Welcome to the Riptide Swim Team!!!  If you are looking for an activity the whole family can participate in, you’ve found it.  Kids ages 5 through 18 all swim together at the same meets – in what other sport do you have such a wide range of age groups all working together as one team?  Our goal is to have all swimmers support one another and to grow both physically and emotionally over the summer months.  We are glad that you are part of our organization!                                            

 Eligibility

• 5-18 year olds residing in the Baraboo School District (We are allowed 7 families per year who are non-residents).
• All swimmers must be able to swim 25 yards without touching the pool bottom.
• All swimmers MUST have returned permission slips with a parent’s signature before swimming.
• All swimmers must be paid in FULL prior to the first meet.

 Swimmer Expectations

• Swim your best, work toward the goals that you have set for yourself and those set by the team.
• Communication and cooperation with the coaches and with your teammates is everyone’s responsibility.
• Remember how good it feels to have a teammate give you support, and try to give the same in return.
• Participation in all meets is encouraged.

Swim Team Rules

• Be on time for practices!
• DO NOT ENTER THE WATER WITHOUT YOUR COACHES’ PERMISSION!
• Pool rules apply to practices too.
• Help with the lane lines as needed.
• Parents must stay outside the fence at practices.
• Swimmers must have participated in 3 regular conference meets throughout the season to be eligible to participate in the FINAL CONFERENCE MEET.  Entries are limited

Parent Expectations

• Your support and enthusiasm will enhance your child’s and the team’s performance.
• Communication with the coaches and other parents is essential to providing a quality program.
• Become an educated swimming parent to help your child.
• Swim Team is not meant to replace swimming lessons.
• Many hands make for less work!

Fees

$70.00 per swimmer for the first 2 swimmers/family and $50 each additional family members, plus a pool fee of $10.00 per swimmer for City of Baraboo residents or $20.00 per swimmer for non-residents

 Practice Schedule

• The first week of practice will be held at the indoor pool, due to the outdoor pool being closed until the end of school.  The schedule for June 2-6 are as follows:

                  Ten & Under                4:15 - 5:15 PM

                  11 & Older                  5:15 - 6:15 PM

• Daily practice (Monday through Friday) at the outdoor pool will begin on June 9.  Swimmers can choose to swim from 12:15 to 1:15 PM or 5:15 to 6:15 PM.  Swimmers 11 & Older may also choose to swim from 7:45 to 9:00 AM.  Advanced 10-year-old swimmers may also come to the early practice at the coach’s discretion.  For dedicated kids entering High School, we will begin a morning practice from 7:00 to 9:00 AM.  Swimmers ages 8 & Under may only practice once a day.
• Practices are canceled ONLY if the air temperature is less than 60 degrees (as stated by calling 356-8811) and/or if lightening causes the pool to be closed (swimmers DO practice in the rain).
• Parents are encouraged to watch practices, but must remain outside the pool fence (Board Members are exempt – what a great incentive to get involved).

 Publicity

Swimmers photos and race results may be published in the local paper.  Photos may also be used for other promotional purposes, including our new website and team DVD’s.

 Website @ www.barabooriptide.com

Meet Schedule

Competitive meets are scheduled on the following dates unless otherwise noted.  Home meets are held at the Baraboo outdoor pool, Campbell Park.  We will sell concessions at all home meets. 

                        6/7     at Sun Prairie

                        6/14    Sauk Prairie

                        6/18    Reedsburg (scrimmage) 6 PM start

                        6/21     Mazomanie

                        6/28    at Wisconsin Dells

                        7/2      Cross Plains 6 PM

                        7/12     at Spring Green

                        7/19    Mt. Horeb

                        7/26 – 7/27      Conference Meet at Baraboo (Hosted by Spring Green)

                   Special Events

                        6/4       Summer Kick-off Potluck – 6:30 PM – Oschner Park

                        7/23     Pre-Conference Potluck – 6:30 PM – Oschner Park

                        7/30     Awards Night – 7:30 PM – Outdoor Pool

Concessions

The concession stand at home meets is the main income for the club.  All families are required to donate food items to the concession stand each year.  The number of items to be donated will vary each year depending on the number of home meets that we host that year.  There is also a $20.00 “buy out” option for families that do not choose to donate food items.  Choosing to do the “buy out” does not mean that you do not have to volunteer to work at meets;  this only covers your requirement for food donations.  All families are required to fulfill their concession donation requirements as well as work at home meets.  The sign-up sheets for donations will be available at the kick-off potluck or by contacting Laura Kuchta or Sue Grogan.

