Information

Volunteers

The Birkdale Barracudas Swim Team is dependent on volunteers in order to operate. Each Swim Team family is required to volunteer at two full swim meets, as well as one (two-hour) shift at the Championship Meet, plus help with the fundraisers in some capacity.

If a family does not fulfill the commitment to the Team through volunteer requirements, they will not be allowed to attend the end of the year banquet. Additionally, the family will not be eligible to register for the Swim Team the following year. The swim team is a volunteer organization and cannot operate without everyone doing their part.

Sign-up for the Meet Volunteer Positions is on the back of your registration form. Descriptions of the different job positions are also available on the Volunteers page. Once we have the meet schedules we will post a list of the schedule for all jobs and meets online and send them in an email. It is the volunteers job to get a substitute if they cannot work at their scheduled time. A list of parents names and phone numbers will be provided.

Swim Meet Information

All meets start at 6:00.

Warm Ups - Home Meets

Warm up will be at 5:00 for the little kids & 5:20 for the older kids.

Warm Ups - Away Meets

Be at the pool by 5:15 for talk with coach, in pool at 5:30

All Meets - Please remind your swimmers to sign in each meet, also for volunteers to sign in, get name badges and pick up your clip boards and papers if applicable.

8 & unders are usually done after halfway through. Please check with a coach or person in charge before leaving the meet early.

Swimmers Responsibilities

Be polite and respectful to the coaches, parent volunteers and other swimmers at all times. Be a team member and support and cheer on your team. Listen to the coaches during instruction. Arrive on time for all practices and meets. Swimming takes a lot of energy, working every muscle in your body. Good nutrition is a must. Swimmers should cut back on sweets, junk food and sugared drinks. Power drinks and foods with carbohydrates are the best things to have before and during meets. suggestions: pasta, bagels, fruit, granola bars.

End of Season Awards Ceremony and Party

Birkdale Pool and Clubhouse. All swimmers completing the season will receive a trophy.

Sunday July 11 @ 6:00pm

Swim Team Suits

Team swimsuits are strongly encouraged, but not required. Swim suits can be purchased at the MAC store inside the Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics Center. Any green and black suit will do. Team Swim Caps are available for $5.00 for the team. Swim caps are recommended for longer hair as it can get in your way while swimming and even slow you down. To make caps easier to pull on, put a small amount of baby powder inside before trying to get them over your hair.

Fundraisers

Community Yard Sale

May 1, 2010

Communication

You need to sign up for the Birkdale Barracudas mailing list in order to receive emails, go to top of the main page to sign up. Each registered swim team family will receive a newsletter via e-mail with information regarding upcoming meets, social activities and other pertinent swim team information. If you do not have access to email then you will receive a printed version of the newsletter. We will try to have the "Communications Box" at every practice. In the box are individual files with each swimmers name on them. These files will be used to place information not sent via emails, ribbons not picked up and anything else we need to get out to your family. It is the swimmers responsibility to check the box daily.

Meet Entries/Results/Team Records

All meet entries and results will be posted on our website. Meet entries will be posted alphabetically the morning of the meet. Individual as well as team results from each meet along with updated team records will be posted on the website as soon as possible following the meet.

North Meck Swim League

The team is a member of the North Meck Swim League consisting of six swim teams from Birkdale, Leacroft, MacAulay, Wynfield Forest, Wedgewood and Walden Ridge/Latta Springs. Ribbons will be awarded to the top 6 swimmers in each event regardless of heat. Swimmers will compete based on their age as of June 1. The end of season meets will be team competitions.

Swim Team Eligibility

Between the ages of 5 and 18 by June1st of current year
Birkdale resident
Swim team and pool member in good standing (Must have paid HOA dues)
Able to swim one length of the 25 meter pool unassisted and able to swim comfortably with face in water
Have a parent/guardian available to attend Parent Meetings and to volunteer as described on the Parent Volunteer Form

Minimum Swimming Requirements

Every swimmer must be able to swim one length of the 25 meter pool unassisted and swim comfortably with their face in the water. While stroke development and teaching are a very important part of what our coaches do, with nearly 100 swimmers, it is not fair to expect them to be in the water teaching one on one. That would be neither fair nor safe for the other swimmers. The coaches will assess the ability of all swimmers during the first two weeks of practice. The coaches will recommend swimming lessons for those swimmers who do not meet the swim team minimum requirements. If a child does not meet the minimum requirements, the registration fee will be refunded. No refunds will be offered after the first meet.

We encourage you to come and see what the team is all about if you are not sure. We realize that most kids have not been in the water since the end of last season and it may take a couple weeks for the younger ones to make it across the pool. We welcome anyone to come and give a try and if it works out great and if not, get some lessons and they can try again next year.

The minimum swim requirements are for the safety of all the children. Swim Team is not a replacement for Swim Lessons. The coaches are not able to spend extra time with children who are uncomfortable in the water, this takes away time from the other swimmers who are there for the team.

Swimming Lessons

The following places offer swimming lessons or programs. This is not an endorsement of any of these programs just some helpful links.

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