Welcome to Dolfin Aquatics and Blue Dolfins Swimming!
Being a new parent can be very confusing. Hang in there and things will make sense
in time. There are a few areas that are important for you to understand in the beginning
PRACTICE
Parents are not allowed on deck during a workout. This is a team rule and a facility rule.
I do this because parents can distract swimmers and coaches from workout. If you need to speak with a coach,
please contact them at home by email or phone. If necessary, you can come to workout at the beginning and find out
what would be the most appropriate time to have a meeting.
Workouts times are posted on the website. When you figure out the schedule, set an attendance plan.
Swimmers in the Junior program do not have a
minimum requirement but should make at least 3 workouts per week. Pick a schedule and be consistent.
This is a lesson that the swimmers need to learn early on. Many swimmers will make all five offered and that is fine.
Everyone is different and some may enjoy going to all five while others only will want to attend three.
Seniors are responsible for all workouts. This means that if you cannot attend a workout, you must notify your coach
prior to the workout. National team members must attend all workouts.
MEETS
At first, meets can be confusing. Please don't hesitate to talk to your coach or another
parent to ask advice. The process for entering a meet is as follows: 1. Fill
out the meet committment sheet. You can get that off the website. 2. Turn
that in to the box at practice. Entries will be sent out via email
with about one week to correct. Make changes if needed and submit via
email to your coach. Entry fees will show up on the monthly invoice. Most
meet information is on www.floridaswiming.org
or our monthly calendar.
Swim Meet Nutrition
Parents often ask what their
swimmer should be eating before and during meets. This is a great question
because diet will have a direct affect on performance. First of all, variety is
the key to a healthy diet. Eating a variety of foods and in moderation will
help prevent malnutrition. The days leading up to a meet should be treated no
different from any other day of the week. Eating a normal healthy diet
consisting of, yes, fruits and veggies is important.
The
night before.
Start with a well-balanced meal
consisting of a good portion of Carbohydrates. Spaghetti is an old favorite.
The pasta will help to be sure energy stores are up to peak levels. Eat at
normal times and get to bed at normal times. This is tough on the road but can
really help a child sleep better. To often a late dinner and late to bed will
make a child drowsy in the morning.
The
morning of.
A general rule of thumb is to eat 2 hours before meet start time.
An 8:00AM start time will require a meal at 6:00AM. Smaller portions and
lighter foods will help digestion. You do not want a heavy food sitting in
child’s stomach when race time comes. The blood needed to digest food will be
torn between the stomach and the muscles. This can usually result in decreased
oxygen flow to both regions. Stomach cramps (butterflies) and reduced blood
flow to muscles can be the result. Cereals, breads, fruits, and eggs can all be
good choices. Just remember to keep portions on the smaller side. Eating until
full is not the intent. Also, it is not the time to try new foods. Foods that
are very acidic may not sit well with the added pressure of being at a meet.
The
day of.
No heavy foods or big meals
during a day of competition. Swimming is very aerobic. It requires oxygen flow
to be at it’s best. A big juicy burger will not be a good choice. Meats have a
tendency to sit in the stomach and require a longer digestion period. It will
take away from the muscles and can cause a tired feeling during competition.
Snacks throughout the day are always a good option. Granola bars are a good
choice. Fruit snacks, small sandwiches like PB&J, ham, or turkey are fine
as long as there is 2 hours to digest. There is a phrase I have always liked.
“SWIM HUNGRY” This has a double meaning. You must have energy stored but your
stomach needs to be empty. You should be ready for a big meal when the day’s
events are over. Meets will be less than 4 hours. A meal 2 hours before and a
small snack during will be enough to sustain energy and not fill a swimmer up
too much.
Fluids
This gets it’s own section.
Fluid replacement is critical. Studies show that being slightly dehydrated will
have a great affect on performance. For a workout 1 hour or less, water, 20-40
oz. For workouts greater than 1 hour. a sport drink mixed at half strength.
Drink 20-40 oz per hour. How do you keep your swimmer hydrated? It
begins days and weeks leading up to competition. Learning good fluid
replacement habits will be the key. First of all, water is number one. Sips
throughout the day will help keep a swimmer hydrated. During workouts, a mix of
Gatorade and water can help to keep up energy stores. Half and half may not
taste great but is the mix I like to use. Keep hydrated days before competition
and then it will be easier during the meet. Sipping on water throughout the day
works best. In a 4-hour competition, a swimmer should drink about a cup per
hour. A very hot day will result in more water needed. Too much water is not
good either. Swimmers have been known to lose 5 pounds of water in a workout.
Their body temperatures can reach over 100. Fluid replacement is crucial. If
you swimmer does not have a water bottle for workout, get them one.
Summary
Here are suggestions while
trying to keep it simple.
1.
Variety in the diet should be followed all the time.
2.
Be sure to consistently replace fluids
3.
Eat at normal times the night before and try to get to bed at normal times.
4.
Eat some pasta (carbohydrates) the night before
5.
Eat 2 hours prior to meet start but keep it light.
6.
A four-hour meet will require a small snack and fluid replacement.
7.
Do not eat heavy, fast food between sessions or before an afternoon session.
8.
Try to swim on an empty stomach but with energy stores built up.
MONTHLY FEES
Monthly fees are due on the first of each month. Checks can be dropped in your coaches box at workout.
Parents are not allowed on deck so the swimmer will have to drop the check in the box. Each swimmer should receive an invoice
every month but experience has shown me that these can often sit in swim bags and grow mold. Over payments and underpayments
should be shown on invoice.
PUSHING YOUR CHILD
All parents want their child to be the best they can be. This is when it gets tough. If I could give you the
equation for how to be a swim parent I would. There are, however, many good suggestions.
First, read the ten commandments for being a swim parent. TEN PARENT COMMANDMENTS
Next, take a look at the being a swim parent put out by USA Swimming.
This section can be found at www.usaswimming.org click the parent tab.
I can tell you that swimming is a very demanding sport. Coaches will push your athletes to the limits. We
believe this will make them the best they can be and also teach them wonderful life lessons. Your child's
performance does not represent the kind of person they are. Hopefully, you will be positive with your child
regardless of the place they are finishing in. I could go on for days about this subject but it only pertains
to a small portion of the swimming population and I will deal with cases on an individual basis.
I hope this brief section will help a bit. Please don't hesitate to contact your coach
or another parent if you have questions.
Thank You,
Coach Charlie
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