Genesee Mountain Thunder Swim Team

GST PARENT HANDBOOK      .

Welcome to the Genesee Mountain Thunder Swim Team! We are thrilled to have each and every one of you as a part of this organization.

PARENT PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

The Genesee Swim Team depends on parent participation to ensure a fun and rewarding summer swim experience for everyone. Without your time and effort, it's simply not possible to run a successful team.

For 2026 Summer Season, we will require a deposit and have a certain number of volunteer points per family (points vary based on volunteer positions). Having parents involved, especially at meets, allows for us to keep the cost of participating on the team to a minimum. We realize that everyone has numerous commitments with jobs and family obligations, however, your involvement is crucial for the overall operation and success of the team.

Participation points can be fulfilled in a number of ways throughout the season including assistance at home meets and away meets, as well as other team building activities. Parent Participation points will be monitored through through the SwimTopia Portal throughout the season. If participation points are not met, you will be charged $400.

The deposit is consistent among our FSA teams and will help us ensure we aren't scrambling at both home and away meets to meet our obligation and have a meet that runs smoothly.

The League and State Championships are held over the last two weekends of July. Our team is assigned several responsibilities. If you have a swimmer competing in these meets, it is expected that you will volunteer your time to fulfill our team obligations, regardless of whether or not you have previously met your parent participation points. If you do not have a swimmer attending these meets, and you have not fulfilled your points, this in another opportunity to participate.

The Board will communicate new participation opportunities throughout the season as they become available. The board will also address hardship situations on a case-by-case basis.

PARENT PARTICIPATION ROLES

OFFICIALS – Officials promote aquatic competition under the Colorado State Summer Club Swim Association League rules to ensure a fair and legal competition. Each team is required to have at least 4 officials that can support both home and away meets. They watch swimmers to ensure strokes are being done correctly. In order to be considered an Official, you must attend a League sponsored training session. Training sessions occur in the spring before the start of the Season.

HOME MEET MANAGEMENT ROLES

• MEET SET-UP – This job includes setting-up for the meeting. This job occurs on Friday evenings and involves removing the lounge chairs from the pool deck, setting up the backstroke flags, starter area, heating and staging areas.
• SAFETY OFFICER – This person is responsible for monitoring the parking lot and Foothills Drive to ensure vehicles are parked correctly. This role requires you to be at the pool 15 minutes prior to the start of warm-ups. Once the meet is in progress, the role floats between the parking lot, the bathrooms, and the pool to ensure the area is safe, the bathrooms are cleaned and restocked.
• COMPUTER INPUT PERSONNEL – This role is responsible for entering meet results into the computer, printing ribbon labels to give to ribbon personnel, and printing meet results and hanging them. This is an inside job, so it is a good fit for individuals who wants to stay out of the direct sun and is comfortable working with data entry.
• 8 AND UNDER ASSISTANTS – This job assists our youngest swimmers get to the heating area on time for their events. There will be 1-2 people needed for each shift. This job is a good fit for parents with children on the team who are 8 and under and don’t mind keeping track of groups of kids.
• RIBBONS – This job involves preparing and sorting ribbons during the second half of the meet.
• HEAD TIMER – Organizes the timers for every meet. Instructs the timers at beginning of the meet. In charge of all the stopwatches.
• TIMERS – This is probably the easiest place to start if you are new to the team. A minimum of two (2) timers are required per lane. If you are signed up for first shift timing, you will be asked to attend a brief timer’s meeting about 15 minutes before the meet starts. There you will get your lane assignment and will be given a stopwatch. If you are a second shift timer, you will need to relieve the first shift timers at the appointed time. All stopwatches are provided by the team. One timer is required to verify the name of the swimmer on the timing sheet. After each swim, one timer per lane will need to write the times down on a timing sheet.
• RUNNERS / HOSPITALITY – This job is broken down into 2 shifts. The responsibility of this person is to deliver completed timer sheets to the computer input personnel after each event. This person is also responsible for serving water throughout the meet to the timers, officials, and heating area. This job is a good fit for someone who likes to be on the move.
• MEET TAKE DOWN – This job occurs Saturday late morning at the end of the meet and requires take down of all meet equipment and restoring the pool deck to normal conditions.

