Swim Meets

COMPETITIVE STROKES                 The four competitive strokes are (1) freestyle, (2) backstroke, (3) breaststroke, and (4) butterfly. Events are held in all of the competitive strokes at varying distances depending on the age-group of the swimmer. In addition, there is a combina­tion of the strokes swum by one swimmer called the individu­al medley. Other swimming events include relays, which are a group of four swimmers who either all swim freestyle (freestyle relay) or each swim one of the competitive strokes in the order of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle (medley relay).

SWIM SEASONS                               The swim year is divided into two seasons. The winter, or "short course", season runs from mid-September to mid-March in a 25-yard pool. The summer, or "long course", season runs from early April to mid-August; meets are generally held outside in 50 meter pools (Olympic size). RCR hosts meets during both long and short course seasons. Swim seasons should not be confused with swim sessions which are billing periods and may overlap swim seasons.

COMPETITION..and the winner is..  The RCR staff does not see the first place person as the only winner. We'd rather look to see who behaves like a winner. There are certain characteristics of a winner, and every swimmer, no matter where they place, has the opportunity to emulate those characteristics: concentration, listening skills, and working toward goals.

                                                                Sports is not an end in itself, but a vehicle we use to teach children life skills and how to reach their potential. We use sport as organized play to demonstrate and measure one's abilities. Seen in that light, winning without learning is not RCR’s desired intention. In competition, the important measure is not who collected the most medals, or even who improved the most seconds. The real critical measure is who learned the most from the competitive experience.

                                                                Swimmers quickly forget the medals, records, and other material benefits. They will, however, remember the development of interpersonal skills, discipline, listening skills, time management, goal setting, and enhanced self- image. These are the things that make the swimmer a more successful person with a better chance of living a life closer to their peak potential, and to contrib­ute to the world they live in.

LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT            There are seven different age group classifications recognized by United State Swimming (the governing body of the sport): 8-Under, 10-Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, and Senior. The Senior classification includes any age registered swimmer who has achieved the prescribed qualifying time for the event. Not all age group classifications are offered at every swim meet. The swimmers age on the first day of a meet will govern the swimmers age for the entire meet.

                                                                Within each age-group there are different nationally recognized levels of achievement based on times. All swimmers begin as "C" swimmers. As they improve, they advance from "C", to "BB", "B",…SDQ ( South Dakota State Qualifying Time is between A and B)…, "A", "AA", "AAA", and ultimately "AAAA". The times required for each ability level are published each year by United States Swimming. This permits fair, yet challenging, competition on all levels.

                                                                In some cases, a swimmer may be in a different class in each stroke. An example: a "C" breaststroke time, a "B" freestyle time, and a "AA" backstroke time.

                                                                Some swim meets set certain qualification standards. In order to swim in a certain classification, a swimmer must have achieved the qualifying time for that particular classification.

TYPES OR LEVELS OF SWIM MEETS  1.             Dual Meets-Occasionally, the Rapid City Racers will compete with one other team in a dual meet. These meets help promote team unity, but usually limit the number of events a swimmer may enter.

2.    Developmental Meets-These meets generally do not have any qualification time standards. Most of the time these meets offer each one of the competitive strokes in the two distances offered for each group. Each swimmer is usually allowed to enter from 3-5 events per day.

3.    Qualification Meets-These meets have some type of qualification time standard(s) that a swimmer must meet in order to enter the meet. Our state swimming body, South Dakota Swimming, Inc.,

4.    State Championships-At the end of each short course (winter) and long course (summer) season, a State Championship meet is sanctioned by South Dakota Swim­ming, the governing body of swimming in the state of South Dakota . SD swimming sets the qualifying time standards for these championship meets. Generally, the standards fall between the national "A" and "AA" time standards. There are two championships held each season: the Age Group Championship for swimmers 14-Under and the Senior Championship open to any swimmer in the state who has met the qualifying standards regardless of age.

5.    Zone Championships - After the state championships are held in the summer, a swimmer may qualify to participate in the Central Zone Championships by swimming a national "AAA" time. This is an all-star meet where swimmers compete as a member of the SD Zone team competing against other states from the midwest.