See the outdoor pool bulletin board for all late breaking news!

 Board Members

Don Trimmer, President                   355-0383

Rick Livingston, Vice President         355-9678

Katy Mering, Treasurer                     356-7397

Teresa Hanson, Secretary                  356-5925

Mary Cormican                                   356-5736

Sue Grogan                                         356-7495

Laura Kuchta                                      356-6727

Steve Larson                                       355-9861

Mark Rabata                                       356-4216

Kris Terry                                           356-7790

Head Coach

Lynn Keeling                                      356-2492

 Head Official / Meet Director

Roy Mjelde                                          356-3347

Equipment – A team suit is optional, but encouraged.  Goggles are preferred.  Team caps are available and encouraged at meets.  PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING!

Team Pictures – Available early in the season.  Watch for a note to be sent home.

 Meet Eligibility – Swimmers will be signed up for all meets unless coaches receive written notice from a parent the Monday before the meet they will be absent from.  Please help our coaches by following this important rule. 

 Parent Volunteers – Our home meets are entirely run by parent volunteers.

• Announcer – makes 3 calls for each event, calls scores and assists with crowd control.
• Set up – 4 to 5 people to help the night before the meet with flags, lane lines, etc.
• Clerk of Course – 2 to 3 people to organize swimmers into proper lanes.
• Runners – 2 to 3 people to ensure timers and scorekeepers receive cards.
• Timers – Use stopwatches to time events, need 2 per lane and 2 backups.
• Officials – 2-hour course required.
• Awards – 2 people to label ribbons.
• Meet Director – Makes sure meet runs smoothly (Officials course needed).
• Scoring – 3 people to score meet.
• Clean up – Take flags down, lane lines out, empty trash, etc.  (4 to 6 people needed).
• Concessions – 4 to 6 people needed to sell concessions at home meets.

Meets

·        Swimmers will be notified the day before the meet of what events they will swim – the information is posted on the pool window.

·        Each swimmer may swim up to 3 individual events and 4 events total per meet.

·        For  a list of all events, in the order in which they are swum at meets, see page 7.

·        Not all pools in the Tri-County League are of the same length.  See the Pool Conversion chart on page 6.

·        Suggested Swimmer Survival Kit:  Extra towels, sweat suit, blanket or sleeping bag, sun block (swimmers are responsible for application), healthy snacks and/or money for concessions.

·        10 and Under swimmers must have a responsible adult present at all meets.

·        Lane Assignments:  1-3-5 GUEST swimmers, 2-4-6 HOME swimmers

·        Scoring

            Individual Events

                  1^st place           5 pts.

                  2^nd place           3 pts.

                  3^rd place           1 pt.

            Relays (Each team may enter 3 official relays per event)

                  1^st place           7 pts.

                  2^nd place           0 pts.

 Home Meets

·        Run by parent volunteers – many hands make light work!

·        Warm-ups at 7:00 AM.

·        Start time is 8:00 AM.

·        End time varies based on the number of swimmers, usually around 12:30 PM.

·        There may be an occasional night meet that would start at 6:00 PM.

·        Occasionally the team may swim a Non-Conference meet (which doesn’t count towards the 3 required for the final Conference meet).

 Away Meets

• Bus leaves:  Announced by coach, usually at 6:30 AM.
• Bus returns:  Varies, usually by 1:00 PM.
• Swimmers are expected to ride the bus to all away meets.  Parent permission slips need to be signed if parents are giving kids a ride home from the meet.