HOME MEET HEATING ROLES

• CLERK OF COURSE – This job organizes swimmer entries into heats and lanes from the event listing provided by the coaches and computer manager.
• HEATER AREA ASSISTANTS – This person is responsible for organizing swimmers as they come into the heating area, assisting them into their appropriate lanes, and keeping things running smoothly in the heating area. This is a fast paced job and is a good fit for parents who do not have small children that require supervision.

HOME MEET CONCESSION ROLES

• FOOD PICK-UP – This person is responsible for picking up food in advance of the meet. This is an early morning job prior to the start of the meet. This person is responsible for driving to Golden to pick up donuts and ice from King Soopers and burritos from Santiagos around 5:30 am This job is a good fit for an early riser or someone who has other young children making it difficult to participate in other meet positions.
• COFFEE PICK-UP – This person is required to pick up coffee from Buffalo Moon, at the Genesee Town Center, the morning of the meet. This job is a good fit for an early riser.
• CONCESSION SET-UP and FIRST SHIFT – This person is responsible for setting up the concessions stand for the meet and running the stand for the first shift.
• CONCESSION TAKE-DOWN and SECOND SHIFT – This person is responsible for selling concessions during the second half of the meet, and taking down and cleaning up the concession stand after the meet.

AWAY MEET ROLES

• SWIM TENT SET-UP DUTY – Responsible for bringing and setting up the swim team tent at away meets. This job requires you to pick up the team tent at the Foothills Clubhouse and be at the away team pool at least 15 minutes before warmups.
• 8 AND UNDER ASSISTANTS – This job assists our youngest swimmers get to the heating area on time for their events. There will be 1-2 people needed for each shift. This job is a good fit for parents with children on the team who are 8 and under and don’t mind keeping track of groups of kids.
• TIMERS – This is probably the easiest place to start if you are new to the team. A minimum of two (2) timers are required per lane. If you are signed up for first shift timing, you will be asked to attend a brief timer’s meeting about 15 minutes before the meet starts. There you will get your lane assignment and will be given a stopwatch. If you are a second shift timer, you will need to relieve the first shift timers at the appointed time. All stopwatches are provided by the team. One timer is required to verify the name of the swimmer on the timing sheet. After each swim, one timer per lane will need to write the times down on a timing sheet.
• SWIM TENT TAKE-DOWN DUTY – Requires you to take down the swim team tent at the end of the meet and bring it back to the Foothills Clubhouse. This job requires you to stay until the end of the meet.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

• CONCESSION PROCURER – This role is responsible for purchasing all the food that will be sold at the home meet concession stand.
• COORDINATION OF KICK-OFF BBQ – This role procures all the food for the kick-off barbeque, works with the Foundation to get the Vista Clubhouse open in advance of the event, ensures other parent participants arrive to support the set-up, grilling, and take-down activities.
• TEAM PHOTOGRAPHER – This is a role that involves taking the team picture and candid swimmer photos at all home and away meets.
• COORDINATION OF 4^TH OF JULY BAKE SALE – This role is responsible for ensuring our annual fundraiser is a success. 

QUESTIONS COMMONLY ASKED:

Q: What practice time should my child attend?

A: Check the practice tab on the website for current information. Swimmers are supervised during their practice time by their coaches. However, there is no adult supervision on the pool deck. Please make the appropriate plans of the supervision of your swimmer prior to and following their scheduled practice time. Swimmers eight years and younger should have a responsible adult near the pool deck at all times. The coaches and pool staff are not hired or trained as child care providers.

Q: What age group does my child swim in?

A: The age group is determined by how old your child is on May 15^th. In other words, if your child turns 13 on May 15^th, he or she must swim in the 13-14 age group. If the child turns 13 on May 16^th, he or she will compete in the 11-12 age group for the entire season.

