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2015 Pembroke Meadows Marlins Swim TeamParent Handbook
UNDEFEATED DOLPHIN DIVISION CHAMPIONS (2005, 2007)
DOLPHIN DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONS (2011)
THREE-TIME, UNDEFEATED MARLIN DIVISION CHAMPIONS (2001, 2002, 2003)
ContentsOur Coaches & Team Reps (3-4) Practice Schedule (5)Meet Schedule & Dates(6-7)Preparing for the Swim Meet (8-10) How Can I Help? (11) Marlin Etiquette (12-14) Bob Barry’s Glossary (15-19)
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Meet Our Coaches*Coach Paul Brown has been in the aquatics fieldfor 16 years, with 12 years as a coach, nine ofthose for Pembroke Meadows. During that timewe’ve had four undefeated divisionchampionships, two in the Marlin division andtwo in the Dolphin division . Paul has committed10 years coaching winter swim league for theCity of Virginia Beach.
*Coach Jenna Baraki has been swimmingcompetitively since the age of 6. She startedswimming winter league with the BaysideMarlins with Coach Paul. She then swam withPembroke Meadows from age of 8 - 18 and holdsa current relay record. Jenna also joined TCACto swim year round during those years. AtPrincess Anne High School she swam varsity allfour years and captained during her senior year. Swimming has been a huge part of Jenna’s lifeand being a part of Pembroke Meadows is by farmy favorite swimming memory. The biggestreason I want to coach is to give back to a teamthat made my summers the best times of mychildhood. I will be attending ODU in the fall as
•*Coach Mike Zmuda
*Coach Lexi Graves started swimming at age sixright here at Pembroke Meadows. Coach Paul wasthe first coach to teach her how to do a flip turnmany years ago. She had a lot of great memoriesat our pool and it led her to further her swimmingcareer. Lexi swam for Tri City Aquatic Club, yearround, from ages 7-17, competing in numerousstate championship meets. She also swam for theFalcons at Cox High School and competed in theState Championship meet all four years. Currently,Lexi is a rising Senior at James MadisonUniversity and is excited to be a part of thePembroke Meadows team again!
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Our team representatives
Jane Orem: 757- [email protected]
Tara Hoover: 757- [email protected]
Team website: http://www.marlinsswimteam.com
Practice Schedule May 26 - June 18:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday6 and under: 5:30-6:00 pm10 and under: 6:00-7:00 pm11-18 years: 7:00-8:00 pm
June 18 - to regular season’s end (July 18):
Monday - Friday morning:10 and under: 8:00-9:00 am11-18 years: 9:00-10:00 am
Tuesday and Thursday evening:6 and under: 5:45-6:15pm10 and under: 6:15-7:15 pm11-18 years: 7:15-8:30pm Coaches are also available for additional private lessons
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2015 Meet Schedule League-wide information: http://www.vbsl.net
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June 13 - Practice meet at Pembroke Pool, warm ups @ 7:30
June 20 - AWAY Pembroke @ VBTCC, warm ups @ 7:30
June 28 - AWAY Pembroke @ Broad Bay, warm ups @ 7:30
July 4 - BYE Week (no meet this week)
July 11 - HOME Little Neck @ Pembroke, warm ups @ 7:00
July 19 - HOME Club Brittany Pembroke, warm ups @ 7:00
END OF REGULAR SEASON
July 25 - Divisionals @ TBA, warm ups @ TBA
August 1 - All-Stars at Little Neck, warm ups @ TBA
Other important dates…Team & individual pictures and Swim-
O-Thon, Monday July 6, begins at6:00pm (at Pembroke Pool)
End of season party, July 27 or 28,6:00 pm (exact date and time TBA)
What to expect at a “meet”Sign Out of Meet by Tuesday practice so that the coaches can plan
their meets accordingly.
Arrive Early- meets generally start at 8:00am and swimmers shouldarrive at the pool by 7:00am. Meet sheets are available forminimal costs depending on the location of the meet, these aremaster lists for all events.
