Excel Aquatics Parent Handbook

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Excel Aquatics. Here at Excel, we value our membership and strive to create a community culture of success. Excel Aquatics is a USA Swimming program that encompasses much more than any individual, whether athlete, parent, or coach. We are a united team striving for success.

For the past 37 years, Excel has provided a complete teaching and training environment where every participant learns not only stroke technique, but also learns invaluable life lessons such as teamwork, sportsmanship, personal accountability, and achievement. Excel is a community that is dedicated to the athletes and strives to help swimmers grow and achieve their goals.

This Parent Handbook will help introduce you to the many facets of Excel Aquatics and competitive swimming. We hope that you find this information both valuable and educational.

I am looking forward to working with you as you start to get involved with our program.

Sincerely,

Steven Murry - Head Coach

Excel Aquatics Mission Statement

Excel Aquatics is dedicated to swimming technique, training, and performance in a positive environment for swimmers of all ability levels. We are committed to a team environment where every swimmer feels important and is encouraged to take the disciplines learned at the pool into their everyday life.

Organization

Excel Aquatics is parent governed, not-for-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling our mission statement, and to providing an exceptional athletic experience for Middle Tennessee aquatics athletes. The Board consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and other representatives. In addition, there is a Team Administrator and a Business Administrator who handle various administrative functions for the corporation. Contact information can be found on the team website.

Board of Directors

President - Davis Mello, davismello@gmail.com

Secretary - Doug Pullen, dougpullen@ionenergysolutions.com

Vice President/Parent Rep - Laura Carrico, lcarrico@hotmail.com

Treasurer - Davis Mello, davismello@gmail.com

Ex President Emeritus - Rick Rothman

Head Coach - Steven Murry, coachsteven@excelaquatics.org

Administration

Head Coach - Steven Murry, coachsteven@excelaquatics.org

Head Age Group Coach - Benji DeMotte, coachbenji@excelaquatics.org

Team Administrator - Shannon Oliver, shannonexcelswim@gmail.com

Business Administrator - Alicia Enroth, billing@excelaquatics.org

Meet Entry Chairperson - JJ Langhals, coachjj@excelaquatics.org

Meet Manager - Lori Biller, tlbiller@comcast.net

Head Admin. Referee – Chad Luse, Ainsleysdad11@hotmail.com

Murfreesboro Coordinator – Chris Clemons, coachchris@excelaquatics.org

Gallatin Site Coordinator - JJ Langhals, coachjj@excelaquatics.org

Longview Site Coordinator – Carrie Vaughan, coachcarrie@excelaquatics.org

Training Sites

Brentwood

Williamson County Indoor Sports Complex (ISC)

920 Heritage Way, Brentwood, TN 37027

Gallatin

Gallatin Civic Center

210 Albert Gallatin Drive, Gallatin, TN 37076

Murfreesboro

SportsCom

2310 Memorial Blvd.

Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Spring Hill

Longview Rec. Center

2909 Commonwealth Drive, Spring Hill, Tennessee 37174

USA Swimming

What is it, and why does my swimmer have to be registered?

USA Swimming http://www.usaswimming.org is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. The USA Swimming website offers a wealth of information for swimmers and parents so we urge you to visit the site.

There are several parts and levels that make up USA Swimming. There is the national governing body level, the zone (regional) level, and the local swimming committee (local/state) level. Within USA Swimming, there are 4 Zones: Eastern, Southern, Central and Western. Excel Aquatics competes in the Southern Zone. With each Zone is Local Swimming Committees (LSC). There are 59 LSCs in the United States. Excel Aquatics competes in the Southeastern Swimming (SES)LSC, which consists of over 60 USA Swimming registered member clubs throughout Tennessee, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle. Within each Local Swimming Committee are Districts. Southeastern Swimming http://www.seswim.org is divided into four districts, East, West, Central and South. Excel competes in the West District.

All Excel year-round swimmers must be registered with USA Swimming. This registration provides for each athlete’s eligibility to compete at sanctioned meets as well as insurance coverage while at practice and meets.

Cost, Registration, & Billing

What Does It Cost To Train At Excel?

Costs vary depending on the training group your swimmer(s) is in. Take a look at the Group Training Fees page of the website, using the button below, to see the costs breakdown for each group.

Multi Family Member Discount - Each additional swimmer in a family receives $10 off monthly dues UP TO 3 MEMBERS.

Group Training Fees

Annual Excel and USA Swimming Registration Fee

There is a $232 annual registration fee for each swimmer, in addition to the monthly coaching fees. This covers registration with Excel and registration with USA Swimming, the sports national governing body. All Excel athletes must be registered with USA Swimming in order to participate, as they cover athlete insurance while at practice and meets. Swimmers will receive one team cap and a team shirt.

USA Swimming dues are renewed on September 1 of each year, so even if you register at a later time, you will have to pay the registration fee again in September for the upcoming season.

How Do I Register to Swim with Excel Aquatics?

Evaluations

All swimmers will be evaluated and placed in a training group according to their age, skill, endurance, and commitment level. Evaluations for the fall season are done in early August each year at each facility. If you are wishing to join Excel Aquatics after the season has begun, you will need to schedule an evaluation.

Swimmers transferring from other USA Swimming affiliated teams might be able to be placed in a group based on previous official times. Excel coaches will make that determination.

Registration Process

Once you have been evaluated, follow the steps below. If you still need to be evaluated, follow step two below and then email the coach of the location for which you wish to be evaluated.

