Kenwood Crocodiles

Participation and Schedules

Please communicate in advance any meets that you and your child are not available to attend. This helps the coaches plan the lineup for each meet and make sure the meets are planned out in advance of the start. Last-minute changes can significantly delay the start which then makes them end even later! Please e-mail the head coach or the team coordinator when you know you and your swimmer will not be available for a meet. This is especially important for championships! Entries are due a week in advance of the meet and there is a fee (paid by the team) for each entry.

Volunteers

In order for our team to be successful (and for meets to run smoothly and end at a reasonable time), we rely heavily on the participation of all parents. Due to the small size of the team, parents should be prepared to work all meets in which their child is participating. If your child is swimming or diving in the meet, a worker should be provided. If this presents a problem for your athlete, please discuss with the team coordinator.

Some positions need no training at all. Others require specific training, which will be provided by the team. For most positions, there are two shifts, so you will only work for one half of the meet. Each of these positions helps us run a smooth meet and make it a great experience for both the athletes and the parents!

For all meets (home and away), the following volunteers are needed:

• Timers (12-16 per meet): Attend the meeting shortly before the meet begins to obtain instructions, a stop watch and clipboard. There are two timers per lane per half.
• Clerks of Course (8&U) (6 per meet): Gather and line up 8 & under swimmers for their individual events and relays. Guide them to the starting blocks for their start.
• Clerks of Course (9-10) (6 per meet): Gather and line up 9-10 year old swimmers for their individual events and relays. Guide them to the starting blocks for their start.
• Place Judges (4 per meet): At the finish line, record the finish order of the swimmers
• Runners (2 per meet): Collect time records at the lanes and take them to the score table
• Ribbons (4-6 per meet): Attach identifying stickers with swimmer and race info to each ribbon.
• Stroke & Turn Judges* (4-8 per meet): Judge starts, turns, finishes, strokes and relay exchanges per PPSL rules. *Mandatory training is TBD but expect to be early June.
• Scorer (1-2 per meet): Enter the results of each heat into the computer system to generate the score and print stickers for the ribbons. 
• Diving Judge (2-3 per meet): Judge the quality of each diver’s dive.
  *Mandatory training is TBD but expect to be early June.

In addition to the above, the following volunteers are needed for home meets:

• Concessions: (4-6 per meet): Sell food and drinks, cook on the grill
  Announcer/Starter (1-2 per meet): Uses megaphone and starter equipment to begin each race.
• Meet Organizer (1-2 per meet): Helps with any issues that may arise and keep things running smoothly.
• Scorer (1-2 per meet): Enter the results of each heat into the computer system to generate the score and print stickers or the ribbons. *Requires learning the meet software. We will host a training session prior to the first meet.

As mentioned above, parents are required to volunteer part of their time to help run the meet. For home meets, in addition to volunteering, parents are asked to provide a baked good (can be store-bought) or other item for sale at the concessions. These concessions help minimize our swim team dues and support our swim club.

Please note: Parents are expected to provide supervision for their child at all meets.

Unless otherwise specified, meet start times are as follows:

• Diving Warm-ups: Home team starts @ 3:00pm, Away team starts @ 3:30pm
• Diving Competition: 4:00pm
• Swimming Warm-ups: Home team starts @ 6:00pm (or immediately after completion of the diving competition), Away team starts @ 6:15pm
• Swimming Competition: 6:30pm

Championships

In order to qualify for championships, each swimmer/diver must participate in at least two regular dual meets. There are two champions meets the Eastside Finals and the PPSL finals. Swimmers/divers will only participate in one of the championship meets (not both), based on their performance throughout the season.

Equipment

This year, to help defray the costs of participation, we have set up a team website though Swimoutlet.com:

www.swimoutlet.com/KSTCcrocodiles

Please visit this site to order a team suit and any other accessories your swimmer/diver will need. A team suit is NOT required, but is recommended. The suits available through Swim Outlet are much less expensive than the brand-name suits we have used in the past. Team swim caps and team t-shirts will be provided by the team. Each swimmer will need a swimsuit, goggles, water bottle, and a towel for practice. For meets, your child should wear the team suit, team swim cap and goggles. It is recommended that your swimmer bring several towels, dry clothes and even a sweatshirt (it can sometimes get pretty cool when the sun goes down). A spare pair of goggles is also recommended should the first pair break. Please write your child’s name on all their belongings!

Having fun is a major goal of the Crocs! Several social events are planned throughout the season and your participation is encouraged! See the schedule for events and times.

Social Events

A banquet will be held at the end of the season, after championships. Each family is asked to contribute a dish to share and the coaches will present awards to the swimmers and divers.

Thanks again for joining the KSTC Crocs! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the team coordinator: