The purpose of this modest publication is to prepare parents of children who are members of, or are considering joining, the YWCA of Gettysburg & Adams County Sharks Swim Team for the complexities and promises of the world of competitive swimming. We hope that you will find the time to read this handbook in its entirety, for it is an established fact that the positive influence of a swimmer's parents is essential for success. There are virtually no swimmers who have been successful without supportive parents.

The swimmer is ready for his/her first meet as soon as he/she can swim the distance required and feel confident enough to compete. The sooner the swimmer begins to compete, the sooner he/she will see improving times. A meet is a great teaching media and everyone is encouraged to improve his/her skills in preparation for the next meet.   The weeks of practice before a meet and between meets are very important ones. It is during these practices that a swimmer perfects new skills and techniques and prepares for the next competition.

Each meet has a "starting time" and a "warm-up time". The swimmers should be on deck and ready to get in the water when warm-ups begin. The quality of each warm-up decides the quality of the performances in the meet. Arriving late for warm-ups starts your child off on the wrong foot before the meet even begins.

While it is not required that you to attend all of the meets, making an effort to do so when possible will be appreciated by your child. Many lasting friendships have been established by parents at swim meets.

You may want to bring drinks and snacks to the meet. Suggested items are Gator Aid, fruit juices, fruits, muffins, and vegetables. Be aware that concessions are not available at all meets. Food and drinks can make a real difference in your swimmer's performance. Always have your swimmer bring plenty of towels, warm clothes, and some sort of deck shoes or flip flops. A sleeping bag seems to be a favorite of competitive swimmers.

Areas adjacent to pools are almost always very warm and moist for the comfort of the swimmers. You will enjoy the meets much more if you dress with that in mind.

2. Competition--Events included in a meet.

The events included in each meet are varying distances of the four competitive strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle as well as the Individual Medley, which is a combination of these four strokes. Relays, consisting of four swimmers, highlight many meets.

Every member of the Sharks will have an opportunity to swim in each dual meet. The stronger, more experienced swimmers will compete in the "official" heats while some of the newer, less experienced swimmers will swim in the exhibition heats. The goal is to allow as many kids to swim, while still accumulating points for the team.

The age groups are divided in the following categories for boys and girls:
8 & Under
10 & Under
12 & Under
14 & Under
Unlimited

3. At the Meet--

There are several things the coaches of the YWCA Sharks Swim Team ask. Please help and encourage your child to abide by the wishes of the coaches.

      1) Each swimmer needs to report to one of the coaches immediately after finishing a race. The swimmer should report his/her time to the coach and listen to any comments the coach may have. After speaking with the coach, the swimmer may then talk to parents and teammates. Coaches attend meets for a purpose, let them do their jobs-coach! Parents should be there for love and support.

     2) While at the dual meets, the coaches would like for the swimmers to sit together as a team. Team unity it a very important motivator on the road to success.

      3) Last but not least, the coaches ask that the coaching be left up to them. Remember that these coaches are the ones who work with your child day in and day out. Once again, let them do their jobs!

4. Competition--Types of meets

Everyone on the team is asked to compete in as many dual meets as possible. There are usually between 5 and 6 dual meets per season. These are the meets where we compete against one other team.

During the season, there are many invitationals. Swimmers may go to these meets as they wish, but are strongly encouraged to attend several each season. It is at these meets where a swimmer can chose the events he/she will swim. At many invitationals, team points are tallied and high point teams are awarded trophies. Winning a team trophy is a great way to boost team spirit.

United States Swimming Incorporated is a membership organization. USS holds many meets throughout the swimming seasons. These meets often offer stiffer competition and require travel. The number of USS meets that the Sharks participate in is increasing every year. The highest levels of competition attended by Sharks swimmers have included Middle Atlantic Junior Olympics and YWCA Junior/Senior Nationals.

Whenever your child is going to miss a meet for any reason, be sure to inform the coach immediately. Meet line-ups take a considerable amount of time, and last minute changes can be very damaging to the strategies for the meet. Because changes have to be made at the last minute, this usually takes the coach away from coaching the warm-ups.

CHAPTER 4
Expenses

For the most part, swimming is not an expensive sport when you consider what all you are getting for the money you pay.   The initial fee may seem like a lot, but after that payment, the costs tend to even out. Please see the current YWCA Program booklet for team and Rec Pass fees. Time payments and financial aid are available.
APPROXIMATE EXPENSES~
1. Bathing suit-any bathing suit is acceptable: however, to make a child feel comfortable, a competitive suit is recommended. These can be purchased through the team at a reduced fee.
            BOYS: $15-$19            GIRLS: $26-$32

2. Goggles-these may be purchased through the team throughout the season or at the YWCA Service Desk. Approximate cost: $4.00-10.00 depending on the style.

3. Fins-these may be purchased through Toad Hollow Athletics at the beginning of the season, or from team members who have out-grown theirs. Approximate cost: $25-$30 new.