Go to excelaquatics.org and select Team Registration located on the top menu bar.
Look to see when registration is open for you.
If registration is open, select Register Now.
Select either I am not logged in but have an existing account or I am a new user or I am not sure if I already have an account.
Set up or update your account by adding email addresses, billing information, and parent information.
Select Add New Member or select any existing member you want to register. Add requested information. Right below medical information, you will need to select the group in which you were assigned to by the evaluating coach. Go all the way down to the bottom of the group selections and click Register the Member to the Selected Group so that your selection will be saved. You will know it is saved if you see it in the form.
Below the member information are several waivers and policies that must be read and selected. After you have read and agreed to all of the conditions, please select the red Continue button at the bottom of the page.
On the next section you will need to enter your payment method for Registration Fees. Proceed to checkout.
Enter Billing Details and Payment Information. You will need to save your credit/debit card or draft check to be used for monthly billing. You can always go back into your account and change the preferred card.
Print your receipt as proof of registration.

If you have any questions after following the steps above, please contact us.

What is the Process to Leave Excel?

Thirty (30) days advanced written notice, via email to the Team Administrator, is required for a swimmer wishing to leave the Excel Aquatics program. All notifications must be made by the first day of the month, 30 days prior to when you wish to leave. Dues are payable for the current month of swimming and for the next 30 days. All current job requirements must be completed prior to leaving the program or they will be billed to your statement.

Swimmers wishing to be inactive for the summer must submit their 30 day notice as stated above, otherwise they will continue to be billed monthly.

Summer Jobs: Families will be notified of the specific date that they need to have their request to go inactive submitted in order to avoid any summer jobs. This date is typically either April 1st or May 1st, for reference.

All swimmers are marked as inactive for the month of August, and are not billed for the month of August. Swimmers wishing to continue to swim when training begins in mid-August must register again before the end of August. The registration fee will be billed, but fees will not be charged until September 1 for September training. August training is free.

Excel Payment Terms and Past Due Policy

After registration is completed and approved by our Team Administrator, you will be required to set up your method of payment. Sign in, go to My Account, click on Account Info, and then click on Payment Setup. Here you will be able to enter your credit card or electronic ACH (bank draft) information that will stay on file for monthly billing. Paper payments will not be accepted. Dues and any additional fees will be billed to your account at the beginning of each month. You can view your account information and billing history at any time under Invoices and Payments on My Account.

In order to ensure uninterrupted swimming, payment in full must be received no later than the 25th day of the current month. A $10.00 late fee will be charged to past due accounts/per month. Any billing errors or questions should be directed to the Team Administrator. Swimmers with past due accounts will not be allowed to practice or participate in team sponsored meets.

Parental Involvement

Excel Aquatics is a not for profit organization which relies not only on the monthly dues, but also the active working support of each family to meet the monthly obligations of the team.

More than 50% of our annual budget is met with funding from sources other than monthly training fees, such as hosting swim meets and supporting USA Swimming's fundraiser, Swim-A-Thon. All Excel swimmers, no matter what training group, are expected to participate in the team fundraising programs, even if the swimmer does not participate in meets. There are several programs available throughout the year. Notifications will be sent out as new fundraising programs start. Current Excel fundraising programs are Swim-a-thon, Kroger Cares Program, and Script Cards.

Fundraising

We do not have specific fundraising requirements for each family. Rather, we assess a $17 monthly administrative fee to cover these costs and allow families to more easily budget for upcoming costs. Families are welcome and encouraged to continue fundraising. A portion of any fundraising done will be applied to offset fees on a bi-annual basis.

Families can fundraise for the team using Kroger cards and script cards, as well as participating in our annual Swim-A-Thon. Each January and July, a portion of funds raised will be applied to offset a family's fees.

Kroger Card

After obtaining a Kroger card from the store, go online to register Excel Aquatics as the beneficiary. After that, all you have to do is use your card at checkout each time you shop and Excel will automatically receive funds.

Script Cards

Please contact Alicia Enroth at billing@excelaquatics.org for all the information about purchasing Script cards.

USA Swimming Swim-A-Thon

This event is a much-loved event by the swimmers and coaches. It is a super fun way to raise funds for the team, involving games, relays, coaches relays, camaraderie among both old and young swimmers, oh and some swimming too!

Service Requirements

Excel Service Requirements are based on training levels. Excel hosts between 8-10 meets each year and the meets we run are vital to the financial well being of our club. In order to continue our tradition of hosting well-run, well-staffed meets, we depend on our parents to fill over 3000 meet positions each year in our Service Requirement Program. Most shifts are four hours long and require no training. Excel needs all families to work the meets. If you cannot fulfill the job that you signed up for, you may have a friend or relative work your shift as long as the person working is 16 years old or older.

The number of service sessions required is based upon the highest level of swimmer in a family. Service requirements will be posted on our website under Parent Requirements on the Member Resources page. All requirements are subject to adjustment at the discretion of the Meet Director to ensure Excel hosted meets are adequately staffed.

Service Requirements

Throughout the year there are tiered job requirement based on training groups. There are three job semesters per year with requirements varying each semester, depending on the number of Excel hosted meets in that session.

Service Semesters

September–December
January–March
April-August

Service Credit

Families filling certified positions (i.e. USA Swimming Certified Officials and/or trained members of the Computer Team) are eligible to receive a credit of $25 per session worked over the minimum required, for a maximum of $100 credit per semester. Officials must work at least two meets per semester to qualify for the bonus. Please contact Lori Biller, the meet manager, if you would like information on becoming an official or member of the computer team. More information can also be found by clicking on the Officials button under the Member Resources page.

Penalties

All families must fulfill their service requirements even if their child/swimmer is injured or does not swim in meets. Unmet or missed required work shifts will be billed to your Excel account at $500 for each missed job at the conclusion of each semester.

Summer Service Requirements

If a family decides to suspend their account for the summer, they must put in a 30-day notice by the date announced by the club or the unmet jobs will be billed to the members account.

What Jobs are Available?

A list of all the jobs and their description are on our website under Parent Requirements on the Member Resources page.

