Swim Team Handbook
Welcome to the Wallingford Swim Team, Home of the WallyGators and the Little Gators
We hope this manual provides you with all of the information you need to navigate summer swim at WSARC. Our goal is to have FUN and enjoy the summer swim season! If your questions are not answered in this manual, or the Swim Team webpage on the WSARC website, please do not hesitate ask a coach, a swim team coordinator, or send your questions to the Swim Team email: WSARCswimming@gmail.com.
This information and more is also available in the team handbook:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HBFK6FDXA4G4let7hbYOmpqEJyR5T8c9fZRJy3VEQJ0/edit?usp=sharing
And if you are new to the swim world, this has a little primer on terminology:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1amUp3NQj3FK77ug2iVbJq8UK3CjpFJ0eLiyNt9LtWjg/edit?usp=sharing
Placement on WallyGators vs. Little Gators
Each season all new swimmers and all returning 8 & under swimmers must be evaluated by one of the swim team’s coaches (unless explicitly told otherwise). The results of your child’s evaluation determines placement on the WallyGators (competitive) Swim Team or the Little Gators (developmental) Swim Team.
Little Gators do not participate in time trials or Varsity and JV swim meets. Several Little Gators meets will occur during the course of the summer to allow them to experience a meet in a low stress setting.
Little Gators are very much encouraged to be in the team picture, come to pasta parties and to watch and cheer at swim meets and participate in all other team activities.
The evaluation for team placement consists of swimming two full laps of the pool and then treading water for 1 minute.
- Swimmers who complete one of their two laps in 30 seconds or less and exhibit competence in at least two strokes will be placed on the Wally Gators Swim Team.
- Swimmers who can complete the evaluation, but cannot complete a lap in 30 seconds or do not exhibit competence in two strokes will be assigned to the Little Gators Developmental Swim Team.
- Swimmers who are unable complete the evaluation will not be placed on either team, but are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the free swim lessons offered at the WSARC.
General Information
We will be using TeamSnap for meet availability and communication, and SignUp Genius for volunteer signup. Please let one of the swim team representatives know if you do not receive emails or SignUp Genius invitations from the team. If you are not familiar either of these platforms we will happy to help you – just ask!
Team suits can be tried on and ordered during the suit fitting offered at the pool at the beginning of the season. Suits can also be ordered at any time during the season from The Swim Shop (https://www.theswimshopde.com).
Purchasing a team swim suit is encouraged, but definitely not required.
Swimmers are, however, asked to wear a good-fitting, racing style suit for both practices and meets.
Practice and Meets
Pre-season practice
Pre-season practice begins after the club opens for the season and ends after schools lets out. There will be a mix of dryland and pool workouts.
Please see the calendar for dates and times.
Regular season practice
Regular season practice begins the week after WSSD’s last day of school.
Please see the calendar for dates and times.
Of note, an evening practice is offered. This practice is intended only for kids that absolutely cannot make morning practice. Out of necessity, evening practice is run by one coach, includes all age groups, and can only utilize three lanes of the lap pool (in order to accommodate our lap swimmers). Little Gators cannot attend evening practices.
.Swimmers are encouraged to attend practice every day they are available. Practices are not mandatory, but will help improve your swimmer’s performance with regular attendance.
Practice takes place rain or shine and is only cancelled due to thunder or lightning. In the event of a cancellation, you will be notified as soon as possible via Teamsnap.
Age groups
Your child’s age group is determined by their age on June 1st. It does not change during the course of the season.
For example, if Tommy turns 9 on June 3rd he will swim as an 8 & under throughout the season. If, however, Tommy turns 9 on May 30th he will swim as a 10 & under throughout the season.
Time Trials
Time trials record your child’s time in each stroke they are able to swim. This helps the coaches determine your child’s placement in individual events and on relay teams at swim meets and gives your swimmer a time to beat!
See calendar for dates and times.
