The ABC's of Swimming
- Age Group - Each swimmer swims in their age group with swimmers of the same sex. The age groups are 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18. Age on June 30th of each year is the determining factor.
- Anchor - The last swimmer in any relay is considered the Anchor of that relay.
- Announcer - The person who announces the progress of the meet as well as heat numbers and events. They also will give the score of the meet.
- Awards Coordinator - He/She has the responsibility to record times, event, placement and team on ribbons from information on the event cards.
- Backstroke Flags - Flags that are 5 yards from each end of the pool. Swimmers should learn how many strokes they take to get from these flags to the wall.
- Best Times - Each swimmer should maintain a record of their times in each event. The goal of all swimmers is twofold. They are trying to win points for the team, but equally important, they are striving to improve their Best Times in the stroke that they are swimming.
- Clerk of Course - A parent who, prior to the meet, determines the number of heats needed for each event and assigns the swimmers to specific lanes and heats. During the meet, the Clerk will distribute deck cards to the swimmers which lists Heat and Lane assignments.
- Coach - Individuals who teach the swimmers the four competitive strokes and who are responsible for deciding what events each swimmer will swim in our dual meets.
- Disqualification (DQ) - When either the Starter or Stroke-and-Turn official raises their hand to signify that a swimmer has been Disqualified from an event because of improper stroke mechanics. With the exception of free style, there is a proper way to swim each stroke and if a swimmer does not conform to these rules, then they will be Disqualified. The coaches will instruct the swimmers on proper stroke technique.
- Event - The age, sex, distance, and stroke that is being swum. For example, Boys, 11-12, 50 yard Freestyle.
- False Start - When one or more than one swimmer leaves the starting blocks before the starter starts the race. One False Start is allowed per swimmer. On the second False Start that swimmer is disqualified from the event.
- False Start Rope - A rope that will be dropped in the water in the event of a false start. The purpose is to stop the swimmers from swimming the entire length of the pool.
- Free Relay - Consists of four swimmers, two boys & two girls, from the 8 & under age group who swim one length of the pool. The order of swimmers is up to the coaches.
- Goal Setting - At the beginning of each year each swimmer should set personal Goals that they would like to achieve during the season. This can be done by talking to the coaches so that realistic and meaningful Goals are set.
- Harford Swim League Championship - A league-wide meet held at Magnolia Middle School for all swimmers. A swim team may send an unlimited number of swimmers in any age group provided they are qualified to swim in an individual event.
- Harford Swim League Record - The fastest time swum in each event for each age group in the League. The records go back to the beginning of the League and include both yard and meter pool times.
- Heat - A race within an event. For example, there are three Heats for the 8 & under 25 Free. The swimmers with the slower times will be in Heat #1, followed by swimmers who have faster times in Heat #2, and the fastest swimmers in Heat #3. In scoring each event, the scorers add the fastest times regardless of which Heat they swam.
- Individual Medley - An event where the swimmer swims each stroke in a specific order. The order of strokes is; Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle. Each stroke must be swum correctly so that the swimmer is not disqualified.
- Jumping - Swimmers will Jump into the water and not dive into the pool unless instructed to do so by the coach.
- Kick - Remember to always Kick when swimming. It is better to use your legs than let them be a drag.
- Lane - An area of the pool between the Lane lines where a swimmer must begin and end the race. The home team is assigned the even numbered Lanes and the visiting team is assigned to odd numbered Lanes.
- Magnolia Invitational - Swim meet for Harford County swimmers that is sponsored by the Harford County YMCA Hurricane swim team. This meet is held at Magnolia Middle School. Swimmers may choose the events they want to swim. There is a small charge for each event.
- Medley Relay - An event consisting of four swimmers in the specified age group, two male and two female, where each swimmer swims a different stroke. The order of strokes is; Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle. The coaches select which swimmer will swim which stroke.
- Meet - A gathering of swimmers and families to conduct a competition between swimmers where each age group swims each stroke. Most of our Meets are dual Meets where two teams swim against each other.
- Novice - Generally an 6 & under event for swimmers who haven't yet mastered the specific event stroke. This event does not count in the team scoring and no swimmer may be disqualified.
- Officials - The Starter and Stroke & Turn officials wear white and make sure all events are swum according to USS Swim Rules.
- Points - In a dual meet, Points are awarded based on the results of each event. For individual events, 1st place is given 5 Points, 2nd place 3 Points, and 3rd place 1 Point. No team can score on more than two places in any one event. The opposing team would get 1 point awarded for a legal finish. In relay events, 1st place scores 7 points; no other points are awarded.
- Pool Records - The fastest time swum in each event at our pool regardless of what team the swimmer was on.
- Practice - We encourage each swimmer to make as many Practices as possible, but at least three each week. The only way to improve is to Practice.
- Qualifying Time - Certain meets have times that swimmers must have attained to participate in. This does not apply to the dual meets held each week during the season.
- Results Coordinator - He/She receives the event cards from the runner and circles the official time. The official time is the middle time of three watches. The cards are placed, sorted and passed to the scorer.
- Runners - This person takes the sheets from the Timers and gives them to the Results Coordinator at the scoring table.
- Scorer - Must record 1st through 4th place times and points while keeping an accurate running score at all times.
- Sportsmanship - We expect our swimmers and their families to always display good Sportsmanship. We encourage our swimmers to cheer for each other. At the end of a race, whether you win or not, we encourage swimmers to congratulate each other.
- Step-Up Relay - A Freestyle relay that consists of all boys or all girls. Each relay has one swimmer from the following age groups and swims in the following order; 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 & 15-18.
- Starter/Referee - The Official responsible for starting each event and running the meet efficiently. He/she is the only person who can call a false start or override another Official's call. He/She also acts as a Stroke & Turn official.
- Starting Block - An elevated platform that swimmers may dive off of to start a race.
- Strokes - The four Strokes are; Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly.
- Stroke & Turn
- Official - He/She has the responsibility to judge stroke mechanics, take-offs, touches, turns, and finishes for correctness.
- Team Record - We maintain a record of the fastest times recorded for stroke by age group. Both yard pools and meter pool records are maintained.
- Timers - Use stop watches to time each event. One Timer of each lane writes all three times down. It is from these times that the places of each event are determined.
- Unofficial - An event that is swum for a time by the swimmer, but does not count in the team points or for ribbons.
- Valleybrook Invitational - Swim meet for swimmers age 12 and under, sponsored by the Valleybrook Swim Team. This meet is the traditional opening of the summer swimming season. The meet is held at Magnolia MS. Swimmers can choose the events they want to swim. There is a small charge for each event swum.
- Victory - When the meet is over and the team with the most points is declared the winner. Also, where a swimmer improves on their personal best times.
- Volunteer - Any member of a swimmer's family.
- Wall - The end of the pool. To complete an event the swimmer must touch the Wall legally. The following are legal touches; Freestyle & Backstroke - any part of the body touching the Wall; Breaststroke & Butterfly - both hands must simultaneously touch the Wall.
- Warm-up - The time just before a meet when the swimmers get in the water to loosen up.
- Xcitement - What we have at all our meets as we cheer on the swimmers.
- Yell - What we encourage both swimmers and parents to do at the meets so that we create a lot of xcitement.
- "Z" - "Z" you there!!
