Heritage Lakes Blue Wave

Heritage Lakes Swim Team 2025

Facebook: Heritage Lakes Swim Team

Swim Team Admin

SAIL Rep: Joey Parker, Michelle Hannon
Coaches: Savannah Kelly & Grace Howitt
Swim Team Board: [email protected]

Heritage Lakes Team Handbook

Introduction

The purpose of this handbook is two-fold: to explain to new members just what the Heritage Lakes Swim Team is and to outline various policies that affect all swimmers, year after year. It should be read by all families so that they may become familiar with important facts and rules of the team and league. Heritage Lakes is a parent volunteer-run organization. Without the help of every parent, the team will not run efficiently and meets absolutely will not happen. Please remember that if your swimmer wants to have a fun and effective season you must contribute to the success of the team by volunteering.

Heritage Lakes Swim Team

Heritage Lakes Blue Wave Swim Team is a member of Swim Association Invitational League (SAIL) and is a parent-run nonprofit organization. Heritage Lakes Swim Team has been serving the neighborhood of Heritage Lakes and surrounding communities as a SAIL member since approximately 1980. Heritage Lakes is pleased to provide a summer swim program for its athletes.

Mission Statement

Heritage Lakes Swim Team aims to create a learning environment for Heritage Lakes Members children, no matter what abilities, so that they can experience the enjoyment of, and can reach personal excellence in, the sport of swimming.

Vision

Heritage Lakes Swim Team vision is to provide encouragement and development of competitive age-group swimming, whose members will represent Heritage Lakes in all levels of swim competition.

Philosophy

Teamwork: The Heritage Lakes Swim Team is a team that is built upon the commitment, support, and participation of the SAIL Reps, swim team board, coaches, swimmers, parent/guardians, and the community at large. Heritage Lakes believes that an organization with standards of participation, administration and ethics in a wholesome environment and the cooperation of all members will lead to the success of the team achieving its goals.

Coaching: Heritage Lakes Swim Team is committed to providing comprehensive, expert swim/stroke training by an experienced coaching staff. In addition to swim training, Heritage Lakes promotes respectfulness, good sportsmanship and the practice of healthy lifestyle habits, such as good nutrition and sleep. At least one head coach or assistant coach who holds a Lifeguard Certification must be present at every practice or practices must be conducted while a lifeguard is on duty.  If any of the coaches hired are a family member of any of the board members or SAIL reps for that season, they may not be directly interviewed, supervised, or paid by that parent.  Background checks will apply.

The Swimmer: Heritage Lakes Swim Team believes that each swimmer is an individual with different backgrounds, needs and goals. The team focuses on the development of positive self-esteem and individual goal setting. The team encourages swimmers to represent Heritage Lakes by participating competitively (to the best of their abilities) during the season. Heritage Lakes believes that all members should model team spirit and good sportsmanship at all times. It is the responsibility of swimmers to place their belongings in a designated area during swim practice to allow members and their guest the use of tables and lounge chairs. Swim team members must pick up after themselves at practices and swim meets.

Role of Parents: Each family unit must volunteer at least 3/4 of the meet and should attend required training to be certified in their area of volunteering. Parents must be to their volunteer positions on time at swim meets and find substitutes if they are unable to attend. Parents must declare their swimmer's events in Swimtopia by the assigned deadline. Parents must report any event scratches to the SAIL rep ASAP and must not leave a swim meet without that notification.

Classification of Swimmer Memberships

• Property Owners (PO) are defined as families with children living in Heritage Lakes.
• Associate members (AM) are defined as any member who pays the full current associate membership fee and has full access to Heritage Lakes amenities.
• Limited Associate Member (LAM) is defined as any member who pays the current half summer membership fee and has pool access only until the end of the swim team season (typically the 2^nd week of July). At this time the LAM will no longer have access to the pool.

