JCSC would like to congratulate Ben Young on setting the 50 yard freestyle record at City Meet this year. In case you missed the swim here it is.
In 2004 the team consulted with a nutritionist and she concurred with my suggestion. This year I have had several families ask for more details and an explanation for special dietary situations. My suggestion for athletes preparing for an evening dual swim meet is as follows:
Day before the meet
A healthy well balanced meal with carbohydrates.
Morning of meet
A healthy well balanced meal typical to the healthy meal eaten every morning at breakfast.
Lunch
A healthy well balanced meal typical to the healthy meal eaten daily at lunch.
Just before you leave for the meet
A healthy well balanced meal as appropriate to the child.
After warm-ups or right before warm-up
A healthy snack, possibly a Powerbar, fruit, or sandwich.
During meet
Hydrate with Gatorade and water only.
After the meet
Enjoy anything you want.
Just as we do not mandate practice or meet attendance, we do not mandate dietary habits. As coaches at JCSC, we make suggestions towards best practice in competitive swimming. The coaches understand there are many kids who have special dietary needs, and of course we respect the health of the child. We try our best to accommodate the needs of the athletes. Extra information of healthy snacks can be found at the Resources page. If there are any further questions, I encourage you to talk to me. I can also tell you some funny stories of my battle with team nutrition over the years.
Winter Weather Policy
Scheduling/Cancellations/Inclement Weather
We will run on the Hamblen County snow schedule for the FIRST day of snow. For subsequent days, please check this website and/or with the Head Coach. Whenever you are in doubt about a practice, please check the team website. Schedule changes will be posted here whenever possible to get them up in a timely manner. If a swimmer does not have internet access, they may call the Head Coach.
If there is any debate assume that there is no practice. We do not want anybody getting hurt on the way to or from swim practice. Inexperienced high school drivers are at an extreme risk. Any swimmer or parent can call the Head Coach with questions or for information. We are not able to call each swimmer when there are changes in the schedule due to weather. Swimmers without internet access will need to call the Head Coach if they have any doubt that the weather could cause a scheduled workout to be cancelled.
JCSC Summer Weather Policy
Summer thunderstorms always stop swimming. Be Aware! Be Safe!
The
rules we follow are these:
1. When thunder is first heard or lightning is first seen, the pool, deck and fences are cleared of all swimmers.
2. Swimmers and others in the pool area must stand under the pavilion, in the
JCSC shed, or in other buildings.
3. Swimmers may re-enter the water 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard.
Because summer storms may be widely scattered, strict policies about work-out or meet cancellations can not be established. If you think that there is a possibility that a work-out or meet may be cancelled check this website's homepage. If possible, a cancellation will be posted. If the cancellation is called too late, there will be no way to post it. Swimmers and parents need to take responsibility for checking when weather conditions are questionable. We do not have the resources to call over 120 swimmers in a timely manner. Cancellations are posted ASAP on the homepage whenever
possible to get them up in a timely manner. If a swimmer does not have internet access, they may call the Head Coach.
Why do we have Swim Meets?
Competitive swim meets help to
teach the children good sportsmanship and discipline while helping to develop
their athleticism and competitiveness. These characteristics combined together
result in TEAM SPIRIT; working together for a common goal. Parental support
through active participation in the Barracuda's meets and events helps to
reinforce those life skills that the children are learning.
What is
Disqualification (DQ)?
Our team
complies with United States Swimming (USA) rules - the same rules used at the
Olympic Time Trials and the Olympics. To ensure fair competition for all
swimmers, these rules are equally applied to all swimmers, regardless of age or
experience. During competition, if a swimmer fails to comply with the stroke and
turn rules, a Stroke & Turn Judge will raise his/her hand and write up a
disqualification (DQ) slip. Being disqualified is not the end of the world.
Almost all swimmers have been DQ at some time. This should be viewed as a
learning experience and not a failure. Swimmers should discuss this with their
coach after the race, and together they will formulate a plan to correct the
mistake.
JCSC Training - Who we are,
what we do and why we do it
1. Equal Opportunity
Coaching – We
strive to give each swimmer equal opportunity to take advantage of our desire to
work with everybody. This does not mean equal time is given. Swimmers
have different needs at different times and are at different levels of
development which allow only certain levels of coaching input. But those
who consistently give more of themselves in training and competition always
gain the most from our coaching efforts.
