Newnan Cougars Swim Team
Coach: Courtney Stillwell
Congratulations on
being selected as part of the Newnan High School Swim Team for the 2008-2009 season! We look
forward to a successful year. Please
read the following carefully. You will
also need to complete and sign the Swimmer Information Sheet and return it to
Coach Stillwell.
Practice
Requirements: A minimum of 3 times a week is expected unless
excused by the coach. All swimmers should be on deck in suits at the beginning
of each practice. Announcements and stretching
are important parts of practice and will be conducted the first 15 minutes of
every practice.
Meet
Requirements: Attend all meets unless excused by the coach.
Any absence from a meet without coaches’ approval is grounds for being benched
for a meet or dismissed from the team.
Here is a tentative meet schedule for the season:
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This is a TENTATIVE schedule for the 2008-2009 swim season. |
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Date |
Opponent |
Location |
Time |
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Nov. 15 |
Whitewater Wildcats Invitational |
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8:00 am |
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Dec. 6 |
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Lakeshore Pool |
TBA |
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Dec. 13 |
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TBA |
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Dec. 17 |
Creekside Invitational |
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5 pm |
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Jan. 9 |
Douglas |
Boundary Waters |
TBA |
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Jan. 17 |
Clarke-Oconee Invitational |
Tentative Date |
TBA |
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Jan. 24 |
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Tentative Date |
TBA |
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Jan. 30 |
ECHS Invitational |
Summit YMCA |
TBA |
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Feb. 12,13 |
State Finals Prelims |
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TBA |
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Feb. 14 |
State Finals Meet |
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TBA |
Lettering
Requirements: Lettering is earned by winning points at
meets. Relays will count toward those points.
Conduct
Policies: You will be representing your school at the
YMCA and at meets. Breaking schools
rules in or unruly behavior will have consequences and may result in dismissal
from the team. Please review the NHS
Code of Conduct for athletes in your school handbook.
Booster Club: We
have a Swimming Booster Club to support the needs of the players and coaching
staff. Booster Club Fees will be $150.00 per swimmer.
Fundraising: We are asking that each player assist in fundraising this year. Any business that you frequent may be willing to sponsor the NHS Swim Team. Sponsor letters are available for those who need them.
FAQ:
1. What are the swimming
strokes/distances that high school swimmers compete in at a swim meet and what
are the state qualifying time standards for each?
There are four
strokes in competitive swimming: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and
butterfly. The individual medley or “IM”
includes all four strokes. In addition,
there are freestyle and medley relays where each team member swims one of the
four different strokes. Here is a
breakdown of the strokes, distances, and state qualifying times:
Boys Event Girls
1:52:00 200 yard Medley Relay 2:08:00
1:56.00 200
yard Freestyle 2:08.00
2:12.00 200
yard Individual Medley 2:24.00
23.50 50 yard Freestyle 26.50
58.00 100 yard Butterfly 1:05.00
52.00 100 yard Freestyle 58.50
5:20.00 500
yard Freestyle 5:40.00
1:41.50 200
yard Freestyle Relay 1:54.00
1:00.00 100
yard Backstroke 1:06.00
1:08.05 100
yard Breaststroke 1:16.00
3:46.00 400
yard Freestyle Relay 4:14.00
State rules say
that an individual swimmer may not swim more than four events at a meet. The
fastest swimmers will usually swim all four, newer swimmers may only swim in a
relay(s). The coaching staff will make every effort to include all team members
in every meet when possible. When
scheduling swimmers for meets the needs of the team will be the top
priority. Those swimmers that are close
to a state cut time will be given first option to swim their event at meets.
The relays will be decided by time unless special circumstances are deemed by
the coach. The coach’s decision is final
as to the entry
and what individual swimmers will compete in.
A swimmer may request a swim off to challenge another swimmer for a
position in a relay or in an individual event.
These challenges will occur at the end of practice. If a swimmer does not accept the challenge
they will automatically lose their slot.
2. What is the most common injury for
competitive swimmers?
Shoulder injuries
are the most common injuries for competitive swimmers. The stress placed on the
shoulder joint during swimming often overloads the muscles and tendons of the
shoulder making the swimmer vulnerable to injury. Because of the overuse nature
of shoulder injuries in swimmers, the best treatment is prevention.
3. What
is the best way to prevent shoulder injuries?
Stretching is also
a key factor in helping prevent injuries and should be part of the daily
training regimen. Swimmers should be on deck for stretching at the beginning of
each practice. Being on deck in your suit at the beginning of each practice is
critical. We will gradually increase training intensity and distance.
Difficult sets will be performed early in the training session before the
athlete becomes fatigued. Proper warm-up is critical before workout. Our
typical training will be: First, stretch on land. Stretch arms, shoulders, back
and legs. Then a slow warm up. We will work on stroke
development, starts and turns and increasing stamina.
4. How
many laps on average does a competitive swimmer swim a day while training?
During an average high school or college workout, swimmers do between 1,000 and
5,000 yards in a practice, depending on what level they are swimming at. That
is 40 to 200 times across a 25-yard pool. Very competitive swimmers often
practice twice a day, so they may do 6,000 to 8,000 yards a day. That is 240 to
320 times across a 25-yard pool.
5. How
many hours per week do competitive swimmers spend practicing?
This varies according to ability level. Competitive swimmers spend
approximately 15 to 20 hours practicing per week. Less serious competitors
spend an average of 5 to 10 hours a week. Based on this, swimmers may want to
join the YMCA and swim laps on their own.
6. Should swimmers eat anything special
before a meet?
