Webster Blue Fins FAQ

 

Welcome to the world of competitive swimming! This page is meant to answer many of the questions you may be having. 

FAQ Categories

About joining the Blue Fins

Find out what gear your swimmer will need, and where to find it.

About practices

Understand how Blue Fins groups are structured and how your child fits in.

About meets

Clear up the confusion about swim meets: how to sign up, how to participate, what meets are like, and any other meet-related questions.

About best times and incentives

Find out what “best times” are all about and how Blue Fins swimmers can be rewarded for their progress.

Volunteer Opportunities

Find out what are the volunteer opportunities - what counts toward our obligations and what doesn't

About coaches’ philosophy

Learn what we’re all about, what’s important to us as coaches, and how you can best support us.

 

About Joining the Blue Fins

You’ve taken the first step in joining; you brought your swimmer here to the WAC to try the Blue Fins! We hope you enjoy this phase. Every swimmer goes through this trial period at one time or another and it is our hope to make it fun for everyone!

What gear does the swimmer need?

Every swimmer needs to have a racing suit, goggles, and a cap (recommended for girls; optional for boys) These items are conveniently available through The Deep End Swimwear which runs a kiosk in the WAC concession stand area every Wednesday evening. They can also be purchased elsewhere or online. Just click on the link from the Blue Fins website. These items must be purchased separately and are NOT included in your dues.

How can we find out about last minute scheduling changes or cancellations?

We have a very active email communication program in which you will receive “Blue Fins News” emails whenever there is a message to communicate to the team, be it cancellations, news, upcoming events, announcements, etc.

How many coaches does the team have?

We currently have 8 coaches on staff with the Blue Fins. Four coaches in the Development program and four in the Senior program.

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About Practices

How are the Blue Fins practice groups structured?

The team has three main groups, the development group, senior development group and the senior group. The development group is also referred to as the “junior or early group” and the senior group is also referred to as the “late group.” Each group has sub groups, reflecting both skill level and functions.

In general, the Senior (or late) group is loosely divided into two separate subgroups. Both meet at the same times for training purposes, but each has widely differing workloads and skill focuses. At times, there will be some blending of the two groups if training focus happens to cross for a night or two. There may also be times when sub groups may temporarily form to achieve a specific training goal for a group or individual athlete(s). In either case, the overall set-up and focus does not change long term.

The Head Coach oversees all levels of practice groups, and coaches on deck with assistant coaches. Athletes will work with all coaches in their level and occasionally, coaches from other levels as dictated by program needs. The athletes are prepared and coached in this scheme and transitions are generally seamless.

How does my child fit into one of these groups?

The coaches have determined a detailed set of criteria for each of the different levels in the development and senior groups so that each swimmer fits into an appropriate level for their ability. In the development group, each swimmer’s skills and progress are tracked.

Questions about your swimmer's placement should be directed to the Head Coach. 

I want to visit with the coach; can I meet him or her on deck?

Parents are not allowed on deck during practice. Questions to coaches should be via e mail, telephone or in the lobby after practice.

I want a specific coach to be my swimmer's regular coach. How do I arrange this?

We do not assign coaches to individual swimmers, and we encourage our swimmers to learn how to function with all of the coaches. Not all coaches go to all meets, and coaches practice schedule may vary across the season and from week to week (all of our coaches have regular jobs and families; this in not their full-time commitment.)

Once my swimmer reaches a certain age, does that mean they move into a new group at practice?

Our groups are not age-specific. They are based primarily on skill, ability and commitment level. Your swimmer will be placed in the practice group most suited to their ability and age is not a factor. While age does influence physical ability, it is not an automatic determination of a swimmer’s placement at practice. They will be evaluated on their skills based on the criteria for the next level.

My child is in the developmental group and sometimes practice is delayed. Why?

Due to the popularity of the WAC for many community aquatic events, the pool management has to juggle the many groups as best they can. Our team sometimes has to be patient as the WAC staff does their best to accommodate our schedule as per our contract with them. On evenings when these delays occur, the coaches try and work with the WAC staff to minimize the impact of these scheduling conflicts and to lose as little practice time as possible.