6.    Speedo/USS Junior National Championships-One of the highest levels of achievement Racer swimmers strive for is the participation in the Junior National Championships. United States Swimming sponsors an eastern United States Junior National meet and a western United States Junior National meet each season. Rapid City swimmers meeting qualifying time standards for this meet travel to different locations throughout the eastern half of the United States to compete against the best 18-Under swimmers in the nation.

7.    Phillips 66/USS National Championships (Senior Nationals)-Other than the Olympic Trials and the World Championship Trials, each of which is held every four years, the highest level of competition for our senior swimmers is the USS National Championships. As with the Junior Nationals, Rapid City Racers swimmers meeting the national qualifying time standards travel to various cities throughout the U.S. to compete against America 's best swimmers. Swimmers can qualify for national teams that represent the U.S. in international competition by their performances at Senior Nationals.

MEET SCHEDULE                              Each season's meet schedule is distributed at the outset of the season.

                On an average, we want all team members to compete once every three or four weeks. The meet schedule is established with this philosophy in mind. In some cases, meets of a similar classification are scheduled as close a week apart or as far as one month apart. This happens when the meets that the coaching staff choose from offer no other alternative.

5.    Team Effort Meets-Team championship meets are either indicated on the meet schedule or talked about in the parent meetings. Since the coaching staff places the most emphasis on these meets, RCR swimmers who are qualified are highly encouraged to attend. The RCR meet  is always considered a "Team Effort Meet".

PHILOSOPHY OF COMPETITION                  The RCR Swim Team engages in a multi-level competition program with United States Swimming that, like our training program, attempts to provide challenging, yet success-oriented competitive situations for swimmers of all ages and abilities. The following policies outline our philosophy:

1.    We emphasize competition with oneself. Winning ribbons, medals, or trophies is not our main goal. Even if the swimmer finishes first, but has swum poorly in comparison to his/her own past performances, he/she is encouraged to do better. The individual's improvement is our primary objective.

2.    Sportsmanlike behavior is of equal importance of improved performance. All the coaches teach swimmers how to behave like a champion when the swimmer have both a "good" and a "bad" swim. Respect for officials, congratulations to other competitors, encouragement to teammates, determined effort, and mature attitudes are examples of behaviors praised and rewarded by the RCR coaching staff.

3.    A swimmer is praised for improving his/her stroke or time. It is the coach's job to offer constructive criticism of a swimmer's performance. It is the parent's responsibility to provide love and encouragement that bolster the swimmer's confidence along the way.

Swimmers are taught to set realistic, yet challenging, goals for meets and to relate those goals to practice to direct their training efforts.

Swimmers are prepared and encouraged to compete in all swimming events, distances, and strokes. This policy promotes versatility and encourages the swimmer to explore his potential in the wide range of events offered in competitive swimming. Oftentimes, a swimmers "best" stroke changes as they mature and his/her body goes through physical changes.

EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SWIM MEETS...BUT, WERE AFRAID TO ASK

(or didn't know what to ask):     Swim meets are a great family experience! They're a place where the whole family can spend time together. Listed below are some very in-depth guidelines geared to help you through your first couple of swim meets. It may seem a little overwhelming, but we tried to be as specific and as detailed as we possibly could. If you have questions feel free to ask other swimmers and families as well as the coaches.

Before the Meet Starts

1.    Arrive at the pool at least 15 minutes before the scheduled warm-up time begins. This time will be listed in the meet information handed out to all RCR swimmers and also in the meet invitation).

2.    Upon arrival, find a place to put your swimmer's blankets, swim bags and/or sleeping bags. The team usually sits in one place together, so look for some familiar faces.

3.    Check in at scorers table or clerk of course if necessary.  Longer events usually require “positive check-in” to keep the meet running efficiently.

4.    Once "checked in", write each event-heat- lane number on your  hand in ink. This helps you remember what events you are swimming and what event number to listen for and where to go.