Clerk of Course

• Events are announced and swimmers must report here for lane assignments
• Races are swum regardless of whether all swimmers are at the blocks – be there on time!
• Dual meet races are hand timed and the Judges decision is final.
• All swimmers should leave the deck area after their races.

 Disqualifications – Swimmers will be disqualified by officials on deck for illegal stroke technique.  Officials and/or coaches will talk with your child to explain what was wrong.  Assure your swimmer that DQ’s happen and not to get too upset about them …. Just learn from them!

 Exhibition Heats – Heats that are run first and do not count for team points.  Unlimited entries.

 Regular Heats – 3 swimmers swim each event for points.

 Awards

• 1^st through 6^th place ribbons
• Exhibition ribbons for non place finishes

 Tri-County Conference Meet

• Eligibility – Must have swum in 3 conference dual meets throughout the season to be able to participate in this end of season meet.
• Preliminaries – This is a pre-seeded meet, which is scheduled the Saturday following the last weekend of dual meets.  Warm ups are 7:30 – 8:40 AM, the meet starts at 9:00 AM.  Teams are allowed to enter 3 individuals and 2 relays in each event.
• Finals – Places 1 to 8 will swim finals, places 9 to 16 will swim consolations, and places 17 to 18 are alternates in case of missing swimmers.  These are held on Sunday, as well as the relays, which are timed finals.
• Awards            Medals for 1^st through 3^rd place finishers.

Ribbons for 4^th through 16^th place finishers.

A Sportsmanship Award is presented to the team awarded the most votes for showing good sportsmanship throughout the season.

                          Swimming Vocabulary and Definitions

• Competitive Swimming Strokes – freestyle (free), breaststroke (breast), backstroke (back), butterfly (fly).
• Individual Medley (IM) – One person swims a set length of all the strokes in the order of fly, back, breast, free.
• Relay – Four swimmers of the same age group swim in succession, all the same stroke.
• Medley Relay – Four swimmers of the same age group swim in succession, all swimming a different stroke, in the order of back, breast, fly and free.
• Event Board – A chalkboard or similar set up which displays the events being swum and the event being called to swim.
• False Start Rope – A rope that is dropped in the water to prevent swimmers from continuing in the event of a false starts.
• Length – Swimming one direction, or the length of the pool.  All races are swum in lengths.
• 25 – One length of a short course pool.
• 50 – 2 lengths of a short course pool.
• Heat – One race.  More than one heat may be needed for all the entries in a particular age group event.
• Heat Sheet – A program listing all the events of a meet.  It can include the event number and name, and also lists the heat and lane assignment of the swimmer based on seed time.
• Seed Time – A time the swimmer has previously achieved for an event and which is used to place them to swim in a heat (race) against other swimmers with similar times.
• DQS. -  Disqualification of a swimmer for a rule infraction, determined by the stroke and turn judge, or the starter/referee.
• Meet Officials – Starter, referee, and stroke and turn judge.
• Clerk of Course – Official who places events (swimmers) by assigning the heats and lanes.
• Scratch – Cancellation of a swimmer from an event.
• Split – Time for each individual in a relay or the time for a portion of a swimmer’s race.
• Short Course – Refers to the length of the pool, 25 yards or 25 meters.
• Long Course – Refers to the length of the pool, 50 yards or 50 meters.
• False Start – Swimmer starts prematurely or unnecessarily delays a start, resulting in a false start call or disqualification by the meet officials.
• Touch Pad – Electronic pad that is placed at the finish end of the pool that the swimmer touches to stop the timing system to record their time.

                              Pool Conversion Chart

 Pool Length                                                                            Yards to Meters

Baraboo                       24 yards, 1 foot                                                X 1.1

Cross Plains                 25 meters

Mazomanie                   25 meters

Mount Horeb               35 meters                                                         X .75

Sauk Prairie                  25 meters

Spring Green                25 meters

Sun Prairie                    25 meters

Wisconsin Dells           22.5 yards                                                        X 1.32

                                    Tri-County Swim League Order of Events

 Event # (Girls)                      Event                                  Distance               Event # (Boys)

      1                            8 & U Medley Relay                            100                              2

