HIGHLANDS

WHOMPING TURTLES
SWIM TEAM

2010 PARENTS HANDBOOK

www.highlandsswim.org
SWIM TEAM HOTLINE: 703-821-9894, EXT. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................ 2
Contacts ........................................................................................................ 4
Coaches ..........................................................................................................5

2010 SCHEDULE ................................................................................................ 8

Activities ....................................................................................................... 8
Meets............................................................................................................. 9

PRACTICES ....................................................................................................... 10

MEETS ............................................................................................................... 11
A Meets ......................................................................................................... 11
B Meets ........................................................................................................ 13
Special Events .............................................................................................. 14

RULES............................................................................................................... 16
Strokes ......................................................................................................... 16
Officials ........................................................................................................ 18
2010 NVSL Officials Clinics (schedule) ...................................................... 20

DIRECTIONS TO AWAY MEETS ...................................................................... 21

CALENDAR .......................................................................................................23
June ..............................................................................................................23
July............................................................................................................... 24

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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Highlands Swim! The Whomping Turtles are looking forward to another great
season. Most importantly, we are looking forward to having a lot of fun. We want each
swimmer to develop at his or her own personal level. We are truly fortunate to have such a
strong group of talented and dedicated coaches to achieve this goal. We will be in NVSL
Division 2 this summer along with, Little Rocky Run, Oakton, Lee Graham, Mclean and Vienna
Woods.

The swim team is open to swimmers of all levels, ages 5-18. Swimmers must be able to cross
the pool, be comfortable in the water and keep up in practice. Younger swimmers are
encouraged to try out for the team, but swim team is not intended to be an alternative to
the swimming lessons offered separately by the coaches and the pool staff. With over 200
swimmers on the team, minimum abilities and a basic commitment to the team are required.
Coaches will be available on the first few days of practice to evaluate interested swimmers.

This handbook is an effort to keep parents informed about swim team activities. Summer
swim team is a new experience for all of us at some point, so please do not hesitate to ask
any and all questions to make your experience as positive as possible. We welcome your
suggestions on how to improve communication or any other ideas you may have.

REGISTRATION: If you have not already registered for the team, please visit the Highlands
website at highlandsswim.org . From the home page, click on Swim Team from the list of
choices down the left hand margin. Once on the Swim Team page, click the button marked
Register Now for Summer 2010. Enter the system as a First Time User to create an account,
register your family’s data and pay your registration fee.

BULLETIN BOARD: The bulletin board is updated regularly. All meet information will be
posted on the board, so please check it on Wednesdays or Thursdays and notify the coaches
immediately if you will be unable to fill a slot assigned to you for the competitive meets.
Coaches will also post improvements for all swimmers and other team information.

MAILBOXES: Folders will be set up for coaches, Team Reps, and each family in a plastic file
holder. You may leave notes regarding absences or questions for coaches, pick up ribbons
not collected after meets, or otherwise share information with the team.

HOTLINE: The Swim Team Hotline (703-821-9894, ext. 3) is the third mailbox on the
Highlands phone system. It will be updated regularly. Please call for updates on practice
schedules (including any changes due to weather), meets or other upcoming activities.
Please do not leave messages on the hotline.

VOLUNTEERS: The team cannot function without volunteers. It takes over 40 parents to
time, officiate, score and feed swimmers and spectators for a typical meet! Highlands is
extremely lucky to have excellent support from the Club, both staff for set-up and funds for

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equipment and other requirements, but we need commitments from parental volunteers as
well to ensure a smooth season—which is a lot more fun for all of us. No experience is
required—there’s a job for everyone! Please contact the Team Rep, Dee Romanek, for more
information at 703 237-9088 or dee.romanek@whompingturtles.org. Official positions are
described on pp. 18-19.

PRACTICES: Swimmers are generally expected to participate in practices. Both morning and
afternoon practices are available in an effort to accommodate various summer schedules.
See p. 10 for additional details.

MEETS: All swimmers are expected to participate in meets unless the coaches are advised
otherwise. If you are scheduled to swim in an “A Meet” or the Relay Carnival, it is especially
important that coaches know if you will not be able to participate so that alternates may be
scheduled. Team data is transmitted to our opponents in advance, so your timely
cooperation is greatly appreciated for the benefit of the whole team.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA SWIM LEAGUE (“NVSL”): For families new to summer swimming, this
handbook includes chapters describing the summer swim league, including official duties,
common rules and the events for weekly meets. In addition to Highlands’ own web site
(www.highlandsswim.org), you may want to explore the NVSL web site (www.nvpools.com)
to learn more about the summer swim season. The NVSL has over 15,000 swimmers on 104
teams and is the largest summer swim league in the U.S. There are 18 Divisions of 5 or 6
teams, with the fastest teams in Division 1. The top times in the NVSL are posted on the web
if you want to compare your swimmers to others in the area.

