Hello Barracudas,

Here are important upcoming dates and lots of good info!
This information lives here: https://bradshawfarm.swimtopia.com/team-handbook

2015 Team Coordinators:
Tori Blase - [email protected]
Lara Sparkman - [email protected]
Sarah Williams - [email protected]

2015 Team Treasurer:
Wendy Verdon - [email protected]

2015 Coaches:
To be announced soon!

Important 2015 dates:

Thursday, May 21 Bradshaw vs Woodmont – at Woodmont

Thursday, May 28 (no swim meet/last day of school)

Thursday, June 4 Bradshaw vs Arbor View – at HOME

Thursday, June 11 Bradshaw vs Orange Shoals – at Orange Shoals

Thursday, June 18 Bradshaw vs Laurel Brooke – at HOME

Thursday, June 25 Bradshaw vs River Green – at HOME

All meets begin at 6 pm. For home meets, the pool closes at 4 pm for meet setup - we are finished with the meet and clean up by 10:30 pm hopefully!

Friday, June 26 will be our annual Swim Team Banquet!

Practices:
1st day of practice, Monday, May 11...
Practice runs every week day in May, 4-7 pm, except for the last day of school (5/28) and Memorial Day (5/25) - we don't have practice on those days.

6 and unders 4 - 4:45 pm
7 and 8 year olds 4:45 - 5:30 pm
9 and 10 year olds 5:30 - 6:15 pm
11 year olds and up 6:15 - 7 pm

Starting on Monday, June 1 and all of June our practices run will run every week day 8 - 11 am:
6 and unders 8 - 8:45 am
7 and 8 year olds 8:45 - 9:30 am
9 and 10 year olds 9:30 - 10:15 am
11 year olds and up 10:15 - 11 am

Also -- the weeks of June 29 & July 6th we’ll continue using the pool for morning practices -- for those kids that will be going to the District swim meet. That meet is scheduled for July 11th at the CCAC.

Picture day with Smax Photography (http://smaxart.com/) will be:
Monday, May 18
4pm – individuals
5pm– group picture of team
order forms here: https://bradshawfarm.swimtopia.com/forms

Meets MORE INFO:
Swim Meets Warm up Schedule:
When we are the Home Team - 5 pm
Barracudas should report to the pool by 4:45 pm

When we are the Visiting Team - 5:30 pm
Barracudas should report to the pool by 5:15 pm

All meets start at 6 pm and providing there is good weather and no lengthy delays, each meet should end around 10:30 pm.

Things you will want to bring to the meet:
3-4 towels, a blanket, a robe or warm sweatshirt (it gets chilly when the sun goes down and swimmers are wet!), sunscreen (the 1^st couple of hours of the meet are quite sunny!), snacks (concession stand is available, but swimmers STAY hungry!), something to do for those children who like to stay busy (cards, books, crayons, games, etc.), chairs for spectators not in the bullpen, a sharpie (to write your child’s events on them as a reminder of what they are swimming), a camera (see below for what to do with those awesome pictures!), a swimsuit (obvious?!), goggles, swimcap (if your child prefers one-not required) and a great attitude (these are the times your child will never forget).

Inclement Weather:
In the event of dangerous conditions due to the weather at the meets, the meet official and team coordinators will determine the length of the delay. Following a period of at least 15 minutes from the last clap of thunder, the meet will be restarted from the point at which it was suspended.
If the delay lasts longer than 1 hour, the meet should be called and rescheduled if necessary. The meet is official and will count toward the standings after the 46^th event (scoring heat only) has been completed.

Age Divisions:
6 and under
7 and 8 year olds
9 and 10 year olds
11 and 12 year olds
13 and 14 year olds
15-18 year olds

The age control date is determined by the swimmer’s age as of June 1^st of the current year.
A swimmer will swim in their proper age group for individual events; and could be asked to move up one age group for relay events only (determined by our coaches if they need to move a swimmer up for a relay event).

Each swimmer may swim in a maximum of 3 events plus relays:
6 and under events:
25 freestyle, 25 backstroke, 100 freestyle relay

7&8, 9&10 year old events:
25 freestyle, 25 backstroke, 25 breaststroke, 25 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 IM
100 freestyle relay, 100 medley relay

11&12, 13&14, 15-18 year old events:
50 freestyle, 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 50 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 100 IM
200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay

6 and under age group – Special Considerations:
Swimmers in this age group must be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted by the first swim meet. They may stop momentarily to rest while holding on to the lane rope. They cannot however, pull themselves along the lane rope.

Ribbons are awarded for 1^st-5^th place in each heat (Bradshaw has a 5-lane pool); or 1st-6th place if we swim at a pool with 6 lanes.

STROKE ORDER
100 IM (Individual Medley)
One lap (25 yards) per stroke:
Butterfly
Back
Breast
Freestyle

100 Medley Relay
4 swimmers, each swims a single lap of a different stroke:
Back
Breast
Butterfly
Freestyle

200 Medley Relay
4 swimmers, each swims 2 laps of a different stroke:
Back
Breast
Butterfly
Freestyle

More meet info here: https://bradshawfarm.swimtopia.com/meet-info

Parental Involvement:
Barracudas swimming runs solely off of the commitments of our parents. It takes a lot of help to put a meet together. We must fill many positions for both away meets and home meets. Parents are required to work at least 5 volunteer shifts and may be requested to participate more if need be. Remember, this is your swim team and we will only succeed if everyone participates.

