Updated Gators Swim Team Handbook
The updated Gators Swim Team Handbook is now available. To download your copy click on the link below.
Happy Reading and Go Gators!!
The updated Gators Swim Team Handbook is now available. To download your copy click on the link below.
Happy Reading and Go Gators!!
REPS PROPOSAL ON TROPHY DISCUSSION
June 4, 2007
Dear Gator Families:
The following is how we propose that our team handle the discussion and possible changing of our team’s trophy policy:
After this vote is held, one of two things will happen:
Also, please read the attached document prepared by Chris Ventimiglia, our current team awards volunteer. She prepared this document, as the documents which launched our discussion, out of a desire to lend complete transparency to how our team gives out awards.
Jill Clark-Gollub & Peter Chang, Your 2006-2007 Team Reps
FRANKLIN KNOLLS SWIM TEAM END-OF-SEASON AWARDS
Background Information
“The Franklin Knolls pool sponsors the Gators swim team so that members’ children can participate in an organized activity primarily for enjoyment, learning and teamwork.” (From the Franklin Knolls Swim Team Handbook) Our Gator family has grown over the years to include approximately 150 swimmers per season—one of the largest swim teams in the down county area! The Gators welcome swimmers with a wide range of experience and interest and provide practices, competitions and other events to accommodate various skill and interest levels.
The following is quoted from the 2003 Team Handbook:
TROPHIES:
The Gators award four kinds of trophies: Swimmer, Small Point, Large Point, and High Point. Every Gator who swims in an “A” or “B” meet will earn a trophy, Small Point and Large Point trophies are awarded based on “Trophy Points” as defined below:
| Age Group | Trophy Points | Trophy Type |
| 8&U | 12 | Small Point |
| 36 | Large Point | |
| 9-10 | 14 | Small Point |
| 48 | Large Point | |
| 11-12 | 14 | Small Point |
| 48 | Large Point | |
| 13-14 | 14 | Small Point |
| 48 | Large Point | |
| 15-18 | 14 | Small Point |
| 36 | Large Point |
Franklin Knolls 2006 Trophy Expenses
GRAND TOTAL: $1851.15
Medals $6.50 (x29) = $188.50
Mugs $34.00 (x7) = $238
Size B- 9” $6.50 (x96) = $624 Swimmer
Size C-15” $9.50 (x19) = $185.50 Small point
Size D-19” $15.50 (x18) = $279 Large point
Size E-26” $30.00 (x2) = $60 High point
Gator Families,
Please take a moment to read the Gator Awards Policy Options documnet that explains the current policy for determining how trophies are awarded to our swimmers and some options to consider for improving this policy going forward.
Please post any comments or suggestions you may have here by filling out the form under the "Post A Comment" section below (If you do not see the comments form, then click the 'Permalink' or 'Comments ' link at the bottom of this entry). Face-to-Face discussions on these proposals and all comments and suggestions about the awards policy will be held at the parents' meeting on June 1st.
Gator 2007 Schedule Updated On 4/18/2007
Here is the current draft of the 2007 Gator calendar. Note that we will be doing a teen beach weekend again this summer! It is after the A meet on June 23rd, through Monday the 25th, so please plan to attend and chaperone if you can! There is space for at least 25 boys and 25 girls, 13 & up. Also, we’ll have Drylands again this year, starting w/ the first Monday morning practice.
The Relay Carnival Date will be set at the April 12th MCSL meeting, but it sounds like others in our Division are favoring Sunday, July 1st.
It's time to register your swimmers for the 2007 Gators swim team.
You can download the registration form here.
Kristeen Rosenbusch 218 Baden Street Silver Spring, MD 20901
Registration forms must be received by Friday, May 25th.
Download the Franklin Knolls Swim Team Primer for 2007 for information of the Gators swim team.
Planning for Summer 2007 is well underway! Read on for lots of good news…
Everyone should be glad to hear that all three of our fabulous coaches will be back with us this summer! Vanessa and Jake will be co-head coaches, and Evan will be assistant coach on the Gators, as well as head coach for the Mini Gators. There will be some junior coaching opportunities available for some older swimmers during Mini Gators.
