All meets, whether swim or dive or tennis, are a great family experience.

If you and your child/children are new to this sport, here are some suggestions to help you through your first couple of meets and matches. Once you have attended one or two meets, this will become routine. Please don't hesitate to ask any parent, coach, or the youth coordinator for help or information. This is the first version of this handbook so it is not complete for all sports. Please feel free to offer suggestions, comments, and any other helpful hints to make this booklet useful.

This booklet is divided into four sections:

1. Swim Team
   • Basics about swim meets including event list, relay information and events
   • What role do you, as a parent, need to play? What role does your child need to play?
   • What to take to the meet
   • Before the meet starts!
   • Once the meet starts
   • The day after the meet
2. Tennis Team
3. Dive Team
4. Pool Address & Phone, GSSC Board Members, Coaching Staff
   

Swim Team

Basics about swim meets including event list, relay information

The swim season lasts from the beginning of June until the first week in August.

While school is still in session, swim team practices are held in the evenings. Times are posted at the pool. Once school is out the swim team practices are held in the early morning (before swim lessons). Swim practice is scheduled by age group so please watch for posted times.

Every two years a new swim suit style is selected for our team. We normally order our suits through Pacific Bay. Suits will be available to purchase at the "Parent Night" or you can buy them at their Southcenter store. Since we get new suits every two years, you may want to try to get one that will fit for two years and/or swap suits among other parents. Your child is not required to have a team suit but it sure adds to the team spirit!

Meets are held on Tuesday and Thursday nights although some special meets may be held on other days. Watch for a schedule. The goal for each member of the team is to develope sportsmanship, a competitive spirit and team spirit. Swimmers are also competing to improve their time throughout the season. Some swimmers will qualify for Preliminaries. Swimmers qualify by meeting a predetermined standard for participation into the Preliminary Meet (Prelims). Qualifying times are posted at the pool. If your child qualifies for Preliminaries they will not participate in the B-champs. Relay team members at the Prelim Meet are determined by the coach. All students who do not qualify for Prelims will participate in B-Champs. B-Champs is a very fun meet where every child gets to end its season on a high note!

The top six times in each event at Prelims go on to Southern Division. Southern Division is made up of the top six qualifiers from the eight south teams. The top six best times from the Southern and Northern divisions qualify for the All City Championships, usually held the first Tuesday in August.

If you know that your child is not able to attend a swim meet (vacation, camp, etc) please sign up on the sheet in the office on or before the Friday before the week the meets are scheduled (coaches are hard at work making lineups for both swim meets for the next week every weekend). This is very helpful for the coaches so they don't put your child in an event and/or on a relay when your child won't be there.

Regular season swim meets usually start at 6:00pm (warm-ups at 5:00pm) and will conclude about 9:30pm. Two shifts are scheduled for volunteers for home meets. The early shift begins at 5:45 and goes until event #34 . Second shift begins after this event and goes until the meet is over.

Each child will swim in two to four events. If you notice this isn't the case, please see a coach. Every effort will be made to make these two events one relay and on individual event. Due to a variety of reasons, however, this is not always possible. Occasionally a Speedy 6'er may swim only one event (just so everyone gets the chance to swim). Watch to see if your Speedy 6'er is on an 8 & Under relay.

Event List: On the day of the meet the "event list" for each age group (showing which events your child will swim that evening) is posted at GSSC on the window in the office. The event assignment list will also be posted at the swim meet. If your child is young, please make sure and review the list yourself. On occasion, it is necessary to swim a swimmer up an age group (swimming in an older age group) in one or more events. This is especially true for relays, so check the relays for the age group above your child's group - the coach will usually alert your child to this if he or she is affected.

Relays: Swimmers compete in age groups. All children 6 & under are in the Speedy 6'ers. Speedy 6'ers do not have relays. 8 & Unders swim 25 yards for both of their relays. 10 & Unders swim 25 yards each (100-yard relay) for the Medley relay and 50 yards each (200-yard relay) for the Free Style relay. All children 11 & up swim 50 yards each (200 yard relays) in both relays.