Heritage Lakes Swim Team Board of Directors

The Heritage Lakes Blue Wave Swim Team board shall consist of four executive officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall serve as the officers of the Swim Team Board, and no fewer than three additional Members-At-Large. The Head Coach and SAIL rep shall be non-voting members of the Board and are invited to attend all board meetings. These volunteer swim parents/guardians manage the Heritage Lakes swim team's business planning and fiscal responsibilities. For purposes of this section, unless otherwise specified the Board refers to the Heritage Lakes Swim Team Board of Directors.

Election of Board Members and SAIL Reps is held each year at a designated time – SAIL recommends January. Any swim parent/guardian who is a member in good standing (or Limited Associate Member with the intent to return) is eligible to vote. The final list of candidates will be approved by the Heritage Lakes Property Owners Association (HLPOA).

A majority (more than one-half of voting members) of the Heritage Lakes Swim Team Board (STBOD) Members shall constitute a quorum at any scheduled meeting of the Board.

At any given point in time, only one family member may serve on the Heritage Lakes Swim Team Board of Directors as a voting member.

Background checks may be required.

At this time, the SAIL Representative and Assistant SAIL Representative will be confirmed by the Swim Team Board after all interested parties have submitted their names for consideration.

Responsibilities of the Elected Swim Team Board of Directors

The Board of Directors meets on a monthly basis (months to be determined by the Swim Team Board) to discuss issues related to our organization as a whole.

The Swim Team Board will be responsible for hiring coaches, negotiating the coach’s salary, determining duties, and making the decisions and purchases.

Setting dates for swimmer registration, announcement of dates to community and surrounding communities (via social media, flyers, etc.) Could delegate these responsibilities.

Working with local swim shops for team swim suit (usually changed every other year) and team shirts. (Could delegate these responsibilities)

Discussing budget for the year and coordinating team sponsorship.

All Swim Team Board members shall deliver to their successors all materials within 14 days of elections. (this time may be extended with permission of the HL Swim Team Board) 2 Board members must be members (PO, AM or LAM) of the HLPOA and must maintain their child’s registration in good standing on the team, throughout their tenure on the board.

Swim Team Board members shall serve without compensation, except that they shall be allowed advancement or reimbursement of expenses, approved by majority vote of the board, incurred in the performance of the duties specified in this handbook.

Committees

The Swim Team Board of Directors will designate and assign various committees to carry out the business of the swim team. All committee (s) will be authorized and approved by the Swim Team Board and shall serve at the discretion of the Swim Team Board. The committee (s) shall be headed by a volunteer parent and appointed by the Swim Team Board of Directors (in quorum). At any given point in time, one person may not lead more than two committees at a time. Each Committee Chair will report to the Swim Team Board of Directors.

Board of Directors Nominations

Board of Directors Nominations After the completion of the swim season, the Swim Team President shall appoint a Nominating Committee, subject to the approval of the sitting Swim Team Board of Directors (in quorum), to select swim team board vacancies for the next Swim Year. The Nominating Committee shall consist of no more than five parents/guardians representing who have been members of the swim team for a minimum of one year. The President shall oversee the committee. Members of the Nominating Committee may be included in the final slate of Officers. Members of the Nominating Committee must present a slate of qualified candidates to the Board of Directors

Election Procedure: The election of Board positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Member(s) at Large shall be held at a scheduled Board Meeting in September. Except in uncontested elections, an electronic Ballot shall be provided to each participating family. Each family supporting at least one (1) participating swimmer shall have one (1) vote. For uncontested elections, a voice vote by acclamation will occur at the Board of Directors meeting.

Terms of Office

The term of office for sitting President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be for three (3) years or until a successor can be appointed and then voted on to fulfill that term. President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer may serve maximum of two (2) successive full terms in any one Board position. The terms of the Members at Large shall be for the period of one (1) year. The Member at Large may serve a maximum of three (3) successive full terms in their position. The newly elected positions will be in office beginning October 1 and shall remain in office for three (3) years.

