FAQ

IM stands for Individual Medley. Once a swimmer has learned to swim all four strokes, the IM is the next and last event to learn. The IM is all four strokes combined into one event called the 100 IM. The 100 does not stand for laps, it is the number of yards or meters. One lap is 25 yards/meters; the 100 IM is four laps. The order is Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle.

Your coach chooses the events for each swimmer to swim.

If you know you will be leaving a meet early or not going to a meet at all, try to tell your coach as early as possible. If you unexpectedly need to leave a meet, please notify a coach before you leave. If your swimmer is done swimming and you have nothing to do, stick around and cheer, you never know we may need your swimmer for a relay. Please make sure that you are not in a relay before you leave.

There are five events or strokes in swimming. Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and the Individual Medley. Your swimmer will be grouped with kids that are at the same swimming level as your child. Once a swimmer has mastered or in some cases found an understanding for a stroke the coach will introduce another. Once the swimmer knows how to swim the strokes they will concentrate on the details of each stroke. Just like in anything you do, there is always room for improvement.

IM stands for Individual Medley. Once a swimmer has learned to swim all four strokes, the IM is the next and last event to learn. The IM is all four strokes combined into one event called the 100 IM. The 100 does not stand for laps, it is the number of yards or meters. One lap is 25 yards/meters; the 100 IM is four laps. The order is back, breast, fly, free.

In most sports the number of needed volunteers is not great. This is most definitely not true in swimming. Parent involvement is the most important part of a great swim season. Most parents and swimmers do not realize the amount of hours spent behind scenes. Most of us take for granted what the board and volunteers do for the swim team. All we ask is that someone from each family donate one shift for timing, recording, crowd control, runner, etc. The list goes on. When parents volunteer it makes the whole meet run smoothly.

In swimming, when two opposing teams swim each other it is referred to as a meet.  At meets, each swimmer can swim in at most 5 events (depending on the meet rules), 3 individual events and 2 relays.

Usually there will be veggies, chips, drinks, nachos, hot dogs and candy and at most pool concession stands.  Pack a healthy snack, but remember that all the teams we visit would like you to visit the concessions.  Please be sure to clean up your area before leaving and encourage your swimmer to do the same.

During PSSL's “Heat Sheets” will be on sale at the concession stand. They will include the individual events, the swimmers entered in each event, and their fastest time. Swimmers will be listed fastest to slowest using their best time for each event. Swimmers who have never competed in an event before will be listed after swimmers with times. The notation NT for “no time” will be typed next to their names.

Swimmers learn to ask the timers for their (unofficial) time as soon as they get out of the pool at the end of a race. Once the times for a heat are collected, the official results are posted by the Scoring Officials. The official event results (which include the swimmers’ names, their times, and event placing) are usually posted on the gym or other nearby wall about an hour after completion of the event. All event results are computerized and retained for each swimmer all season.

Prairie Summer Swim League complies with IHSAA Swimming Rules.  During competition, if a swimmer fails to comply with the stroke and turn rules, a Stroke & Turn Judge, or the Starter, will raise his/her hand, citing a violation. Almost all swimmers in all age groups have been DQ’d at some time and a DQ should be viewed as a learning experience and not a failure. Swimmers should discuss the DQ with their Coach after the race, and together they will formulate a plan to correct the mistake.