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Club Communication and
Notification
The main means of communication is the club web
site: www.delmardolfins.com. Each
swim family and coach also has a file in the “club
mailbox,” which is kept on the pool deck at the high school;
some of the mail folders are kept at the Albany Academy. It is
important for parents and swimmers to get into a daily habit of
checking the web site and mailbox for the latest information on
practice schedules, schedule changes, meet announcements,
newsletters, awards, and so on. Other means of communication
include the head coach’s e-mail list and the bulletin board
at the high school.
Equipment
In addition to a team suit for competitions, your
swimmer will need at least one other practice suit.
Click here for instructions on ordering team equipment. Goggles
are needed for better visibility and protection against the
irritation of pool water. Be sure the goggles you buy are
comfortable and watertight. The equipment sales coordinator stocks
swim caps, including team caps.
The Delmar Dolfins Swim Club encourages the use of
the official team suit and a swim cap at all USA Swimming meets.
Suits are ordered each fall. A large, group, fall order is done
through the equipment chairperson and requires prepayment. It is
recommended that the team suit be worn only for competition to
avoid natural deterioration from exposure to pool water. Wearing
the team uniform at meets helps create a team atmosphere and
enables coaches and spectators to observe and cheer our Dolfins.
Lost and Found
You are strongly encouraged to label all your
swimmer’s equipment. Labeled equipment found at practice can
easily be returned to the swimmer. Unlabeled equipment floats
around the pool deck and pool office and generally disappears.
Swimmers should keep all swim bags and personal belongings on the
pool deck and not leave anything in the locker rooms during their
practice session. The locker rooms may be used simultaneously by
others. The club is not responsible for lost items.
The Parent’s Role
As the parent of a competitive swimmer, your main
responsibility is to provide a caring environment for your swimmer.
This support will encourage your swimmer to feel good about his or
her interest in competitive age-group swimming. Show your support
by ensuring your swimmer’s attendance at practices and swim
meets.
Parents are not participants on their child’s
team but contribute to the success experienced by the swimmer and
his or her team. Parents serve as role models, and children often
emulate their attitudes. Strive to be a positive role model. Most
important, show good sportsmanship at all times toward coaches,
officials, opponents, and teammates.
Be enthusiastic, but remember that your child is the swimmer.
Swimmers need to establish realistic goals. Parents should not
impose their own standards. It is far better to set goals of
improvement than goals of winning.
Grievances and
Complaints
As in any large organization involving significant
numbers of parents and their children, the Dolfins cannot always be
all things to all people. Although conflicts in our club are few,
they occasionally arise, and we have a protocol for dealing with
them.
If you have a complaint about administration of the
club, coaching, finances, other swimmers’ behavior, other
parents’ behavior, or other related matters, please contact
any member of the board of directors. Your concern will be
addressed by the board of directors or mediated by the Grievance
Committee.
Safety and Behavior
The board of directors and coaches want all Dolfin
activities (practices and social activities) to be safe for
swimmers, coaches, families, and spectators. To this end, we ask
that all members follow the rules of the facility being used,
listen to coaches, and follow directions.
Practice is not a time for fooling around. Swimming
can be one of the safest sports available to youth. Yet, just one
incident can turn it into a dangerous or deadly activity. Swimmers
must act responsibly for their own safety and for the safety of
others. Disruptive behavior and not following protocol set forth by
the coaches are detrimental to the swimmer and the team. Coaches
receive the support of the board of directors in benching swimmers
during practice. If swimmers are benched for the evening, they are
not allowed to leave practice early. They must participate in any
cleanup of equipment their group is responsible for, and they must
stay until their group is dismissed.
The Delmar Dolfins board of directors reserves the
right to terminate the membership of any individual whose behavior
places the Delmar Dolfins Swim Club in an unfavorable light or
jeopardizes our participation in any pool use or sporting event.
All Delmar Dolfins swimmers are expected to demonstrate good
sportsmanship and act as appropriate ambassadors for the club. They
should act as role models for other swimmers when wearing the
Delmar Dolfins logo.
Locker Rooms
Dolfin coaches are not in charge of supervising
swimmers once they have entered the locker rooms. Individual
families must be responsible for their own swimmer in the changing
areas. Locker rooms should be used with expedience and left in the
same state in which they were found. Any swimmer caught defacing
property at any Dolfin-related activity will have membership
privileges suspended, and the board of directors will review the
situation to determine whether the suspension should lead to
termination of membership rights.
Accidents or Injuries
The club has a volunteer parent in the role of
safety officer. In the event of an accident or injury, no matter
how minor, please contact the safety officer and immediately fill
out an accident report. Forms are in a folder in the mailboxes. All
accidents are subsequently reported to USA Swimming. When a report
is filed, you will receive a form from USA Swimming discussing USA
Swimming secondary medical coverage. If you have concerns about
safety in the swim club, please contact the safety officer or the
club president.
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