How to Sign Up for A Service Session

An email will go out to alert you that service sign ups will open up on a certain date and time. Another email will be sent to tell you when sign ups have been turned on. Sign ups are on a first come first serve basis, and jobs can go quickly. For some meets, a limit may be placed on the number of service sessions that you are allowed to sign up for, giving all families an opportunity to sign up. If you have any questions about your requirements, please contact our Meet Director Lori Biller at tlbiller@comcast.net.

To sign up for service sessions, follow the steps below:
Set an alarm to remind you when sign ups will be opening and log into your Excel account.
Find the meet that is scheduled to be opened under Swim Meets, and select Job Signup.
As soon as the jobs are opened up, you will be able to select the job that you want. If more than two people are selecting the same job, only one person will be able to save it so keep trying other jobs if your first choice could not be saved.
Select a job that you know that you will be able to fulfill. Save your selection. Make note of the timeline and requirements. You will need to be checked in at the volunteer table by the start of your job timeline.

Keeping Track of Your Service

To view your service history, log into your account on the excelaquatics.org website, go to Invoices & Payments and click the tab at the top that says Service Hours. If you have any questions about your service-hours balance, please contact Lori Biller.

Hospitality Requirements

Each family will be charged a $20-$30 hospitality fee per semester to cover the meals for the coaches and officials during Excel’s hosted meets.

Training Groups, Equipment, and Practice

Training Groups

Swimmers are placed in groups based on age, skill, experience, and proficiency. Swimmers are assigned to practice groups following an evaluation by the coaching staff or review of their times, if transferring from another team.

General group divisions are as follows. All group assignments are at the coaches' discretion.

Bronze 1, 2, and 2D - 10 and under developmental groups for swimmers who are new to the sport
Teal 2 - 10 and under training group for swimmers who don't yet have SES cuts, but who aspire to that
Teal 1 - 10 and under training group for swimmers who currently have or who are close to SES cuts
Junior 2 - Ages 11-12 training group for swimmers who don't yet have SES cuts, but who aspire to that
Junior 1 - Ages 11-12 training group for swimmers who currently have or who are close to SES cuts
Varsity 2 - Ages 13-14 training group for swimmers who don't yet have SES cuts, but who aspire to that
Varsity 1 - Ages 13-14 training group for swimmers who currently have or who are close to SES cuts
Senior 2 - Ages 15-18 training group for swimmers who don't yet have SES cuts, but who aspire to that
Senior 1 - Ages 15-18 training group for swimmers who currently have or who are close to SES cuts
Senior High Performance - Ages 15-18 training group for swimmers with National cuts

Divisions can vary at satellite sites.

Practice Equipment

Each practice group has a designated list of equipment that the coach requires for practice. These items need to be brought to every practice, and should be clearly marked with your swimmer’s name. A swimmer without necessary equipment will struggle to participate in certain portions of practice, as coaches design practices assuming each swimmer has the required equipment. If equipment is lost, please ask the lifeguards to look in lost and found.

Specific equipment requirements can be found on the Required Training Equipment page that can be accessed from the Member Resources page of the website, or by clicking the button below. All equipment can be ordered through All American Swim which can be accessed using the button below.

Required Training Equipment

Practice Schedules, Etc.

Schedules for individual sites can be found on each site’s page under Practice Schedule. To navigate to your site’s page, click on Excel Locations on the top menu bar, then your specific location, and then on the Practice Schedule button.

Alternatively you can use the button below to access practice schedules for each site.

Brentwood Practice Schedule

Longview Practice Schedule

Gallatin Practice Schedule

Murfreesboro Practice Schedule

Practice Schedule Changes

At times, there will be practice schedule changes. Please check the Excel website regularly to determine if there are any changes. Every effort will be made to alert parents by email of schedule changes in a timely manner. Upcoming schedules are also published in the weekly newsletter that is distributed via email to all active accounts.

Pick-Up Following Practice

All swimmers that are not responsible for driving themselves to/from practice shall be picked up immediately when practice ends. If coaches must stay late to supervise children who are picked up late, parents will be subject to an additional charge on their account for repeat offenses.

Inclement Weather

Whenever there is bad weather that causes a change in the practice schedule or a swim meet, information will be available on the team website. Information also will be sent by e-blasts. Be sure to check your email for updates, or SMS text message if your account has been set up to do so.

Practice Expectations

Swimmers are expected to attend practice as regularly as possible. All coaches understand that many younger swimmers participate in other sports and activities. We make every effort to be as flexible as possible in scheduling, and don’t expect our developmental swimmers to attend every offered practice. However, please keep in mind that swimming is a cumulative sport in terms of technique and conditioning. As swimmers age and advance, the need for more practice increases. There is a direct correlation to performance and consistent training.

Swimmer Practice Behavior

Swimmers are expected to show respect to coaches, teammates, facility staff, and patrons at all times. This includes no talking when the coach is talking. Swimmers are expected to follow the rules of the coach and facility at all times. Abusive language, bullying (see below), lying, stealing, or vandalism will not be tolerated, and immediate action will be taken against any swimmer participating in such behavior.

Swimmers should follow lane etiquette rules established by the coach at all times. This includes circle swimming, no pulling or hanging on lane ropes, and no physical contact with other swimmers. Swimmers are encouraged to come to practice with a positive attitude, and expected to support their teammates. Remember ONE TEAM, ONE GOAL! Swimmers should be familiar with our team policies regarding Bullying, Travel and Communication. The team policies can be found on our website under Team Policies & By Laws on the Member Resources Page.