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CONTACTS
Head Coach: Katherine Richards - 703 403-9636, katherine.r.richards@gmail.com

Head Coach: Austin Auger - 703-407-1353, AAuger2@washcoll.edu

Asst Head Coaches: Casey Boticello - 703-258-9399, caseybotticello@yahoo.com

Alex Manson - 703-898-7213, an.manson@yahoo.com

Sr. Asst Coaches: Brian Murphy - 703-300-3771, Stephen Richards - 703-795-4791

Assistant Coaches: Colin Fitzgibbon - 703-893-2428, Hayley Gray - 703-760-9401,

Gordon Hall - 703-556-4499, Chuck Katis - 207-604-9064,
Jayme Katis - 207-604-9066, Charlie Putnam - 703-749-1166,
Sarah Wilcox - 703-532-5767

First Year Coaches: Chris Barnard - 619-587-2237, Aedan Collins - 703-598-1136

Swimming Consultant: Matt Norman - 703-598-8593

Team Representative: Dee Romanek - 703-237-9088 (h), 703 909-1429 (c),

dee.romanek@whompingturtles.org

Assistant Team Rep: Stacia Hylton - 703 532-2333 (h), 571 230-5618 (c),
Staciahylton@me.com

B Meet Representative: Sean Collins, 202-326-5882, seancollins@ici.org

Treasurer: Jim Tenney, 703-893-6860, mjckt@cox.net

A Meet Chief Timer: Julie Murphy – 703-893-6522, Julie.Murphy@pointsoflight.org

B Meet Chief Timer: Maura Dolan - 703-942-5668, dolan80@cox.net

Chief of Officials: J.C. Richards - 703-448-9785(h), 703-283-4373(c),

jcrichards230@gmail.com

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COACHES
HEAD COACHES:
Austin Auger has five years experience coaching winter and summer programs including
positions held at both Tuckahoe and High Point swim clubs. Austin was an NVSL swimmer
with Tuckahoe swim club for nine years and currently swims for Washington College.

Katherine Richards has been a part of Highlands' coaching staff for five seasons now. She
was a Whomping Turtle for thirteen years and has witnessed the team's incredible
improvement from trying to fill the lanes in Division 14 to our current seed in Division 2.
Katherine just completed her second year at Brigham Young University.

ASSISTANT HEAD COACHES

Casey Botticello has been a member of The Highlands Swim Team since he was eight years
old. In addition to swimming for a number of club swim teams, Casey has coached for
Norman Aquatics during the fall/winter for the past five years. He will be attending The
University of Pennsylvania in the fall.

Alex Manson has been a Whomping Turtle since she was 11 years old and has been coaching
at Highlands for five years. In high school Alex swam for York Swim Club and was captain of
the McLean High School Swim & Dive team her senior year. She will be attending the
University of Virginia this fall.

SENIOR ASSISTANT COACHES

Brian Murphy has been a part of Highlands Swim Team since he was young. He is returning
to Highlands to coach his fourth season this summer. While swimming for Highlands, Brian's
200 Medley and 200 Freestyle relays set NVSL records. In 2009 Brian graduated from
Gonzaga College High School and has recently finished his first year at the College of William
and Mary. Along with swimming for his college team, Brian is a High School All-American.

Stephen Richards has swum for Highlands since he was six years old and this will be his
fourth season coaching. He is graduating this June from Langley High School. While at
Langley, Stephen was an 8 time All-American, State champion and State record holder in the
100 yard breaststroke, National record holder in the 200 medley relay, and a team captain his
senior year. He will be attending Brigham Young University this fall where he will be on the
swim team.

ASSISTANT COACHES
Colin Fitzgibbon has been swimming for the past eight years at Highlands and for the past
five years he has swum year-round. This will be Colin's third season coaching for the
Whomping Turtles. He has also coached swimmers at Camp Greenway in the past. Colin will
be graduating from McLean High School, where he swam on the school team, and will be
attending the University of Miami in the fall.

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Hayley Gray has swum for Highlands for nine years and this will be her second year
coaching. She has swum for both Machine Aquatics and Sea Devil Swimming during her high
school years. Hayley will be graduating from Georgetown Day School this year and will be
attending the University of Arizona in the fall.

Chuck Katis is finishing his junior year at Langley High School. During this past season on
Langley High School’s varsity swim team, Chuck was a state finalist and a member of the
multiple National Record Breaking Relay. Chuck has been part of Junior National Teams for
the Curl Burke Swim Club and has participated in USA Swimming National Meets placing as a
finalist. Recently, Chuck attended the NCSA All- Star Team Trip to Ireland, where he placed
high in events such as a silver medal in the 50 meter breaststroke. Swimming since six years
old, the sport has become a major priority for him as well as his twin sister Jayme.

Jayme Katis is also finishing her junior at Langley High School. Swimming this season for
Langley’s varsity swim team, Jayme was a state finalist as well as a member of the National
Record Breaking Relay. Also swimming on Curl Burke Swim Club, Jayme has been part of
Junior National Teams for the club and has participated in USA Swimming National Meets.
Swimming since six years old, the sport has become a major priority for her as well as her
twin brother Chuck.

