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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS (FAQ’s)________________
Listed below are some of the common questions asked
about our team. If you have a
question that is not answered in this section, please feel free to contact
us at info@desplainesswimming.org. You may even create a new question on our
FAQ page!
REGISTRATION
Q: Where
do I go if I have questions regarding registration.
A: Please go to our registration page for more information. If you still do not find you answer,
please email us.
TEAM
ORGANIZATION
Q:
What do I need to do to be on the team?
A: Our only requirement is that you are able to swim
50 yards of the pool un timed, any stroke.
This is to maintain the integrity of the program. At the current time we are not offering a
learn-to-swim program. We would be
happy to assist anyone interested in learning how to swim to find an
appropriate program in the area.
Q:
Where did River Racers come from?
A: The River Racers keep with the theme of Des Plaines with
the river. Since there are so many
alligators, dolphins, and fish out in the swimming community, we thought it
would be unique to be something that actually pertained to our area. The Maine West Girls Swim Team of 2006
should actually get some credit since they initially thought up
“River Racers.” We are
currently taking ideas for a “mascot.”
Q: What about summer swimming?
A: The River Racers operate as a year-round swim team,
which means we swim all year long.
Currently, we are waiting for a word of the pool’s
availability this summer. We expect
the pool to be available and we will be running the River Racers this
summer at Maine West High
School.
We would like to continue to offer the competitive environment and
prep swimmers to move forth in high school season along with college and
professional growth.
Q: I
can’t swim everyday, do I still have to pay the full price?
A: Depends on what your definition of “everyday
is.” We have been able to work
with people and prorate as needed.
However please realize that we cannot just make up separate payment
plans for each person. If you are
having issue with the fees, please feel free to contact the Head Coach for
more information.
Q:
What is the difference between Des Plaines Swimming and River Racers Swim
Team?
A: Des Plaines Swimming is the not-for-profit
organization that was formed to operate the River Racers Swim Team. We chose to organize this way so that in
the future, if we were to expand or change operations, we could do so
without having to worry about running a diving program as the River Racers
Swim Team. Think of it as the Maine
West Swim Team operated by Maine Township High School District 207.
Q:
How can I get involved with the team?
A: The Des Plaines River Racers operate under the Des
Plaines Swimming Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors is comprised of volunteer members who meet monthly
to discuss the team happenings and plan and implement policy. If you are interested in being involved
with the team, please contact one of our Board members. You can find email addresses by clicking here.
USA SWIMMING ORGANIZATOIN
Q:
What does USA Swimming stand for and mean?
A: USA Swimming is the National
Governing Body for the sport of swimming. It administers competitive
swimming in accordance with the Amateur Sports Act. They provide programs
and services for their members, supporters, affiliates and the interested
public. USAS value these members of the swimming community, and the staff
and volunteers who serve them. We are committed to excellence and the
improvement of our sport.
The
national headquarters are located at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs,
Colo. Programs and services are
provided to the membership through the national headquarters. Among the
many services are publications, educational programs, fundraising
activities, sports medicine programs, resources and general information
about swimming-related activities. The headquarters staff is available to
assist you in answering questions or providing general information about
USA Swimming.
Q: What does the USA Swimming registration mean – What am I paying my $60
for?
A: Our
club belongs to USA Swimming. As
part of being a member of USA Swimming, it is a requirement that all
coaches, athletes, and other involved people are members of USA
Swimming. One of the most beneficial
reasons to be possess a USA Swimming Membership is
that it gives our club and the swimmers insurance coverage. This coverage is outlined by clicking here. USA Swimming Membership also gives you
access to tons of resources via the web on the USAS website at www.usaswimming.org
. It also enables certain services
to be available to swimmers as well as championship meets.
PRACTICE
Q: Is
practice mandatory?
A: At this time, the answer is no. We HIGHLY encourage regular attendance to
practice in order for swimmers to fully benefit from the workouts and drill
topics of the day. We cannot put our
plans on hold just because someone is missing practice. Once we split into our age groups, there
may be certain groups that will have mandatory attendance policies, but at
this time we do not have any policies.
Q: What do I need to bring to
practice?
A: Swimmers must bring their swim suits, towel,
goggles, swim cap, and a water bottle.
We highly encourage swimmers have their own bag to keep their
belongings in. We further recommend
that all items brought to the pool are clearly labeled. We will encourage and remind swimmers to
bring their bags out onto the deck since lockers are not available for use.
Q:
How do I find out if practice is being held or not?
A: The best answer right now is to check the
website. We will follow the calendar
and schedule posted on the website. Currently
we do not have a phone number to contact people at however if you have
coaches phone #’s you may certainly contact them at their phone
numbers. Again, the only reason we
would cancel suddenly was if there was a reason that Maine West was closed down.