Q: How many events can be swum by an individual in a meet?

A: Swimmers may compete in up to 3 individual events and 2 relays in a meet. Not all swimmers will be able to swim in 3 individual events, due to the restrictions in the number of swimmers a team may enter in any one event. But most swimmers can compete in the short freestyle and backstroke events, which are generally “open” to as many entrants as a team wishes to have participate. Relay events are limited also, and may be juggled weekly to find the fastest combination of swimmers, which may be entered in the League and State Championship Meets at the end of the season. The fewest number of events any swimmer will swim is two – the short freestyle and the backstroke. Everybody swims!

Q: What are exhibition races?

A: At the discretion of the coach, a swimmer may swim an event for exhibition for the experience or to better an individual time. An exhibition swimmer does not receive points toward the team’s score. However, the time the swimmer receives will serve as an official time and can be used to qualify for League or State.

Q: What is a DQ?

A: A DQ is a disqualification. When an official comes over to write on the event sheets and talk to your child, it usually means the child has done something to be disqualified such as using the wrong stroke for the event or the wrong technique for a kick or an improper touch, etc. This happens often, especially for new swimmers. The child often needs some TLC from their parents and coaches. Please remember that even though this is the responsibility of the officials, they do not like to disqualify swimmers. When a swimmer is disqualified, points and ribbons are not awarded.

Q: How long does a swim meet last?

A: Regular meets usually begin at 7:00 am. Warm-ups occur prior to this, however, usually at 6:00 am for a home meet, 6:30 am for an away meet. Most regular meets are over by noon. The League and State Meets run for most of the weekend that they are scheduled.

Q: What is the heating area?

A: The heating area is where the swimmers are lined up for their events. This is where the swimmers go to find out which heat and lane they are swimming in. Look for the “First Call/Last Call” board. This will show you what event the meet is currently on and what event is being heated.

Q: What is a qualifying time?

A: Each event has five qualifying times. The fastest category is the State qualifying time. The next fastest if the League time which is denoted by the letter A next to the time. B, C, and D times are progressively slower times. These times can be used to help a swimmer set goals to reach.

IMPORTANCE OF LEAGUE AND STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS

The League Championship Meet on July 18-20 and the State Championship Meet on July 24-26 are the most important meets of the season. Our standings in the league and state are determined by how well our swimmers do at these meets, so it is important that our team be at full strength for these events. Swimmers must qualify for these meets in the individual events. This year’s qualifying times are posted on our website under the “Meets” tab. In addition, many swimmers who do not qualify in individual events will still swim on multiple-member relay teams who have no qualifying times. We hope that our parents will cooperate in planning vacations and other activities so that their swimmers can participate in these meets.

WHAT TO WATCH AT A SWIM MEET

The following is a brief summary of the rules governing competitive swimming in the Foothills Swimming Association (FSA). These are listed here to help convey a better understanding of the sport.

THE RACING COURSE – The length of a “short course” racing pool is 25 meters. Nearly all of the pools in our league are short course meters. The exceptions are the Mt. Vernon and Pond pools that are 25 yards long. Our Foothills Pool has 5 lanes.

THE MEET – A dual meet, as the name implies, is a meet between two teams. Tri-meets have three teams competing against each other. Most meets are comprised of 7 individual events and 2 relays for boys and girls 12 and under, while swimmers 13 and older have 8 individual and 2 relay events. Invitational meets are just that – as many teams as the host team invites compete together. Our League Championship Meet brings qualifiers from all FSA league teams together for the final league meet of the season. This meet also determines the divisional champions. The annual “relays” meet, hosted by the Applewood Athletic Club, is a relays only meet, where no individual events take place. This meet usually is an afternoon/evening meet. The Colorado State summer Club Swimming Association Invitational Championship Meet follows the League Championship Meet and includes qualified swimmers from many teams throughout the state. The State Meet is normally the final event of the summer swimming season.

