 1 point.
- RELAY EVENTS: First Place – 10 points, Second Place – 6 points. Only the A relay team can score points.
- No points will be scored for the 6 & Under Freestyle Events.
- Ribbons shall be awarded in all individual events, including 6 & Under Freestyle, to the First Place through Fourth Place finishers. Ribbons shall be awarded in all relay events to the First Place finishers and the Second Place finishers.
- Heat ribbons shall be awarded to all heat winners in 6 & Under individual events, 8 & Under individual events, and 9-10 individual events.
- Participation ribbons shall be awarded to all 6 & Under Freestyle swimmers upon completion of their race.
- The top two (2) swimmers in each event are eligible to participate in the All-Star Meet.
- For a swimmer to be eligible to swim in the Division All-Star Meet, that swimmer must have competed in at least two (2) dual meets during the current season.
- There are no events for 6 & Under swimmers in the All-Star meet. However, 6 & Under swimmers are eligible to swim 8 & Under events in the All-Star Meet, including the 8 & Under 25M Freestyle event without aging up for the entire season.