I used to be a swimmer “back in the day” and I’d like to help my child with his or her skills outside of practice. I know a thing or two about swim technique.

We appreciate your interest but the best possible thing you can do is let us coach your swimmer. Most of the coaches were swimmers “back in the day” too, and we are constantly amazed at how the sport has changed over the years! Not only have the rules changed, but the strokes have evolved quite a bit (for the better, as proven by the modern Olympic athletes). We ask that you defer to our coaching staff to train your swimmer, for several reasons, the least of which to minimize confusion for your child.

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About Meets

What is a “Junior Meet"?

The junior meets are sanctioned by the McDonalds League of Rochester and involve only two or three competing teams. ONLY swimmers ages 13 and under may swim at these meets. The Blue Fins team competes in 4 junior meets each season against teams from the Monroe County Area. We sometimes will have the girls compete at one venue while the boys will compete at the other, but there are times where we combine boys and girls at one venue together. All Monroe County-area teams compete in a Championship meet which occurs in March. This is a very big meet for our team and is what most of our swimmers are working all season toward. There are entry criteria for being eligible for the Championships. These criteria include the following:

_•    All participants 12 and under must compete in two junior meets throughout the season, and have at least one cut time,

_•    All participants 13 years old and over must compete in two *junior or senior meets, or one junior or senior meet and must work at one district meet.(*Only 13 year olds can do both junior AND senior meets.)

_•    All participants ages 13 and under must meet McDonalds League time standards for at least one event in order to compete at Championships

_•    And for all you March birthdays: your swimmer competes in a meet at the age he/she is on the day the meet starts.

When are the junior meets usually scheduled?

 Please refer to Meet Schedule and Results page linked on the left.

 

What if a swimmer has no cut times for Championships?

 

Swimmers who have not yet achieved a McDonald’s League cut time are eligible to participate in the Rising Star meet in the spring. Dates and locations will go on the web site when available. Coaches will notify all swimmers who are eligible to swim in the Rising Star meet. 

What is a “heat”?

In reference to events at a swim meet, a “heat” is a group of swimmers who swim at the same time in the pool. Many events require several heats to complete all of the swimmers who were entered in that event. Each full heat is equal to the number of lanes in the pool.

I’ve heard the term “aging up”. What does this mean?

All events at swim meets are organized by age groups. For example, there is an “8 and under” age group, a “10 and under” group, and so on. When a swimmer has a birthday and leaves one age group for another, which is referred to as “aging up”. They will then swim in different events at meets and time standards for the different age groups apply. Aging up does NOT apply at practice, only at swim meets.

What if my swimmer is over 13?

Swimmers who are 13 years old or older, or who “age up” to 13 before Championships of any given year may participate in the Senior meets. Like the junior meets, there are 4 senior meets throughout the season, held at different venues, and are open to all teams and any swimmer 13 or over. All swimmers interested in Senior meets should watch the calendar for an upcoming meet and watch for details on signing up and deadlines. These meets, like the junior meets, are free, but deck seeding is no longer guaranteed. Each meet is in one of the two formats, cleverly named Format 1 and Format 2. The events are different, so some planning may be necessary if your swimmer is interested in a particular event. These formats are available in the Schedule and Results page of the website.

Are junior/senior meets the only chance where my swimmer can qualify for the Championship qualifying times?

NO! Your swimmer can obtain official times for their events at ANY sanctioned meet during the season. The Get Acquainted meet is NOT a sanctioned meet and these times do not count for qualifying cut times.

How do we know what events my swimmer is doing at the junior meets?

For the junior meets, the coaches place the swimmers in events and relays. All you need to do is sign up to attend the meet when the sheets are posted at the WAC, and the coaches will do the rest. Coaches will be responsible for getting the kids to their events during the meet. Each swimmer can compete in up to 2 individual events and up to 2 relays at junior meets.

What is an “invitational meet”?

