Raintree Country Club Swim Team

Greater Charlotte Swim League

• Our swim team competes in the Greater Charlotte Swim League, www.greatercharlotteswimleague.com. The league’s website contains rules governing meets, entries and scoring.
• Like any team, team practice is crucial. Your child is expected to come to practice and participate every day it is scheduled for his age group; if you have a major conflict, talk to the coaches. Arrive ten minutes earlier than practice is scheduled to start so that your child can be in the pool and ready to go once practice begins.
• Only Raintree Country Club members can belong to the swim team.
• Most questions can be answered on Team Unify. Check regularly for updates.

Meet Events

• Events are numbered on the Heat Sheet in the following order
• Individual events are seeded fastest to slowest, with the fastest heat swimming first.
• The youngest age group swims first, with girls preceding boys.
• Except for the 100IM (Individual Medley), individual event distances are 25 meters (one length) for 10 and under groups and 50 meters (2 lengths) for 11-18 age groups.
• Jr. Stingrays (6 and under) – freestyle
• Medley Relay (four swimmers each swimming a different stroke)
• Freestyle
• Backstroke
• 100 IM – Individual Medley (one length each of butterfly, backstroke, breast stroke, freestyle)
• Breast stroke
• Butterfly
• Free relay (four swimmers each swim 25 meters freestyle)

Meet Scoring

Relays

• Only the A team relay is scored.
• The winning relay earns 10 points
• The losing relay earns 6 points.

Individual events

• 1st place earns 5 points for the team
• 2nd place earns 3 points for the team
• 3rd place earns 2 points for the team
• 4th place earns 1 point for the team

Home Meets Volunteer Jobs

1. Starter (1)
2. Stroke and Turn Judge (2)
3. Head Clerk of Course (1)
4. Runner (1)
5. Head Timer (1)
6. Timers
   1. First half of the Meet (6)
   2. Second half of the Meet (6)
7. Meet Manager Software (2)
8. Ribbon Stickers (1) 

Total: 15

Away Meets Volunteer Jobs

1. Stroke and Turn Judge (2)
2. Assistant Clerk of Course (1)
3. Runner (1)
4. Timers
   1. First half of the Meet (6)
   2. Second half of the Meet (6)
5. 5. Ribbon Stickers (1) 

Total: 11

Meet Volunteer Descriptions

Clerk of Course

The Clerk of Course provides the organization in a swim meet; they are responsible for assigning lanes to swimmers at the ready bench. The Clerk will be responsible for sending swimmers in their designated heats with the Runner’s to insure the Starter is not waiting for swimmers.

Assistant Clerk of Course

The assistant clerk of course will assist the Clerk of Course at away meets only.

Starter

The starter is responsible for starting each event. They should call the event number, age group and gender, heat number and what stroke is being swum. The starter starts each race with two commands, “Swimmers take your mark” and then the horn signifying the start of the race.

Head Timer

The Head Timer collects and records the swimmers times per lane and then will pass the sheets to the runner after all times are recorded. They are to watch the timers for a raised hand and provide a backup watch when needed.

Timer

The Timers/Recorders’ job is to start the watch at the horn in the beginning of a race and stop the watch when the swimmer completes their event. They will then ensure the swimmer in the lane corresponds to the heat sheet they have and record both final times on the heat sheet. Should a swimmer commit a Stroke or Turn Violation the corresponding Timer/Recorder will indicate the team and swimmers name on the Stroke and Turn Correction sheet given to them by the Stroke and Turn Judge.

Runners

Runners will collect the Stroke and Turn Correction sheets from the Timer/Recorder for each event, and place them in the corresponding teams’ folder in the DQ box. The disqualification box will be held in a central location to be determined by the host facility.

Stroke Judges/Officials Stroke

Judges are to watch the events and determine if an infraction has been committed by a swimmer. Should an infraction occur the judge will fill out the Stroke and Turn correction form and give it to the appropriate Timer/Recorders and then notify swimmer of infraction. Any person interested in becoming an official must meet the following guidelines:

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Have some swim team back ground
• Basic stroke and turn knowledge.

Meet Manager

The GCSL official meet software program required to run each meet. This job entails entering data into the meets software such as swimmers times, DQ’s, last minute deck changes to entries.

Training is available to those interested in learning this job.

Ribbon Sticker

Once events are completed and compiled label stickers are generated for each event and the swimmer will receive a ribbon accordingly: First thru Fourth Place.

Communications

Communication is key to a successful swim team and every effort will be made to relay information to swim team families in a timely manner. There are several ways in which we will be communicating information to swimmers and their families:

Each swim team family will have a file folder ―mailbox‖. The box holding these folders will be available during swim practice. Parents and swimmers are asked to check this mailbox daily for important information.

To be a good teammate, here are a few tips:

Support: It is hard to be successful on your own. By supporting your teammates, they will support you back.

Encouragement: Cheer for your teammates and encourage them in practice. Trust me, it will help you, too.

Guidance: Provide them with guidance when they need it. You are with your teammates more than anyone. You will know when they need it.

Friendship: Be a good friend. These are the friends that will last a lifetime.

Remember John Wooden’s quote: “The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”

Go Stingrays!