All age groups have two type of relays: Free Style (where all four swimmers swim Free Style) and the Medley relay (where the first swimmer swims Back stroke, the second swims Breast stroke, the third swims Butterfly, and the fourth swims Free Style). Remember to watch for "which leg" of the relay your child swims! (You can tell by the order that their name is listed on the relay.) This is especially true for the Medley relays so they also know which stroke to swim!

Below is a list of the events. This is the order that events are always held so you might want to double check and see what your child will be swimming at each meet.

 

What role do you, as a parent, need to play?

As a parent, you have two roles to play:

• First of all, you need to make sure that your child is ready for his or her events. The majority of this book is dedicated to helping you understand specifics on how to help your child enjoy this event.
• The second role is one of a volunteer. Each home meets takes over 75 volunteers to make it happen. As a parent of swim team member, please plan on volunteering for at least two shifts during the season. (There are lots of opportunities: timers, runners, computer operators, snack shack worker, etc.)

Some helpful hints for first-timers:

1. It is perfectly okay for you to stand by your swimmer while they are waiting for events but NOT directly behind the blocks. It's a big help to older teammates who are helping out and a comfort to your child and others.

2. The younger kids swim 25 yards (one length of the pool). It is fine to meet them at the end of the swim with a towel (and a hug!) but please stay behind the timers.

3. It's really helpful to keep your swimmers in the gathering area at all times. Please encourage them not to run around the park. If your child is not in the gathering area (sitting in the stands with you, eating at the snack bar, playing in the parks), please take the responsibility to get them to the appropriate spot at least 5 events before they are scheduled to swim.

4. Please make sure that your child doesn't leave the timer areas once they have checked in.

5. Please have your child at the meet in time for the warm-ups. If you child doesn't show up for warm-ups the coaches are unsure if you are attending at all.

What role does your child need to play?

Your child is representing Gregory Seahurst Swim Club and should act accordingly. If your child is not acting in a fashion that positively represent our swim club, it is your responsibility to work with your child to change the behavior. The coaches are excellent and will work with each child to help them reach their potential.

Your child should be at the meet on time. They should check in to their events 4-5 races before the event. They should try their very hardest. They should be good sports regardless if they win or not. Their language and behavior should be appropriate to the situation.

Gregory Heights is a very team oriented swim team. This means that the older kids (13 & up) take care of the smaller children. They help with the their cards, they help gather them for their events, and they assist in a variety of other ways. Once or twice a summer, a younger child will miss an event but everyone is doing their best to make this a positive experience for all children.

What to take to the meet:

Make sure and mark all of your items with your child's name…things look alike and it's easy to get them mixed up!

1. The Basics: Swimsuit, swim cap, goggles. It helps to "dust" the inside of the cap after it's dried, with baby powder or baby cornstarch. This helps preserve the cap and makes it easier to put on. You probably want to have your child come in their swimsuit so you don't have to worry about getting them changed. Swim suits soaked: New swim suits must be soaked for at least one hour in a vinegar & water mixture (one gallon cold water/sink full with 2 T. of white vinegar) before you ever go into chlorinated water. This helps "set" the color of the suit and will help keep your suit in better condition for the two-year period.

2. Towels: Pack at least two!

3. Something to sit on. Examples: Sleeping bag, old blanket, extra towel, anything comfortable. Swimmers spend a lot of time on them.

4. Sweat shirts and sweat pants. Bring one or two if possible. Meets go on, despite occasionally chilly weather & rain, and evenings can get very cold in a soggy sweatshirt.

5. T-shirts. Same reason as above and provides protection form the sun.

6. Sunscreen: SPF 15 and above.

7. Games: Anything to pass the time like travel games, coloring books, books, cards. Avoid things like Frisbees, balls…there really is not a lot of space at some swim clubs and it's a good idea to encourage your swimmer to rest a bit in between events. Do NOT brings anything of value…we would hate to have anything "walk off" and ruin your child's day!