These are the meets that are sanctioned by the Niagara Swim district, and all teams are invited to participate, so several teams compete together. That means that they generally run longer than junior meets, and sometimes involve more than just one day. The invitationals culminate twice per season in a 3-meet series of “championship-type” meets, called the “Bronze”, “Silver,” and “Gold” series. In the fall/winter, these are the IMX series and in the winter/spring they are called the District series. At the bronze level, all swimmers must either have a time “slower than” the listed time standards, or have no official time at the time they compete (e.g., they’ve never done the event before and therefore have no time). At the silver and gold levels, each swimmer needs a qualifying cut time in their events to be eligible to participate. Coaches may assist your swimmer in determining which of these meets are right for your swimmer.

How do we know which meets our swimmer should participate in?

We expect that every swimmer who is 13 or under will compete in the junior meets. For the invitational meets, we have designated a list of “team meets” which we feel are good meets for your children, and which will be attended by a Blue Fins coach. We try to keep these to one or less per month, and most are held locally. The team meets are listed in the Schedule and Results section of the web site. If you would like to attend one of the other invitational meets offered in the district, you may do so after discussing your intent with your coach, but only the designated team meets will be staffed by Blue Fins coaches. Please note, over-participation in meets is neither recommended nor encouraged for developmental reasons. The Blue Fins team meets are scheduled to optimize your swimmer’s competitive edge, while not requiring over-training.

What is a “clerk of course”?

At many meets, there is a “clerk of course” who greatly helps to minimize confusion at meets and ensure that swimmers will not miss their events. Generally, several rows of chairs will be set up to accommodate all of the swimmers in a particular event. The event number is called and swimmers report to the clerk of course, where they will then be organized into their appropriate heat and lane, and instructed when to report to their lane for their event. The clerk of course is most often provided for the younger swimmers only.

Some meets indicate that some events are “timed finals”. Can you explain?

As mentioned, some meets are set up as invitationals which run longer, and some more than one day. The Bronze meet, for example, runs all day on both Saturday and Sunday and offers many varied events. In addition, some meets involve both a preliminary session (prelims) and a finals session, where swimmers who finish in the top group of their event will be eligible to come back later in the day to swim at the finals. Conversely, some events at these prelims/finals meets will only be swum once, with no separate prelim/finals session. If an event is designated as “timed final” it is that type of event, and it is only swum once. Final placement is determined by this one time swim. Frequently, it is the relay events and longer events, which are timed final events, but this is no hard and fast rule. All meets are unique so please refer to meet packet for details.

If we sign up for the Bronze meet, do we need to commit to both days of the meet?

Absolutely not! You and your swimmer may select which events he or she would like to swim, and if you are only able to come one of the days, select only events on that day. These meets simply cover so many different events that it takes more than one full day to get through all of them. Please check with your coach about relays. Often Relays are at the end of a session, and may require your swimmer to stay through that event.

What should we bring to meets to help our swimmer pass the time?

Junior meets generally go rather quickly and there is less “sitting around” time between events. But your child may wish to bring some light snacks or a drink for “down time” as well as cards or books. At invitationals, there is often a gymnasium or other large space away from the pool deck where swimmers and parents can sit between events. It’s a good idea to bring a large mat or blanket for setting up a space on the floor to relax between events. Folding chairs for parents is also a good idea. Because the swimmers usually get in and out of the pool several times during the meet, it’s a good idea to bring at least two towels, in addition to comfortable clothing to slip on over their suit to keep warm.

Does my swimmer compete in relays?

We try to have all swimmers participate in relays whenever possible. It is expected that if your child signs up to participate in a meet, that they plan to be in relays. The coaches plan relay assignments once all entries for a meet are determined. If your swimmer is NOT available to stay for relays, please specify this with the entries.

Are awards given at meets?

Many invitational meets have ribbons and medals that are awarded to the swimmers who finish in the top of their events. Some even give ribbons to each swimmer who comes in first in his or her heat. The awards are sorted and distributed at the end of the meet and the coach picks them up for distribution to the Blue Fins mail folders.  Not all meets have awards.

Can my swimmer leave the meet when they have completed their events?

Please make sure they find out from the coaches if they are participating in a relay before they leave. In the case of junior meets, we ask that all swimmers stay until the end of the meet to support the team and to be part of the team cheer at the end. If you have a family obligation where you need to take your swimmer home earlier, please be sure to let the coaches know.