Gordon Hall will be a senior at Mclean High School this fall, where he has swum with the
High School team since his freshman year, lettering each year. He has been a member of the
Highlands Swim Team since he was 8 years old and has coached the Whomping Turtles for
the past two years. In addition, Gordon has coached with the Whomping Turtles off-season
Sunday program with Matt Norman for the past four years. He also swims year round with
Sea Devils Swimming. An accomplished musician, Gordon is a member of the Mclean High
School Marching Band and Symphonic Band. He plays four instruments and is currently
playing the Tuba in the Symphonic Band and the Sousaphone in the Marching Band. He is a
huge sports fan and supports all Washington sports teams.

Charlie Putnam first started swimming at the age of 5 when he joined the Highlands team.
This is his 14th year of swimming and 5th year of coaching at Highlands. Charlie has swum
year-round since he was 8 with Machine Aquatics. Charlie's main goal as a coach is to get the
younger swimmers to feel as passionate about swimming as he does. His swimming
accomplishments include being a 3-time NVSL Record Holder and a 2-time Potomac Valley
Swimmer of the Year.

Sarah Wilcox has been a Whomping Turtle for 11 years. When she was 8 years old she
qualified for All-Stars where she placed first in the 25 meter backstroke. She has qualified for
All-Stars eight times since then. Sarah has swum for McLean High School for the past four
years and, as a senior, was a team captain this year. She will be attending James Madison
University in the fall and plans to major in music education.

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FIRST YEAR COACHES
Chris Barnard is finishing his junior at Langley High School. This is Chris' second year
swimming for Highlands and his first year coaching for the team. He has been a state
qualifier for the past three years. As a High School freshman in California, his 400 Freestyle
relay placed 3rd at States. Chris' 200 Medley relay placed 3rd at States his sophomore year at
Langley and his 200 Freestyle relay broke the school record. In his junior year, his 200
Medley and Freestyle broke school records.

Aedan Collins is excited to begin coaching at Highlands this year. As a Whomping Turtle
since age 9, Aedan is psyched to be able to help our swimmers succeed in Division 2! As well
as swimming in the NVSL, Aedan swims for both Thomas Jefferson High School and Machine
Aquatics. Her coaching experience includes working with the younger age groups at Matt
Norman's Swim Program, and private coaching.

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2010 SCHEDULE

ACTIVITIES

In addition to the swim meets schedule every Monday and Saturday between June 19- July
31, the following activities have been planned – note that some dates may change:

Saturday, June 19 Intra-squad meet for all swimmers, 9:00am @ Highlands

Saturday, June 19 Swim Team Social: Parents cocktail hour, kids’ ice cream social and
raft night 7:00-9:00pm @ Highlands

Sunday, June 27 Movie night @ 8:45pm (date subject to change)

Monday, June 28 1st Bagel Monday, every Monday morning after practices

Tuesday, June 29 10 & Under, Turtle Arts & Crafts – a.m. immediately following morning
practice

Friday, July 2 1stPancake Breakfast after morning practice (every Friday morning
through July 30th)

Tuesday, July 6 11-12 Turtle Activity –time TBD

Wednesday, July 7 TEAM PHOTO, individual & team pictures at Highlands,

3:00pm. Purchase not required, but we’d like to get the whole team in
the picture.

Tuesday, July 13 10 & Under Turtle activity – a.m. immediately following practice

Thursday, July 22 11-12 Turtle Activity - TBD

Wednesday, July 28 13 & Over, Progressive Dinner beginning 5:30pm

Saturday, July 31 Swim Team Awards Dinner beginning 6:00 pm

Check the Bulletin Board, Mailboxes, and Hotline for updates and further information.

We need parent volunteers to help organize & chaperone some of the activities for the younger
children. Please call Cami Baer, at 703-532-2202 to volunteer. This is a terrific way to meet other
swim team parents and their children.

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MEET SCHEDULE
Addresses and directions for the away A and B meets at the back of the handbook (see p. 21)
and posted on the Highlands Swim website. Remember, meets are held even in the rain—
the meet will go on unless there is lightning! Please make sure to be on time for warm ups
for A MEETS! If you are late and you do not check in with the coaches, you may risk the
chance of being scratched from your event!