Swimmers should
not eat red meat 24 hours before a meet. High protein is important, but should
be limited to lean chicken or fish. Carbohydrates are important for energy, so
pasta is a good choice the night before a meet. It is important to eat
breakfast, such as a high-protein cereal and a banana to provide muscles with
the carbohydrates they need for energy. Avoid caffeine. Drink water or a sports drink containing carbohydrates throughout a meet to
replenish fluids, carbohydrates and electrolytes. It is easy to make the
mistake of not hydrating when swimming because you can not always tell that you
are sweating.
7. What
can competitive swimmers do to shave seconds off their time?
It is not uncommon to train in multiple bathing suits and to create drag in
practice so you will feel faster in the water during a race. Always strive to
push yourself during practice, it will increase your stamina and breath control.
8. What
is swimmer’s ear and how can it be prevented?
Swimmer’s ear is a very painful condition caused by breakdown of the lining of
the external or outer ear canal due to excessive moisture. It can be prevented
by keeping the ears dry during training. You should also avoid excessive
cleaning of the ears with q-tips. The use of custom ear plugs or swim caps may
help keep the ears dry. There are also alcohol and acetic ear drops that you
can use after swimming to dry the ears and prevent bacterial growth.
9. What
swimming etiquette will be adhered to at practice?
- Learn the names of your teammates.
- Understand the interval (speed) for
the lane. Does everyone understand? Are you in the right lane? Are you
ordered from fastest to slowest?
- Never begin any set until everybody in
the lane understands it (particularly drill sets).
- Whenever possible, communicate to your
lane mates if you plan to do anything "different" in the set.
This includes sitting out an interval, or even getting out of the pool.
- Take responsibility for counting, you
can do it, allow yourself to believe it!
- Watch the pace clock and stay in your
send off spot throughout the set (5 seconds behind the swimmer in front of
you).
- Be aware of what is happening in your
lane. Where are the other swimmers? Are you holding people up? Are you
running people over? Is there somebody right behind you as you are coming
off the wall?
- If you arrive late to the workout,
take responsibility for joining practice without disrupting your
teammates. Ask the coach and learn what's going on before you get into the
water. Try to do your warm up in another lane before you join the set.
- It’s fun and motivating to hear
positive encouragement coming from your team mates. A small "let’s
go" can be just the positive boost your lane mates need in the middle
of a long difficult set.
- Acknowledge each other. Is somebody in
your lane having an exceptional day? Let them know!
- Acknowledge your teamwork. "Go
Cougars!" is always nice to hear. "We're awesome," with
high fives all around is a great motivator and gets your energy levels up!
- When swimming in a lane with more than
two people, an organization is required. The most common pattern is to
swim single file in a counterclockwise circle, the "Circle
Pattern."
- Swimmers should start their sets 5
seconds apart, with the fastest swimmer in the lane going first, the
second fastest going second and so forth. Keep your eyes open, and stay on
your side of the lane to avoid collisions.
10. What
rules of etiquette should be adhered to at a meet?
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Arrive on time.
Get to the bus early enough to settle down in the bus prior to the time
announced that you will be leaving. Stay in your seats on the bus; keep
noise levels to a minimum. When you arrive at the meet go to the dressing room
and change into you suit. Be sure to bring your towel and anything you
may need to the meet. Be ready with your cap and goggles on when the
warm-up session starts. Meet warm-ups are often short and crowded, so
it’s important to be on time.
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Be prepared. It is best to know what events you are swimming BEFORE
warm-up. This way, you can practice the appropriate starts, turns and
sprints in the warm-up. Also, make sure that you have everything you need
– towels, swimsuit, water bottle, cap and goggles
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Sit with your teammates and cheer. Swim meets are the best time to get
to know your teammates and build team spirit. It is also easier for your
coach and teammates (relay members) to find you if they need you. If you
must go to the restroom or to the concession stand let the team manager or
coach know where you are going.
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Stay positive.
If you have a bad swim, or you don’t want to swim the events you’re entered in,
get over it and just do your best.
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Bring plenty of drinks and snacks. Know how much water you will need
(about 8 ounces per event) and be prepared. Bring light snacks to munch
on, such as fruit, goldfish or string cheese. You don’t want to be buying
candy from the concession stand unless it's right before your last race or
relay. You may want to bring a blanket and some games to play for long
meets (
·
Realize that relays are just as important as your individual
events (if not more so).
Give it your all and help pump up your teammates (no matter which relay you’re
on). Swim in the relay order your coach gave you, and HAVE FUN!
Also, stay and cheer on your team until your last teammate is out of the water.
·
Stay in the pool (except relays) until your race is completed by all swimmers.
Congratulate the winners when you get out of the pool. Relay members should
stay at the end of their lane and cheer their teammates on. Never criticize a
teammate for their swim.
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Talk to your coach and cool down after every event. Make sure that you see your coach
after each event to get input on your race. And if you have time, cool
down between events when possible. Cooling down will make a huge
difference in your body’s ability to recover for future races.
·
Respect the meet officials. If you have a complaint about a DQ
or procedures at a meet, speak to your coach about it.
·
NO JEWELRY.
You will be DQ'ed if any visible jewelry is seen.
Always wear your team cap and leave it on until you have exited the water. Even
a rubber band holding a ponytail can be qualified as jewelry if you take your
cap off in the water.
·
Clean up ALL of your mess. It is important to leave your area
just as you found it. Throw away your empty bottles and Power Bar
wrappers. If your teammates left a mess, go ahead and pick it up.
That’s what teammates are for!
·
Thank the host team.
·
Change clothes for the bus ride back as soon as you
have completed your last race.
Stay with your team until the end of the meet.
HAVE FUN- at the end of the season you will reap the
rewards of a great year!!