Playing in the Shallow/Teaching Pool Before/After Practice

The shallow/teaching pools and the lanes reserved for public swimmers are not for Excel swimmer's use before and after their regularly scheduled practice. Excel swimmers should wait patiently for their practice to begin while remaining OUT of the water. There is often other programming scheduled by the facility and/or Excel in these areas that should not be disrupted. We understand that many families possess memberships at the various facilities at which we hold practice that gives them the "right" to be there. However, we ask that Excel swimmers refrain from crowding these other areas when there for practice. We are a very large team that needs to be very aware of how our presence affects everyone (patrons, staff, etc) at all of the facilities that we use so we can continue to maintain a positive relationship.

Bullying

Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at Excel Aquatics and will not be tolerated. The USA Swimming Code of Conduct prohibits bullying. Generally, bullying is the use of aggression, whether intentional or not, which hurts another person. Bullying results in pain and distress. Bullying is counterproductive to team spirit and can be devastating to a victim. Excel is committed to providing a safe, caring and friendly environment for all of our members. If bullying does occur, all athletes and parents should know that incidents would be dealt with promptly and effectively. Anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell a coach, board member or athlete/mentor.

Swim Meets

Typically Excel Aquatics will compete in swim meets once or twice a month. Our home meets are at the Indoor Sports Complex in Brentwood or sometimes we host a meet at the Centennial Sportsplex in Nashville. Travel meets can be as close as downtown Nashville or out of state.

Swimmers are divided by age for competition. Age group divisions include 8 & Unders, 10 & Unders or 9-10 (depending on the meet set up), 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18. There are sometimes events labeled as Open that are available to all swimmers regardless of age. However, in most cases the Open events should not be entered by the younger swimmers without coaches' approval.

Meet Seasons

USA Swimming is divided into two swim seasons, short course and long course. Each season progresses from standard meets to qualifying meets.

Short Course Season

Short course season runs September through February, ending with championship meet opportunities. Short Course meets are held in 25-yard pools. Most meets will run a separate pool for girls and boys simultaneously, and meets are usually held on Saturday and Sunday.

Long Course Season

Long course season runs April through July, ending with championship meet opportunities. Long Course meets are held in 50-meter pools. Meets for this season are usually held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Generic Meet Schedule

Check the Excel website for specific meet schedules for the current season.

Short Course Season

September – Excel hosted Fall Fest

October – Regular season meet

November – Regular season meet

December – Excel hosted Meet of Champs, Winter Short Course Junior Nationals (Q), Short Course Nationals (Q)

January – Excel hosted Mardi Gras Meet

February – Southeastern Swimming (SES) Region Championships, SES Short Course Championships (Q)

March -Age Group Zone Championships (Q), Senior Sectional Zone (Q), NCSA Jr. Nationals (Q)

Long Course Season

April – Excel hosted Excel Invite

May – Regular season meet

June – Excel hosted Firecracker Meet

July - SES Long Course Championships (Q)

August - Southern Zone Age Group Championships (Q), USA Futures Championships (Q), Junior Nationals (Q), Senior Nationals (Q), Olympic Trials (Q)

(Q) – Qualifying times must be achieved in order to attend these meets.

*Championship meet locations and time standards are updated periodically. Refer to USA Swimming and Southeastern Swimming’s website for current information.

Choosing Your Swimmer’s Events

At Excel we like to allow swimmers to choose their own events. However, coaches will choose if you would prefer. Furthermore, coaches will make changes to individual events if they feel a change is warranted for any reason.

Novice swimmers should start with some shorter distances. However, we do encourage swimmers to challenge themselves each time they attend a meet. Swimmers are encouraged to swim their strongest strokes as well as those where they feel they need improvement. It’s a good idea to establish a benchmark for improvement at later meets. Swimmers will want to experiment with distances and strokes along the way so that they can grow as a swimmer.

Swim Meets & Other Events Calendar

How to Sign Up for a Meet

The meet schedule is posted on the Excel Aquatics homepage under Swim Meets & Other Events (linked to the button above), click on the title of the meet for which you wish to see details. On each meet page you will find the Meet Invitation under the Forms & Documents section that gives the particulars of each meet, including the schedule of events, warm up and start times, and pool location. The team hotel information, if applicable, will also be posted on this page along with the meet entry deadline.

When attending a meet hosted by a team other than Excel, the entry deadline for Excel swimmers entries will be prior to the one published in the Meet Invitation. Excel coaches have to process the meet entries of all Excel swimmers, so we set a deadline ahead of the meet invitation deadline. Excel families will receive notice that meet entry deadlines are approaching via email and through the weekly newsletter. Swimmers wishing to compete must be entered prior to the deadline. Once the entry is submitted, the family is responsible for the entry fee even if the swimmer fails to compete. Late entries, if allowed, will be charged an additional fee.

Follow these steps to register for meets:

On the Excel Aquatics website, log in to your account.
On the homepage, scroll down to Swim Meets & Other Events. Click on the meet you want to sign up for.
Look at the schedule of events to see what your schedule will allow. Make sure you look for when your swimmer’s age group will be swimming. Meets last multiple days and some may be during times that do not work for your schedule.
Select the Attend/Decline button at the top of the meet page.
On the next page you need to click on the name of the swimmer that you want to enter.
Beside Declaration you can select whether you want to attend the meet.
The next page will display all of the events that are available for your swimmer. Select the events to swim. When selecting events, please make sure they are age specific. OPEN events are generally for the 15 and older swimmers, and should only be entered by 14 and Under swimmers on coaches’ recommendation.
Make sure you select Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

You can come back at a later date and change the entry or un-commit your swimmer anytime prior to the entry deadline. Once the deadline has past, you will NOT be able to un-commit your swimmer or change events. Please be aware that once the meet entry deadline has passed, fees will NOT be refunded.

Coaches reserve the right to modify a swimmer’s entry if they determine it is in the best interest of the athlete.

If you miss the meet signup deadline, please let your coach know ASAP. After the deadline has passed there is NO GUARANTEE that your swimmer can be entered in the meet. However, for some meets, you may be able to “deck enter” your child on the day of the meet for an increased fee. Deck entries will only be allowed in events that have empty lanes. New heats will not be created to accommodate late entries.