5.    With cap and goggles, report to the pool and/or coach for warm-up instructions. It is very important for all swimmers to warm-up with the team. Swimmer's bodies are just like cars on a cold day-the engine needs to warm up before it can perform well.

6.    After warm-up, your swimmer will go back to the area where his/her towels are and sit there until their 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.

7.    The meet will usually start about 10-15 minutes after warm-ups are over.

8.    According to USS 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 the coaching staff. They, in turn, will pursue the matter through the proper channels.

9.    Heat Sheets or Program. A heat sheet is usually available for sale in the lobby or concession area of the pool. Heat sheets generally sell for five dollars. It lists all swimmers in each event in order of "seed time". When the team entry is sent in, each swimmer and his/her previous best time in that event is listed. 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.

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.    A swimmer's event number will be called, usually over the loudspeaker.  Swimmers should report with his/her cap and goggle to their lane (by number). Generally, girls events are odd-numbered and boys events are even-numbered. Example:  "Event #26, 10-Under Boys, 50 freestyle, first call.” “…second call.”  “Final call for event #26.”

3.    Some out –of –state meets have a "Clerk of Course" area where all swimmers checked in before the warm-up (this is now).

                A.            The people running the "Clerk of Course" will give                                           a card to each of the swimmers swimming that                                             event. This card will tell each swimmer his/her heat                                         and lane number.

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

                C.            Depending on the meet, either the people at clerk                                          will give the card to the timers at the end of each                                             lane or the people at the clerk will instruct the                                                 swimmers to hand their cards to the timers when it is                       their turn to swim. These cards are important                            because they tell the people running the meet who                                       actually swam each event.

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

4.    The swimmer swims their race.

5.    After each swim:

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

                B.            He/she should go immediately to their coach. The                                   coach will ask him/her their time and discuss the                                              swim with each swimmer.

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

                                a. Positive comments or praise

                                b. Suggestions for improvement

                                c. Positive comments

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

                A.            Tell him/her how great they did! The coaching staff                                         will be sure to discuss stroke technique with them.                                         You need to tell him/her how proud you are and                                       what a great job he/she did.

                B.            Take him/her back to the towel area and relax.

                C.            This is another good time to check out the                                                   bathrooms, get a drink or something light to eat.

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

7.    When a swimmer has completed all of his/her events he/she and their 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 he/she is not there. (The coaches speak from experience on this issue).

What Happens If Your Child

 has a Disappointing Swim           If your child has a poor race outcome and feels bad, acknowledge their feelings then remind them about life, “Things don’t always go as planned.  Goggles fall off.  Races get missed.  Caps rip at the last moment….Now is a good time to share your appreciation of their courage to get up on those blocks and perform for the moment (with water-filled goggles, in a different heat, or with a borrowed cap).  Ask what the coach said; remind them to go to the coach if they didn’t.  Parents  should not focus on negative things.

                                                                Sometimes the child dwells on the negative too much.  Here are some suggestions to help them move on:  cheering for others, warm down pool, shower, ongoing distractions (card game, snack/drink…).  Teammates and coaches often have the antedotes.

What To Take To The Meet

1.    Suit ,RCR Cap and goggles

2.    Baby or talcum powder (at home before the meet)--To "dust" the inside of swim cap. This helps preserve the cap and makes it easier to put on.

3.    Towels-Realize your swimmer will be there awhile, so pack at least two.

4.    Something to sit on. Example: sleeping bag, old blanket, or anything that will be comfortable to sit on. The swimmers will be spending a lot of time on it.

5.    Sweat suits: bring one. Each swimmer may want to bring two because they can get wet and                soggy.

6.    Games: travel games, cards, books, anything to pass the time.

7.    Food: Each swimmer is usually allowed to bring a small cooler. It is better to bring snacks. They              usually have snack bars at the meet, but the lines are long and most of the time they only sell junk food, which is for spectators. Suggestions for items to bring:

Drinks:  Water, Fruit juice, Gatorade

Snacks:  Granola bars, fruit, yogurt, cereal,  sandwiches

8. Sun protection (sunscreen, cover, tent)

9. Temperature comfort (anywhere from blankets to ice cubes)

10. Footwear

Once you have attended one or two meets this will all become very routine. Please do not hesitate to ask any other Rapid City Swim team parent for help or information!

