About Our Swim Team

Our goal is to give children of all ages the opportunity to swim competitively in a fun and encouraging environment. We will focus on individual improvement, proper swim technique, good sportsmanship, team spirit, neighborhood and community camaraderie and having fun.

Our Expectations

1. Our number one expectation of any swimmer is to have fun, but to do so in a safe environment.

2. Do your BEST. Whether you are swimming in a meet or practicing a new stroke, we ask that you give us your best effort. Our coaches work hard for you and we ask the same out of our swimmers! Being respectful and good listeners falls under giving us your best!

3. Be on time. Practices start with or without you, so please make every effort to be on time. You can't improve if you aren't there and meets can't go on if volunteers aren't there to time, record, supervise bullpens, etc.

4. Communicate. If you cannot make practices, meets or volunteer assignments, please let us know as soon as possible. The coaches and leadership staff work very hard to create the volunteer schedules and swimming line ups. We need to know if you will not be there. Also, if you have questions or concerns, please contact us anytime

Practices:

We expect our swimmers to attend our daily practices. We break our practices up by age, so the coaches can work with our swimmers in small groups. It is very important to be there early, dressed and ready to go. Your child will need a swimsuit and towel for practice. You can pack a water bottle and snack for afterwards but we do not have water breaks during practice.

*Please know that we have the expectation that all swimmers will be respectful of the other swimmers, coaches and the use of the coach's time, therefore any rude or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. The coaches will remove a swimmer from practice for a "time out" if needed and will communicate such actions to the parent. Continuous or serious offenses will result in the swimmer being sent home or removed from our roster. All infractions will be communicated step by step to the parents and leadership team. If such drastic measures are taken due to disciplinary reasons, the registration fee is not refundable.

Joining the Martin's Landing Swim team allows you entrance into the pool area for swim meets and practices only. Please respect the posted Pool Rules.

Practice Times

After School practices May 13-21, 2024

4:30-5:00pm Ages 7-10

5:00-5:45pm Ages 6 and Under

5:45-6:30pm Ages 11 and Up

May 22, 2024 will be our MOCK MEET* (see swim meet section for more info)

Fulton County's last day of school will be May 23, 2024 (no practice)

Morning practices will begin May 28 (there will not be practice on May 27, Memorial Day)

8:45am-9:30am - 6 & under

9:30am-10am- Stroke Clinic (This is an additional practice that cost ____)

10am-11am- 7-10

11am-12pm- 11 and up

Inclement Weather

Swim practices will be canceled due to severe weather - including but not limited to- hard rain, thunderstorms, lightning or cold weather. Please provide an email address that is checked often, for that is our way of communicating a canceled practice. Pool activity is suspended for 30m after thunder or a lightning strike.

Please be on time for a swim meet unless it has been otherwise communicated. Your leadership team, coaches and starter will determine if a meet will be delayed or cancels and we are required to wait one hour before such a decision can be made.

Swimsuits

The 2024 Martin's Landing suit is TBD.

Please bring your own towel and goggles to practice and swim meets (you will see some swimmers in caps at both practice and meets, while it is not necessary it is common and you might consider getting one to start getting used to swimming with it.

Lost and Found items are located by the pool gate. The team is not responsible for items left at practice or at meets, both home or away. LABEL all of your belongings.

Swim Meets

The Dolphins' calendar for swim meets can be found on our website (mldolphins.swimtopia.com). Swim meets are held on THURSDAY nights at 5:00pm (both home and away). Please be there no later than 4:00. Parking is always a premium, so be prepared to park far away and walk. Leave yourself enough time!

Part of the fun and fellowship that surrounds any swim meet is the food. Martin's Landing is no exception. The concessions committee does an amazing job getting dinner, snacks, desserts and candy together each week. Please review your swimmers schedule (example is attached) to estimate when he/she can eat. Swimmers are to stay in the bullpen unless released to a parent (especially 6 and unders) because they will line up for events 10-15m prior to its start. Review this policy with your swimmer before each meet to reiterate the importance of being in the bullpen until their last event.

Please make sure that you and your swimmer(s) check in when you arrive at the swim meet. Volunteers will check in with the Volunteer Coordinator and Swimmers in the bullpens. Volunteers will be given a name tag and clip board/sharpie/pen with their assignment.

Once checked in, please check to see if your swimmer is "marked" for their events. We write on swimmers with sharpies to ensure the information doesn't wipe off before the events are over. (Sunscreen makes it difficult to write on your swimmer's skin, please let it soak in and dry beforehand).

A swimmer's age group is determined based on the age of the swimmer on May 31, 2024. The age groups are as follows:

*6 and Under

*7 and 8

*9 and 10

*11 and 12

*13 and 14

*15-18

In some cases, a swimmer may swim in an older age group (referred to as Swimming Up). This occurs at the coach's judgment on a swimmer's ability to compete in that age group.