Entry Fees

Entry fee information can be found on the Meet Invitation (published on the event page on the website). Fees will vary by meets, but will usually include the following:

Fee per individual event
Fee per relay event (split between four swimmers)
SES Surcharge per swimmer
Facility surcharge per swimmer (surcharge depends on the facility)

Relays

Coaches will determine relay team members, and changes may be made at anytime. Generally relays are chosen based on the swimmers with the fastest times. However, other athletes could be chosen if coaches feel they have proven themselves during the meet or at practices leading up to the meet. In some situations poor performance or attitude during a competition will necessitate a deviation from this policy. Every swimmer competing should confirm before leaving the venue that he/she is or is not on a relay.

Championship Meets

The Southeastern Championships, Age Group Sectional Championships, Senior Sectional Championships and U.S. Nationals are meets that require qualifying times.

Team championship meets are indicated on the meet schedule. Swimmers who are qualified to swim should plan to attend these meets and contribute to the total team scoring.

The Week Before the Meet

The team entry report will be available on the Excel website soon after the Excel entry deadline. Review your swimmer’s entries for accuracy. Notify your coach as soon as possible to make corrections.

The week before a meet, the psych sheet is usually posted, which lists all entered swimmers in each event ordered fastest to slowest time. This is another opportunity to check accuracy of entries. The psych sheet can be used to set goals and establish race strategies before the meet. Train at race pace and work on race strategies in practice so it will be natural at the meet.

Coaches sometimes post relays ahead of time, so look for emails that might contain these. Relays are always subject to change, so check with your coach before leaving the meet. If you are unable to participate in a relay, please let your coach know before the day of the meet. Some relays are at the beginning of the meet, and some are at the end.

Make sure your swimmer eats well and stays well hydrated starting several days before the meet. Try to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep the two nights before the meet. Experiment with different meals and how they affect your swimmer during practice starting weeks before competition. Proteins are good for long-term energy and carbohydrates are good for short-term energy. Carbonated drinks should be avoided during training season.

Read the email or newsletter that tells you what color Excel team t-shirts to wear. We usually alternate blue and black each day. If you do not have a different color we highly recommend purchasing one, as it promotes team unity and pride.

Read the meet invite or meet page to see when warm-ups begin. Look over the invite to familiarize yourself with any special information that you might need to know about the meet including directions, parking, concessions, entry fees, parking fees, rules, etc. You want to be prepared.

Make a list of your swimmer’s events, including the event number. Parents of younger swimmers should mark these on their arm or leg with a Sharpie the morning of the meet. It can be helpful for the Clerk of Course to have this information for each swimmer readily available to help ensure they get to their races.

Do not hesitate to ask a veteran parent or coach if you have any questions. Prepare bags the night before and set out swimsuit and clothes. Make sure to pack extra goggles and suit, as accidents can and do happen.

Meet Day

Arrive at the pool at least 20 minutes before your swimmer’s warm-up session. Allow time for parking. If you are working a job, check in with the job coordinator to get your nametag. Next, find a place to put your swimmer’s things. Younger swimmers usually sit with their parents, but some meets will contain all 8 and Under swimmers in a “bull pen” for ease in getting them to their races on time. We encourage you to sit together as a team as much as possible.

Most heat sheets are published online and/or made available on the Meet Mobile app. Heat sheets are typically published a day or two prior to the meet, but changes can happen between then and the start of the meet so always check back for the latest version to make sure information has not changed.

If your swimmer is in a long distance event that is not yet seeded, they will need to go to positive check-in and sign in before warm-ups begin. If you do not know if they are in an event that requires positive check-in, you can look at their events on the heat sheet. Any event that does not have heats or lanes already assigned is a positive check-in event.

Prepare for warm-ups and check in with your swimmer’s coach. Warm-up assignments are posted on the meet page on the website, and are usually posted at the meet. Look for XCEL and make note of the warm up time and lanes. Please do not be late for warm-ups. Warm-ups are short and lanes are usually crowded. They are intended to gradually warm up swimmers to prepare them for competition. Swimmers who are late are not guaranteed a warm up.

Always remember to enter the water feet first at a meet, to prevent head-on collisions with other swimmers. Swimmers should only dive during meet warm up when instructed to do so by their coach.

During the meet your swimmer needs to stay hydrated and eat light snacks. Swimmers should keep themselves covered and warm at all times. They should wear swim parkas or sweat suits, shirt and shoes any time they are not in the water. Extra towels are always a good idea to have on hand. Swimmers should stay off their legs as much as possible.

Coaches recommend no electronic video games or iPads be used during the meet, as swimmers need to remain focused on their events. Music may be used with earphones.

Swimmers should report to their coach before and after each race to discuss the race. Swimmers should not talk to anyone about the race before they talk to their coach—this includes parents. Parents should praise their swimmers on how great a job they did and how proud they are of them. The coach will discuss stroke technique and race strategies with them.

There is usually Clerk of Course available for 8 and under swimmers. Swimmers will need to go to Clerk of Course to be lined up by heats and lanes, and taken, as a group, to the starting blocks.

Swimmers must check with their coach prior to leaving a meet. Should it become necessary for a swimmer to leave early, their coach must be notified.

In meets with preliminaries and finals, all swimmers who qualify to compete in the finals are expected to participate. All team members are strongly encouraged to return to the finals sessions to support the team and take advantage of the opportunity to learn from watching. At times, alternate and relay positions open up that need to be filled.

Team members and parents are expected to display proper respect and sportsmanship toward coaches, officials, meet administrators, and fellow competitors. As a matter of team pride and courtesy to the meet host, swimmers are expected to leave the Excel team area in a neat and clean condition at the conclusion of each session of the meet.