Saturday, June 19 9:00 am: Intra-squad meet @ Highlands; warm up at 8:30 am

Monday, June 21 6:00 pm: B Meet @ Highlands; warm ups at 5:00 pm

Visitors: Donaldson Run

Saturday, June 26 9:00 am: A meet @ Oakton; warm ups 8:15 am

Lunch after meet TBD

Monday, June 28 6:00 pm: B meet @ Highlands; warm ups at 5:00 pm

Visitors: McLean

Saturday, July 3 9:00 am: A meet @ Highlands; warm ups at 8:00 am

Visitors: Little Rocky Run

Monday, July 5 6:00 pm: B meet @ Great Falls; warm ups at 5:30 pm

Saturday, July 10 9:00 am: A meet @ Highlands; warm ups at 8:00 am

Visitors: Lee Graham

Monday, July 12 6:00 pm: B meet @ Overlee; warm ups at 5:30 pm

Wednesday, July 14 4:00 pm: Relay Carnival @ Oakton

Saturday, July 17 9:00 am: A meet @ McLean; warm ups at 8:15 am

Monday, July 19 6:00 pm: B meet @ Highlands; warm ups at 5:00 pm

Visitors: High Point

Wednesday, July 21 4:00 pm: All Star Relay Carnival @ Hayfield Farm

Saturday, July 24 9:00 am: A meet @ Highlands; warm ups at 8:00 am

Visitors: Vienna Woods

Monday, July 26 6:00 pm: B meet @ Langley; warm ups at 5:30 pm

Saturday, July 31 9:00 am: Divisionals @ Vienna Woods

Saturday, August 7 9:00 am: Individual All Stars @ Broyhill Crest

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PRACTICES
Practice starts on Tuesday, June 1st, 3:30-4:30 for 13 & Over, 4:30-5:15 for 8 & Under and 5:15-
6:15pm for swimmers 9-12. Beginning Friday, June 25th, morning practice begins and evening
practice times change. Swimmers may attend the morning and/or afternoon practices,
depending on their schedules. Morning practices allow more time to focus on swimmers in
smaller groups, while all ages are together in a single afternoon practice. Swimmers are
encouraged to attend their designated morning practice whenever possible. Afternoon
practices are available to accommodate schedule conflicts, but if everyone defaults to the
afternoon for convenience, the number of swimmers can be overwhelming and the
experience less rewarding for all.

Parents are asked to avoid congregating around the pool lanes during practice. It gets a little
crowded and is sometimes distracting to the swimmers. Swimmers usually perform better
for coaches if parents are not within sight. If parents have questions or concerns for the
coaches, please put a note in their mailbox folder, give them a call, or see them after
practice. During practice, they will be concentrating on the swimmers.

If you are going to be out of town, please contact the coaches. They need to know who is
available to swim on Saturday mornings by the prior Tuesday for planning purposes.

2010 PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, June 1 - Friday, June 25
Monday through Friday
13 & Over 3:30 - 4:30 pm
8 & Under: 4:30 - 5:15 pm
9-12 yr olds: 5:15 - 6:15 pm

Friday, June 25 – Friday, July 30

Morning practice begins:
Monday through Friday
13 & Over: 8:15 - 9:30 am
9 -12 yr olds: 9:30 - 10:30 am
8 & Under: 10:30 - 11:15 am
And/or
Monday, June 28 - Friday, July 30 for all ages:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 5:30 – 6:30pm

No evening practice June 29, July13, July 14 & July 21

Afternoon practice has been moved to 4:00 to 5:00pm: July 22, 29

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MEETS
A MEETS
A Meets are different from B Meets because they are NVSL sanctioned, relay events are
included and they are scored meets. They reflect our standings in our Division. A Meets are
held Saturday mornings for five consecutive weeks beginning June 26. Swimmers qualify
for these meets based on their times at time trials (held during practices) and at B Meets as
well as the coaches’ evaluation of how the team can best match up against our opponent
for that week.

The swimmers scheduled for the A Meets may change from week to week, due to improved
times or absences. Our team will have three swimmers for each event in each age group
(see table on the next page). A swimmer can only swim in two individual events at an A
Meet. Sometimes there are unfilled spots, especially in some of the older age groups, and a
younger swimmer may be asked to swim in an older group. Every point counts in a meet
and there have been plenty of times that points have been scored by a swimmer swimming
in an older age group. Swimmers should be aware if they will be swimming in a relay.
Relay events are at the end of the meet. If a swimmer needs to leave the meet early, the
Head Coach must be informed prior to the relay events. Several meets have been lost
because a relay swimmer has left a meet early without notifying the coach of their early
departure. Please stay informed!

The list of swimmers for Saturday A Meets will be posted on the swim team Bulletin Board
every Thursday morning. Be sure to check the bulletin board!! If you are not going to be in
town, please contact the Head Coaches Katherine Richards, Austin Auger, or the Team
Reps, Dee Romanek & Stacia Hylton. If you are scheduled to swim in an A Meet and you
become ill or have an emergency, contact the coach immediately so that they can substitute
another swimmer. Any corrections should be made by Thursday morning when our
information is transmitted to our opponents. Substitute swimmers must also be notified in
the event of illness or emergencies, or we won’t have enough swimmers present to fill the
lanes.

PLEASE BE ON TIME FOR WARM UPS FOR A MEETS! YOU MUST CHECK IN WITH THE
COACHES UPON ARRIVAL SO THEY KNOW YOU ARE PRESENT. IF YOU ARE LATE FOR
WARM UPS, YOU MAY RISK BEING SCRATCHED FROM YOUR SCHEDULED EVENT AND
THEREFORE NOT BE ABLE TO SWIM THAT EVENT. Please see NVSL Handbook for further
explanation.

