To the parents of blue squad members,
In the past few months we are very happy to say that our junior numbers, especially with regards to blue squad, have increased at a healthy rate. The club realises that this growth is without a doubt what is needed for us to achieve success in the future. We realise that joining a swim club can be quite daunting so the Committee thought a note explaining a few of the most common questions we get asked could be helpful.
Most of the questions we receive relate to the topics of Development and Qualifying meets. These are competitive swim meets that are held, usually once a month, at the AIS in Bruce. These meets are run by Swimming ACT. Development meets are designed to introduce new swimmers into a competitive but friendly competition where they can develop their technique, stamina and understanding of what a competitive swimmer goes through in order to achieve their goals. Parental involvement at these meets is paramount in order to achieve a smooth and well organised event. It also gives the parents an insight into issues such as timekeeping. A few notes to keep in mind regarding timekeeping are;
- if it is your first time the other parents will show you how to do it – it is a very simple task
- it is usually only a one hour stint
- you are able to go to the bathroom during the longer events or if no-one is swimming in your lane for an event
- your child can approach you directly whilst you are time keeping and you can still help prepare your child for his/her race
- it is the best viewing seat in the house
- your child knows exactly where you are before and after his/her race making you easy to find
- you can record your child’s times in your own program whilst timekeeping
- complimentary food, coffee/tea & water is provided whilst you time keep
Qualifying meets are generally for the more advanced swimmer once they have achieved specific times. Simply put they have become too fast to swim at Development meets anymore. From here swimmers can qualify for interstate meets such as NSW Country and State titles. We understand that competition can be scary not only for the swimmers but also the parents. The fear of not knowing what to do, where to go etc can be off putting but we would like to encourage all new members to give it a go. The confidence and enjoyment that will come out of the experience is well worth the one day a month.
The Woden Swim Club also runs a club night, generally once a month, on a Friday at the Lakeside Leisure Centre. These nights are designed to give the kids a relaxed and enjoyable environment in which to learn about what they may experience at the Development meets. We would love to see all of our members at these nights to help build the confidence of our younger kids and an overall positive club spirit. We have booked in our next three club nights for Friday 13/6/14, 18/7/14 and 8/8/14 so please keep them free and come along.
We have attached an entry form to the next Development meet being held in a few weeks on Sunday the 15th June. Even if your child only enters one event the club would love to see them there. Entry is as simple as highlighting the races your child wants to swim and placing the entry along with the money into the Woden box located at the pool. Please note entries for the upcoming meet close on June 6th. For future reference, entry forms for all competitions held within the ACT and surrounds can be accessed via the Woden Swim Club website. We hope this has helped answer a few queries that many of you may have but please do not hesitate to approach the club if you have any other questions. The Committee and Coaches are here to help all of our members get the best and most enjoyable experience they can out of their time at the club.
The Exec