      3                            9-10 Medley Relay                               200                              4

      5                            11-12 Medley Relay                             200                              6

      7                            13-14 Medley Relay                             200                              8

      9                            15-18 Medley Relay                             200                              10

      11                          8 & U Freestyle                                      25                              12 

      13                          9-10 Freestyle                                        50                              14

      15                          11-12 Freestyle                                      50                              16

      17                          13-14 Freestyle                                      50                              18

      19                          15-18 Freestyle                                      50                              20

      21                          8 & U Backstroke                                  25                              22

      23                          9-10 Backstroke                                    50                              24

      25                          11-12 Backstroke                                  50                              26

      27                          13-14 Backstroke                                  50                              28

      29                          15-18 Backstroke                                  50                              30

      31                          9-10 IM                                               100                              32

      33                          11-12 IM                                             100                              34

      35                          13-14 IM                                             100                              36

      37                          15-18 IM                                             100                              38

      39                          8 & U Breaststroke                                25                              40

      41                          9-10 Breaststroke                                  50                              42

      43                          11-12 Breaststroke                                50                              44

      45                          13-14 Breaststroke                                50                              46

      47                          15-18 Breaststroke                                50                              48

      49                          8 & U Long Freestyle                             55                              50

      51                          9-10 Long Freestyle                             100                              52

      53                          11-12 Long Freestyle                           100                              54

      55                          13-14 Long Freestyle                           200                              56

      57                          15-18 Long Freestyle                           200                              58

      59                          8 & U Butterfly                                       25                              60

      61                          9-10 Butterfly                                       50                               62

      63                          11-12 Butterfly                                     50                               64

      65                          13-14 Butterfly                                     50                               66

      67                          15-18 Butterfly                                     50                               68

      69                          8 & U Freestyle Relay                         100                               70

      71                          9-10 Freestyle Relay                            200                              72

      73                          11-12 Freestyle Relay                          200                              74

      75                          13-14 Freestyle Relay                          200                              76

      77                          15-18 Freestyle Relay                          200                              78

                                    Directions for Away Meets

 Cross Plains – Approximate travel time 45 minutes.  Take Hwy 12 south to Sauk.  After crossing the river, turn right onto Hwy 78 south.  Take 78 to Hwy 14 and turn left (east).  This will take you into Cross Plains.  Turn left onto Caesar Street.  The pool is on the corner of Julius and Caesar.

 Mazomanie – Approximate travel time 40 minutes.  Take Hwy 12 south to Sauk.  After crossing the river, turn right onto Hwy 78 south.  Take 78 to Hwy 14 and turn right to Mazomanie.  Turn right onto Brodhead and left onto Park.  The pool is located on Park and Hudson.

 Mount Horeb – Approximate travel time 50 minutes.  Take Hwy 12 south to Sauk.  After crossing the river, turn right onto Hwy 78 and take this to Mt. Horeb.  Turn right onto Springdale, which will turn into Main Street, then right onto Third Street.  The pool is at Third and Park.

 Sauk Prairie – Approximate travel time 30 minutes.  Take Hwy 12 south to Cty PF and turn left (east).  Turn right onto 5^th street – the pool is located at 5^th Street and Grand Avenue.

 Spring Green – Approximate travel time 50 minutes.  Take Hwy 12 south towards Sauk and turn right onto Hwy 60 west.  Take 60 to Neuheisel Road, which turns into Rainbow Road.  Cross Hwy 14 into Spring Green and turn left at the stop sign and then jog right onto Daley Street.  The pool is located at Daley and Lexington.

 Sun Prairie – Approximate travel time 1 hour.  The pool is located on Bird Street in Sun Prairie.  Take Hwy 33 towards Portage and turn right onto I 90-94 east to Madison.  Exit at Hwy 19 into Sun Prairie.  Turn right onto Bird Street and stay on it until you reach the pool.

 Wisconsin Dells – Approximate travel time 20 minutes.  The pool is located at Lacrosse and Superior, behind the Post Office.  Cross the bridge into the Dells, go under the via duct, turn right onto the Lacrosse, right onto Superior.