Q: If
Maine West has no school, do we still
have practice?
A: We will practice on days whether school is in or
not. The only exception to this rule
would be if Maine West was closed due to weather. In that case, the building is closed and we
cannot use it. If practice is
cancelled due to the weather, we will post the information on our website.
MEETS
Q:
Are meets mandatory?
A: This is a loaded question. The hope is that all members of the team
would swim in meets. To that extent,
we highly encourage meet participation.
Certain level swimmers are expected to attend certain meets. These
expectations affect more of our Varsity level swimmers. Those details will be shared with the
Varsity group. At the current time,
we are not requiring attendance to the meets by all athletes. We do expect swimmers who swim in meets,
to swim a full-load. This means that
they will sign up for the maximum amount of events they can enroll in.
Q: Do I have to pay for meets?
A: Fees are charged at meets to cover the expenses of a team running
the event. Generally, there is a
swimmer entry fee and then a fee per each event. Relays are also charged however each
swimmer is only responsible for the ¼ of the fee that they represent. Beginning in the fall of 2007, swimmers
will be required to make a deposit into the escrow fund. This fund is what the coaching staff will
use to pay meet fees.
Q:
How do we sign up for meets?
A: Meet sign up will be conducted at practice. For each meet, we will hang a sign up sheet
at the pool. Once signed up, a coach
will contact the swimmer to get their events lineup. Payment for the meet will be due before
we submit the entries. Swimmers who
do not pay their fee may not be registered in the meet.
What
is an ISI meet?
An ISI meet is a sanctioned meet that is running in
accordance with all rules set forth by ISI (Illinois Swimming Inc.) and USA
Swimming. Generally these meets are
the weekend long invites that need to be paid for separately. We highly encourage swimmers to attend
these meets as all times done at ISI meets will be entered into the
National Database (SWIMS).
SWIMMING
TERMS
Q:
What does SCY, SCM, and LCM stand for?
A: The letters
SCY, SCM, and LCM stand for Short Course Yard, Short Course Meters, and
Long Course Meters. Most high schools are short course yards. Short course meters would be a 25-meter
pool. Long course refers to a
50-meter pool. The fall/winter
season is the short course season so you will see most all meets done in a
25-yard pool. The spring/summer
season is the long-course season.
You will see most of the meets done in a 50-meter pool. Oakton Pool is Park Ridge is
an example of a 50-meter pool.
Rosemont Pool in Rosemont is an example of a 25-meter pool. Maine West is a 25-yard pool.
Q:
Why do they say “No Flash Photography” at meets?
A: The starting
system for swimming relies on a strobe light to indicate the start of a
race. Watch timers rely on that
strobe sot hey know when to start the watch. Since sound travels slower than light,
the sound will reach across the pool slower than it will reach the end of
the pool it is by. Flashes from
cameras can cause timers to misfire.
It is also distracted to the swimmers who are tensed up and waiting
for the flash and beep from the starting system.
MISCELANEOUS
Q:
How did the River Racers form?
A: Lots of hard work!
In all seriousness, the River Racers have been about a
two year process in an attempt to form a year-round feeder program for the
Maine West Swim Team. As with
starting any business or club, it always takes time to plan, budget, and
process the paperwork. The River
Racers are built centrally around the idea that in Des Plaines
there has not been a true feeder program in place. It is the hope that other programs in the
Des Plaines area
will feed into River Racers and River Racers will then turn around and feed
into Maine West.
Q:
Are the River Racers part of the Park District?
A: The River Racers are not affiliated at this time
with the Park District. We are an
independent not-for-profit organization that operates its own budget under
the direction of our own Board of Directors. We receive no money or direction from
neither the school district nor the Park District.
Q:
How did the Maine West Pool come to be?
A: The Maine West Pool was original to the building,
which was built in 1959. The pool
construction was funded partially with the Des Plaines Park District. For years, before Chippewa Pool and
Iroquois Pool were built in the late 1960’s, Maine West was the only
pool open year-round in Des
Plaines, besides Rand Park which
operated along side Maine West in the summer. After Chippewa and Iroquois Pool’s
were built, the need for an indoor pool in the summer was not needed and
the Park District discontinued their use of the Maine West Pool in the
summer.
Not much has changed since the pool was built back in
1959. There were lighting upgrades
along with window replacement.
Windows were replaced by glass block along the south wall in
addition to bricking up old windows along the east and west walls. There was once a 3-meter diving board
along with a one-meter diving board.
It was replaced by the single one-meter currently in place. The old location is clearly marked by the
dark tile on the pool deck. The starting
blocks also moved form the shallow end of the pool to the deep end, mostly
thanks to changes in the rules regarding starting depth.
Currently a history is being put together of the pool
complete with pictures of the facility when it was first built. Not much has changed.
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