Vacancies

A vacancy in the Board of directors shall be deemed to exist on the occurrence of the following: (i) the death, resignation, or removal of any director; (ii) the declaration by resolution of the Board of directors of a vacancy of the office of a director who has been declared of unsound mind by order of court or convicted of a felony; (iii) the vote of the voting members to remove a director; provided, however, that no director who was designated as such, rather than elected by the voting members, may be removed without the written consent of the person or persons who designated such director; 

Vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled by appointment of the remaining Board members. The appointee shall fill the vacant position until the next election cycle.

Board of Director Members shall be active members of the Association and must have an enrolled swimmer in the program.

President’s Role

• Shall preside at board and member meetings. (If not available VP will preside)
• Shall appoint special committees as needed.
• Shall serve as liaison to Coaches.
• Shall coordinate the work of the officers and committees in order that the purposes of the organization may be promoted.
• Shall be added to the signature card of the swim team bank account
• Shall serve as liaison to the HLPOA board (or appoint someone to be the liaison) and will provide a report at the following HLPOA board meetings March, April, August and September monthly meetings (2^nd Tuesday of the month at the HL Clubhouse 7 pm). Information provided to the HLPOA board should include dates for registration and swim meets, a practice schedule, dates for use of the clubhouse, (also review the Clubhouse and Facilities section of this handbook to make sure the requests are being followed), a financial report, provided by the Treasurer, including budget and fundraising, pool/grounds concerns, any maintenance issues, report team standings so we can share in newsletters and social media and any other matters relevant to a successful swim season. Liaison is also responsible to verify eligibility status of a swimmer by providing a roster to the HLPOA board. Financial books will be reviewed each year in September by the HLPOA’s hired accountant for reconciliation. A prepared financial report to be presented at the annual homeowners meeting in November.
• (If the books are not reconciled by the accountant, the HLPOA will not give its annual donation of $1500 to the swim team)
• The President must have been with the Heritage Lakes Swim team for at least one (1)season.

Vice-President’s Role

• Shall aide the President and perform duties of the President in the absence of that officer.
• Shall be added to the signature card of the swim team bank account.
• The Vice-President must have been with the club for one (1) season.

Secretary’s Role

• Shall keep the correct record (minutes) of all general meetings and of the Board meetings.
• Shall also handle the correspondence of the swim team. (Website, facebook, etc. – Could delegate these duties)

Treasurer’s Role

• Shall be responsible for all financial matters of the Heritage Lakes Swim Team.
• Record all expenses and incomes.
• Preparation of the budgets and financial statements.
• Shall be prepared at any time to present all financial records to the Heritage Lakes Swim Team Board and/or to the HLPOA Board for review and annually (September) the financial books turned in to the HLPOA’s hired accountant for reconciliation.
• Swim team board finance and budget reports will be transparent, and a report given at the end and beginning of each season to all parents/guardians, as well as the swim team and HLPOA board. (A financial report to be presented at the HLPOA’s annual homeowners meeting the second Sunday of November)
• Shall turn over all books, bank statements, account numbers, previous years reports, remove name from signature card at bank and provide any information pertinent to the financial running of the team to the newly elected treasurer at the end of the treasurer’s term.
• It is preferred the Treasurer shall be a person with a professional financial background
• The Treasurer must have been with the club for at least one (1) season.

Secretary 

• Shall keep the correct record (minutes) of all general meetings and the Board meetings.

• Shall also handle the correspondence of the swim team. (Website, facebook, etc. – Could delegate these duties)

• The Secretary must have been with the club for at least one (1) season

Member- at – Large (at least 3)

The Member-at-Large position is a full, voting member of the swim team board, however, has no specific assigned responsibilities. The responsibilities of the Member-at-Large may include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as a voting member of the Board.
• Attend Board meetings
• Actively participating in functions sponsored by the HL swim team.
• On an interim basis, filling any unexpected mid-season vacancy that occurs on the Board (other than the President) allowing the Board to continue to function smoothly without overburdening other board members when a vacancy occurs.