Here is the current draft of the 2007 Gator calendar. Note that we will be doing a teen beach weekend again this summer! It is after the A meet on June 23rd, through Monday the 25th, so please plan to attend and chaperone if you can! There is space for at least 25 boys and 25 girls, 13 & up. Also, we’ll have Drylands again this year, starting w/ the first Monday morning practice.
The Relay Carnival Date will be set at the April 12th MCSL meeting, but it sounds like others in our Division are favoring Sunday, July 1st.
A great rule change has just been passed by MCSL, which allows each team to field two relay teams in events 3 & 4, the open age medley relay. This will allow the older kids to swim more, and for more of them to swim—a good thing!
We have found a need to screen 8&unders before the season to be sure that they’re ready for the big team. Our plan is to have all the new 8 & unders, and any returning ones who didn’t swim in an “A” meet last year, come for a simple swim test to be sure that they can comfortably swim 25 yards without stopping, doing a legal swim team stroke. We plan to do this screening on Monday morning, Memorial Day, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Please help us keep this as low-key as possible for your child, and present it as just a way to figure out who is best suited to Mini Gators and who’s ready for 8&unders. The Mini Gator screening will be the first day of Mini Gator practice, Tuesday morning, June 19 at 11:15. The criteria for eligibility in Mini Gators are: being comfortable in deep water, ability to float on front and back, and ability to do a forward stroke.
We also would like to remind families that all Mini Gators are required and 8 & unders are strongly encouraged to take swimming lessons during the course of the swim team season, as swim team practice cannot afford enough individual attention to teach all of the strokes. (That’s not a bad idea for older swimmers, either!)
The Gators have a wonderful team and wonderful coaches, but we do have to live with the unfortunate fact that our pool is a very small space in which to give 140+ kids a workout! Your reps and coaches have been brainstorming about what to do to ease the crowding in the lanes. Unfortunately there is no other configuration to give us better use of the pool, so we can only be more careful about how we use the space that we have. First, everyone should be punctual for practice and quick about getting into the water. Second, we will be stricter than we have been about lane assignments. Swimmers should generally show up for practices at the time assigned to their respective age groups. However, some may be told to come to a different practice to keep all of the lanes moving efficiently so that everyone can get a good workout. Once a child’s practice time is established, it is important to attend practice at that time. Sometimes because of scheduling problems families have brought their children to practice during other time slots. Unfortunately, we find that this means the swimmers for that designated practice have one less lane available at their pace so they get overcrowded, and often one coach is taken away from them as well. It would be fairer to all if we respect the proper practice times.
Also, I’ve heard some parents express a preference to move 8&unders practice to be the first one on school-day afternoons. It makes perfect sense to me to get the little ones done earlier and eating dinner earlier on a school night. If we make this change, practice times would be: 8&unders 4-4:45; 9-12 year olds 5-5:45; and teens 6-6:45. I’d like to hear what you think. If you have any preference, please let me know. I hope to arrive at something which everyone can live with!
I regret to announce that we will not be able to provide separate practice times for campers this year. Last year we found that only 3-4 children took advantage of the early practice time we offered all summer, making it no more successful than the afternoon times we used to offer. We feel that this is not an efficient use of our coaching and space resources.
After being so disappointed with the closure of Indian Spring Country Club, we have found a new home for our banquet: Argyle Country Club. Thanks to the Nowaks, a Gator family, we do not have to pay for space rental there and can keep the event within our budget. It is a very attractive space, though smaller, and less than 5 minutes past Indian Spring, up Layhill Road.
How’s about a combination of the two? It would be great to let more of our kids swim in some relays with other teams, and good to host our neighbors again. However, the reps cannot take on organization of a big event like this again. If anyone would like to head up such an effort (maybe 2 or 3 people?), we could have an informal/fun event, with tailor made relays. Let the reps know if you’re interested.
Don’t forget to reply to tell your reps what volunteer job you’d like to do this summer!