All questions swimmers or parents may have concerning meet results, an officiating call, or the conduct of a meet, should be referred to the Excel coaching staff only. In accordance with USA Swimming policy, parents are expected to remain in the spectator area and off of the immediate competitive deck unless they are working the meet in an official capacity.

Swimmers are expected to use available dressing rooms to change clothes. No deck changing is permitted. No phones or other video recording devices may be used in the locker rooms. No video or photography is allowed behind the starting blocks, and flash photography is not allowed during the start of each race.

For long distance events, usually 500+, swimmers are required to provide their own counter and may be required to provide their own timer.

Swim Meet Child Supervision

Children must be attended/supervised by a parent/guardian at all times at a swim meet. No child age 12 or under should be left unattended at ANY TIME during a swim meet. Parent volunteers, coaches, and officials are NOT responsible for any child at any time during the meet, outside of activities related to the competition. Violation of this policy could result in expulsion from the team at the discretion of the team management and board of directors.

How to Mark Your Swimmer

Young swimmers should have their events marked on their forearm prior to warm ups. The above photo shows a swimmer properly marked with the three events they are swimming that day. From left to right it shows the event, heat, and lane, and a short description of the event. Having swimmers (particularly young ones) marked is helpful for coaches, and volunteers helping them prepare for and get to their events.

How to Read a Heat Sheet

The heat sheet will tell you everything you need to know about the day's events. Each event shows the event number and name at the top. Below is will list all the heats generally showing heat # of # so you know how many heats are in each event. For each heat lane assignments are listed for each swimmer along with their age, team affiliation, and seed time. A NT listed in the seed time column means they don't yet have a time in that event.

Travel Meets

Travel meets are not required, but highly encouraged, especially for advanced swimmers. Championship meets are often in a different town, so it is always a good idea to experience away meets before you qualify for a championship meet. Each family is responsible for their own hotel and travel arrangements. Most travel meets will have information for our team hotel on the meet page. These hotels will usually be at a discounted group rate; there are only a limited number of rooms available, so early booking is suggested. For most meets, the parents are totally responsible for their children, outside of the meet itself. A few higher qualifying meets will require Excel coaches and chaperones to travel with your swimmers. Please see the travel policy below.

Team Travel Policy

Athletes are most vulnerable to misconduct during travel, particularly overnight stays. This includes a high risk of athlete-to-athlete misconduct. During travel, athletes are often away from their families and support networks, and the setting – new changing areas, locker rooms, workout facilities, automobiles and hotel rooms – is less structured and less familiar. Please review our Team Travel Policy that is on our website under Team Polices & By Laws on the Member Resources page.

Your Swimmer’s Results

Official results during a home or travel meet will be posted as events are completed, usually in a lobby or hallway accessible to parents. At the ISC you will find the results posted on the windows in the hallway past concessions. If you feel that a result is incorrect, please communicate with your swimmer’s coach. Parents should not communicate issues to any officials, as this is the coaches’ job. Mistakes do occur from time to time, so make sure you keep up with your swimmer’s results and get them corrected, if necessary, before the meet is completed. Once results are finalized and sent into USA Swimming they cannot be changed.

All of your swimmers meet results will also be posted on the Excel Website a short time after the completion of the meet.

Another helpful tool is the Meet Mobile App. This app does require a subscription. When meets are uploading results to Meet Mobile, which most do, you will be able to see your swimmer's results almost instantly following their event. However, a word of warning regarding this app, these results are NOT final or official right after a race. Immediately following the event, they might not include any DQ's from the officials or any time adjustments based on soft touches or other timing equipment errors.

Communication

Communication is the key to a successful experience in the Excel Aquatics program. If at any time you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact any member of our staff. All Staff emails can be found on our website by clicking Excel Locations, click your specific location, and then click on the Coaches button.

For questions regarding non-swimming concerns, please consult the Site Coordinator, Committee Coordinators, Parent Representatives or the Board of Directors. All of their emails are on the Excel website under Staff & Board Members on the Member Resources page.

If you have a question that is specific to your swimmer, then it is best to communicate directly with their training coach. The best time to talk to a coach is before or after practice. If they are coaching another group both before and after your practice, the best way to communicate with them is through email. Unless your coach has said otherwise, please do not phone or text them. They are not on call all hours of the day, and many have other jobs or responsibilities.

Specific Modes of Communication

Excel Website - visit the Excel website at www.excelaquatics.org.

E-mail - Parents will receive emails from coaches, staff and board members. Please make sure to read each and every email in detail so that nothing important is missed.

Excel Extra – Weekly newsletters are sent at the beginning of each week and include upcoming schedule changes, important news, and meet reports for recent meets.

Weekly Video Update - Each week we produce a weekly video with pertinent information for the week.

Parent Meetings – The team periodically conducts general parent meetings and specific practice group parent meetings.

Signs & Bulletin Boards - Some facilities will post signs in the lobby or on doors to communicate facility closures and important information. Please pay attention to these notices.

Where to Find More Information

USA Swimming Website - There is a wealth of information available on the USA Swimming website. They cover all aspects and levels of swimming in the country. You can access the site by clicking the button below.

Southeastern Swimming Website - To find information specific to the local LSC that Excel is a part of you can visit the Southeastern Swimming website by clicking the button below.

USA Swimming Website

Southeastern Swimming Website

Time Standards

As you might imagine, times and the creation of standards is very important in the sport of swimming. Each year, Southeastern Swimming and USA Swimming establish time standards. You can find links to the most common time standards on the Excel, Southeastern Swimming and the USA Swimming websites. On the Excel website find them under Time Standards on the Member Resources page. These time standards are designed to encourage swimmers to step their swimming up to the next level. They guide you from just starting out in your age group to reaching your highest potential.

