2019 – 2020 Staff
West Haven Parks & Recreation Department
Pool & Waterfront Supervisor
Margaret Ruggiero 937-3651
Team Coaches
Sean McCauley, Head Coach 815-5889;
email: smccauley426@yahoo.com
Eric Pimer, Assistant Head Coach / 8&Under Coordinator
Robin Viani, Assistant Head Coach / 8 & Under Coordinator
Erin McCauley, Assistant Coach
Callie Jackson, Assistant Coach
Jay Falanga, Assistant Coach
Devan Miller, Assistant Coach
Samantha Pimer, Assistant Coach
Sean Morton, Assistant Coach
Flo Pimer, Deck Manager
Parents’ Club Officers
President: Cecily Shubin wizardparent@gmail.com
Vice President: Mike Wight
Treasurer: Ananta Mulmi
Recording Secretary: Becky Charron
Corresponding Secretary: Toni Cassone
Meet Manager: Shaileen Morton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/westhavenwizards
Team Website: www.westhavenwizards.org
League Website: www.yankeeswimleague.org
Park Rec Dept: www.whparkrec.com
Practice Schedules
Unless otherwise noted or announced practices will be held Monday through Friday at the following times:
4:30 Group – “Merlins”: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
5:30 Group – “Dumbledores”: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
6:30 Group – “Gandalfs”: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on M,W,F*;
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tues. & Thurs;
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings
All swimmers will be assigned a regular practice time to attend on the first day.
*****NEW FOR 2019-2020: Deep water drills and training will be held for the 6:30 Group at 6:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays*****
Monthly Calendars are provided prior to the first of each month to inform you of any changes in the schedule, however, the calendar page on our team website will have the most up to date information throughout the season and is constantly updated.
A NOTE ON PRACTICE TIMES: Swimmers are assigned practice times based on age and ability. Each swimmer is evaluated by the coaching staff and put in the time slot in which we feel each swimmer can be the most successful. Swimmers may be moved up at coaches’ discretion throughout the year. We sincerely apologize if your child’s practice time presents difficulties for you, however, please be advised that these times are non-negotiable.
TRIALS FEES: There will be a $12.00* meet entry fee per swimmer due Friday, December 6th. This covers the Trials entry fees.
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
The West Haven Wizards Swim Team is an activity organized and run by the Department of Parks & Recreation. Any boy or girl up to the age of 18 may join. The coaches evaluate the swimming skill at the outset of the season to assure that the child is ready to join the team. Expertise is not necessary, but the child must be independent enough not to need a coach in the pool with him/her.
The team is a member of the Yankee Swim League and competes in meets against other teams from across the state. Dual meets start in November and end in early February. If your child qualifies, he or she will also compete in Championship meets in late February and early March. Meets are usually held on Saturdays. The Yankee League abides by the rules of the U.S. Swimming Association.
Please read this handbook carefully. It contains most of the rules and information you will need to know to get the most out of this season.
Season Timeline
TO ALL 4:30 GROUP PARENTS AND SWIMMERS
At the beginning of the season, we share space with the High School
Girls Team. It is possible that for
approximately the first 6 weeks of the season, the 4:30 group practices may start later than the
scheduled time due to the high school team practice. Please be patient as this is only a temporary
inconvenience and we ask all swimmers to be at the pool ready to swim at 4:30. Practice will still end at 5:30. In addition, home meets may alter the
practice schedule so please check monthly calendars.
Meet Participation: Meets are Mandatory
All swimmers are required to attend all scheduled meets. A swimmer’s absence can have serious effects on the rest of the team. The coaching staff works hard to ensure that all swimmers swim as often as possible (99.9% of the time this means each swimmer swims the maximum of 4 times in each meet). All swimmers are required to stay on deck in swim gear until the very end of the meet after the final cheer. We are a team and must remain together – in meet gear - during the entire duration of the meet. Unexcused absences will result in a swimmer’s removal from the team.
Team policy requires attendance at a minimum of four meets. High School Boys cannot compete in meets with the West Haven Wizards after their first High School Meet due to C.I.A.C. and Yankee Swim League regulations.