Warm Ups start at 8:00 a.m. for home meets (8:15 for away meets), and each meet will
begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Meets are usually finished by 11:30 a.m. Swimmers and their
families are invited to lunch after each meet. Lunches are held in the snack bar area after
home meets, and at a destination to be announced for the away meets.

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MEET SHEETS
While all NVSL meets have an announcer, many people find the best way to follow the meet
is with a meet sheet, which lists all the events, swimmers, and seed times. Meet Sheets are
usually found in the concession area and typically sell for about $1.00. There are no meet
sheets at B Meets.

SCORING
The score is kept at these meets for the Northern Virginia Swim League (“NVSL”). In the
individual events, a first place finish earns 5 points for the team, a second place 3 points and
a third place finish 1 point. Relays are scored as 5 points for the winner and 0 points for the
loser. There are 402 points in a Saturday meet. Unless there are one or more places not
awarded in an event due to DQs or lack of swimmers, you need 202 points to win. There is
no scoring at B Meets.

EVENTS
A Meets consist of 38 Individual events and 12 Relays in a 25 meter pool. The events swum
and the distance for each stroke and age group are shown below.

Age group Freestyle Backstroke Breaststroke Butterfly Freestyle Medley

Relay Relay
8 & Under 25 M 25 M 25 M 100M
Boys
8 & Under 25 M 25 M 25 M 100M
Girls
9-10 Boys 50 M 50 M 50 M 25 M 100 M
9-10 Girls 50 M 50 M 50 M 25 M 100 M
11-12 Boys 50 M 50 M 50 M 50 M 100 M
11-12 Girls 50 M 50 M 50 M 50 M 100 M
13-14 Boys 50 M 50 M 50 M 50 M 200 M
13-14 Girls 50 M 50 M 50 M 50 M 200 M
15-18 Boys 50 M 50 M 50 M 50 M 200 M
15-18 Girls 50 M 50 M 50 M 50 M 200 M
Mixed Age 200 M
Boys
Mixed Age 200 M
Girls

NOTES: 1. In Saturday meets, the youngest age category for the Butterfly is 10 & under. There
is a 25 Meter Butterfly for 8 & unders at Divisionals and All Stars.
2. The Mixed Age Relays are swum by, in order, an 11-12 year old, a 9-10 year old, a
13-14 year old, and a 15-18 year old.

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B MEETS

B Meets are held on Monday evenings. They are not NVSL meets, there are no relay events
and there is no scoring for these meets. They are designed to give developing swimmers a
chance to compete and improve their skills. Ribbons are awarded to every swimmer. Six B
Meets will be held beginning Monday, June 21st. Swimmers can sign up for events on
Monday after practice or Monday evening prior to the beginning of the meet.

Events are the same as in the A Meets, with the addition of a 6 & under age group in the
Freestyle and Backstroke, and the 13-14 and 15-18 age groups are combined into one. There
is also an 8 & under competition in the Butterfly. Individual Medley (“IM”) events are added
for 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18 age groups. There are usually multiple heats of each
event for younger swimmers.

There is always some discussion as to restrictions placed on what events an A Meet

swimmer can swim in a B Meet. The policy must balance giving opportunities for B Meet
only swimmers to receive encouragement and recognition, allowing A Meet swimmers to
work on and improve all their strokes, and the very practical consideration of getting
through a B Meet before it gets dark. Highlands Swim B Meets are run very efficiently! In an
effort to address all of these concerns, the policy for B Meets is as follows:

B MEET PARTICIPATION POLICY

Swimmers can enter no more than two events in a meet, plus the Individual Medley (“IM” --
25 meters each of butterfly, back, breast, and free style).

A swimmer is eligible to swim any event in a B Meet except an event for which both of the
following two criteria apply:

1. The swimmer earned a first, second, or third place in any A Meet during the
season,
and
2. They swam the event the preceeding Saturday in the A Meet.

This rule is designed to allow A Meet swimmers a chance to swim strokes that they are not
swimming on Saturdays. A swimmer may also swim an event in a B Meet for which they
have placed during an A Meet if at any time they are bumped out of one of the top three
spots by a faster swimmer.

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SPECIAL EVENTS

RELAY CARNIVAL

The Relay Carnival is a meet made up entirely of relays. All six teams from our division will
compete in the meet. It is always held on the Wednesday evening after the 3rd A Meet. This
year that will be July 14 at Oakton. The times from all 18 NVSL divisions will be collected, and
the relay teams with the top 18 times will be invited to the Relay All Stars. Relay All Stars are
held the following Wednesday, July 21 (this year at Hayfield Farm). Relay teams are made
up of the fastest swimmers in the various strokes. Just as for A Meets, a meet sheet will be
posted on the Swim Team bulletin board listing those swimmers who have qualified for the
Relay Carnival. It is very important that swimmers confirm their participation with the
coaches for this event. Please do not leave the meet after you have swam your relay.
Please check wih the coaches to make sure you are not entered in another relay event. As
only one team is registered for each event, the whole team must forfeit if a designated
swimmer does not participate.

