Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I want my child to participate?
It's fun. It's great exercise. It builds confidence. It's a great way for
your child to meet other kids in the community and it's a great way for you to meet other parents.
What are the age requirements for swim team members?
Swim team is open to swimmers 4-18 years of age as long as the swimmer is able to swim 25 yards (the length of the pool).
I see that there are different age groups for the swimmers, how does that work?
The age groups are 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-18. Every other year your child will have an “up” year when they are the oldest in their age group a “down” year when they are the youngest in their age group. The system generally works well. Your child's age for summer swim is determined by a cut off date that is set each year, generally mid-June.
My child attends a summer day camp. Can s/he still participate?
Yes, but there will not be evening practices. Email the coach with further questions.
What time should I be at the pool for home meet or away meet?
You should be prepared to be at the pool at least 30 - 45 minutes in advance of the start of the meet so that your child has time to warm-up. The home team warm-ups 30-45 minutes prior to the start of the meet and the away team warm-ups 20-30 minutes prior to the start of the meet.
If you are volunteering, please arrive a little earlier so that you can get signed in and know where you need to be prior to the start of the meet.
During home meets parents are asked to bring a folding chair and setup on the grassy area outside of the pool deck. We are only allowed to have volunteers and swimmers on the pool deck during the swim meet.
How can I best help the team?
Support your child by bringing them to practice, preparing them for the meet and cheering for them and the team at the meets. Volunteer to help out at a swim meet or with other swim team duties.
Lansdowne Lightning is an all-volunteer effort and there is always something more that can be done.
Consider becoming a stroke & turn judge, starter or referee. The officiating is all volunteers and it always helps to have more people trained to step in when others have scheduling conflicts for a meet.
Volunteer hours? Why 12 volunteer hours for each family?
We average the number of volunteer hours needed during a summer swim season and divide by the number of active families. 12 hours per family is the general expectation.
We also ask that families try to stagger the volunteer hours so that they volunteer through out the season versus just the first few weeks. Historically we have been short volunteers towards the end of the season.
Please contact the volunteer coordinator if you have any questions.
Do we practice in the rain? Even in heavy rain?
The answer is YES! The only time a practice is called on account of thunder/lightning. This goes for meets too.
Rain is water and when you’re swimming, you’re in the water anyway, so wet is wet – right?
The only ones who get “rain wet” during rainy practices are the coaches. Parents usually seek cover. In the case of a meet, everyone gets wet!!
(This has been our #1 question for awhile.)
Do we practice if the weather is chilly?
Practice is still on in chilly weather. If the water temperature below 70 degrees Fahrenheit then the coaches will have swimmers doing land exercises such as stretching and running.
Tips for Determining if Practice is on:
If you hear thunder or see lightning at home most likely the lifeguards did too. The pool remains closed one hour after the last lightning/thunder.
If thunder or lightning is encountered during a practice, the practice is immediately canceled.
If the weather clears and the pool reopens the coaches can conduct a minimum of a ½ hour practice and any remaining practices will resume and follow their original schedule.
If the weather is such that the lifeguards close the pool for the night, all remaining swim practices are canceled.
If you are unsure about the conditions at the pool,call the Coton pool at 571-333-0665.
