Gator Nation

Gator Nation

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

From the May MVPA Newsletter -- Helpful Background on Gator Swim


SWIM TEAM COMMITTEE NEWSChair, Glen Bolger 703-768-3294                                                                       

We are pleased to announce the formation of the 2013 Mount Vernon Park swim team.  All MVP members between the ages of 5 and 18 are eligible to join.  The ability to swim the across the 25-meter pool unassisted is the first step to becoming involved in a summer-long activity that provides fun and competition.  The swim team is a fantastic summer experience and we encourage all eligible children to join.

The MVP team competes in the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL), the largest summer swim league in the country.  The NVSL has over 14,000 swimmers on 102 teams, which are divided into 18 five or six team divisions.  The divisions are organized relative to each team’s overall ability based on the previous season’s results.  The MVP swim team is moving to Division 3 for 2013.

We are pleased to announce that Paul Makin will return for his seventh season as head coach.  Kellee Brotherton will again serve as the assistant head coach.  This coaching team brings extensive experience as being highly regarded USA Swimming coaches with Nation’s Capital Swim Teal (NCAP).

Pre-Season Registration-Information Meeting

Our Pre-Season Registration-Information session will be on Sunday, May 19 from 3-5 PM at the Mount Vernon Park pavilion.  Coaches and team reps will be on hand to answer questions during the registration. Team suits and other Gator gear will also be available for purchase.  This is a great opportunity to meet our coaches.  The team is also going to try on-line registration for the first time ever, so look for more information.

A Registration-Emergency Contact form, available at www.mtvpa.com, (under “Forms”) is required for each swim team family before your child may begin practice.  This is the first season registration will be done on-line.  The link will be sent in a park-wide email.  Registration must include correct email addresses, as this is the primary way to communicate across the swim team families.    Additional league and team information is available at the NVSL web site at http://nvsl.nvblu.com and at the Gator blog: http://mvpgators.blogspot.com/ -- the schedule is already up.

Prior to registration, at 2:30pm that day, there will be an information session for new and relatively new swim team parents.  The team reps and the coaches will host a meeting to inform and answer any and all questions regarding swim team.  During that time, assistant coaches will be at the park to supervise your child on the playground.

Participation Fee

As part of the registration process, the swim team collects a participation fee.  The swim team committee collects this fee to help provide funding for team activities during the season, to purchase equipment used exclusively by the swim team and to supplement the funds provided by the park for coaches’ salaries.  Examples of previous purchases are lane lines and backstroke flags.  The fee schedule for 2013 is as follows: 1st child $25, 2nd child $20, 3rd child $15, 4th child $10, maximum per family $70. Registration is not considered complete until the registration form and participation fees are submitted.

Swim Team Opportunities

The number of swimmers on the MVP Gators squad has grown to over 280 children over the last several years.  Although the large interest in the program does increase competition, all skill levels are welcome.  The season includes five NVSL meets on Saturday mornings, five developmental meets on Monday evenings, a Saturday morning time trial, three special event meets on weekday evenings, the Individual Divisional Championship meet on Saturday, July 27th followed by the awards banquet that evening.  The calendar of events starts in early June and includes the entire month of July.

None of this can happen without dedicated parental involvement.   The pre-season registration session is a great opportunity to determine how you would like to participate.  Swim team committee members will be available both at the 2pm meeting and at the registration meeting to answer questions about the variety of tasks necessary to organize a swim meet and to help you find a niche.  Some of the “swim meet” tasks include: timing, stroke and turn judging, pre-meet set-up, post-meet clean up, ribbon writing, competition starter, event announcer, refereeing, relay judge, and snack bar concession worker.  Your help with some or all of the events will go a long way to making your child’s involvement both enjoyable and organized. 

Age Groupings and Practice Times

The NVSL divides competition between boys and girls and into five different age divisions.  The age groupings are: 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, and 15-18 with the swimmer’s age group based on the his or her age as of June 1st.  As we have a very large 8 & under contingent, we will further divide that age group into 7-8 and 6 & under groups.  Daily practice will begin on Tuesday, May 28 1, from 3:30-6:30 pm. 

Groupings will be: Middle and High School (ages 13+) 3:30 - 4:30, 9-12 year olds 4:15 - 5:15, 7-8 year olds 5:15 to 6:00 and 5-6 year olds 6:00-6:30pm. Summer MORNING practice schedule will begin Wednesday June 19th with practices beginning at 7:30 am for 13-18 group, 8:30 for 9-12, 9:30 for 7-8 and 10:30 for 6 & Under.  Morning practice will run M-F for the older 3 groups and M-TH for the youngest group.  There will be a supplemental practice in the evenings T-W-TH, available only for those who cannot make the morning practices.  See the MVPA web site and the MVPA bulletin board for additional details.

Swim Lessons

Swim team practices are not a substitute for lessons, particularly if your swimmer is just beginning.  There are simply too many swimmers (over 280) for the coaches to provide individual attention during the practice sessions.  To participate on the Gator Swim Team, we require that a child be able to swim unassisted across the pool using any method they are comfortable with.  This insures some degree of comfort in the water.  For those needing a little help attaining this level of comfort, or for any swimmer who wants a real boost in the swimming, private and semi-private lessons are available through the coaching staff and lifeguard staff at extremely reasonable prices. 

To arrange lessons, simply talk to any of the coaching staff, line up times and dates, then go to the gatehouse to pay for the lessons.  Coaches and lifeguards cannot accept money directly.  The gatehouse will give you a receipt which you then give the coach at the time of the lesson.  Clinics given by the larger USA Swimming clubs will also be available from time to time during the season and will be posted on the bulletin board and park web site.

Swim Suits & Caps

The MVP Gators will be sporting a new team swimsuit this year.  Team suits are encouraged but not required for practice or competition.  However, it does give younger swimmers a great sense of pride and belonging to wear one. Team suits will be available for purchase during the Registration Meeting, at the Pasta Dinner the evening before time trials, and directly from our swimsuit retailer – Sport Fair in Arlington. 

Team swim caps will also be sold for $12 each.  Once again, there is an option to get a ‘personalized’ Gator cap with the last name (or nickname if you prefer) on the cap as well.  These are available by special order only with a minimum of 2 caps per name at a cost of $15 per cap (minimum $30).  Not only does this give the swimmer a sense of pride, it will help you figure out which lane they are in and will also keep their caps from constantly being lost. 

Sportsmanship

The NVSL provides a wonderful summer swim experience. When Mount Vernon Park joined the NVSL in 1956 as a charter member, the league’s goal was to build sportsmanship and a love of swimming. The NVSL’s goal of fostering sportsmanship is still paramount today as the team and the league begin our 57th year of league competition.  The Swim Team committee and coaches will be working to build on the goals of the NVSL and bring sportsmanship and a love of the sport to MVP. 

We hope to see you on May 19th for the registration session and look forward to another great season.

Glen Bolger & Carol Farquhar Bolger - NVSL Team Representatives for the Mount Vernon Park Gators


 
 

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