Board of Directors Conflict of Interest:

Whenever a director has a financial or personal interest in any matter coming before the Board of Directors, the affected person shall a) fully disclose the nature of the interest and b) withdraw from the discussion, lobbying, and voting on the matter. Any transaction or vote involving a potential conflict of interest shall be approved only when a majority of disinterested directors determine that it is in the association's best interest to do so. The minutes of meetings at which such votes are taken shall record such disclosure, abstention, and rationale for approval.

SAIL Representative’s Role

• Shall attend or provide a representative at all league meetings and report back to the swim team board.
• Shall vote on the teams behalf at SAIL meetings
• Shall be the liaison between Heritage Lakes and other SAIL teams.
• Shall provide membership eligibility to SAIL
• Shall fulfill all duties and obligations as outlined or suggested in the SAIL Handbook and/or bylaws
• Shall relay dates and locations for all swim meets for the season to board and swim team members.
• Shall relay dates of home swim meets to the HLPOA Board Pool Chair and time for pool to be closed to the public.
• Shall serve as the Director of home meets. (This could be delegated according to SAIL)
• Shall coordinate the Heritage Lakes Swim Team responsibilities at all swim meets.
• Shall work with Volunteer Coordinator to coordinate volunteer efforts at the meets.

Assistant SAIL Representative’s Role

• Shall, under the direction of the SAIL Rep, assist in all duties of SAIL rep as needed.

Head Coach’s Role

• Shall report directly to the Swim Team President and Board.
• Shall have authority in the running of all practices.
• Shall meet with the Board to discuss the coaching responsibility according to the rules and regulations of the organization.
• Shall conduct all swim practices, time trials, and shall attend all swim meets.
• Shall attend designated parent meetings and board/league meetings.
• Shall help enforce proper behavior of swimmers at pool side.
• Shall ensure swimmers put belongings in a designated area while swimming, leaving lounge chairs and tables open for members and their guest.
• Shall help enforce swimmers to pick up after themselves at practices and all swim meets.
• Shall contact parents in the event discipline problems occur.
• Shall report said conduct to the president of the swim team.
• May assist in the hiring of an assistant coach or assistant coaches based on the approval of the Board.
• Shall to the best of his/her ability, be responsible for enhancing swim team members’ ability to perform the various strokes used in swim meets, in such a manner as to encourage and enhance self-improvement.
• Shall act as a leader in promoting team spirit.
• Shall perform his/her duties in order that the purposes of the Heritage Lakes Swim Team organization be promoted.
• Shall attend SAIL training.
• Shall hold current First Aid and CPR training.
• Shall be willing to undergo background check if requested.
• Shall arrive early and prepare the pool for practice - swim lanes, blocks, etc. as needed

Assistant Coach’s Role

• Shall assist the head coach in responsibilities noted for the head coach.
• May be required to perform additional duties as needed.
• Shall under the direction of the head coach assist, in the responsibilities of coaching.
• Recommend current First Aid and CPR training.
• Shall be willing to undergo background check if requested.
• Shall arrive early and prepare the pool for practice - swim lanes, blocks, etc. as needed

Computer Operator (may be a Member at Large or delegated to a parent)

• Shall follow guidelines according to SAIL handbook and attend SAIL training.