Volunteer!- It is imperative that parents lend a hand to help theseswim meets go as efficiently as possible. You may volunteerthrough our website.
Bring Your Sharpies – yes, markers to write on your child!Information should include: Event #, Heat #, Lane # & if your childis a relay participant, the (#). See photo that follows for more
Report to the Clerk of the Court: Also known as the “zookeeper(s),” the clerk station is located at the rear corner(east/river’s edge) and is where all swimmers must check in prior
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Preparing for the Swim Meet…
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Preparing for the Swim Meet…
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How Can I Help?Swim team volunteers can help by signing up
as runners/timers, age-group parents (notraining required), stroke & turn judges ( clinicattendance required), ribbons/awardsorganization and concessions.
Concession volunteers are imperative torunning home meet fund raising efforts &service. You may make a donation of 40$ inlieu of required concession food donation forany home meet.
Setting up and breaking down for homemeets.
You can sign up at....www.marlinsswimteam.com
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PEMBROKE MEADOWS MARLINS’ SPORTSMANSHIP AND ETIQUETTEFor many years, the Pembroke Meadows Marlins, including the swimmers and parents, have
prided themselves on outstanding sportsmanship, utmost respect for meet officials andswimmers, and unfailing courtesy to representatives of visiting teams. VBSL events areunavoidably long and frequently occur under hot and humid weather conditions. It is
essential for everyone associated with the team to demonstrate Marlins sportsmanship andcommitment to the team’s success.
Get the most out of practice – swimmers are expected to attend at least threepractices a week and be diligent during these hour-long sessions. Practicesshould be fun but they are exerting by design. The more you put in the moreyou get out.
Interaction with Team Rep and Coaches. Be respectful to these team leaders. There are convenient times to speak to these individuals and other timeswhen they are simply too busy to respond. Use common sense – you will findthem more than willing to communicate.
Please remember that there are not enough meet assignments for eachswimmer to swim the maximum number of permitted events (5). Mostswimmers will be assigned to fewer events, based upon their times and thenumber and talents of their teammates in their age group. Please acceptyour swimmer’s assignment graciously.
Swimmers still in the pool – a particularly important Marlins tradition. Marlins’ parents cheer equally for Marlins’ swimmers and opponents’swimmers during the entire course of the swim. This may require specialattention in the younger age groups where encouragement is most important.
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Marlins “Do” List Cont’dGet involved – there are many volunteer duties in running a swim meet. The
greater your involvement, the more enjoyment you will receive from yourswimmer’s participation and your own participation in the event. Being aspectator is fine, but being a volunteer participant is even finer. Teamswimming is contagious. Allow yourself to catch the bug.
Be on time – timeliness at practice and at meets is an essential ingredient forgroup success. It also demonstrates respect for the coaches and the program. A swimmer arriving late for a meet will, by league rule, be scratched and notpermitted to swim. This causes hard feelings which can be avoided. Thecomplexity and coordination required for a VBSL meet are enormous and fullyunderstood only by experienced team and meet officials. Do your part byarriving on time, volunteering and cheering for all.
Remember that there is no “I” in team. Our swim team requires thecoordinated participation of approximately two hundred swimmers and manyof their parents. It is a group endeavor in which there are opportunities forindividual success, but the focus of the Coach and Team Rep will be on teamsuccess. Everyone’s contribution is important, be it large or small. From thesmallest six and under swimmer to the most experienced eighteen and understar, everyone is a Marlin and expected to contribute and appreciated whenthey do.
“We Swim to Win!” – This is the Marlins’ slogan which refers to success in thepool and also in building winners in life. Obviously, both are important and atthe center of everything that the Team does and strives to do.
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Marlin’s “Don’t” List …Don’t publicly or semi-publicly criticize the Team Rep, Coach, a
swimmer or another parent. Constructive criticism andsuggestions for improvement are welcome but should always beoffered in a private setting.Don’t celebrate success too loudly or too long, or allow a loss or
disqualification to have too great an effect. Marlins sportsmanshipshould prevail at all times.Don’t be late for practice or a meet, fail to notify of known
absences, fail to complete sign-ups for concessions, or leave ameet early without the coaches’ permission.Don’t distract the coaches during practice or meets.Don’t interrupt scorers, timers and judges during their duties.