RELAY ALL STARS

Relay All Stars will be held Wednesday, July 21 (this year at Hayfield Farm). A team that
qualifies for the All Star Relay will be allowed one substitution as long as three of the
swimmers who qualified are swimming. Substitutions will be allowed only for sickness,
injury, or absence. Last year, Highlands sent eleven relay teams to the Relay All Stars.

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISIONAL MEET (Divisionals)

This meet is always held the last Saturday in July (this year: July 31 at Vienna Woods). Each of
the six teams in the division sends its two fastest swimmers in each event, for a total of 12
swimmers or two heats for every event. In addition to the individual events that are part of
the A Meets, 8 & Under butterfly and the Individual Medley are added for the Divisional
Meet. No team scores are kept for this meet; it really is for the individual swimmers. The
times from each of the 18 NVSL Divisional Meets are collected, and the swimmers with the
top 18 times, plus two alternates, are invited to swim in the Individual All Stars the following
Saturday.

Each swimmer can swim only two events. If a swimmer has one of the top two times in
more than two events, he/she will be able to pick the events in which he/she wants to
participate. This opens up slots for other swimmers. Not all teams enter two swimmers for
each event. When this happens, other teams have an opportunity to add an additional
swimmer from their team. These slots are filled based on who has the fastest time. Also, on
the day of Divisionals, a swimmer may have an emergency or an illness which prevents them
from swimming. Other swimmers will have the opportunity to fill those spots.

14
For seeding purposes at Divisionals, your fastest A Meet time is used. This is true even if you
have a faster B Meet time. If you do not have an A Meet time for the event, then your B
Meet time is used.

INDIVIDUAL ALL STARS

All Stars are always held the first Saturday in August. This year, All Stars will be on August 7
(at Broyhill Crest). As mentioned earlier, the swimmers with the 18 fastest times from the
Divisional Meets held on July 31 qualify for All Stars. Two alternates are also designated.
There are three heats for each event. Pictures are taken, and everyone receives a patch and
a medal or ribbon. Highlands sent 15 individuals to All Stars last year for 24 events!

15
RULES:

STROKES
The swimming strokes and their rules can be confusing. Please take a moment to review the
rules listed below. The stroke rules below are the US Swimming rules as modified for use in
the NVSL. Teams in other leagues may have slightly different rules. (Please ask Dee
Romanek for a copy of the 2010 NVSL Handbook for further clarifications, if necessary).

FREESTYLE
The freestyle is defined as any means of swimming across the pool. Any stroke and kick are
acceptable. There are, however, a few don'ts associated with this stroke, specifically: (1) You
cannot walk on the bottom or pull yourself along using the lane lines and (2) In a 50 Meter
race (two pool lengths) you must touch the wall at the 25 meter end before touching the
wall at the 50 meter end.

BACKSTROKE
Like the freestyle, almost anything goes in the backstroke as long as you stay on your back.
Backstroke starts are different from all others because the swimmer is in the water feet
planted against the wall, and hanging on to either another swimmer's legs or the lip on the
pool awaiting the starter's signal. "Legs" must be grabbed below the knee. Persons serving
in an official capacity (such as timers or coaches) may not serve as “legs”. The backstroke
flip turn is the one exception to staying on your back and can be used only as part of a turn
(not a finish) at the pool wall.

BREASTSTROKE
The Breaststroke has two components, the kick and the arm pull. The pull and its recovery
must both be under the breast and cannot extend further back than the waist area. The kick
is a "frog" kick and the toes must be pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick.
The arm pull and kick must be in an alternating sequence and the elbows must stay below
the water except for tagging the wall at the finish. Breaststroke turns and finishes require a
simultaneous two hand touch.

BUTTERFLY
A well executed butterfly (Fly) is the hardest stroke for most swimmers to perfect. There are
two components of the fly: the arm pull and the kick. The arm pull must be an over the
water recovery (elbows breaking the surface of the water) with the arms moving
simultaneously. The kick is a dolphin style kick with both legs moving simultaneously. Unlike
the Breaststroke, there is no requirement to alternate the kick and pull. Turns and finishes
require a simultaneous two hand touch at the wall.

INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
The individual medley (IM) is when an individual swims each of the four strokes in the
sequence Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle. In a 100 Meter IM, every turn is
a stroke change and stroke finish rules apply. This means no Backstroke Flip Turns.

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RELAYS
There are two kinds of Relays, the freestyle relay and the medley relay. Both involve a team
of four swimmers, each swimming 1/4 of the total distance. In the freestyle relay, each
swimmer swims the freestyle. In the medley relay, the sequence is Backstroke, Breaststroke,
Butterfly and Freestyle. At the NVSL Relay Carnival, swimmers 8 and Under swim a modified
medley relay where the fly leg of the relay is replaced with a freestyle leg.

In all relays, each swimmer must wait until the previous swimmer touches the wall prior to
leaving the deck. Running starts or pushes from teammates are not allowed.

