Orchard Hill Swim and Dive Team
Frequently Asked Questions…
Work Sessions:
There is a $40 deposit due at the beginning of the season. That deposit will be refunded if your family works 5 sessions during the year. We want your help to make a successful meet NOT your money
Q: What counts as a work session?
A: Any yellow spot on the Volunteer Sheet that you sign up for counts as one work session…whether it’s for half the meet or for the full meet. You and your spouse can each work a session in the same meet and that would count as two worker credits.
Q: What if my child has vacation/baseball/other conflicts and will only be at 3 meets?
A: If you only have a child swimming at 3 meets, then you only have to work three sessions.
Q: I don’t like any of the jobs left or I can’t work any of the time slots. Are there any other options?
A: We will need a few workers at finals, so if you would prefer to work one of your shifts there, please let me know. If we don’t get enough workers for finals, we will use the deposits of anyone who didn’t work their required sessions to pay some teenagers to help at finals.
Q: What if I am new and don’t know what to sign up for? Will someone explain my job to me if I’ve never done it before?
A: Yes, on the "Volunteer Description" tab of this site there descriptions of some of the more ambiguous jobs. None of the jobs are complicated so a new job can be explained to you the day you show up to work.
Q: Do I have to check in somewhere at a meet if I am working?
A: We’ll have one person in charge of signing everyone in when they show up to work to make sure you are getting credit for being there and to let you know where to go.
Q: I am only working the second half of the meet. How do I know when to report for duty?
A: We will make an announcement part of the way through the meet (at the end of breaststroke), instructing the replacement workers to go relieve the current workers.
Practice:
Q: Do I need to tell someone if my child is missing practice?
A: In general, no. If you will be gone for an extended period and feel like you want to fill the coaches in, you can send them an email. However, you can attend as much or as little as you’d like. Obviously, the more practices your child attends, the better the coaches will get to know them and be able to help.
Q: What happens if it rains/storms? How will I know if practice has been cancelled?
A: The coaches will send an email if practice is cancelled, we will also try to post it on our Facebook page.
Q: Can my 4 or 5 year old be on the swim team?
A: Yes, they can be an "Orca Mini", but please use your best judgment. Although the 6 & U practice in the shallow end near the mushroom, any child on the swim team is expected to be able to swim on their own. These young kids don't have to participate in meets, but if you are unsure as to whether they can complete a full lap to participate in a meet, please talk to the coaches. At our last home meet, June 27th, the Orca Minis will have the opportunity to swim a lap with their older Orca teammates cheering them on before the official meet begins.
Meets:
Q: How do I sign up for meets?
A: There will be a google docs spreadsheet that allows you to sign up for meets electronically. We used this method last year and it seemed to work out well. If you run into technical difficulties and aren't able to access the spreadsheet, then make sure you let the coaches know if you are available for the meet either via email or at practice. It is very important that you let us know whether or not you will be at the meet as no shows cause a lot of headaches, particularly when it comes to relays.
Q: Do I get to pick what my child swims?
A: There is a space on the signup to indicate any special requests such as “free only”, “no relays” or “no butterfly.” However, the coaches have the final call. Swimmers typically swim 3 or 4 events, though some of the younger kids may swim fewer depending on their skill set.
Q: How do I find out what my child is swimming at the meet?
A: Most of the pools in our league (including us) have transitioned to a meet manager system that will allow us to email heat sheets to the parents prior to the meet. This will show what events, heats, and lanes your child will be swimming. You should print off a copy of this heat sheet and bring it with you to the meet if possible. If for some reason the heat sheet is not sent out ahead of time, then all the events will be posted at the pool that night. For Diving, Jake will let you know.
Q: What time do meets start?
A: Diving meets start at 4pm. Warm-ups for the home team are 3pm and for the visiting team are 3:30pm.
Swim meets start at 7pm. Warm-ups for the home team are 6pm and for the visiting team are 6:30pm.
Heads up: Parking is an issue at many of the clubs so allow yourself some extra time as you sometimes need to park in adjacent neighborhoods and walk over to the swim club.
Q: How long do meets last?
A: It really depends on how big the team is that we swim against. Also, meets at home tend to go a little faster since we are one of the few teams with 8 lanes instead of 6. It can definitely be dark by the time meets are over so be sure to pack sweatshirts and more than one towel for your kids as it can get cool later in the meet.
Q: In addition to the dual meets, there are also championships? How does that work? How do we know whether our child will be swimming at A or B Finals?
A: The 4 or 5 swimmers in each age group with the fastest times will attend A Finals. The coaches will notify you toward the end of the season if they’d like your child to attend A Finals. However, a majority of the swimmers will be attending B Finals. A Finals are always held at St. X and this year B Finals will be held at Delhi Swim Club. The location for Diving Finals is Delhi Swim Club this year.
Other:
Q: I saw bake sale as a job. Who makes the food for the bake sale?
A: You do! We will have a bake sale/concession stand set up for home meets. We ask for each family to bring something to be sold…it can be an actual baked good, watermelon slices, fruit snacks, etc…anything you think someone might want to buy! We would love for someone to volunteer to be in charge of the Concession Stand for all homes meets for the year. We have notes from last year to help you!
Q: When is picture day?
A: Picture Day will be June 20th at 9am at OHSC
Q: Are team suits required?
A: No, they are not. The team suit is all black with royal blue trim. We order them through Swimville in Northern KY. If you missed the fitting and would still like to order one, you can contact them directly. However, we have caps for everyone on the team so even if you don’t have a team suit, you’ll have an Orchard Hill cap. You also have the option to buy a Silicone cap this year for $10. You can have your child’s name added for an additional fee.
Q: Who are the coaches?
A: Kevin Huey is the head coach at Orchard this year. He is a swim coach at the YMCA and has many years of experience to bring to the team. Sean Hergenrother is back this year as well. Sean is finishing his Freshman year at Marquette for pre-med, and this is his 5th year working with the Orchard HIll Swim team. Some other familiar faces will be rounding out the coaching staff this year as well. Morgan Hoffman and Anna Hergenrother (a McAuley student) are also on staff this year. Josh Knapke is once again our head coach for the Dive Team this year, and we are excited to have him back!
Q: Who Can I contact with Questions?
A: Tara Binder, Jennifer Froehle, Mehgan Corson, Kristy Williams, and Theresa Sewell are all helping organize and make sure the teams and meets run smoothly this year. We have streamlined contact by creating a gmail account, so please email ohscorcas@gmail.com with any questions! We have also created a Facebook page, to hopefully disseminate information quickly and have a place where you can go to reference any documents that we send out. Go to the page, and request to join for the latest updates! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ohscorcas/