22012 Hurricanes/Typhoons
Parent Handbook
Hills of Walden Swim Team
2012 Contact Information
Board Members
Sam McCullough
587-7275
Cheryl Mikuls
456-2651
Stephanie Morris
741-2050
Kim Downs Gorombey 217-4555
Kitchell Schneider
217-8578
Kevin Ringo
255-5261
Joanna Kubicki
587-1204
sammccullough3@gmail.com
Cheryl.Mikuls@haygroup.com
stephmorris@att.net
kimkdg@gmail.com
kitchellschneider@yahoo.com
CHDdad06@gmail.com
jojomike@sbcglobal.net
Coaches
Matt Novak mr.matt.novak@gmail.com
Kendra Mikuls kcmone@kc.rr.com
Lyndsay Ryan
NOTE: Unless it is a last minute emergency, please do NOT
contact coaches by phone. E-mail will continue to be the
preferred method of communication for any questions regarding
meets or practices. All other questions or concerns should be
directed to any member of the Board.
For all the latest updates and announcements check our web page
daily at www.Waldenswim.com
GENERAL INFORMATION
Parent Open House
New and returning parents are invited to attend an information session at the Walden
Clubhouse on Sunday, April 22nd from 2-4 PM. This meeting is not required but will give
all families an opportunity to meet the coaches, check out the 2011 Spirit Gear, and ask
any questions you may have.
Practice
Regular practice for the Hurricanes begins Tuesday, May 29. Typhoons lessons/practice
begins Monday, June 4, 2011. Regular practice times are as follows:
Ages 13 & Over: 8:30 am to 9:45 am
Ages 9-12: 9:45 am to 10:45 am
Ages 8 & Under 10:45 am to 11:30 am
Typhoons: 11:30 am to 12:00 PM
All Ages: Monday / Wednesday Evening 7 – 8 pm (This practice is for those
swimmers who are unable to attend morning practices otherwise ALL swimmers are
expected to attend morning practices).
Practices are held Monday through Thursday for Hurricanes and Monday through Friday
for Typhoons. All practices are held at the Walden neighborhood pool.
Attendance Policy
Swimmers are expected to attend practice every day. We understand that
circumstances arise where a swimmer may need to miss practice. For planned
absences, a PARENT needs to notify the coaches via email at
mr.matt.novak@gmail.com prior to the missed practice(s). For unexpected absences,
please notify the coaches as soon as possible. A swimmer must attend at least two
FULL practices a week in order to be eligible to participate in weekly meets unless
excused by the coaches as per the policy stated above. If a swimmer has not met this
minimum requirement, he/she will be scratched from the meet. Exceptions will be
made at the discretion of the coaches.
Year-Round Club Swimmers
We understand that many Hurricanes swimmers also participate on club swim teams
(BW,NLU, Tsunami, etc.). As such, your swimmer may find that their club practice times
conflict with their Hurricanes practice times.
Please contact the coaches by email at mr.matt.novak@gmail.com to arrange a
practice schedule for your swimmer. We do not want to inhibit our club swimmers from
participating in the Walden Swim program, but we do expect our club swimmers to
practice with the team as often as possible.
Swim Meets
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All swim meets begin promptly at 6:00. This means that if you are helping during
the first half of the meet than you will need to be ready to go at 5:45 so we can
start on time. Most meets will last approx. 4 hours.
Our first swim meet this year will take place on June 14th. We will have a “mock”
meet on June 6th for those new swimmers and to allow the seasoned swimmers /
parents to get back into the swing of things.
Coaches will choose the individual events and relays for every meet. The
coaches’ goal is for every swimmer to swim in every event for which he or she is
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eligible at least once during the season. In order to meet this goal, swimmers will
not swim the same events at every meet.
Swimmers who qualify for the Conference Championship Meet will have limited
input on the events they swim; the final entries will be determined by the
coaching staff.
If your child will be unable to swim in a meet for any reason, you must
notify the coaching staff by email at Patrick.Rembecki@park.edu NO
LATER than 11:00 am on the Monday prior to the meet they will be missing.
Swimmers who are absent from a meet without having notified the coaches will
not be entered into relays in the following meet.
Swimmers MUST participate in a minimum of three meets to be eligible for the
Conference
Championship Meet regardless of their qualifying times.
For our “home” swim meets, swimmers are expected to arrive at the pool at
4:30 to assist with set up and to get ready for warm-ups which begin promptly at
5:00.
For our “away” swim meets, swimmers are expected to arrive at the meet pool
at 5:15 to prepare for warm-ups which begin promptly at 5:30.
Weather Policy
Decisions for canceling practice due to inclement weather will be made on a case-bycase basis. Canceling practice for one age group does not mean that it will be canceled
for all age groups. Updates will be posted on the team website, www.waldenswim.com
and a mass email will be sent out as soon as possible. If you have provided us with a
cell phone number, you will also receive a text message notification. Your carrier's text
messaging rates will apply. As summer weather can change rapidly, every effort will be
made to send out notifications as quickly as possible. Please do not call the coaches or
board members to find out if practice is canceled.
