Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The following list of questions has been
compiled in an attempt to address the most common questions that come
up, especially for families who are new to the Wavemakers Swim
Team. If you do not find your question(s) addressed here, feel free
to contact a member of the Wavemaker's Swim Team Board to get an answer.
- How do I join the swim team?
- How long does the swim season last?
- How long does a swim meet last?
- Do I have to attend all of the practices?
- What if we will be gone for a meet?
- Do I have to sign my child up to swim events in a meet?
- How do I know what events my child will be swimming?
- How does my child know when to get to the starting blocks?
- Why does my child only swim in one or two events at a meet, while other swimmers are in 3 or 4 events?
- Do I have to swim in the invitational meets?
- How do I sign-up for an invitational meet?
- How do I get forms or checks turned in to the swim team?
- How do I know if practice is canceled due to inclement weather?
- How do I know if a meet is canceled?
- Do I need to volunteer to work at the meets? How do I do that?
- Who brings the food to meets for Ways & Means?
- What fund raisers will I be asked to donate to?
- What do the fees and fund raising go to support?
- Who do I contact about <fill in the blank>?
- How do I join the swim team?
All swim team members must first be full members of the Lakota Hills Swim Club. For current pool members in good standing, a swim team application is mailed along with the initial pool membership bill. Some years there is a waiting list to join the pool, which could present a problem with joining the team as a new member. Further questions can be directed to the Membership Chairperson.
- How long does the swim season last?
We generally start practicing the week before Memorial Day, and the season concludes with the Tri-County League Championship at the end of July. Prior to the end of school, practices are run in 3 sessions after school (the pool is heated, and so is generally comfortable by the end of May). Once school is out, the 3 practices are in the morning, with the High School age kids being earliest and small kids last. A detailed practice schedule for the current season can be found here.
- How long does a swim meet last?
Most meets will start at 6:30, with warm-ups an hour before. The last events are generally completed by 9:30, but that can vary somewhat depending on how many "exhibition heats" are run, or if we are delayed due to weather concerns. For those 6 and under swimmers, their last event will wrap up earlier than that.
- Do I have to attend all of the practices?
Obviously, you get out of it what you put into it. All swimmers must attend at least 3 practices a week, including the day of a meet, in order to swim in the meet. Details can be found on the "Team Rules" page. Exceptional cases should be discussed with the coaching staff.
- What if we will be gone for a meet?
If you will miss a meet, there is a sign-out book located at the front desk that must be signed by the Thursday prior to the meet. Failure to sign-out will result in the swimmer being held out of the next meet. Also see the "Team Rules" page.
- Do I have to sign my child up to swim events in a meet? How do I know what events they will be swimming?
No, the coaching staff will assign all swimmers to events for dual meets. This information will be available just prior to the meet, posted on a set of boards that hang on the back fence of the pool (by the basketball court; the location differs at away meets), divided by age group. Be sure to check this information when you arrive at the pool, and write down the event number, heat and lane number for your reference (for most kids, this means on the back of their hand ;-).
For invitational meets, you will sign-up for specific events.
- How does my child know when to get to the starting blocks?
All swimmers are responsible for keeping track of the current event (usually posted near the starter's horn) and reporting to the blocks (with their lane slip, which is available at the Clerk of Course table). There are young swimmer coordinators who will help to get the under-6 and under-8 kids to the blocks as a group prior to their events. As a parent, you will be responsible for getting your child to the basketball court area and making sure they find the coordinator. This is especially important for relay events, it's always a shame when 3 kids miss a relay because the 4th swimmer cannot be located.
- Why does my child only swim in one or two events at a meet, while other swimmers are in 3 or 4 events?
Because we have such a large team and only a 6-lane pool, this can be a problem. In addition, we tend to have many more young swimmers than some of the older age groups, and more girls than boys. There are a limited number of exhibition heats that can be swam, and these are generally populated with swimmers from the larger age groups. The coaching staff does their best to ensure that over the course of the season, all swimmers will have the same opportunities to swim. All swimmers are encouraged to try to participate in one of the 2 invitational meets during the season to try to get additional races.
- Do I have to swim in the invitational meets?
No one is required to swim at the invitational meets, but all swimmers are strongly encouraged to try to participate in one or both of the 2 invitational meets during the season.
- How do I sign-up for an invitational meet?
There will be sign-up forms available online for the invitational meets. We request that these be filled out (you will select the individual events that you wish to swim, and an additional fee is required) and returned to the pool with payment. Coaches will assign the relay events, and all of the registration information will passed to the host pools as a team.
