FAQ'S
Q: What swim association is the WST swim team affiliated with
A: The Weatherstone Swim Team is part of the SAIL organization. SAIL is a swim association started in Greenville in 1964 so swimmers have been participating for over 50 years. Our Weatherstone Swim Team was started by neighborhood parents in 2008. We currently compete in the Green Division of SAIL. For more information about SAIL, visit their website here SAIL website
Q: Does my swimmer have to swim the length of the pool?
A: While the coaches do offer stroke correction and instruction, WST swim team is not a substitute for swim lessons. Your child must be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted in order to participate.
Q: Do we need certain supplies for swim team?
A: Yes. Your child will need a bathing suit, swim cap, goggles, sunscreen, and towels. Our team suit is a solid sapphire blue suit or a previously purchased W branded sapphire suit. Team swim caps can be purchased at the start of the season or your child can wear a solid-colored cap with no logos. The team t-shirt is included in the cost of registration and will be distributed at the beginning of the season. Please label all items - goggles, swim suit, t-shirt because they will all look almost the same!
Q: Does my swimmer win anything at meets?
A: Each swimmer 10 and under will be awarded a ribbon for each event that was not disqualified in the meet. In the event a swimmer is disqualified, no ribbon is given. Ribbons are typically awarded weekly at the first evening practice after the swim meet.
Q: What if it rains or the weather looks questionable on meet or practice day?
A: Practices and meets can continue in the rain. However, if the rain is so hard that the bottom of the pool is not visible, a delay will be called or practice may be canceled. In the event of thunder or lightning, the pool will be cleared and there will be a delay in the meet or practice. If inclement weather continues, practice or a meet may be canceled. You can sign up for a “Remind” text at the beginning of the season for up-to-date delay and cancellation information.
Q: How do I sign my swimmer up for a meet?
A: Each family is responsible for signing up their own swimmers on our online meet sign up site https://pstwst.swimtopia.com/. A deadline for signing up for each meet will be announced prior to the meet so that the coaches can seed the meet properly.
Q: We are going on vacation/participating in summer camps etc. during swim season. Is it OK to miss practices and meets?
A: Absolutely! We realize that families have lives outside of swim team. The great thing about swim team is that you can participate at your own level. Again, you will declare on our team website if your child will be present or absent for each meet. and certain events. There will be a deadline for declaring if your child will be absent so the meet can be seeded properly. Practices are offered twice a day on some days, but swimmers are not expected to come to both practices and may need to miss practice for summer camps, VBS etc. Attendance will not be taken at practices.
Q: What is the volunteer requirement and what positions are available?
A: Our swim team is 100% run by parent volunteers, and we ask that every family pitch in to help our meets run smoothly and to ensure our swimmers have the support they need to swim their best. As stated in your registration forms, each family is required to work both halves of any meet. There are numerous opportunities to help out. We need tent parents, timers, head timers, runners, records and ribbons, starters, referees, and stroke and turn judges. See the descriptions below. Parents are also asked to help set-up and clean-up after home meets. IF A PARENT IS UNABLE TO VOLUNTEER AT A SWIM MEET, THE SWIMMER WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SWIM AT THAT MEET. For example, if parents will be out of town, the swimmer cannot be sent with another family or grandparents etc to the meet, unless that person can volunteer in the meet in place of the parents.
Q: What does each volunteer position involve?
A: Each position is pretty simple once you’ve tried it. If you’re new to the team or would like to try a new position this summer, talk to one of the Board members or the volunteer coordinator and we can help walk you through it.
Tent Parents: These parents sit in the tent area with the swimmers during the meet and help to check swimmers in when they arrive to the meet. Also, with the use of a heat sheet, tent parents gather swimmers for upcoming heats and send them to the clerk of course area. Since there is usually more than one tent parent, parents can go up on deck during their swimmers event to watch them swim.
Clerk of Course: These volunteers line kids up on benches by event and heat give swimmers a blue card that will be given to the timer with the swimmer’s name and information. Clerk of course may also work prior to the start of the meet to combine events to make the meet run more smoothly.
Timers: Each lane during a swim meet will have four timers, typically two from each team. Three of the four timers will use a stopwatch to time their swimmer based on the strobe light start and their swimmer touching the wall. One of these timers will be the “recorder” and sit at a small table at the lane to record the three times on the swimmer’s blue card.
Head Timer: This person will stand behind the timers and signal to the starter/referee when the timers are ready for the next heat to start. This position will also start a stopwatch in case a timer’s watch does not start. At away meets, our team’s head timer will serve as assistant head timer, working in conjunction with the hosting team’s head timer.
Runners: These parents will take blue cards from swimmers and deliver them to the correct timer during 25 meter events. For all events, a runner will collect blue cards from the recording timers and deliver them to the records area of the meet.
Records and Ribbons: These volunteers will collect the blue cards and check them for accuracy before handing them off to the Team Computer Operator to enter the official times in the computer. The Team Computer Operator will then print labels that will be placed on the back of the different ribbons.
Stroke and Turn Judges: This position will use official rules learned during certification to ensure a swimmer’s stroke is legal. If a swimmer’s stroke in found to be non-legal, the stroke and turn judge will raise their hand and communicate with the referee regarding the possible disqualification of the swimmer.
Referee: This person will oversee home meets and serve as assistant referee of away meets. This role has the responsibility of seeing that the meet is properly conducted and that rules are fairly enforced for all swimmers.
Starter: This person will be “the voice” of the meet and start each heat using an electronic starting system when they assistant referee and head timer signal that swimmers are ready.
Most positions require taking a short certification and test online prior to the season. Some positions such as referee, starter, stroke and turn and clerk of course require in-person training. Training dates will be posted on the team website. We ALWAYS need help in these certified positions so please consider signing up to be trained in one of them.
Q: Where do I go for Volunteer Training?
A: Click HERE for training materials, online tests and in-person test training requirements
Q: What is Divisionals?
A: Our Divisional meet is held in early to mid-July. This meet will be held on a Friday or Saturday rather than a Thursday night like our regular season meets. At Divisionals, our swimmers will compete against all the other teams in our Division so it is a longer meet than those on Thursday evenings. This meet will be held at another team pool in our division. Each division in SAIL will hold their own Divisional meet the same weekend. Your swimmer’s times at this meet will determine if they qualify for Championships and/or Classics the following weekend.
Q: Does my swimmer have to attend Divisionals?
A: Divisionals is optional but strongly encouraged if your family is available and if your swimmer has qualified. (In order to qualify, your swimmer must have participated in 2 regular meets during the season). This is the meet that determines the winner of our Division for the season. An “Intent to Swim” form will be required several weeks prior to this meet where you can declare if your swimmer will participate in Divisionals and in Championships and Classics if they qualify.
Q: What are Championships and Classics?
A: Championships and Classics are qualifying meets held the weekend after Divisionals. Championships are on Saturday and Classics on Sunday afternoon. The top swimmers in all the SAIL divisions combined compete in these meets. Based on times swam at Divisonals, Classics consists of the top 16 swimmers in all of SAIL for each event while Championships consists of the number 17-40 swimmers in each event. The fastest relays can also qualify for Championships and Classics.