The 2020-2024 National Age Group Motivational Time Standards are the best place to start for developmental swimmers. Times are divided by course, so be sure to look at the correct one. Standards begin at B and progressively get faster, ending with the highest standard at AAAA. Some swim meets use these motivational time standards as qualifying times.

The Southeastern Championship Standards show swimmers what times they need to participate in the championship meet at the end of each season for our region.

USA Swimming Rule Book

The rules and regulations for USA Swimming can be found on the USA Swimming website under Swimmers & Parents, Learn The Basics, Rulebook. It includes the rules of each stroke as well as all rules that are needed to run a USA Swimming meet. If at a meet you have any questions about any rules or infractions, do not hesitate to ask your coach who can then ask the appropriate officials.

Team Apparel

All swimmers will receive a team t-shirt and latex team cap with their registration. Additional apparel can be ordered through All American Swim using the Excel Aquatics Team Store on our website. Access the portal from the Excel site by clicking on Order Excel Apparel & Equip. on the Member Resources page. You can also access the Excel Team Store by clicking the button at the bottom of this section.

Team Shirts

All swimmers will receive a team shirt at the beginning of each season following registration. Since swim meets are 2-3 days, it is highly recommended that swimmers purchase an additional team shirt of a different color so that they can wear the specified team color of the day at meets. Previous year’s shirts are usually available for purchase at team functions early in the season.

Team Caps

All swimmers will receive a latex team cap at the beginning of each season following registration. In September, swimmers are given the opportunity to purchase personalized team caps. Orders will not be made at any other time during the year. Both silicone and latex non-personalized team caps are available for purchase throughout the year.

Team Suits

SwimOutlet carries a full line of Excel Aquatics team suits. We are a TYR team and highly recommend showing our support for all that they provide for our team.

Other Team Merchandise

Additional team merchandise is available online at SwimOutlet.com. To order online click on the Order Excel Apparel & Equip. on the Member Resources page.

Excel Aquatics Team Store

Glossary of Swimming Vocabulary

AGE GROUP SWIMMING - the program through which USA Swimming provides fair and open competition for its younger members. It is designed to encourage maximum participation, provide an educational experience, enhance physical and mental conditioning, and develop a rich base of swimming talent.

ANCHOR - The final swimmer in a relay.

ATTACHED - A registered swimmer who is attached to a registered USA Swimming swim team.

BACKSTROKE FLAGS - Pennants that are suspended over the width of each end of the pool approximately five yards/meters from the wall that notify backstroke swimmers that they are approaching the end of the pool.

BUTTON - see “Pickle.”

CHAMPIONSHIP MEET - The meet held at the end of a season. Qualification times are usually necessary to enter meet.

CHASE STARTS - Start procedure used in long course meets where swimmers in a subsequent heat will start their race while swimmers in the previous heat are still finishing their last lap. Heats begin from alternating ends of the pool.

CHECK-IN - The procedure required before a swimmer swims an event in a deck-seeded meet. Sometimes referred to as positive check in, the coach will mark each swimmer’s name on a list posted by the meet host. Once a swimmer is checked in they must swim the event or they will be scratched from his/her next event.

CIRCLE SEED - In a Prelims and Finals meet, the fastest three heats of each event in Prelims is specially seeded: the fastest swimmer is in the fastest heat, the second fastest swimmer is in the next heat, the third fastest swimmer is in the next heat, the fourth fastest swimmer is in the fastest heat and so on until the three heats are filled up. As opposed to the normal slowest to fastest seeding in the rest to the heats (used in a Timed Finals format).

CIRCLE SWIMMING - When swimming in a lane with several swimmers – staying to the right of the black line.

CLERK OF COURSE - The USA Swimming-certified official responsible for deck seeding and organizing swimmers into heats (usually, a parent-volunteer). Also, where scratches and relay cards are turned in, and on-going meet information is available for the coaches.

CLUB - A registered swim team that is a dues paying member of USA-S and the local LSC.

CODE OF CONDUCT - an agreement between swimmer and club, stating that the swimmer will abide by certain behavioral guidelines.

CUT (STANDARD) – slang for Qualifying standard; a time set for entry into a meet or event.

DECK SEEDING - The process of organizing swimmers into events, heats, and lanes (by the Clerk of Course) at the meet as it progresses (as opposed to pre-seeding prior to the meet).

DEHYDRATION - The abnormal depletion of body fluids (water). This is the most common cause of cramps and sick feelings.

DISQUALIFICATION (DQ) - the loss of points and a time due to an infraction of the rules that govern a particular event or stroke.

ENTRY FEE - a set fee paid to swim each event at a meet.

ENTRY REPORT - report found on the meet page that includes the names and events of swimmers entered in a meet.

FALSE START - occurs when a swimmer is moving at the start of a race, prior to the starting signal. In USA Swimming, one false start will result in disqualification.

15-METER MARK - Marks on the sides of the pool and on the lane lines 15 meters from the ends of the pool. In Free, Back, and Fly events the swimmer must surface at or before these marks.

FLY OVER STARTS - Start procedures at a meet in which swimmers of the previous heat remain in the water, close to the wall, during the start of the next heat. Usually used in senior sessions/meets to save time and/or allow swimmers to rest before exiting the pool.

FINA - Federation Internationale de National de Amateur, the international governing body of competitive swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming.

FREESTYLE RELAY - In the freestyle relays, four swimmers each swim one fourth of the total distance. As in the medley relay, no individual may swim more than one leg of the relay.

HEAT - a division of any event in which there are too many swimmers to swim at the same time (set up by the submitted times and number of lanes in the pool being used).

HEAT SHEETS - a printed program of events and "who swims when" sold at most meets, a MUST for parents.

IM – slang for Individual Medley; an event in which the swimmer uses all four strokes in the following order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle.