There is a wide array of team attire available for optional purchase. An order form is presented at the beginning of the winter season for your convenience. Some of the other items available include:
Team jackets and parkas, team suits, team caps, team duffel bags, and sweat suits.

CHAPTER 5
The Season

The swimming season is a long one, especially for those who are more advanced in the sport and are moving into the higher levels of competition.

The general schedule of the season is as follows:

WINTER SEASON

SEPTEMBER	Plus Team practice begins the third week in September
OCTOBER	Practice begins October 1st (actual starting date may vary depending on the day of the week) USS meets begin
NOVEMBER	Invitationals begin High School swimming begins
DECEMBER	Dual meets begin
JANUARY	Continue as in December
FEBRUARY	Dual meets end Divisional and All-Star meets at the end of the month
MARCH	Some invitationals remain, USS Junior Olympics, and Junior Nationals
APRIL	YWCA Nationals and Middle Atlantic Zones

SUMMER SEASON

MAY	Practice begins May 1st (actual starting date may vary depending on the day of the week)
JUNE	Invitationals, USS, and dual meets begin Keystone State Games trials.
JULY	Meets continue. Divisionals, All-Stars, and Mid-Cap, and Junior Olympic meets.
AUGUST	Keystone State Games for qualifiers.

CHAPTER 6
Does Wheat Really Have Germs?

Proper nutrition is essential for first-rate athletic performance. In general, you should try to keep your child on a balanced diet, difficult as it may be, and to cut down on junk food. Use whatever vitamin supplements that have been recommended by your doctor. In most cases, being on a balanced diet will provide all the vitamins and minerals that your child will need.

You will find that your child's appetite will grow in proportion to the amount of time he/she puts into training. Although your child's appetite will grow, be careful not to allow him/her to overeat! An overweight athlete cannot reach his/her full potential. You are also very likely to find that your child will have fewer colds and flu and, in general, will be healthier throughout the entire year even in the deep, dark winter. Remember, the healthiest people in the world are the Scandinavians who, at age 85, still go out and jump into the ice floe every morning, so don't worry your child to death (or illness!).

"Swimmer's ear" is a common and very painful experience, which can normally be avoided by dropping a mixture of white vinegar and alcohol into the swimmer's ears immediately after practice. Wearing a rubber cap also decreases the chance of getting swimmer's ear.

The incidence of cramps can be kept to a minimum by giving your swimmer fresh fruit, especially bananas. Do not over-salt food to prevent cramps, simply salt to taste.

Now a special word about processed sugar--NO! That's the best word we can think of. Processed sugars not only cause tooth decay, they impede a swimmer's performance both at practice and at swim meets! When you first eat something that contains a great deal of processed sugar, especially first thing in the morning, i.e. sugary breakfast foods, candy, soft drinks, etc. the blood sugar quickly rises to a very high level then plunges drastically and stays there. This causes dizziness, weakness, general irritability, and inability to concentrate. You can well imagine what kind of performance a child will be capable of under these conditions. Instead of giving your child candy and soft drinks at swim meets, give him/her fruit, raisins, or granola.

The night before a meet should be handled as if it were a regular school night. Put your child to bed at about the same time you would on a school night. The evening meal need not be anything special, just some favorite dish. Breakfast the morning of the meet should be on the light side, but do not send your swimmer away from the table hungry. The meal should be high in starches--yes, starches--and extremely low in processed sugars. Please, no sugary breakfast foods. Also do the coach a favor and do not let your child load up on sugary foods before coming to practice. Just allow him/her enough food to satisfy his/her hunger. No full stomachs, please!

CHAPTER 7
I Want To Be Just Like Daddy and Mommy When I Grow Up!

Children learn from parents, sometimes whether we want them to or not. You have probably heard a disgruntled parent say something like, "I don't know where that kid learned to be so irresponsible. She never finishes anything she starts." Very often these attitudes were taught to the child by their parents through the parents' own poor example. Take care to teach your children responsibility by getting them to practice and swim meets ON TIME!, even when it's tough. And on those cold, dark days when sitting in front of the television is much more appealing than going to practice, nudge your child down the road to self-discipline by explaining the necessity of finishing what one begins while you are helping them on with their swim suits. We all need a little shove now and again to do what we really wanted to do anyhow, deep down.

As mentioned way back in the introduction, when you allow your child to join the Sharks, you take on some responsibility too. We all must dedicate some of our time and talent to running swim meets (usually 5-7 a year) which are a part of our responsibility to our league, the Middle Atlantic Association, USS and for the local development and promotion of swimming. Home meets are also one of our sources of income. Even though it might be tough to spare the time, set a good example and plan to work in some capacity. Don't make the same people do all of the work all of the time.

If you would really like to contribute to the maintenance of a strong club, donate some of your time and ideas by serving as a Committee Chairman or Board Member. We need and encourage everyone's participation.

Our use of the pool is a privilege extended to us by the YWCA of Gettysburg & Adams County, so please remind your child to treat the facility with respect.