Is my swimmer allowed to sit with us during the meet?

We prefer to have all swimmers on deck with their teammates during meets. We understand that they sometimes like to visit for a brief time during meets but we ask that they make these visits very brief and stay on deck most of the time. The exception to this is at invitationals when we are gathering in a gym or other large area between events, as mentioned above.

Is it okay if I come on deck to speak with my swimmer during the meet?

Unless it is an emergency, or if the parent is working on deck during the meet, parents are not permitted on deck during a meet. This is not just a team rule; this is a USA Swimming rule and is enforced for safety and insurance reasons. 

I want my swimmer to go to more meets than you have designated as team meets.

Meet participation is an individual decision to be made between the swimmer and his or her parents. Participation in a large number of meets may not be recommended by the coaching staff for developmental reasons, as well as for the maintenance of the swimmer's competitive edge. Please discuss this with your lead coach prior to entering in non-team meets.

My swimmer does not want to participate in meets. Can he/she still be a Blue Fin?

Swimmers are encouraged to participate in the meets for which they are eligible, but meet attendance is not mandatory. This may be an issue you would want to discuss with your lead coach.

My child is a new swimmer but is older than many of the other "beginners." Is there really a place for my child at a meet?

Swimming is unique in that the swimmer is a member of a team, but every event in a meet is really a race for a new "best time." Yes, swimmers are rewarded for being fast in their age group, but all swimmers contribute to the overall result of the event. We encourage swimmers to work for best times and legal swims, as this is an indication of progress and improvement.

I understand that in some meets, swimmers may be asked to come back in the late afternoon or evening to compete again. I understand that it is considered an honor to "come back" but I would rather my swimmer just go home and rest. What is the policy on this?

Consistent with the Niagara District and USA Swimming policies and procedures (found on the District web site under the Policies and Procedures)  Blue Fins scratches (not showing up for an event) at District level team meets is at the discretion of the coaching staff. An athlete or parent cannot scratch from a finals event without the coach signing off with approval; many meets directors require this. Most scratch tables are located on deck; this necessitates the coach involvement since parents are not allowed on deck. In the event that a conflict or situation arises the parent feels necessitates a scratch, the parent must get word to the coaching staff before the announced time period (usually 30 minutes from the announced results.) Coaches make determinations on a case by case basis. Under no circumstances will the coach accept a  scratch from an athlete without  first touching base with the  parent or guardian. Failure to scratch properly within the District guideline (a coach signed scratch form) will result in a  $25 fine from the District. The family will be responsible for this fine.

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About Best Times & Incentives

What is meant by “best time”?

Each time the swimmers compete in an event at a meet without being disqualified, they obtain an official time for that event and therefore have begun their own best time history for that event. Each subsequent time they compete in that same event at a meet, they have an opportunity to better their time from previous times. If they do improve their time, we refer to it as a “best time”. This terminology is used a great deal both in practice and at meets.

What does it mean if my child is disqualified in an event at a meet?

It means that they did some type of infraction in their event where they did not do the stroke “legally” as specified by the USA Swimming Rules. An official will explain to the swimmer what was done wrong when the swimmer exits the pool.

During practice we teach these rules, and we emphasize proper stroke technique at all times. But often they do not fully comprehend until they have swum at a meet and been disqualified (“DQ’ed”). It’s difficult for the parents and the coaches to see the child in tears when this happens, but the coaches encourage them to learn from the experience and not let it discourage them too much. DQs are part of the sport, even in the Olympics!

Is there a recognition or incentive program?

Swimmers are rewarded for swimming new events and for achieving best times in events. The Awards and Incentive program is summarized on the Parent Information page of this site.

How can I know if one of my child’s best times meets any of the cut times?

McDonald cut times are in the "Parent Handbook" on this web site. The time standards are also posted on the Niagara Swimming website: www.niagaraswim.org (linked on our Home page). By keeping an ongoing record of your child’s best times, you can be aware of their qualification status.

In addition, prior to any of the invitationals or the McDonalds Championships, there is an eligibility report posted at the WAC where swimmers who have obtained qualifying times will be listed.