8. Food: Bringing snacks are okay, though each swim meet has terrific snack bars. Suggestions: water, fruit juice, sport drinks, granola bars, fruits, yogurts, dry cereal, Jell-O cubes, sandwiches, fruit roll-ups.

9. DO NOT BRING TENTS. It makes it impossible to find your child when it's time for him/her to swim. You will see other teams bring them but it is our policy NOT to have tents.

10. Theme nights: Sometimes we have "theme" nights where the kids come dressed up for the meets. We love parent participation in this too! Check with the coaches if you've unsure about the "theme" for a particular meet. Watch for signs posted at the pool.
    

Before the meet starts:

1. Arrive at the pool about 15 minutes before the scheduled WARM-UP time, which is usually 5:00pm. Swimmers must warm up with the team.

2. When you arrive, find a place to put your swimmer's blankets, swim bags, sleeping bags. The team sits together as a group. Look for familiar faces.

3. During the warm-ups, review the event assignment list for your swimmer events. (Double check to see if anything has changed from the one posted that morning!). At home meets, these are posted on the wall behind the office (in the grassy area). At away meets, they are usually posted on the fence where the team is sitting.

4. There will be event cards which list the event number, lane number, stroke, distance, and your swimmers name. The event cards for the Speedy 6'ers will be held by the Asst. Swim coach until the events, the event cards for the 8 & Unders and the 10 & Unders are held by older teammates until the events. All kids 12 & up will be given their cards at the beginning of the meet and they are responsible for them. There is only one card for each relay (not one card per swimmer in the relay). The cards are given to the timers at the starting block when the swimmer lines up for his event. This lets the timer know that the swimmer is there and is ready to go. Swimmers may not swim an event without an event card so be sure to keep track of them!

5. After warm-ups your swimmer can go back to where his/her blanket or sleeping bags are. This is a good time to make sure he/she goes to the bathroom, gets a drink and settles in. Usually the team has a short meeting to pass out cards, and do a team cheer.

6. Meets usually start at 6:00pm and begin with Pledge of Allegiance or the Star Spangled Banner. Please talk with your child about being quiet during the Star Spangled Banner.
   

Once the meet starts:

1. It's important for swimmers and parents to know what event numbers she/he is swimming since they might swim right after warm-ups. After practice on the day of the meet, the event assignment sheets are posted in the window of the pool office.

2. An event number will be called over the loudspeaker. For example, "First call for event #16, 8 & Under boys, 25 yard freestyle". Once you hear the announcement it is time to proceed to the timer area. For the smaller kids, they should already be at a predesignated spot about 5 events before they are scheduled to swim. The current event is also "posted" at each pool. Look for the location at away pools so you can tell which event is currently being held. At Gregory, the current event is posted under the "starter" table. Parents can really help by having their swimmers report early. (Especially true in relays!) SWIMMERS ARE NOT TO LEAVE THE TIMER AREA ONCE THEY HAVE CHECKED IN!

3. Girls events are odd numbered and boys events are even numbered. Be sure to have your swimmer hand the event card to the timer in his/her lane at least two events beforehand. This lets the timer know that your swimmer is there and ready to go. (The younger kid's cards are managed by the Assistant Coach or older teammates.)

4. You can usually expect 1-3 heats for each event with the exception of relays. Relays only have one heat. The younger age groups may have multiple exhibition heats (only one scoring heat is allowed). This is especially true for the Speedy 6'ers. Multiple heats allow more children to participate.