CHAPTER 8
Give the Kid a Break

There is a trap that many parents fall into. It works like this: A swimmer receives serious coaching/training for the first time and many defects begin to be corrected. Naturally the swimmer will show great amounts of improvement the first and second year of competition. This is great as long as it is kept in perspective because, sooner or later, every swimmer will level off and the long normal process of working for every tenth of a second will begin. The problem, or trap, is that many parents fix their expectations based on these early performances so that when their swimmer does level off, they think that something has gone wrong. They begin to accuse their children of slacking off in practice, not trying, or even worse, of not being able to do it. Some parents take the protective route of "that's alright, darling, your legs are to short to kick as fast as the other kids. Don't worry about it."

Instead of decreasing the anxiety that their swimmer already feels at slowing down, and helping him/her to understand the reality of the situation, the parents actually increase the anxiety by pressuring their children to perform. Soon their swimmers are so racked with anxiety, trying to avoid doing poorly in meets, that they are totally unable to perform well. It has been said that the difference between a winner and a loser is that a winner sees what he/she hopes to achieve, but a loser sees only what he/she hopes to avoid. In this situation the swimmer becomes preoccupied with avoiding slow times as to avoid rebuke from his/her parents. Thus the trap is sprung. Instead of making their swimmer improve, the parents in this case have actually only increased his/her anxiety, making it impossible to do well. Encourage your child to be a winner in that he/she sees what he/she hopes to achieve, not what he/she hopes to avoid.

The way for you to avoid this trap is to always find something to praise in your child's performance. Your children are subjected to many negative influences today that tend to make them feel that they are less than others. It is your job to continually praise, to put them UP, to let them know that they are unique the way they are and that they are doing a fine job, in a great sport.

Your swimmer's career will have high and low points. It would be a mistake to expect children who are constantly undergoing changes both physically and emotionally to consistently perform well. So do not come unglued when your child does not do as well as you had expected. Each failure is a step towards success, and a learning experience. If he/she has given good effort, sincerely praise it. It will not only be good for him/her as a swimmer, but also as a person.

CHAPTER 9
Give the Coach a Break

Good swimming coaches do not grow on trees, bushes, or anywhere else. A good coach is a virtual compendium of organization, knowledge, dedication, and caring. And even though they may need money to be able to continue in coaching, money is obviously not the main reason that they coach since almost all coaches are underpaid, if they are paid at all, and put in many more hours than they spend at practice. They coach from a sense of doing something worthwhile. They like kids and they feel that swimming is a super sport in which to be involved. Many coaches even take jobs that allow them time to coach, even though they are lesser paying jobs. In this day and age, good swim coaches are certainly strange animals. If you have one of these unusual creatures running your team, this chapter offers some brief hints on their care and feeding.

First of all, it is important that you not only trust your coach's ability and judgment, but that you exhibit that trust and support in front of your children. Don't sit around the dinner table tearing them down. We all make mistakes, so give your coaches the benefit of the doubt when he/she miscalculates from time to time. Remember--you don't pay them enough to be perfect. If your swimmer keeps hearing what a rotten coach he/she has, he/she's going to start believing it.If you should feel that your swimmer is not receiving all that he/she should in practice, or that he/she is having some sort of difficulty that is not being resolved, talk to the coach privately about it. But, please, avoid being accusatory when you talk to him/her. Chances are that the problem is simply a matter of different perceptions.

Finally, take the time every once in a while to show your coaches that they are appreciated. Coaches respond to kindness just like puppy dogs. And when your coach is having one of those "what am I doing standing out here" days, your attention could make all the difference.

CHAPTER 10
Success!

The final chapter has been reserved for a discussion of the expectations and goals that you, as a parent, have for your children in a swimming program. In other words, what criteria will you use to judge your child's involvements--either failure or success?

The criterion most often used is very simply, how much a swimmer wins. There is, of course, validity to this criterion, considering the competitive society in which we live. In fact, a certain amount of success is necessary for maximum motivation of a swimmer. This is the reason for the existence of League, USS, and National competition. But remember, there can only be one "winner" in each event.

But "winning" is not, and should not be the only criterion for judging success, for very often a time that will win one meet will finish low in another. Thus, winning is often reduced to only a matter of circumstance. However, the quality of the individual effort that went into each swimmer's race can be judged on its own merits. To achieve personal bests are the greatest successes.

As already discussed in this handbook, if one believes that kids should be involved in sports in order to develop them as people, then it would seem valuable that your should judge your child's career by this criterion--the quality of the effort rather than the amount of winning.

There remains one final criterion which is valid for judging your child's involvement in competitive swimming, especially during the inevitable "dry spells" that all swimmers go through for one reason or another. Consider--for a minimal sum per month, your child, instead of sitting home glued to the television or out roaming around looking for something to do, is enjoying a constructive program that not only fills much of his/her spare time, but is also exceptionally healthy, both physically and emotionally. In the face of this, "winning" becomes far less important, and your child's swimming career will definitely be a SUCCESS!!!

Beth Raver, Former Head Coach
YWCA Sharks Swim Team

Adapted from Steve Leoni's Parent Handbook

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