Making cut times often opens doors for swimmers to be eligible to compete in additional meets. It’s a good goal-setting process. For example, if your swimmer competes at the Bronze IMX meet and obtains a Silver cut time, they can then compete at the Silver IMX meet in that/those events.

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Volunteering for the Bluefins

The Webster Swim Association, a non-profit organization is directed and managed by parent volunteers. Only our coaches receive a salary, however; we nevertheless incur significant expenses, primarily pool rental. In an effort to keep membership fees as low as possible, families participate in several activities that generate income for the team. These requirements are outlined in your Member Agreement. Additional volunteering opportunities exist beyond those listed on the Member Agreement; however, only assisting with the Niagara District Championship meet and those meets and activities generating income for the team fulfill the obligations. Unlike most other youth sports, swimming provides an opportunity for families to participate in various aspects of the sport with your child. We encourage parents to try a variety of meet and teem management related jobs; find your niche ~~~~and have fun!

Who can volunteer?

Parents are not alone in their ability to fulfill family volunteer obligations. Swimmers and siblings are encouraged to participate in many of the jobs required to run meets. Due to Department of Health regulations, children under the age of 14 cannot touch food or handle money in Concessions. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to be a lane timer, but can assist a parent timing. Other jobs are available for younger children such as being a runner and posting results. 

Volunteering at Junior Meets and Senior Meets

Junior and Senior meets are held 4 times per season. Swimmers do not pay fees to participate in these meets, so host teams do not generate income for these events. Volunteers are needed to run the timing system, computer system, officiate and time. While volunteering at these meets is important and can be more satisfying than sitting in the stands, it does not fulfill the obligations of the member agreement.

Volunteering at Invitationals

Invitational Meets are sanctioned events to compete for official times; they are also income sources for host teams. Swimmers pay participation fees to the host team, and the host team provides all of the volunteers to run the meet. The host team retains any profits after expenses for these events. Volunteering at an Invitational Meet hosted by WSA (Pentathlon) counts toward your member obligation. Parents are not required or expected to volunteer for Invitational Meets hosted by other teams.

District Meets

District meets are sponsored by the Niagara District, and hosted by area teams or team combinations. Swimmers pay fees to the host team to participate, and the host team provides most of the volunteers to run the meet, and retains any profits after expenses for these events. Volunteering at a District Meet hosted by WSA counts toward your member obligation. Parents of participating swimmers may also be asked to volunteer as timers for District Meets hosted by other teams. Timing at a District Meet, hosted by another team, does not count toward your WSA member obligation. 

Board of Directors and Committee Positions

Participating on the Board of Directors and/or committee positions provides opportunities to contribute to the overall functioning of the team. While this level of volunteering is encouraged and may be solicited, it is not a member requirement, nor does it completely satisfy the WSA member obligation.

Volunteering at Concessions

All concessions sales in the Webster School District are now managed by Webster Athletic Booster Organization (WABO.) Teams are no longer able to retain profits from food and snack sales. WABO does pay a flat fee per session to teams manning the concessions stand. WSA is the only non-school team that is allowed to man concessions and generate income for the team. In planning both the budget and the volunteer opportunities, the priority is to man the concessions booth at all of the WSA sponsored meets (junior and invitational) and for some or all of the District meets such as the McDonalds Championships. WSA does not routinely man concessions during meets sponsored by other teams. However, WABO does allow other Webster teams (such as football or cheerleading) to send volunteers to man the booth. If a parent is volunteering to work in the concessions stand while a child is competing, we will make an effort to staff concessions so that parents will not miss their child’s event.  Swimmers working in the concession stand are encouraged to schedule sessions when they are not competing.

Volunteering as an Official

Swimming Officials are trained for specific positions required in sanctioned meets. This training is available several times each season. Officials include: Referee, Stroke and/or Turn Judges and Starters.   All meets require Officials, making this an invaluable volunteer position. Officials often volunteer to work at meets in which their children are participating, allowing for a pool-side view of all meet activities. Officiating at Invitational and District does help to satisfy the requirements.

 

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