5. The swimmer swims her/his race. Parents can wait for their swimmers but please be sure and stay behind the timers.

6. There are many important positions at a swim meet. The starter/announcer will call the event, and after telling the kids to get on their marks, get set, they will fire the gun. Each lane will have 2-3 timers so we get an accurate time for each swimmer. There are also stroke & turn judges who will watch to make sure that the child is swimming the stroke correctly, touching the ends of the pool correctly, and not starting before their relay partner has touched. If a child is disqualified from a race, every attempt is made to explain the reasons to the child. Please be aware that the judges are trained and are volunteers doing the best that they can. Please be respectful of their positions and their judgement.

7. After each race: Please have your swimmer ask the timers what his/her time is. The most important aspect of swimming is improving ones' times…much more important than how you finished compared with others! Times are also posted on the final heat sheets 4 to 5 events after your child's race. Take him/her back to the towel area and relax and put their clothes on. If they run around in their suit, they get all stiff unless it's hot out. (plus the suit needs to last two seasons!) This is a good time to check out the bathroom, get a drink, have something light to eat. Your swimmer waits until the next event and starts the procedure all over again!

8. When your swimmer has completed all her/his events, he/she and their parents get to go home. Make sure that you (the parent) check with the coach before leaving to make sure that your swimmer is not needed for another event or is included in 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 she/he is not there.

9. Also, please police and pick up any trash in your area. It is always appreciated and shows respect for your team, our own pool, and the other team's pool.

The day after the meet:

All swimmers get ribbons for each event they swim. These ribbons can usually be picked up the day or two after the meet. The meets are in a ribbon box on the counter in the GSSC office. The kids (especially the little ones) love these ribbons. Please be sure and pick them up and congratulate your children on a job well done!

Getting all the ribbons done correctly is a very difficult and time-consuming job. Our volunteers give hours of their time to match up the ribbons with each child. If there are mistakes and/or missing ribbons, please be gracious about how you ask to have them corrected. We understand that they are important to our children and we will do all that we can to correct any mistakes.

Swim Team workout and meet schedule - see Swim Team

Meet locations - see Directions to Meets and Matches

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Tennis Team

Basics about tennis matches

Although all children of members are welcome to take tennis lessons, only children age 9 and above can join the tennis team (unless you have special permission). Each child should be a strong beginner level so the season is enjoyable. Each child usually participates in only one match (either singles or doubles).

Tennis Team workout and match schedule - see Tennis Team

Regular season matches usually occur during the month of July on Mondays and Wednesdays. The Boys and Girls All City Tournament usually are played on the last Monday and Tuesday in July.

NOTE: Gregory-Seahurst's home court is at Tyee High School.

Match locations: See Directions to Meets and Matches


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Dive Team

Basics about Dive Meets

All regular meets begin at 5 pm, with warm-ups at 4 pm. Divers must arrive in time for their warm-ups. Warm-ups and diving competitions are held by age group (8 & Under, 10 & Under, 12 & Under, 14 & Under, Seniors).

• 8 and under - 3 dives

• 10 and under - 3 dives
• 12 and under - 4 dives
• 14 and under - 5 dives
• Seniors - 6 dives

Back and front jumps are allowed in all age groups.

Points shall be awarded by judges on a scale from 0-10 at half point icrements according to the following scale:

• Exceptional - 9 to 10
• Excellent - 7 1/2 to 8 1/2
• Good - 6 to 7
• Satisfactory - 4 1/2 to 5 1/2
• Deficient - 2 1/2 to 4
• Unsatisfactory - 1/2 to 2
• Failed - 0

The most important aspect of a dive meet is to be very quiet! Divers need to concentrate on their dives. If you have small children, please make sure that they understand that they have to be quiet (adults too!).

Regular season meets start in mid-July and are usually held on Friday evenings. The All-City meet occurs on a Friday and/or Saturday in late July or early August.

Meet locations - see Directions to Meets and Matches

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Pool Address & Phone, GSSC Board Members, Coaches

Gregory Seahurst Swim Club
(206) 244-3640

Street Address: 16700 19th Ave SW Burien WA 98166

Mailing Address: PO Box Seahurst WA 98062

 

Contact board members and coaches

Revised 2006