The same procedure should be followed for the Championship meet, except that there is no additional fee for this meet.
- How do I get forms or checks turned in to the swim team?
The swim team drop box is locate at the pool, across from the main desk as you enter (ask at the front desk if you cannot find it). All forms and payment should be placed into this drop box for pick-up by one of the board members, usually every day or two. It is a locked box, so that checks that are dropped in are kept safe.
- How do I know if practice is canceled due to inclement weather? How do I know if a meet is canceled?
There is a hotline number at the pool, 777-9121, that can be called. If time permits, we will post information on the web site. Practice will continue if there is a rain shower, but not for lightening or thunder. Because of the timing, cancellation may vary by age group session.
We will attempt to swim most meets, but may delay or cut short a meet for weather reasons. These are usually last-minute decisions, so when in doubt, plan to show-up for the meet.
- Do I need to volunteer to work at the meets? How do I do that?
Yes, each family is required to volunteer for 3 jobs during the season in order to receive a refund of the activity fee at the end of the season. These jobs generally include timers, ways & means (food), parking, etc. Certain season-long jobs, like being a committee chair, also fulfill the full requirement. Sign-up sheets are posted on the swim team bulletin board at the pool. Generally, the early meets fill quickly, and we end up needing additional volunteers later in the season., so feel free to work more than the required 3 shift. ;-)
- Who brings the food to meets for Ways & Means?
Of course we encourage anyone to feel free to bring a donation for Way & Means at any of our home meets. However, we generally assign one or two age groups to bring food at each of the meets. Sign-ups for specific needs are on the team bulletin board, but if in doubt, we can always use brocolli salad, cut vegetables, baked potatoes, mac & cheese, cookies, brownies, and candy. Contact a Way & Means member for details.
- What fund raisers will I be asked to donate to?
Our biggest fund raisers are our food sales, and spirit wear sales. Outside of this, we do not have any team fund raisers.
- What do the fees and fund raising go to support?
On a seasonal bases, the bulk of the money goes to pay the coaching staff. We also supply each swimmer with a Wavemakers team swim cap and a roster T-shirt. We also occasionally have large, non-seasonal expense such as replacing lane lines, the electronic start's console, starting blocks or block covers, for which we budget and save year-to-year so that these expenses can be covered when they arise.
- Who do I contact about <fill in the blank>?
Contact information for all Swim Team Board members, as well as Committee Chairs, should be available online. If in doubt, feel free to contact the Betty McManus, the Swim Board President.
- How long does the swim season last?
- How long does a swim meet last?
- Do I have to attend all of the practices?
- What if we will be gone for a meet?
- Do I have to sign my child up to swim events in a meet?
- How do I know what events my child will be swimming?
- How does my child know when to get to the starting blocks?
- Why does my child only swim in one or two events at a meet, while other swimmers are in 3 or 4 events?
- Do I have to swim in the invitational meets?
- How do I sign-up for an invitational meet?
- How do I get forms or checks turned in to the swim team?
- How do I know if practice is canceled due to inclement weather?
- How do I know if a meet is canceled?
- Do I need to volunteer to work at the meets? How do I do that?
- Who brings the food to meets for Ways & Means?
- What fund raisers will I be asked to donate to?
- What do the fees and fund raising go to support?
- Who do I contact about <fill in the blank>?
All swim team members must first be full members of the Lakota Hills Swim Club. For current pool members in good standing, a swim team application is mailed along with the initial pool membership bill. Some years there is a waiting list to join the pool, which could present a problem with joining the team as a new member. Further questions can be directed to the Membership Chairperson.
- How long does the swim season last?
We generally start practicing the week before Memorial Day, and the season concludes with the Tri-County League Championship at the end of July. Prior to the end of school, practices are run in 3 sessions after school (the pool is heated, and so is generally comfortable by the end of May). Once school is out, the 3 practices are in the morning, with the High School age kids being earliest and small kids last. A detailed practice schedule for the current season can be found here.
- How long does a swim meet last?
Most meets will start at 6:30, with warm-ups an hour before. The last events are generally completed by 9:30, but that can vary somewhat depending on how many "exhibition heats" are run, or if we are delayed due to weather concerns. For those 6 and under swimmers, their last event will wrap up earlier than that.
- Do I have to attend all of the practices?
Obviously, you get out of it what you put into it. All swimmers must attend at least 3 practices a week, including the day of a meet, in order to swim in the meet. Details can be found on the "Team Rules" page. Exceptional cases should be discussed with the coaching staff.
- What if we will be gone for a meet?