Bullpen/Shepherds – lining up of swimmers for events

Concession Stand – Home Meets only

Timers – Sit at a lane and record times

Runners – Run time sheets from timers to Ribbon Table

Place Judges – Record the order that swimmers finish

Flip Chart – work the flip chart of events

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS:
SHEPHERDS –
6 and under Girls “Shepherd” –
Responsible for organizing swimmers in this age group and making sure they arrive on time to the Ready Bench area for their race

6 and under Boys “Shepherd” –
Responsible for organizing swimmers in this age group and making sure they arrive on time to the Ready Bench area for their race

7-8 Girls “Shepherd” –
Responsible for organizing swimmers in this age group and making sure they arrive on time to the Ready Bench area for their race

7-8 Boys “Shepherd” –
Responsible for organizing swimmers in this age group and making sure they arrive on time to the Ready Bench area for their race

9-10 Girls “Shepherd” –
Responsible for organizing swimmers in this age group and making sure they arrive on time to the Ready Bench area for their race

9-10 Boys “Shepherd” –
Responsible for organizing swimmers in this age group and making sure they arrive on time to the Ready Bench area for their race

BULLPEN LANE ASSISTANTS – workers stand at each end of the pool with heat sheets and make sure swimmers are in the correct lane.

PLACEMENT JUDGE – this worker is at the end of the pool and writes down the order the swimmers finish the race.

CARD RUNNER – this worker gathers the cards from our timers and our placement judge. Cards are then taken to the scorekeeper table.

TIMER – This job is essential to running the meet but it is not difficult. Each timer is assigned a lane and asked to double check swimmers as they come up to swim (names match swimmer’s card). You will be given instructions ahead of time. If you like to be close to the action, this is the job for you!

RIBBON TABLE – These people sit at the score keeper table and prepare ribbons for the swimmers.

EVENT BOARD – also known as the Vanna White position. This person has a board with numbers for the Events. You sit in a lifeguard chair near the announcer and turn the cards so swimmers and spectators are able to keep track of the meet.

D.Q. JUDGE – this position requires a little knowledge of swimming strokes and a few rules.

CONCESSIONS – during home meets, help with selling food items to swimmers and guests.

SET-UP CREW – arrive at the pool at least 1 hour before the meet starts and set up areas for the bullpen and spectators. The crew also sets up the canopy tents and lends a hand to help set up concessions (if needed).

CLEAN-UP CREW – after home meets, the chairs and all pool furniture need to be returned to their original locations. Take down the tent canopy. The pool deck needs to be cleared of all litter and the trash will need to be taken to the cage across the parking lot.

ICE PICK-UP – this is a pretty physical job. This team takes several large tubs and coolers to the Publix in Hickory Flat and scoops ice to be used at the concession stand. You will work with the concessions leader to coordinate a time so the drinks can be chilled well before the meet. On away meets, we need a much smaller supply of ice to chill the water bottles we transport for volunteers. Please consider signing up for this multiple times. It is a little confusing the first time but after you do it once, it is much easier! This is also a good job because your duty is finished before the meets start.

Registration Fees cover:
CCSA fees per swimmer (League dues)
Dive certification
Team t-shirts
Ribbons
Coaches awards
End of year medals
End of year gifts
Laptop/printer/software expenses
SwimTopia yearly website fees
Coach certifications, background checks
Coaches’ salaries
***all other team jobs are volunteer/not paid

General Information:
Practice will be held in the rain. Only thunder and lightning will stop a practice.

1. Clean up after each meet is the responsibility of everyone. If we are visiting another pool, please clean up OUR designated area. For home meets, please help clean up the entire area.

2. The coach has the authority to dismiss a child from practice or a meet for improper behavior.

3. Swimmers should stay with their team in the designated team area during the meet….during home meets, the “bullpen” is where all swimmers are required to stay: for 10 and unders – the mushroom, for 11 and ups – the playground.

4. Swimmers are responsible for reporting to the bullpen on time. Especially important for Relays.

5. Our coaches do a great job with the swimmers and making the heat sheets. It is a HUGE job to divide kids into the heats for a meet. Once you declare on our new site www.bradshawfarm.swimtopia.com if you are NOT coming to the meet, and the heat sheet is started, NO ONE can be added. (We will no longer be doing the sign-out paper sheets).

6. If you need to talk to our coaches and/or coordinators about your swimmer, please do so at an appropriate time and place. Before or after practices would be best or via email.

7. Please help us in teaching and reinforcing GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP to your swimmer. There are a lot of kids at meets and we want to represent Bradshaw Farm in the most positive manner

8. NO DRINKING will be tolerated per CSSA; drop-ins from CSSA could happen to check

Your great pictures! We want them!

Please send any pictures you want to share for our end-of-season video/slideshow to: Pat Lowry - [email protected]

For local media use send your best pictures to:
Larry Blase – [email protected]

We appreciate your support!!!

Lara Sparkman [email protected] 404-645-0088
Sarah Williams [email protected] 404-569-3855
Tori Blase [email protected] 404-309-1140
Bradshaw Farm Barracudas Swim Team Co-Coordinators