Swim Meet RSVP

All swimmers must RSVP on our website (mldolphins.swimtopia.com) before each meet (including the mock meet). Not doing so before the deadline given by coaches will result in the swimmer not being entered into the meet.

Swim Meet Events/Terminology

Our swim meets are held in a 25 yard pools in our local area including our home pool. There will be the opportunity to swim both individual events and relays. Relays start from the shallow end of the pool start with the swimmer in the water- This applies to swimmers 10 and under.

A swimmer will be disqualified is he/she does not follow the rules of the stroke, starts before the whistle or does the wrong stroke. Please review the strokes of the relays with your swimmer at home to prevent DQs.

Not all swimmers will swim in scoring heats (first heat is eligible to score points for the team). We will run as many exhibition heats as possible to give each swimmer the opportunity to participate. Exhibition heats are still timed and earn participation ribbons.

Ribbons are available on Friday after the meet (excluding the mock meet). The morning only practices are followed by a donut, juice, and ribbons.

Terminology:

Freestyle: Freestyle is any style of swimming. The most commonly used stroke is the crawl stroke. The swimmer may swim any stroke or use any kick.

Backstroke: Swimmers must remain on their back except while executing a turn. • At the end of each length, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. During the turn the shoulders may turn past vertical toward the stomach. If the swimmer turns past vertical, such motion must be part of a continuous turning motion. The swimmer must be on the back before the feet leave the wall. • For the finish, the swimmer must remain on their back until their hand, arm, or some part of the body touches the end wall.

Breaststroke: The swimmer must remain on their stomach, except while executing a turn. The arms must pull symmetrically and likewise the legs must kick symmetrically and also remain under the water. • Some portion of the swimmer's head must break the water's surface on each stroke, except while executing a start or turn. The swimmer is allowed to complete an underwater stroke immediately following the start and each turn. • On each turn, and at the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall with two hands simultaneously and at the same level. • The swimmer must perform a Breaststroke kick.

Butterfly: The swimmer must remain on their stomach, except while executing a turn. • The swimmer's arms pull symmetrical. • The 'dolphin kick' (both feet together) must be used with this stroke. • On each turn, and at the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall with two hands simultaneously. • During the recovery part of the stroke, the swimmer's arms must recover on or above the water surface (i.e. they cannot recover underwater).

Volunteering

Our program depends almost solely on volunteers, so volunteering is mandatory! It is a great deal of fun and since there are many different opportunities on any given meet, we know you will find a time slot that is right for you.

Volunteer positions available are as follows:

Timers: You will be stationed at one lane where you will use a stop watch to obtain and record times. Best seat in the house!

Bull Pen Parents (6 and Under Boys/Girls, 7-8 Boys/Girls): You will check in swimmers as they arrive, make sure they are properly marked and you will help line up the younger swimmers for relays and some individual races. Make sure the swimmers do not miss their race and are in the right spot at the right times! Bull Pen parents will keep the 6 and unders in the bullpen area until released to parents. *Make sure you take them to the bathrooms before the meet start. Junior managers will help line them up behind the blocks (chairs are lined up) when their events are close. Watch the event board (board on Chartwell's deck displaying the event number being swum at any given time)

Announcer: You will help keep the meet running smoothly by calling out which event is currently happening and the next two heats on deck, plus making any announcements that need to be made.

Judges Recorder: The home team will supply a Judges Recorder. This person will place himself/herself behind the place judges with a copy of the Judges Places form (provided at check-in). When the race is finished and the judges and starter have ruled place finishes, he/she will record the places in the appropriate place on the form. Disqualified swimmers will have "DQ" in the place block. The Judges Recorder then passes the completed form to the Master Recorder. The judges' recorder has no say in the order of finish.

Master Recorder: Each team will provide a Master Recorder. The master recorder collects the forms from the judges' recorder when the event is complete and all places have been recorded. The Master recorder will then go to each lane and record each swimmer's time in the Time Column of the Judges Placing form. The form will then be given to the scoring table by the Master Recorder or via a runner.

Runner: The home team will provide at least one runner at all times during a meet. Runners are responsible for collecting the judges placing forms from the master recorder. Taking them promptly to the scorer's table. This is a very active role.

Concessions: You will help serve food, replenish, collect money and clean up after the meet.

MISC. INFO

Marking your swimmer:

Markings will be Event Number, Heat, Lane

For example: 16 1 2 means your child is participating in event #16, he/she is in heat 1 lane 2. If needed, the markings might include the following abbreviations: FR: Freestyle, BK: Backstroke, BR: Breaststroke, FL: Butterfly(Fly), IM: Individual Medley

IM order of stroke:

Butterfly

Backstroke

Breaststroke

Freestyle (Crawl Stroke)

GOOD LUCK THIS SEASON!