These meets are a lot of fun for the swimmers! He/she gets to visit with his/her friends, play games, and meet kids from other teams. He/she also gets to "race" and see how much he/she has improved from all the hard work he/she has put in at practice.

Special Parent's Note                    The pool area is usually very warm. Therefore, you need to make sure you dress appropriately. Nothing is worse than being hot at a swim meet. It makes the time pass very slowly! At some of the meets, the parents are allowed to sit with the swimmers at the blanket area (those are most of the meets not held at the natatorium). If you don't think that a blanket on the ground is comfortable, feel free to bring folding chairs to sit on.

Very Basic Swimming Rules

Starts                                                    The swimmers are not allowed a false start. If they jump the start and the starter thinks they are trying to get an advantage (whether intentional or not-it does not matter), they will be taken out of the race. This is not like the Olympics where they are allowed two false starts.

Turns and finishes                           1.            Freestyle: feet have to touch the wall

                                                                2.            Backstroke: swimmers have to be on their back when they         touch the wall. After he/she touches, he/she can then turn       around, but he/she must push off on their back. At the finish            a swimmer must finish on his/her back. A swimmer         may not                 roll over and grab the wall until they have first touched it.

                                                                3.            Breaststroke and Butterfly:

                                                                                                A.            Swimmers have to touch with both hands at                                       the same time.

                                                                                                B.            A swimmer may not freestyle kick off the                                                            wall in either breaststroke or butterfly.

                                                                                                C.            When swimming butterfly, both arms must                                                         move at the same time.

Championship Meets                One of our team goals is to qualify as many swimmers as possible for the Championship meet(s). Whether attendance is REQUIRED or OPTIONAL, the Championship meet is a special experience and extremely important in the athletes development.

                                                                The workouts prepare swimmers to be at their best for this  for this ultimate season performance. If a young swimmer goes to the Championship meet and is not properly prepared, the experience may be negative and can affect their attitude toward competition.

                                                                We, as coaches, believe that the honor of competing in a Championship meet is earned through consistent practice habits and competitive experience at USS swim meets.  There's a big difference between "wanting" to go to the championships and "deserving" to be at the championships. Talent plays a supporting role to commitment.

                                                                The State Championship is not the ultimate goal. It is a seasonal goal that should lead to Zones, Junior & Senior Nationals, and beyond. Making the "cut off time" is simply a requirement to attend the meet. The goal is to be as prepared as possible and perform to the best of one's ability at the meet. Sometimes swimmers get the "end" and the "means" mixed up.

                                                                Swimmers are special people and deserve to have positive experiences as rewards for their dedication and commitment.  Let's make sure that parents, swimmers, and coaches, are laying the foundation for the best possible experience at the Championship meet.

Prelims & Finals                               Meet Format  In a preliminaries and finals meet format, the object of the preliminary swim is to qualify for the evening finals session. If a swimmer places among the top 8 (in an 8 lane pool) after his/her morning swim they then qualify to swim in the Championship finals in the evening session. Some meets also swim a Consolation final. If a swimmer places from 9th - 16th place from preliminaries, he/she qualifies to participate in the Consolation finals in the evening session. In the evening finals session, the Consolation heat is swam first followed immediately by the Championship heat. During the prelims, the results are usually posted within 1/2 hour of the conclusion of the event. If a swimmer does not wish to swim in a final swim he or she may "scratch" the event and not be penalized. This must take place within a half hour of the posting of the preliminary results. Therefore, within approximately 1 hour of the end of an event, a swimmer should know if they have made finals. A swimmer should never leave the meet without making sure if they are a finalist or an alternate. United States Swimming rules dictate that if a swimmer makes a finals event and fails to show up they are bared from participating in the remainder of the meet (individual events and relays). Alternates (the 17th & 18th place swimmers) should check with his/her coach about attending finals.