Volunteer Coordinator’s Role (can be Member-at-Large)

• Works with SAIL Rep and Assistant SAIL Rep to coordinate volunteer efforts at the meets.
• Verifies all jobs are filled prior to the meet.In the event of unfilled volunteer spots, the volunteer coordinator will assign parents who have not volunteered to a job and notify them of their assignment.
• Verify that all volunteers are in their assigned roles at meets.
• Attend board meetings
• Must verify that all volunteers are certified

Spirit Chair’s Role (can be Member-at-Large)

• Coordinate spirit events (Friday Morning Ribbon party, lunches, Kick-off, Spirit Week, End of Year celebration, etc.). May work with Fundraising Chair to coordinate spirit fundraisers (i.e., Chick-Fil-A night, Moe’s night, etc.)
• Arrange group outings
• Attend board meetings

Fundraising Chair’s Role (can be a Member-at-Large)

• Plans and Coordinates Swim-A-Thon and other fundraising committees/efforts
• Swim-A-Thon volunteer does not have to be the Fundraising Chair -
  Swim- A – Thon duties include -Prepares and hands out packets, enlist volunteers for counting laps of swimmers, collects and keeps record of pledge money to give to treasurer and communicates with coaches dates of Swim-A-Thon
• Attends board meetings

Concessions (can be a Member-at-Large)

• Coordinate parent list of drink and food donations for home meets
• Coordinate with Volunteer Coordinator parents to work concessions during home meets
• Coordinate with treasurer for collection of concessions money to be deposited
• Attend board meetings

Clubhouse and Facilities

• Dates for home meets and time the pool will be closed to the public submitted in writing to the HLPOA Pool Chair
• Dates for the use of clubhouse for swim team activities need to be submitted in writing to the Heritage Lakes Property Owners Association clubhouse representative as soon as possible to ensure the availability of the clubhouse.
• Keys to the clubhouse will be available 2 days prior to each event and must be returned within 24 hours after the event.
• The Swim team is responsible for all clubhouse clean ups after use, unless they wish to pay the clean up fee.
• Keys for the use of pool facilities- 1 set of keys provided to the Head Coach for the bathhouse and pump house to retrieve equipment, 1 set of keys provided to the SAIL Rep. and 1 set provided to the Swim Team Board President – including keys to the bathhouse, pump house and the pool gate.(The lifeguards always have keys to all of the pool facilities when they are on duty)
• All facilities will be kept neat and orderly at all times.

*All board members, representatives and coaches will be subject to background checks. Failure to consent will result in ineligibility for the position.

Concerns***

As in any organization involving significant numbers of families, the Heritage Lakes Swim Team Board cannot always be all things to all people. Although conflicts in our organization are few, they occasionally arise, and we have a protocol for dealing with them.

If you have a concern about administration of the club, coaching, finances, other swimmers’ behavior, other parents’/guardians’ behavior, or other related matters, please contact a board member. Your concern will be taken to the following board meeting and mediated. One of the board members will get back with you.

Thank you for being a part of our Association and the Blue Wave Swim Team!!!!!

The policies and procedures in this handbook are subject to be added to or amended, if the need arises, by a majority vote of the HLPOA Board and Swim Team Board combined.

Group Descriptions

Heritage Lakes practice groups have been developed by the coaching team to maximize the growth and development of swim techniques for its swimmers of all levels. Swimmers of similar age and abilities will be grouped together to reach the goals set for each level.

10 & Under

A tryout will be held to evaluate swimmer's level.

Goal(s): To swim 25 meters of each stroke to SAIL Swimming standards and compete in SAIL’s Divisionals, ultimately qualifying to swim SAIL Championships & Classics.
Focus : All four strokes will continued to be developed plus the 100 IM.

11 & Over

A tryout will be held to evaluate swimmer's level.
Goal(s): To swim 25 meters of each stroke to SAIL Swimming standards and compete in SAIL’s Divisionals, ultimately qualifying to swim SAIL Championships & Classics.
Focus : All four strokes will continued to be developed plus the 100 IM.

Practice Group Assignments

SAIL determines the assignment of the Swimmer(s) to a group based on the child’s age on May 31. The Swimmers practice times will be based on the squad descriptions above.