3. About 2/3 of JCSC swimmers are improving significantly as shown by their times
in most meets. The other 1/3 is made up of many swimmers who are undergoing
training or technique developments which have not translated into faster times,
yet. Remember all improvement is not linear. Be patient. Be
confident. Be consistent.
On the other hand,
some of our swimmers can’t or won’t put in training time or intensity and
thereby account for “baseline” times…that is O.K. as a matter of choice with
understandable results. If there are any questions about improvement please
talk to your
Coach before or after workout times.
Work-out Guidelines
1.
Work-outs will proceed if at all possible. We will wait for the first 20-minute
waiting period and perhaps a few more intervals. The head deck-coach will make
a decision about cancellation if the storm continues.
2.On
stormy days, parents should be aware that their swimmers may have to picked up
early. Please be prepared to do that.
3. A workout for
vacationing swimmers to take along
with them is posted on the
Resources
page of this website.
Meet Guidelines
1.
If weather causes
a cancellation of a meet prior to the start of the meet, notification must be
made quickly. CHECK THE WEBSITE. If you
have already left for the meet and don’t get the notification in time place the
blame on the weather!
2.If
bad weather interrupts a meet, the head coaches will decide what is to be done.
3.Please
do not leave a swim meet until the head coach directs you to do so!
Resources
We have added a "Resource
Room" where we will house information pertinent to a healthy lifestyle for
our swimmers.
JCSC policy
No jewelry is allowed on deck. Do NOT ask a coach to hold it for you.
Please leave it at home or lock it in a locker. (If you wear any jewelry
to a high school swim meet you will be disqualified).
Daily Training
Guidelines For JCSC Swimmer with Parental Assistance
· Attend 100% of the
practices, if at all physically possible.
· Have equipment
available AND adjusted before every practice.
· Use restroom before
practice.
· Perform stretching
and strength exercises regularly.
· Never walk on the
bottom or bob during warm-ups and cool-downs.
· Streamline, pull
out, then breathe when pushing off the walls.
· Perform all strokes
legally from wall to wall. DO NOT STOP mid-lap.
· Perform legal back
and breaststroke turns in practice.
· Backstroke kick in
streamline position.
· Perform sets with
consistency and controlled breathing patterns.
· Perform each
breaststroke start and turn with an underwater pull and kick;
with next pull,
start breathing on surface of water.
· Begin each repeat
precisely ON TIME and finish OFF of the bottom.
· Perform all drills
exactly as instructed. CONCENTRATE.
· No switching kicking
strokes during kicking drills.
· NO TALKING DURING
DRILL INSTRUCTIONS.
· No hanging on the
lane lines.
· No chewing gum in
practice.
· No jewelry
allowed on deck. Do NOT give it to a coach. Please leave it at home.
· Finish each training
set all the way to the wall with a good touch.
· After finishing your
laps, move out of the way, allowing others to finish with a good touch on the
wall.
· Flip all free turns
legally, unless you are unable.
· If you have to stop,
always stop in front of the coach.
· If your equipment
fails train without it (except in the strange occurrence of a suit falling off).
· Always have an extra
set of racing goggles.
· Maintain proper
eating, sleeping, and study habits.
· Ice sore muscles
· Be a leader.
· Use ear drops to
prevent ear infections.
Ear Drop Recipe
Mix equal portions of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. (Vinegar
contains acetic acid, which kills bacteria and fungi. Isopropyl Alcohol
absorbs the water, helps dry out the ear, and may even kill the bacteria and
fungi that cause
swimmer's ear).
Put 3-4 drops in each ear immediately after
leaving the water every time you swim. (These drops help prevent
swimmer's ear. If, even after using these drops after every practice, you
contract swimmer's ear, see your doctor immediately to obtain the proper drops
to cure the condition).
Swimmer's Ear (External Otitis)
An inflammation of the skin lining the outer ear canal. It occurs most often after swimming or bathing when water becomes trapped in the ear, providing
an excellent environment for bacteria growth. Within hours, symptoms of
itching, pain, and discharge may occur. The skin thickens making the ear canal
narrower. The human ear needs wax (cerumen) to protect against Swimmer's Ear. Ear wax is nature's way of protecting the skin by waterproofing and providing an
acid pH mantle to inhibit growth of microorganisms.