They are already VERY busy.Don’t personally challenge an official’s decision. In most cases
they will be right. In unusual cases, you may wish to discreetlyspeak with the Team Rep who will take it from there if appropriate.Don’t be a spectator only. There are plenty of jobs to share
around. Participation around a summer pool deck brings “greatwarmth.”
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Bob Barry’s GlossaryAdult Relay – A voluntary relay for parents occurring during intermission. Usually set up as a
one hundred meter mixed (male and female), freestyle relay. Parents form their own teams.
All-stars – The league’s concluding event in which swimmers who have qualified at thevarious Divisional Meets swim as individuals or as relay teams competing for league-widehonors. Swimmers qualifying for All-stars (and the Divisionals) are to be commended for theiroutstanding accomplishments. Selection for the All-stars generally indicates a season ofextraordinary success and dedication by the swimmer, irrespective of the All-stars results.
Announcer – This individual will operate the public address system and call the events of themeet in sequence, directing swimmers to report to the Clerk of the Course approximatelythree to four events ahead of their time to swim. This is the parents’ signal that it is time todeliver the children to the Clerk of the Course area. The Announcer will also identify whichevent is currently being run.
CTS-- The Colorado Timing System we use at our home meets. Pembroke Meadows was thefirst team in the VBSL to adopt an all computerized timing and scoring system with scoreboard. This is a source of some pride to our team and is the envy of others.
Clerk of the Course (Zoo Keeper) – The Clerk of the Course, also sometimes referred toaffectionately as the Zoo Keeper, is that individual charged with gathering and lining upswimmers for their respective events. Swimmers must report to the Clerk of the Courseseveral events before it is their time to swim. This is another challenging and thankless job,the plight of which can be significantly affected by either attentive or lax cooperation byparents. Parents of younger or inexperienced swimmers should identify the Clerk of theCourse and his or her location prior to every meet so that children can be delivered in a timely
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Bob Barry’s GlossaryCoach – One or more individuals who are in charge of the swimming aspects of the
team. The Coach(es) will train and evaluate swimmers during the entire season. TheCoach will make all decisions on the lineup of swimmers for each meet and thestrategy for doing so. Coaches may be engaged in polite conversation before or aftera practice but not during. Importantly, he or she is way too busy during an actualmeet for anything other than “Hello, how are you doing?”
Concessions - Not a series of giving up when overmatched by the opponent, butfinancial lifeblood of the Marlins and other similar VBSL teams. Parents are asked todonate items for sale during home meets or alternatively contribute $50 per season. Look for the sign-up sheets the week of a home meet. Profits go to the team. Concessions are worked by tireless, heat-resistant moms (or dads), without whom,we would all be hungry, parched and generally lots more grumpy.
Disqualification (DQ) – Ruling by a stroke and turn official, confirmed by theReferee, or by the Referee, that a swimmer has failed to perform all aspects of therequired stroke, turn and or finish for an event. No points are awarded to the team ifthe swimmer is disqualified for an event. Disqualifications are not publiclyannounced but may be quietly communicated to the Coach or the swimmer so thatimprovement can be achieved.
Divisionals – Major event following regular season in which the swimmers recordingfastest times for their teams during the regular season participate for their teamagainst all other teams in their six-team division. Swimmers must participate in atleast three regular meets to qualify for the Divisional Meet. Those swimmersachieving the fastest times at Divisionals simultaneously held at four sites qualify forthe All-stars, one week later.
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Bob Barry’s GlossaryHeat – (1) A portion of an event involving up to six swimmers. All swimmers, regardless
of heat assignment, may score for the team. Unlike previous years, each successive heatin an event is seeded with increasingly faster qualifying times. The final heat has thefastest qualifiers. (2) The endless, excessive and unavoidable atmospheric condition inwhich VBSL meets are conducted.