Equipment

Check with your coach–not all items are required for all groups:

• Practice Suit
• Goggles
• Cap
• Team Attire
• Heritage Lakes Team suit or solid color (colors) suit
• Heritage Lakes Team Cap

What Swimmers Should Bring to Meets:

• Sunscreen and Goggles
• Team swim cap and team t shirt
• Extra clothes to stay warm and dry
• Towels
• Water bottles filled with water or sports drink
• Light, healthy snacks (fruit, pretzels, etc.)
• Something to keep busy during events (books, games, electronics, etc.)
• Folding chair or blanket to sit on
• Sharpies for writing events on swimmers

Note: Put your child’s name on EVERYTHING!!

What Parents Should Bring to Meets:

• Your swimmer(s) on time for warm-ups
• Chairs for viewing the meet
• A loud voice and positive attitude for team cheering
• Snacks or money for snacks or dinner for yourself and/or swimmer
• Willingness to help and pitch in wherever needed. Our team cannot function without contributions from all parents.

Lost & Found

You are strongly encouraged to label all of your swimmers equipment and clothing. Labeled equipment found at practice can easily be returned to the swimmer. Unlabeled equipment found around the pool deck will be placed in the lost and found area. Swimmers should keep all personal belongings on the pool deck during practice sessions in a bag with their name on it. It is recommended not to bring valuable personal items to the pool to prevent it from being damaged. The team is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Fundraising Opportunities

Heritage Lakes is a parent run organization. In order to purchase and maintain our equipment we must engage in fundraising.

On-deck Volunteering

The following roles are considered on-deck volunteering and need to be supplied by our team to efficiently run a swim meet:

Home Meets (per half unless otherwise noted):

1-Referee – works entire meet (Classroom Training & Online Test Required)

1-Starter – works entire meet (Classroom Training & Online Test Required)

6-Stroke & Turn Judge (Classroom Training & Online Test Required)

1-Head Clerk of Course – works entire meet (Classroom Training & Online Test Required)

5-Clerk of Course (Classroom Training & Online Test Required)

1-Computer – works entire meet (Classroom Training & Online Test Required)

4-Runner (Online Test Required)

1-Chief Timer – works entire meet (Online Test Required)

14-Timer (Online Test Required)

2-Records (Online Test Required)

2-Ribbons (Online Test Required)

Meet Volunteering

It is a Heritage Lakes requirement that every family commit to work at every meet. Requirements are: one meet half per parent (a single parent family must commit to one half per meet, a two parent family must commit to two halves – one parent may work both halves or each parent may work one half each). Parents are required to time, score, and officiate swim meets. We may not use you the entire meet but we require you to be available. If this requirement doesn’t work for you, you may need to look at joining a different swim team. Parents are also required assist with set up and tear down for home meets and fill worker positions for away meets.

Go to the Sign Ups page to sign up to volunteer.

In addition to the On-deck volunteering roles, a HOME meet will require the following volunteers:
2-Head Tent Parents
4-Tent Parents
6-Concessions

Season

The SAIL season starts mid-May and ends following the Divisionals meet, usually the 2nd weekend of July.Those who qualify for Championships and/or Classics continue one additional week.

Communication

The team uses as many forms of communication as possible (website, email, text, social media, etc.). The may result in parents receiving multiple notifications. This is unavoidable. Please be patient with anyone who attempts to notify you of schedule changes as they are only trying to help you and your swimmer have a positive experience.

Website

Heritage Lakes primary methods of communication are e-mail and the team website. The website includes news, events, swimmer sign-up, and volunteer job sign-ups. The site is updated regularly. Please check for new and updated information.

You may also access your swimmer’s best times on this web site. Once logging on, Go to My Account and then click on your child’s name to see their Best times. Click on the event to see their history. Click the following link to review all SAIL results at :https://greenvillejournal.com/sail/

E-mail

E-mails will be sent to inform parents/guardians and swimmers of upcoming events, such as swim meets, team social events, volunteer events, etc. Be sure to keep your e-mail address current on the website. If you need help updating it, please see the Contact Us link on the website.