DQ's
A DQ (short for disqualification) is any violation of the rules observed by any appropriate
official. Some of the more common reasons for DQing are as follows:

Freestyle: Failure to touch the wall at the turning end of the pool
Walking on the bottom or pulling on the lane lines
Exiting the pool before swimming the specified distance

Backstroke: Past vertical towards the breast at any time except during a flip turn
Leaving the wall after a turn past vertical towards the breast
Improper flip turn (older swimmers)

Breaststroke: Incorrect kick, such as a Scissors kick or Flutter kick

Non-Simultaneous two-hand touch or one hand touch at turn or finish
Toes not pointed outward during the propulsive part of the kick
More than one stroke underwater with arms fully extended at start or turn
Arm recovery past waist except on first stroke after start or turn
Head didn't break surface by conclusion of second arm pull underwater after a
start or turn

Butterfly: Non-simultaneous or one handed wall touch at the turn or finish

Non-simultaneous leg movement during kicks
Arms don't break water surface during recovery (judged at the elbows)
Non-simultaneous arm movement during recovery

FALSE START
A false start occurs whenever a swimmer moves towards the pool after having assumed a
still position (taking his/her mark) and before the Starter has started the race. If the false
start is detected before the starting signal is sounded, the offending swimmer can be
removed from the race prior to it starting. If a false start occurs but the starting signal has
sounded, the race will not be stopped. Instead the false starting swimmer(s) will be notified
of their false start at the conclusion of the race. The use of a recall signal is now limited to a
bad start (i.e., not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason. If the Starter sounds the
recall signal, no swimmer can be removed for a false start.

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OFFICIALS
NVSL rules require all officials to wear white shirts and navy blue shorts/pants/or skirts. No
blue jeans. Highlands is again extremely fortunate in the quality of its officials, but we need
to train more parents to ensure continuity and backup support. Please contact Dee
Romanek for further details on attending clinics and training. For the schedule of Clinic
dates and locations, see p. 20.

REFEREE
The Referee is the chief official for each swim meet. He is responsible for the conduct of the
meets and is the final authority on the interpretation and enforcement of all swimming
rules. Prior to the start of each race, the Referee sounds two or three short blasts to advise
the participants to get ready. After the event is announced by the announcer or starter, the
Referee sounds one long blast as a signal for swimmers to get into position for the start or
to jump feet first into the water for a backstroke event. For Backstroke events, a second
long blast is given to bring the swimmers to the wall for the start. When the referee sees
that all the swimmers are ready, he extends his arm pointing towards the starter. At this
point, the starter takes control. JC Richards and Mike Heuple are Highlands’ outstanding
Referees. They are qualified to serve in all other Official capacities as well.

STARTER
The Starter is responsible for insuring that all swimmers are given a fair and equitable start.
The Starter will instruct the swimmers to "Take your mark". After all swimmers are ready
and still, the Starter will start the race. A race can be recalled only if it was a bad start by the
Starter (i.e., not all swimmers were ready) or for a safety reason.

CLERK OF THE COURSE

The Clerk of the Course is the "gatekeeper" for all swimmers in our meets. Highlands is very
fortunate to have very capable parents to serve this function. They are responsible for
getting the swimmers to the right lanes for the correct race.

STROKE AND TURN JUDGES

Once the race has started, the Stroke & Turn Judges are responsible for insuring that all
swimmers obey all the rules for the stroke that they are swimming. These people are always
at the ends of the pool for starts and finishes and walk the sides of the pool as best they can
within the physical constraints of the pool. If a Stroke and Turn Judge sees a violation of the
rules, he/she raises a hand to signify that an infraction has occurred. A disqualification is
recorded on a DQ slip, which the Referee reviews and approves and forwards copies to the
Table workers and the Team Rep.

RELAY TAKE-OFF JUDGES

During relays, you'll see four Relay Take-off Judges at each end of the pool (two per lane).
Their job is to insure that each swimmer touches the wall prior to the next swimmer in the
relay leaving the deck. Each Judge notes on a slip of paper whether each swimmer in his lane

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left before or after the swimmer in the water touched the wall. Relay Take-off Judges do not
raise their hands when they observe an early take-off because a disqualification occurs only
if both Relay Take-off Judges observe an early takeoff.

TIMERS
The timers are the most important people to every swimmer. They are the people who
determine each swimmer's official time for each race. Being a timer is a good entry level
position for new parents to help out. Timers start their watches on the strobe light from the
Colorado system and stop their watches when the swimmer touches the wall. There are
three timers per lane (6 lanes) and all three times are recorded. The middle time is the
official time. The Chief Timer collects the time cards from the timers, reviews them for
accuracy and completeness, and forwards them on to the table workers. This year, our Chief
Timer will be Julie Murphy (703-893-6522) for A meets and Maura Dolan (703 942-5668) for
the B Meets. They will need plenty of volunteers.