FREESTYLE EVENTS – In the freestyle, the competitor may swim any stroke he or she wishes. The usual stroke used is the Australian Crawl. This stroke is characterized by the alternate overhand motion of the arms. Swimmers who are 8 years old and younger swim the freestyle in distance of 25 meters (1 length), 50 meters, and 100 meters. Swimmers in the 9-10 and 11-12 age groups swim distances of 50, 100, and 200 meters. Swimmers in the 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18 age groups swim 50, 100, 200, and 400 meters.

BACKSTROKE – In the backstroke, the swimmer must stay on his or her back at all times except at the turns. The stroke is an alternating motion of the arms. At each turn, the swimmer need not touch the wall with his or her hand before executing the turn maneuver. Backstroke race distances are 25 (8 and under), 50 (9-10 and 11-12), and 100 (13-14, 15-16, 17-18) meters.

BREASTSTROKE – Perhaps one of the most difficult strokes to master, the breaststroke requires simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pushed forward from the breast on, above, or under the surface of the water and brought backward in the propulsive stage of the stroke simultaneously. The kick requires the feet to be drawn up with the knees bent. The feet must be turned outward during the propulsive part of the kick. No scissors, flutter, or downward butterfly kicking is allowed. At each turn, the swimmer must touch with both hands at the same time. Race distances are the same as the backstroke events listed above.

BUTTERFLY – The most beautiful and physically demanding stroke, the butterfly, features the simultaneous overhead stroke of the arms combined with the dolphin kick. The dolphin kick features both legs and feet moving up and down together. No flutter kicking is allowed. The butterfly was “born” in the early 1950’s as a loophole in the breaststroke rules and in 1956 became an Olympic event in Melbourne, Australia. Race distances are the same as the breaststroke and backstroke events.

INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – The individual medley, commonly referred to as the “I.M.”, features all four competitive strokes. In the I.M., competitors swim butterfly for the first quarter of the required distance of the completed race, backstroke for the second quarter, breaststroke for the third quarter, and crawl for the last quarter. Swimmers 12 and under swim 100 I.M.’s, while 13 and older swim 200’s.

MEDLEY RELAY – In the medley relay, all four strokes are swum by four different swimmers. No swimmer may swim more than one leg of the relay, which is swum in backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and crawl order. Eight and unders swim a 100 meter medley relay, while all other age groups swim a 200 meter medley relay.

FREESTYLE RELAY – In the freestyle relay, four swimmers swim one-fourth of the prescribed distances using any body position, stroke, kick, and style that he or she wishes. As in the medley relay, no individual may swim more than one leg of the relay. The race distances are the same as the medley relay.

STARTS AND TURNS – Many races are lost in poor starts and turns. In the start, the swimmer is called to the starting position by the starter who visually checks that all swimmers are down and still. Then, once the starter is satisfied, the race is started by either a gun or electronic tone. If the starter feels that one of the swimmers has started early, the race will be recalled and the offending swimmer disqualified. Quick turns are essential to a good race. In all events, the swimmer must touch the wall, but in the freestyle and the backstroke the swimmer may somersault as he or she reaches the wall, touching only with the feet. In the other competitive strokes, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously before executing the turn.

STRATEGIES – The sprint races are all out scrambles from start to finish. These include all 25’s and 50’s, and for the older swimmers, 100’s. The slightest mistake can cost precious hundredths of seconds – and the race. The I.M.’s and middle distance freestyle events require the swimmer to have a sense of pace as well as the ability to swim a controlled sprint. The 400 meter freestyle requires the swimmer to constantly be aware of where he or she is in the water and how tired he or she is becoming. Swimming the first portion of the race at too fast a pace can sap a swimmer’s strength and cause a poor finish. Swimming the first portion too slowly can separate the swimmer from the pack and make catching up impossible. There are two ways to swim a distance race. Swimmers may elect to swim the race evenly (holding the same pace throughout the race) or they may “negatively split” the race. A negative split occurs when the swimmer covers the second half of a race faster than the first half.