Heritage Lakes encourages open communication. Please feel free to email coaches or board members.

Text Messaging

You will be asked to provide a cell phone number(s) that will be used for team notifications that are time sensitive (i.e., weather delays at meets and practice cancellations due to weather).

Social Media

Heritage Lakes has a Facebook group. You will not automatically be added to the group. Please search Facebook for Heritage Lakes to request to join the group.

Parent Kick-off Meeting

At the beginning of the season the team holds a Parent Kick-off Meeting to welcome everyone and give details about the upcoming season.

This short meeting will include a short introduction by the Board of Directors, a few words from the Head Coach, and a brief question and answer session.

Swim Meets

By its very name, the purpose of the SAIL summer swimming is to compete and that means attending swim meets! Members of SAIL and Heritage Lakes should understand that we are a recreational summer team.

Since SAIL’s beginning in 1964, they have worked hard in the community to embrace and encourage all levels of swimming. Having fun as a team has been at the center of our activities.

For many new swimmers, taking the first step and going to their first competitive meet is a big undertaking. Our coaches understand this and are happy to share information about each meet.

Schedule

For the season schedule, go to Swim Schedule

Historical Results

Swim results from past seasons can be found on the www.swimsail.org, under Activities, Meet Results and clicking View Results. This will take you to the Greenville News site with all of the results from 2016 and prior.

Results from 2017 to present can be found at  https://greenvillejournal.com/sail/

Procedures

As a summer recreational swim team, we encourage all of our swimmers to attend swim meets and compete in events of their choice. Swim meets provide an opportunity for the swimmers to measure the progress of their training and practice. Swim meets are also a social time, which enables the swimmers to build friendships with fellow teammates.

All swimmers who commit to a meet should strive to participate in the events they signed up for. If they are unable to make a meet or event, they need to inform the coach who can scratch them or find a replacement before the meet starts.

Swimmers must remain in the tent area during the meet. If they leave the tent area they must notify the head tent parent. Swimmers should remain aware of the current event lining up so that restroom and concession breaks can be planned accordingly.

Swimmer Events

SAIL Swim Meets are divided into (80) Events and are listed below. Each event contains one or more heats. Most of the pools participating the SAIL league are (6) lanes. If there are more than (6) entrants for an event, it is necessary to conduct multiple heats within that event.

Some helpful tips about the SAIL meets:

Female athletes will always compete in ODD numbered events.

Male athletes will always compete in EVEN numbered events.

Events for 10-year old females will always end in “3”. For example, 3, 13, 23, 33, etc.

Events for 12-year old males will always end in “6”. For example, 6, 16, 26, 36, etc.

Heat Sheets

Each swim meet will have a heat sheet that will provide information such as event, heat, swimmer, lane, and any previous swim times. The head Tent Parents should have these details and heat sheets are available for purchase at concessions.

For parents who would like to follow the action, check around on the pool deck if the Home Team has these available for sale.

Timeline for the Swim Meet

Swim meet software provides a timeline for the swim meet based on swimmer times. The timeline will show the estimated time for each event, which will allow you to better plan your evening. If the heat sheets has this data, do not use this timeline to determine your arrival time at the meet. Your swimmers’ coach will tell them when to arrive for warm-up.

First Swim Meet Guide

The most important items after the events have been selected and the volunteer roles have been chosen, is to arrive on-time (warm-ups and events) and have your athlete record their event details on them.

Each swimmer must have their events written on their arm with permanent Sharpie marker. Do this at home, before sunscreen is applied and the swimmer warms up (oily or wet arms are difficult to write on). Please mark the child with event number and name (i.e., #12 Short Fr).

Make sure your athletes learn who the Tent Parents are. They can make sure swimmers get to the correct location in time for their events.

Closing

We hope this Handbook was helpful for you and we welcome suggestions to keep this a dynamic document to help parents and swimmers for years to come.