Swim Meets
The WallyGators compete in the Suburban Swim League, a swim league consisting of 14 teams in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery Counties.
Swim meets take place rain or shine and are only cancelled due to thunder or lightning. In the event of a cancellation, you will be notified as soon as possible via TeamSnap.
Each summer, at least one of our meets falls on an unseasonably chilly day. We encourage you to plan ahead and pack an extra towel, blanket or clothes when the forecast calls for cooler weather! Every swimmer should make sure they have two sets of good-fitting swim goggles on hand for every meet. While pool snack bars are usually open during swim meets, it is always a good idea to pack extra food and drink for your swimmer.
Directions to meets can be found under the TEAMS header on the SSL website (https://sslsummer.swimtopia.com) Please arrive 15 minutes prior to warm-ups and allow for sufficient travel time to away meets.
Meet Lineups and Swimmer Availability
Each swimmer can only swim a maximum of 4 events at each meet. This includes relays and individual events. Individual events and relay teams are decided by the coaches.
In order to help assure that our meets start on time and run quickly the lineup must be finalized before we arrive at a meet. Thus, in order to give the coaches enough time to determine the lineup, your swimmer’s availability must be indicated online, via TeamSnap, at least 48 hours before each meet. If your swimmer’s availability is not indicated, or is marked as “maybe” we will assume that they are not swimming and they will not be put in the meet lineup. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS! Please note, due to the size of our team, coaches do their best to have each swimmer swim an event, but it does not always happen.
Coaches will send out reminders to sign up for meets, but will lock availability 48 hours before each meet.
Meet lineups will be posted by the coaches at least 24 hours in advance on TeamSnap. Please remember to check every lineup to make sure your child is entered appropriately. If there is an issue please contact the coaches.
Remember, if your swimmer signs up for a meet, but does not show up they are affecting the lineup for other kids – especially if they are placed on a relay team.
JV vs. Varsity
The Wally Gators do not have a set JV or Varsity Team. If your child is available and reasonably able to swim a given stroke, it is possible for them swim in both JV and Varsity meets.
Usually the older age groups, 14 & under and 18 & under, choose not to swim in JV meets.
If you place 1st or 2nd in a JV meet, you can no longer swim in JV meets.
Regular season Swim Meets
The SSL typically holds JV Swim Meets on Tuesday mornings (~9 am) (**for 2024 please note the exception for the Swarthmore swim meet which will occur in the evening**)and Varsity Swim Meets on Wednesday evenings (~5:30 pm). The average meet lasts 3 hours (+/- 30 minutes). During the regular season there are usually 4-5 JV swim meets and 4-5 Varsity Swim meets. Both JV and Varsity meets are hosted at our pool or away at one of the other swim clubs in our league.
“Champs” Meets
At the end of the regular season the SSL league hosts a number of championship meets.
The first of these is Divisional Championships (B-Championships). There are no qualifying times for this meet, but swimmers who achieve A-Championship qualifying times in a given event cannot swim that event in B-Championships (see below).
Swimmers who achieve qualifying times during the course of the summer season are eligible to swim in:
- A Championships
- Distance Championships (100, 200 and 400 M freestyle))
- IM (individual medley) Championships
The qualifying times for these meets can be found here: Suburban Swim League
Meet Results
After every meet the coaches will post the meet results in TeamSnap.
If your child was disqualified due to a stroke infraction during their swim, it will be indicated in the results. If you are unsure of the reason for the disqualification please talk to one of the coaches.
***Useful Links
WSARC Swim Team Handbook
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HBFK6FDXA4G4let7hbYOmpqEJyR5T8c9fZRJy3VEQJ0/edit?usp=sharing
Swim Terminology Primer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1amUp3NQj3FK77ug2iVbJq8UK3CjpFJ0eLiyNt9LtWjg/edit?usp=sharing
Suburban Swim League
https://sslsummer.swimtopia.com/
The Swim Shop