Q. Where do we practice?
A. Birchwood Lake Swim Lanes - preteam sometimes practices at the ML Club pool but participants will be notified about this in advance.
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Q. Does my swimmer need to take the Beach Test every year?
A. All swimmers under 12 years old are required by the ML borough to pass the deep water beach test administered by The Beach Director and her staff.
Q. What time should I have my swimmer(s) arrive for practice?
A. Please arrive 15 minutes before start time for socialization AND warmup exercises
Q. What is the procedure if my family is going to miss time due to VACATION?
A. Submit your vacation schedule through the vacation sign up genius which will be available prior to the start of the season. If changes occur, please let the coach know and update the sign up genius
Q. What is the procedure if my swimmer is to miss a MEET?
A. Submit the meets your swimmer(s) will miss to COACH LESHNOWER prior to the start of the season. If an emergent change occurs, please let Coach Leshnower as soon as possible. He will be in contact with you following the meet to check in with your family.
Q. If we choose not to attend a meet at the last minute, can’t another swimmer just take my child’s place?
A. No. Once our meet sheets are set 24 hours (minimum) in advance of the scheduled meet date, the only changes the coaching staff will make are for EMERGENT ISSUES. Other absentees cause the team to lose points by leaving the lane empty and another teammate will likely miss an opportunity to swim (in the case of a relay swim).
Q. How long are practices?
A. Practice times range from 1 hour (8 and under) to 2 hours (13 and over). Please check the schedule under the PROGRAMS page or the CALENDAR page to view a complete listing of our practice schedules.
Q. What kind of training does the swim team do?
A. We believe in developing and reinforcing the technical fundamentals of all four strokes (balancing, body line, kicking, and stroke specific drills) AND learning and applying racing skills (Racing Starts, underwater skills, race strategy and finishes).
Q. What should my swimmer bring to daily practices and meets
A. A listing of recommended gear is located on the 'PARENTS' page
Q. What is a CHAMPIONSHIP MEET?
A. Championship meets have minimum attendance requirements and the Lakeland “A” championship also has Qualifying Times (QT’s) that a swimmer must meet to participate.
Q. What are QT’s?
A. QT’s are qualifying time standards set by the LAKELAND SWIM CONFERENCE (LSC) ONLY for its “A” Championship meet. QT’s are set each year by the LSC, initially based on the 16th fastest time for the previous year’s championship meet. Following the HIGHLAND B Invitational, the LSC will have a meeting to adjust the QT’s for all Age Groups. QT’s can be made slower based upon the league statistics in all, some, or no events. QT’s are NEVER made faster than the initial QT’s released to the LSC.
Q. What is an INVITATIONAL MEET?
A. An “Invitational” is a meet that is optional for swimmers to attend. They are typically offered on Saturday mornings throughout the season. Swimmers have the opportunity to swim up to 4 events and sometimes relays during the day. INVITATIONALS DO COUNT TOWARD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING (QT’s and minimum number of meets attended). Swimmers and families are free to leave after completion of their events and speaking with the coaches.
Q. How do I sign up for an Invitational, Championship, and/or Dual Meet?
A. Invitationals: entries are sent in on TUESDAY PRECEEDING the date of the meet.
Dual Meets: entries are completed Friday for Monday Meets and Sunday for Wednesday meets. Championships: Coaches will enter events for swimmers. Deadlines TBA at practice.
Q. When is it an appropriate time to speak with any of the coaches?
A. Anytime following your swimmer’s practice session or a meet is an appropriate time to speak with any of the coaches. Coach Leshnower is also available prior to regular practice from approximately 12:00- 12:45pm.
Q. What if I have a negative issue that I feel needs to be resolved?
A. Please exercise the “24 hour rule” prior to contacting Coach Leshnower. He will contact you in a timely manner to set a meeting for the purpose of resolving the issue/situation.
Q. What should my swimmer do after they compete in a race?
A. Swimmers will go directly to the coaching staff to receive race feedback immediately following their swim.