Communication
Good communication is the key to any successful program. This handbook and the Hills
of Walden Swim Team website is your best sources for accurate information. Please use
them to stay informed! Parents, please communicate IN WRITING with the coaches if
your child is going to miss practice, or especially a swim meet. This also includes
times when a child will miss just a portion of the meet. All communication of this nature
should be sent one week in advance, if possible, via e-mail to the coaches’ address
mr.matt.novak@gmail.com. Much time and careful planning goes into preparing the
entries for each meet. The coaches cannot serve the best interest of our swimmers
when they do not know who will be present for each event. Please review carefully the
Hills of Walden Swim Team Attendance Policy and Meet Sign-Up Policy. Contact
information for Board Members and Coaching Staff is available on the opening page of
this handbook as well as on the website.
Championship Meet
To be eligible to participate in the season end championship meet, a swimmer must
achieve qualifying times during the 2012 season. These times are posted on our web
site. In addition, a swimmer must compete in a minimum of three dual meets to fulfill
eligibility requirements for the championship meets. If a swimmer qualifies for the
championship meet they should feel honored and will be expected to participate.
Team Suits
All Hurricanes Swim Team members are strongly encouraged to have a team suit and
wear it atevery meet. This year we are using TYR. Girls will wear the Shockwave
Diamondback and our boys will be sporting the Shockwave Jammer. Suits may be
purchased online thru the website. Go to www.WaldenSwim.com, click on TEAM SUIT
LINK and scroll down to the picture of the suit. There is a very accurate sizing
chart on the website and suits usually arrive within 3-5 business days. You can also
take advantage of our team discount on any other products on the website. Please note
that supplies of the suit do tend to run out and it may take Team Unify a week or two
to order another batch. Your patience is appreciated.
Swim Caps
The team cap is dark blue with the Hurricanes logo on it. Swimmers are not required to
wear a team cap but any non-team cap must be black or blue and not have any logos
on it. Caps will be available for purchase at the concessions stand during home meets.
Non-Competitive Pools
Per USA Swimming Guidelines: NO swimmer is allowed in a non-competition pool during
any swim meet. Doing this invalidates the USA swimming insurance for the entire team.
This applies to both Walden residents and non-residents and will be very strictly
enforced at both home meets and away meets. Swimmers who do not follow this rule
are at risk for being barred from the remainder of any meet. (The non-competitive pool
at Walden is the small pool with the diving boards—please stay out of this pool during
our home meets!)
Non-Residents
Teammates who are non Hills of Walden residents are not allowed to use the Walden
facilities outside of practices and meets unless they are accompanied and in the
presence of a Walden resident. This policy has been set in place by the Hills of Walden
Homeowners Association Board of Directors. All non Hills of Walden residents will be
charged a $10.00 annual fee. This fee will in turn be given to Curry Management for
pool usage fees.
Safety and Courtesy at Meets
Please respect the perimeter around the pool during competition. Parents should
maintain a distance of at least four feet from the pool’s edge at all times so the meet
officials and coaches can fulfill their responsibilities to the swimmers. All parents are
encouraged to photograph and cheer for the team, but this must be done in an
inconspicuous manner that does not interfere with the meet’s progress. Also, unless you
are timing, please do not congregate behind the starting blocks or at the Clerk of
Course as these areas become very congested. These guidelines will help ensure an
enjoyable experience for everyone.
2012 Hills of Walden Swim Team
Activity Calendar for Hurricanes and Typhoon Swimmers
Tuesday, May 29th – Hurricanes practice begins
Monday, June 4th – Typhoons practice begins at 11:30
Thursday, June 7th – Mock swim meet
Thursday, June 14th – Home swim meet vs. Sherwood. Be at pool at 4:45 for 5:00
warm-ups
Thursday, June 21st – Away swim meet at Brooktree. Be at pool by 5:15 for 5:30
warm-ups
Thursday, June 28th – Home swim meet vs. Walnut Creek. Be at pool at 4:45 for
5:00 warm-ups
Thursday, July 5th – Away swim meet at Old Pike. Be at pool at 5:15 for 5:30
warm-ups
Thursday, July 12th – Home swim meet vs. Riss Lake. Be at pool at 4:45 for 5:00
warm-ups
Thursday, July 17th – Away swim meet at New Mark. Be at pool at 5:15 for 5:30
warm-ups
Monday, July 23th – Wednesday, July 25th – Championship Meet (See info below)
Championship Meet Information
If you are not sure if your child has qualified, please speak to one of your coaches! All
swimmers who qualify are expected to participate.
Mon-Wed July 23-25 Practice for Conference Qualifiers ONLY
9:00 AM- 10:00 AM 11 and Over
10:00 AM-10:45 AM 10 and Under
Mon July 23 Conference Championship Meet At Tiffany Springs Water Park
8 & Under, 9-10 Individual Event Prelims & Medley Relay Finals
Swimmers MUST arrive by 4:15 PM
Warm-ups @ 4:45 PM
Meet begins at 5:45 PM
Tue July 24 Conference Championship Meet At Tiffany Springs Water Park
11-12, 13-14, 15-18 Individual Event Prelims & Medley Relay Finals
Swimmers MUST arrive by 4:15 PM
Warm-ups begin @ 4:45 PM
Meet begins @ 5:45 PM
Wed July 25 Conference Championship Meet Finals At Tiffany Springs Water Park
Individual Event Finals & Free Relay Finals for ALL Age Groups
Swimmers MUST arrive by 4:15 PM, even relay only swimmers
Warm-ups @ 4:45 PM
Meet begins at 5:45 PM
Immediately following the conclusion of Conference Awards Presentation at
Tiffany Springs Water Park, the team will meet to receive Conference Medals
and Ribbons. Location TBA.
Thank you all for a great summer! We hope to see you next year!!!