MARSHALS
Marshals are responsible for ensuring that Warm Ups are conducted safely and that order is
maintained on deck during all NVSL sanctioned meets.

TABLE WORKERS
The time cards from the timers and any DQ slips go to the Table Workers who determine the
order of finish for each event, score the A Meet, prepare ribbons for the participants and
enter times into our computer. Several people from each team perform these functions to
insure that errors are caught before the results are announced. Sue Putnam, A Meet Table
Chief, (703-749-1166) will run Highlands’ table work this year. In order for a meets to run
smoothly, Sue will need plenty of volunteers. Laura Nammo (703 536-3848) is the B Meet
Table Chief. Please call them to coordinate.

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 DIRECTIONS TO AWAY MEETS
2010 SEASON

BROYHILL CREST: Individual All Stars on Saturday, August 7

7212 Early Street, Annandale, VA 22003 - (703) 941-9608
Turn left at Linway Terrace 0.3 mi
Turn right at Kirby Rd 2.1 mi
Continue onto Idylwood Rd W 2.8 mi
Turn left at Gallows Rd S 4.4 mi
Turn left at Wayne Dr 0.4 mi
Take the 2nd right onto Murray Ln 0.2 mi
Take the 2nd right onto Early St - pool will be on the right in 463 ft

GREAT FALLS SWIM: B Meet on Monday, July 5

761 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA 22066 (703) 759-3299
Turn right at Linway Terrace 0.2 mi
Take the 1st left onto Birch Rd 75 ft
Take the 1st right onto Old Dominion Dr 6.9 mi
Turn left at Georgetown Pike 2.0 mi
Turn left at Walker Rd - pool will be on the left in 0.3 mi

HAYFIELD FARM: All Star Relay Carnival on Wednesday, July 21

7820 Hayfield Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22315 (703) 971-9837
Turn left at Linway Terrace 0.3 mi
Turn right at Kirby Rd 2.1 mi
Continue onto Idylwood Rd W 1.2 mi
Turn left at Leesburg Pike 0.1 mi
Bear right onto ramp for Rt. 66 W toward Front Royal 1.3 mi
Take exit 64 for I-495 S ramp to Capital Beltway/Richmond 13.8 mi
Take Exit 176A Telegraph Rd., S 0.4 mi
Turn Right onto Telegraph Rd, S 0.5 mi
Left at light onto Hayfield Rd until it dead-ends at pool parking lot.

LANGLEY CLUB, B Meet on Monday, July 26

728 Live Oak Drive, McLean, Virginia 22101 (703) 821-9316
Turn right at Linway Terrace 0.2 mi
Take the 1st left onto Birch Rd 75 ft
Take the 1st right onto Old Dominion Dr 2.2 mi
Slight right at Balls Hill Rd 1.4 mi
Turn left at Live Oak Dr. - pool will be on the left in 0.2 mi

McLEAN: A Meet on Saturday, July 17

1700 Margie Dr., McLean, VA 22101 (703) 821-9317
Turn left at Linway Terrace 0.3 mi
Turn right at Kirby Rd 2.1 mi
Turn right at Great Falls St. 0.8 mi
Turn right at Tyndale St 194 ft
Take the 1st left onto Margie Dr. - pool will be on the right in 0.2 mi

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OAKTON: A Meet on Sat., June 26 & Divisional Relay Carnival on Wednesday, July 14
11714 Flemish Mill Court, Oakton, Virginia 22124 (703) 620-9800
Turn left at Linway Terrace 0.3 mi
Turn right at Kirby Rd 2.1 mi
Continue onto Idylwood Rd W 1.2 mi
Turn left at Leesburg Pike/Rt. 7 0.1 mi
Bear right onto ramp for Rt. 66 W toward Front Royal 5.1 mi
Take exit 57B US Rte. 50 W towards Fair Oaks/Winchester 1.3 mi
Merge right onto West Ox Rd N 1.0 mi
Make 2nd right at Waples Mill Rd. 1.2 mi
Turn left at Bronzedale Dr 0.2 mi
Turn left at Flemish Mill Ct. pool will be on the right in 0.1 mi

OVERLEE: B Meet on Monday, July 12

6030 Lee Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22205 (703) 532-7819
Turn left at Linway Terrace 0.3 mi
Turn right at Kirby Rd 1.1 mi
Turn left at Powhatan St 1.1 mi
Turn right at N Williamsburg Blvd 154 ft
Slight left at N Sycamore St 0.7 mi
Turn left at Lee Hwy. - pool will be on the right in 0.5 mi

VIENNA WOODS: Divisionals on Saturday, July 31

Harmony SW & Plum SW, Vienna, VA 22180 – (703) 938-4218
Turn left at Linway Terrace 0.3 mi
Turn right at Kirby Rd 2.1 mi
Continue onto Idylwood Rd 3.1 mi
Turn left at Cedar Ln 1.4 mi
Turn right at Cottage St SW 0.8 mi
Turn right at Harmony Dr SW
Pkg. lot at end of Harmony Dr. 0.2 mi

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