Bradshaw Farm Barracudas

Welcome To The Bradshaw Barracudas Swim Team!

Team Coordinators:
Anne Davis - [email protected]
Tori Blase - [email protected]

Team Treasurer:
Wendy Verdon - [email protected]

Head Coach:
Jonny Balchus

Assistant Coaches:
Nell Hess
Pam Hess

Junior Coaches:
Jessica Teixeira
Madeline Janflone
Ben Syers
Jack Syers

Important Dates:

Practice Schedule:

1st day of practice -- Monday, May 12, 2014:

May practice times are scheduled as follows (Monday – Friday):

6 and under: 4-4:45 pm

7-8: 4:45-5:30 pm

9-10: 5:30–6:15 pm

11-up: 6:15–7 pm

Monday, 5/26 – No practice – Memorial Day

Thursday, 5/29 – No practice – Last Day of School (we DO have a swim meet)

June practice times are scheduled as follows (Monday – Thursday):

**THIS SCHEDULE STARTS ON MONDAY, JUNE 2^nd

6 and under: 8-8:45 am

7-8: 8:45 – 9:30 am

9-10: 9:30 – 10:15 am

11-up: 10:15 – 11 am

Here is our schedule as far as early morning contacts up at the pool each morning starting June 2nd:

Mondays – Tori

Tuesdays – Anne

Wednesdays - Coaches/Asst Coaches

Thursdays – Anne & Tori

Fridays – Anne & Tori

**Each Friday morning during June (and the last one in May) there will be donuts and juice served at the pool and the previous evenings ribbons will be available 9-10am for 10 & Unders and 10-11am for 11 & Ups…

** End of Season Banquet will be Friday, 6/27 at 6:30 pm

Our new picture day with Smax Photography (http://smaxart.com/) will be:

Tuesday, June 3rd
9am - individuals
10am – group picture of team

Our meet schedule is as follows:

5/22     Bradshaw Practice Meet  - at Home

5/29     Bradshaw vs Woodmont - at Woodmont

6/5       Bradshaw vs Orange Shoals - at Home

6/12    Bradshaw vs Laurel Brooke - at Laurel Brooke

6/19    Bradshaw Fun meet - at Home

6/26     Bradshaw vs Arbor View - at Home

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).

Please send all pictures you want to share for our end-of-season video or for use in local media to:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Inclement Weather:

We will communicate changes in practice and meets due to weather through email and/or text message. We have another AWESOME tool for our team this year.
It's called Sendhub - you can text BRADSHAW to 404-975-1389 to OPT-IN to our alerts network. We will use this to instantly text you this summer about weather delays, practice cancellations, emergency info, etc in real time.

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 can swim in their proper age group for individual events and still move up one age group for relay events only.

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:

To be eligible to swim in a scoring heat, swimmers in this age group must be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted. 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, 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

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.

Areas that need help – you can sign up on our new SwimTopia site:

www.bradshawfarm.swimtopia.com

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

You will receive an email prior to the meet as a reminder of your scheduled shift(s)

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 tothe 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 homemeets, 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:

Ribbons
Coaches Awards
End of year Medals 
CCSA fees per swimmer
T-shirts
End of year Gift
Laptop/printer/software expenses

General Information:

Practice will be held in the rain. Only thunder and lightening 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 “bullpens” where all swimmers are required to stay are: 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 170 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.