If you will miss a meet, there is a sign-out book located at the front desk that must be signed by the Thursday prior to the meet. Failure to sign-out will result in the swimmer being held out of the next meet. Also see the "Team Rules" page.
- Do I have to sign my child up to swim events in a meet? How do I know what events they will be swimming?
No, the coaching staff will assign all swimmers to events for dual meets. This information will be available just prior to the meet, posted on a set of boards that hang on the back fence of the pool (by the basketball court; the location differs at away meets), divided by age group. Be sure to check this information when you arrive at the pool, and write down the event number, heat and lane number for your reference (for most kids, this means on the back of their hand ;-).
For invitational meets, you will sign-up for specific events.
- How does my child know when to get to the starting blocks?
All swimmers are responsible for keeping track of the current event (usually posted near the starter's horn) and reporting to the blocks (with their lane slip, which is available at the Clerk of Course table). There are young swimmer coordinators who will help to get the under-6 and under-8 kids to the blocks as a group prior to their events. As a parent, you will be responsible for getting your child to the basketball court area and making sure they find the coordinator. This is especially important for relay events, it's always a shame when 3 kids miss a relay because the 4th swimmer cannot be located.
- Why does my child only swim in one or two events at a meet, while other swimmers are in 3 or 4 events?
Because we have such a large team and only a 6-lane pool, this can be a problem. In addition, we tend to have many more young swimmers than some of the older age groups, and more girls than boys. There are a limited number of exhibition heats that can be swam, and these are generally populated with swimmers from the larger age groups. The coaching staff does their best to ensure that over the course of the season, all swimmers will have the same opportunities to swim. All swimmers are encouraged to try to participate in one of the 2 invitational meets during the season to try to get additional races.
- Do I have to swim in the invitational meets?
No one is required to swim at the invitational meets, but all swimmers are strongly encouraged to try to participate in one or both of the 2 invitational meets during the season.
- How do I sign-up for an invitational meet?
There will be sign-up forms available online for the invitational meets. We request that these be filled out (you will select the individual events that you wish to swim, and an additional fee is required) and returned to the pool with payment. Coaches will assign the relay events, and all of the registration information will passed to the host pools as a team.
The same procedure should be followed for the Championship meet, except that there is no additional fee for this meet.
- How do I get forms or checks turned in to the swim team?
The swim team drop box is locate at the pool, across from the main desk as you enter (ask at the front desk if you cannot find it). All forms and payment should be placed into this drop box for pick-up by one of the board members, usually every day or two. It is a locked box, so that checks that are dropped in are kept safe.
- How do I know if practice is canceled due to inclement weather? How do I know if a meet is canceled?
There is a hotline number at the pool, 777-9121, that can be called. If time permits, we will post information on the web site. Practice will continue if there is a rain shower, but not for lightening or thunder. Because of the timing, cancellation may vary by age group session.
We will attempt to swim most meets, but may delay or cut short a meet for weather reasons. These are usually last-minute decisions, so when in doubt, plan to show-up for the meet.
- Do I need to volunteer to work at the meets? How do I do that?
Yes, each family is required to volunteer for 3 jobs during the season in order to receive a refund of the activity fee at the end of the season. These jobs generally include timers, ways & means (food), parking, etc. Certain season-long jobs, like being a committee chair, also fulfill the full requirement. Sign-up sheets are posted on the swim team bulletin board at the pool. Generally, the early meets fill quickly, and we end up needing additional volunteers later in the season., so feel free to work more than the required 3 shift. ;-)
- Who brings the food to meets for Ways & Means?
Of course we encourage anyone to feel free to bring a donation for Way & Means at any of our home meets. However, we generally assign one or two age groups to bring food at each of the meets. Sign-ups for specific needs are on the team bulletin board, but if in doubt, we can always use brocolli salad, cut vegetables, baked potatoes, mac & cheese, cookies, brownies, and candy. Contact a Way & Means member for details.
- What fund raisers will I be asked to donate to?
Our biggest fund raisers are our food sales, and spirit wear sales. Outside of this, we do not have any team fund raisers.
- What do the fees and fund raising go to support?
On a seasonal bases, the bulk of the money goes to pay the coaching staff. We also supply each swimmer with a Wavemakers team swim cap and a roster T-shirt. We also occasionally have large, non-seasonal expense such as replacing lane lines, the electronic start's console, starting blocks or block covers, for which we budget and save year-to-year so that these expenses can be covered when they arise.
- Who do I contact about <fill in the blank>?
Contact information for all Swim Team Board members, as well as Committee Chairs, should be available online. If in doubt, feel free to contact the Betty McManus, the Swim Board President.