                                                                Circle Seeding  Used only in the prelims of Championship meets with events that have "prelims & finals". This affects only the top 24 seeded swimmers (8 lane pool) which compete in the last 3 heats. All other heats are regular seeding. Circle seeding goes like this:  The fastest seeded swimmer will be in the last heat in lane 4. The second fastest swimmer will be in the second to last heat lane 4. The third fastest swimmer will be in the third to last heat lane 4. The fourth fastest swimmer will be in the last heat lane 5 and so on. For an event with 60 swimmers, the seeding would look like this: #=swimmers seed in prelims

                                                                                                (Lanes 1 - 8)

                                                                             1       2       3       4       5      6       7       8                                     

Heat 1                   #59  #57  #58   #60

Heat 2  #55  #53   #51  #49  #50   #52  #54   #56

 Heat 3  #47  #45   #43  #41  #42   #44  #46   #48

Heat 4  #39  #37   #35  #33  #34   #36  #38   #40

Heat 5  #31  #29   #27  #25  #26   #28  #30   #32

Heat 6  #21  #15    #9   #3    #6   #12  #18   #24

Heat 7  #20  #14    #8   #2    #5   #11  #17   #23

Heat 8  #19  #13    #7   #1    #4   #10  #16   #22

                                                                The finals are seeded like a regular meet as are any events that are swam as timed finals such as relays, distance freestyles and other events most often held on Friday evening as a timed finals session.

Awards & Placings                          The swimmers who participate in the championship finals receive awards as listed in the meet information. The swimmers who participate in the consolation finals often do not receive awards, but do score points for the team. One very important thing: Once a swimmer has made the championship final, the worst they can place is 8th, regardless of how slow they may swim in finals. The swimmers who participate in the consolation finals may place no better than 9th (the winner of the heat) regardless how fast they swim. It has been known to happen that the winner of the consolation finals swims a time that would have placed him/her 2nd or 3rd in the championship finals, but the highest he/she can score is 9th. That is why it is important to swim very fast in the morning prelims session to make the championship finals. If a swimmer is disqualified in finals, they do not score points or get awards, however, a non‑finals swimmer can not be moved up to score. The place simply is not awarded. Alternates occasionally get to swim and can score the same as any other swimmer.

Receiving Awards in Public         Whenever there is a system of presenting awards at a meet, it is customary for swimmers to be prompt and to cooperate fully with dignity and respect at the presentations. A club uniform is to be worn when accepting the award. It is also customary for Carmel Swim Club swimmers to be polite and modestly thankful for any awards they receive. It is appropriate to congratulate other swimmers and receive the same with poise and a "thank you". Good sportsmanship is essential. If photos are being taken, we ask the swimmer to remain until the shooting is complete, being sure to cooperate with the photographer. Do not ham it up! The picture may be special to someone else. The image a swimmer presents is a direct reflection of the team.

OUT OF TOWN MEETS                   Trips to meets in other cities become an important aspect of a swimmer's career while advancing through the age group ranks.

                                                                1.            Parents are encouraged to attend out-of-town meets with their              swimmers and to chaperon other youngsters. These trips can          be great fun for parents and swimmers alike. They also are a                rare opportunity to participate in a special way in each young         swimmer's career.

                                                                2.            A coach has too many responsibilities to the entire team to         accept responsibility for an individual swimmer. Therefore,   do not ask a coach to provide transportation.

                                                                3.            Any swimmer riding in a car is responsible to the                               parent/driver for his/her behavior and is expected to behave respectfully at all times.

                                                                5.            A medical release and emergency telephone number should     be given to the parent/driver with whom your swimmer is          riding in case emergency medical treatment is required.

                                                                6.            An appropriate contribution is expected from each passenger   in a car to the driver/owner to help defray gasoline and             related expenses.

BUS TRIP POLICY                              It is important for swimmers to participate in meets both with and without their parents in attendance. This adds to the growth experience a child can gain from competitive swimming, teamwork, and individual initiative. As a swimmer progresses to zones (AA longest age group distant time or AAA time for qualification), they may attend meets without his/her parents. It is, therefore, necessary for a swimmer to learn to travel without his/her parents.  See South Dakota Swimming for zone meet travel policies.