Contact Coach Sean if illness or family emergency occur. PLEASE let him know as soon as possible. The coaching staff spends hours before each meet setting up relay events and deciding what individual events each swimmer will swim. Coach Sean’s cell phone number is in this handbook and on every copy of meet directions we hand out.
Please inform the coaches of any vacations which will affect the team by OCTOBER 10, 2019.
Trials, Finals, and All Stars Trials, Finals and All Stars are the three most important and exciting meets of the year. Not only do they represent the culmination of the hard work of coaches, swimmers, and parents, but also West Haven is privileged to host some or all of these events which represents a tremendous opportunity to raise funds for our team. More information is available via the Guide To Trials but here are the most important points: ALL SWIMMERS are expected to swim at Trials, and if they make it, Finals. Please block this time off ASAP. Any swimmer 9 or older who places in the top 12 of any individual event they swim at Trials will swim at Finals the next week. Anyone who captures a top 3 finish at Finals will qualify for All Stars. For 8 & Unders, swimmers who take a top 3 place at 8 & under Championships will qualify for All Stars. For more information, please see the Guide to Trials.Trials Fees will be due Friday, December 6th and will be $12.00 per swimmer. This helps curtail cost of awards given out during the championship season. ANY SWIMMER THAT HAS NOT INFORMED COACHING STAFF WHO THEY ARE MISSING TRIALS BY DECEMBER 6th must still pay Trials Fees.
Meet RulesPractice Rules:
Anytime Rules:
SCHEDULE CHANGES
High school meets, football games, school holidays, and other events may prompt cancellation or modification of the practice schedule. To make sure you are at the pool at the proper time please consult the calendar on the website (http://www.westhavenwizards.org/apps/calendar/) and the monthly calendars available at the pool for the most accurate day to day schedule.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
During the winter months, foul weather may cause cancellations. If the West Haven school system is cancelled or given an early dismissal due to inclement weather, practice is cancelled. If weather forces a cancellation of a meet, parents will be notified by notice, phone call and/or email and the meet will be rescheduled ASAP. To be sure you receive the most up to date announcements please be sure you include your e-mail address on the contact info sheet.
FOODOn the day before a meet we recommend carbohydrates like pasta to help provide stamina for the next day. Avoid very sweet items in the morning – sugars will cause a swimmer to crash part way through the meet. Water bottles are the only items allowed on deck during a meet. Please consult our nutrition page: http://www.westhavenwizards.org/nutrition.htm for more information.
PARENTSUnless acting as a timer or scorer, or have been asked by coaches to help supervise, PLEASE stay in the stands. It gets crowded and distracting if parents are on deck. The coaches have a great system for keeping the kids safe and helping them to be in the right place at the right time. The older swimmers accompany the younger to the blocks for their events and no one is allowed into the locker room alone.
Parents are welcome to watch practice from the stands but cannot be on deck during practice.
Coffee or food cannot be consumed on deck. An area in the bleachers is reserved for this purpose. Please keep this area clean or we will lose this privilege.
Check the locker rooms periodically during practice, especially if things are taking longer than is normal. You may be required to be in the locker room with your child if the swimmer has difficulty following locker room procedures and directions. The coaches cannot always leave the deck to monitor locker room activities.
SAFETY RULES FOR PARENTSParents must escort their children in and out of practice.
Do not leave your child at the pool unless a coach is present. Coaches will not allow children to leave the pool unless a parent or authorized adult is there for pick up.
SWIMMERS NEED TO REMAIN IN THE BUILDING UNTIL THEIR RIDE ARRIVES AFTER PRACTICE. It is dark and swimmers cannot be properly supervised if they leave the building. Coaches will wait after practice until all swimmers are picked up, but please make sure your child knows to stay in the building until you arrive.
Please do not expect coaches to be babysitters for the swimmers or other siblings, please drop off and pick up promptly. Do not allow swimmers or siblings to run in the facility, play ball or other games. The pool facilities were not designed for these activities. All children must be directly supervised and watched.
PARENTS’ CLUB
The Wizards Parents’ Club is an integral part of the team’s success. The WPC is in charge of providing workers during meets and organizing our fundraising activities and special events. We ask that all parents help the team by becoming involved in the Parents’ Club throughout the season. The more who volunteer, the easier it is for everyone and the more successful our team will be! For more information please visit http://www.westhavenwizards.org/parentsclubcentral.htm.