LANE LINES - Continuous floating dividers stretched from the start end of the pool to the turn end, used to delineate the individual lanes.

LAP COUNTER – a set of plastic display numbers used to keep track of laps during a distance race by the person who counts for the swimmer, stationed at the opposite end of the start.

LENGTH/LAP - Technically, a length is once across the pool; a lap is across and back. However most coaches use the terms interchangeably to mean simply once across the pool. Thus, 4 lengths in a 25-yard pool would be swimming across the pool 4 times, totaling 100 yards.

LONG COURSE (LC) - a pool 50 meters in length. USA Swimming conducts most of its summer competition in long course. This is the size pool that the Olympics are competed in.

LSC – Local Swim Committee, the governing body for swimming at the local level. There are 59 LSC’s in the country. Our LSC is Southeastern Swimming (SES).

MARSHAL - The officials (usually, parent volunteers) who control the crowd and swimmer flow at a swim meet. They are primarily responsible for safety in the venue.

MASTERS SWIMMING - A program for swimmers aged 19 and older who wish to continue swimming, but not necessarily at the senior level. Age groups are in five-year increments.

MEDLEY RELAY - A relay in which all four strokes are swum by four different swimmers. No swimmer may swim more than one leg of the relay, which is swum in backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle order.

NT - No Time - Abbreviation used on a heat sheet to designate that the swimmer has not swum that event before and does not have an official time of record.

OFFICIAL - a judge on the deck of a pool at sanctioned and approved competitions that enforce USA Swimming rules. There are stroke and turn judges, administrative officials, starters, timers and referees.

OPEN WATER SWIMS – conducted in a natural body of water, such as a lake, river or ocean.

PERSONAL BEST - The best time a swimmer has achieved so far in a given event.

PICKLE - The manual Timing System stopping device that records a back-up time in case the touch pad malfunctioned. The button is at the end of a wire, plugged into a deck terminal box. It is the timer’s responsibility to push the button as the swimmer finishes the race.

POSITIVE CHECK-IN - For unseeded events, usually events 400 or longer, swimmers must check in before the meet to declare whether they will swim the event or not. Ask the scorers table for directions to positive check-in. Look in the meet invite to find the deadline for positive check-in.

PRELIMINARIES (PRELIMS) - also called trials. Races in which swimmers qualify for the finals that are typically scheduled later in the day.

PROOF OF TIME - A requirement some meets have to make certain that swimmers have legally met the time standards for that meet. Monetary fines are typically assessed for any failed swim at meets if the entry time can’t be proven.

PSYCH SHEET - A printed order of events by session with swimmers listed in order, usually fastest to slowest according to their entry times. It does not show heats.

QUALIFYING TIMES - Published times that must be achieved during a given period in order to enter certain meets.

REFEREE - the head official at a meet that makes all final decisions based upon USA Swimming rules.

SANCTION – A competition or time trial must be sanctioned (approved) by USA Swimming (through the Local Swim Committee) for the times swum to count and to be used in other meets.

SCORING TABLE - The computer tables by the pool that are used to process results at the meet.

SCRATCH - to withdraw from an event (with the forfeit of the entry fee), only to be done by the Coaching Staff.

SEEDING TIMES - The time a swimmer uses to enter a meet. This time determines one’s heat and lane in the particular event.

SESSION - Portion of meet distinctly separated from other portions by time (usually a morning or afternoon set of events for different age groups).

SHORT COURSE (SC) - a pool 25 yards/meters in length. USA Swimming conducts most of its winter competition in short course.

SPLIT - a time taken at an intermediate distance, e.g., a 50-yard time for a 100 yard race

STARTER - a Certified Official responsible for starting each event, and being sure that each start is fair for all participants.

STOPWATCHES - watches used to time the swimmers during a competition. When automatic timing equipment is used, watches serve as a back-up method.

STREAMLINE - the position used to gain maximum distance during a start and/or push-off from the wall in which the swimmer's body is as straight and tight as can be.

STROKE AND TURN JUDGE - a Certified Official that walks the deck or stands at the end of the pool during a meet to certify the legality of individual strokes and turns.

STROKE DRILL - an exercise involving a portion or part of a stroke, used to improve technique.

SWIM-OFF - In a Prelims and Finals (championship) format, a second race after the scheduled event to break a tie between swimmers, in order to determine which swimmer makes it into which finals heat or the order of the alternates.

TIME STANDARDS – Certain qualifying times, which have been set up annually by USA Swimming and Southeastern Swimming for all events in all levels of meets to ensure that all competitions are reasonably of the same ability in their respective meets. The swimmer’s goals should be betterment of his or her time, progressing from the ”B” standard to the Nationals.

TOUCH PAD - a large sensitive board at the end of each lane where a swimmer's touch is registered and sent electronically to the timing system.

UNATTACHED – is a registered swimmer who is not attached to a registered USA swim team. If a swimmer changes teams, that swimmer must swim unattached for 120 days from the last day of meet competition representing the former team.

USA SWIMMING, INC. – the National Governing Body that regulates our sport. All Excel swimmers are registered with USA Swimming and each has been assigned an identification number. This USA Swimming registration expires at the end of each year. This is the organization that sends swimmers to the Olympic games. USA Swimming is a member of FINA.

USA SWIMMING ID - a unique number assigned to each swimmer registered with USA Swimming used to identify them. All times achieved are connected to a swimmer via the USA Swimming ID.

Swimmers with no middle name will have an * in place of their middle initial.

WARM-DOWN - low-intensity swimming used by a swimmer after a practice, set or race to rid the body of excess lactic acid, and to gradually reduce the heart rate and respiration.

WARM-UP - low-intensity swimming used by a swimmer prior to a practice, set or race to get muscles loose and warm and gradually increase heart rate and respiration.

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