Lane Assignments – Lane assignments will be alternating by team. Lanes one, threeand five will be used by one team and lanes two, four and six (if pool has six lanes) willbe used by the other. Lane assignments are generally assigned based upon previoustimes. The center lanes are assigned to those swimmers who are expected to swim thefastest times within each heat.
Dolphin Division – Division of the VBSL to which the Pembroke Meadows Marlins arecurrently assigned. Yes, that’s very confusing. The Dolphin Division is the top Divisionin the VBSL. Every year, each team’s time-in-water performance is ranked for placementinto a Division for the following year. The fastest six (least time-in-water) are placed inthe Dolphin Division. In 2005, we finished undefeated in the top (Dolphin) division. In2006, we finished second. In 2007 we again finished undefeated, won the DolphinDivisional Meet and our swimmers achieved the best results at All-Stars. VBSL Nirvana!Our 2008, 2009 and 2011 teams finished second in the Division by the smallest ofmargins. In 2011 our team won the Dolphin Divisional title.
Meet Intermission – A ten minute break between events 38 and 39. This provides theonly opportunity during the meet for swimmers and spectators to cool off in the pool. May be a survival essential. Support our Concessions before, during and after thisperiod.
Myrtle the Marlin – Our team mascot who can be seen breaking the water in her
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Bob Barry’s GlossaryReferee – The senior meet official, necessarily neutral (although also a parent).
The Referee is in overall control of the pool deck during a meet and makes finaldecisions on stroke and turn disqualifications and resolves irregularities. He or sheis your best friend if the meet is moving quickly and is probably not to blame if themeet is not moving along. Please appreciate your Referee as he/she has a jobsimilar to an air traffic controller and is trying to make sure nothing crashes,including the CTS. One or more Administrative Referees, who are also experiencedmeet officials, may assist in meet management and disqualifications of swim teamsdivided into four divisions of six teams each for dual meets; conducts divisionalmeets and all-stars.
Runners – Volunteers who carry meet paperwork as necessary from the Clerk ofthe Course to the Timers, from Stroke and Turn Judges to the Referee, and fromthe Referee to the Scorers. Runners are essential volunteers who have a significantrole in determining whether the meet is well run and timely.
Scorers and Ribbon Writers – Parent volunteers who record the event times, keepthe score for the meet, and write ribbons for the swimmers. The Scorers are NOTto be disturbed during the course of a meet, particularly to ask which team is in thelead.
Stroke and Turn Judges – These individuals are trained, meet officials who ruleon whether the appropriate stroke, turn (if applicable) and finish have beenaccomplished by each swimmer. They work the pool deck and must be given roomto work by spectators and timers. They have the authority to recommenddisqualification of swimmers for a particular event and do so if necessary. Their
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Bob Barry’s Glossary
Team Representative – Those individuals charged with the overall administration of theteam. An enormous and thankless job requiring unbelievable organizational skills, the tactof a master diplomat, a knack for computers, and hundreds of hours of labor. The TeamRep performs virtually all administrative duties regarding the team and interacts withleague officials. Works closely with the Coach in preparing for and administering eachmeet. Is an unpaid volunteer and is not be confronted or challenged at any time (see Do’sand Don’ts).
Timers - Fifteen to eighteen individuals who operate stop watches, timing buttons andrecord the times of the swimmers. Timers are essential volunteers for every meet. Thisjob requires no previous experience but does require good concentration and stamina. Isan excellent way to become involved in meet administration and getting to know otherswith similar interests.
Tommy Horvatic Award – Memorial award given annually to the Marlin swimmer whobest demonstrates the spirit, courage and good sportsmanship of the late Tommy Horvatic. Tommy was a Marlin swimmer who was tragically killed in an accident and whose memoryand spirit are preserved from year to year by vote of the older members of the team.
Virginia Beach Swim League (VBSL) – An organization of swim teams divided into fourdivisions of six teams each for dual meets; conducts divisional meets and all-stars.(http://www.vbsl.net/)
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