Volunteer Spot: Our team uses volunteerspot.org to coordinate workers and item donations for team events such as home meets. A url for each event will be emailed to you ahead of time.
CONTACT INFORMATION and CONDUCT FORMS
Please take a moment to fill out one of the contact information forms at the beginning of the season and return it to Coach Eric or Coach Sean. All information will be kept entirely confidential. The forms will allow the staff to be able to contact parents in the case of an emergency and email important announcements to parents in an efficient manner. In additions, all parents, coaches and swimmers are required to review our Conduct Forms and abide by all guidelines listed therein. This insures that all members of the Wizards family are aware of the rules and policies of this team which help make us so successful.
REMIND 101
In addition to emails, and the website, the team uses remind 101 to get news to parents and swimmers as fast as possible. Please use the available handout to subscribe to Coach Sean’s distribution list to receive a text for any last minute announcements and reminders. Please note, if you were receiving messages last year you do need to re-register.
OFFICIALS CLINIC
The Yankee League is hosting an Officials Clinic on Wednesday October 30th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Naugatuck High School. THE WIZARDS NEED OFFICIALS AT MEETS. If you are looking for a vital role in this team, please consider becoming an official this year.
CONCESSIONS
The vital role concessions plays in the success of this team cannot be understated. Please consider working a shift at concessions during home meets. You will not miss your child’s event. Concessions are the lifeblood of this team and the more people that help, the easier things will be.
EQUIPMENT
Swimming has the fortunate benefit of requiring little equipment to purchase in order to compete. There are certain items that parents will be responsible for purchasing.
Swim Outlet Team Store: http://www.swimoutlet.com/WestHavenWizards
Order from the Swim Outlet Team store and get great products and equipment hand selected by the coaching staff. Plus a portion of each purchase gets contributed to the team, so everyone wins!
For Practice
Suit: Swimmers are required to wear a suit in the pool! For girls, a one piece suit is best and is required. For boys, we highly encourage parents to purchase the “jammer”, which is a form fitting suit resembling bicycle shorts. Baggy ‘trunks’ provide too much resistance and make practice very difficult. Team suit fittings will be held during the season.
Caps: Latex caps are recommended, and caps are required for any boy or girl with longer hair
Goggles: Goggles are highly recommended for meets and practices – it helps to see where you are going. Coaches recommend Speedo Hydrospex Juniors
Towel: It helps to be dry when you leave J
For Meets
Team Suit: The team suit is required for all parents and is the largest expenditure you will make, prices are generally in the $50 - $70 range for girls and $30 - $40 range for boys. It is required for ALL swimmers to be worn at ALL meets. TEAM SUITS CANNOT BE WORN DURING PRACTICE. -
Team Caps: Team caps will be provided to swimmers prior to their first meet. A cap is not required for meets, but if one is to be worn, it must be the team cap.
Goggles, Towels, Shorts, T Shirts & Water Bottles are all recommended for on deck and in the pool during meets.
PARENTS – WRITE YOUR CHILDS NAME ON EVERYTHING HE OR SHE BRINGS TO THE POOL: Many items can get misplaced and many look the same.
Swimming Tips and DefinitionsChildren compete only against other children of their own gender and age. The age groups are as follows:
8 & under
9&10
11&12
13&14
15&over
A child’s age is determined as of November 1st.
There are four strokes – butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle. One length of the pool is 25 yards.
A dual meet has approximately 80 events. An event is a particular race for each gender and age group. For each type of race, the events progress from youngest to oldest swimmers; then the next type of race starts over with the youngest swimmers.
A heat is one race with 6 swimmers. Often there is more than one heat for each event.
The IM means Individual Medley which means one swimmer does all four strokes in one race. The medley relay means each swimmer does a different stroke in one relay race.
DQ means “disqualified”. This is VERY COMMON, especially with newer swimmers, and parents and swimmers should not fall apart – it is part of the learning process. Doing the wrong stroke, standing up, missing the wall on a turn, or not touching the wall properly, if seen by the official, will result in a DQ. The officials will also tell the swimmer what he/she did wrong to help the swimmer learn.