Westwood Whirlwinds Swim Team

Think about your other sports, would you leave your sport when your minutes are done? If you were playing baseball and were pitching and got pulled out halfway through the game, would you leave and not finish the game? If you were in a basketball game and were playing the 1st and 3rd quarters, would you leave the bench and go home after you get taken out? We understand you all have a lot going on but we really want this to be important and want you to stay until the end, especially if you are slated to swim a relay. Please look at the relays and see if you are on one, we try and get as many swimmers as possible in the relays. When you can’t do a relay, or miss one, that does affect other swimmers that are planning on doing them.

Meet Entries Based on Team Need

Westwood Whirlwinds are part of theDominion Country Club League, which is divided into the White and Blue Divisions. We are in the Blue Division. Unlike NVSL, all our swim team members compete in our Saturday swim meets, regardless of their ability. We have unlimited entries for freestyle and backstroke (six entries for breaststroke, fly, and IM). We have to prioritize the needs of the team over individual preferences.

This means:

• Meet entries are set to represent the best team we can put together every week.
• We spend a lot of time trying to move swimmers around and figure out what is best for the team. When setting the lineup, we look at a lot of different variables. We try and get as many swimmers as possible in the meet and in events we know they like, but at the end of the day we have to do what is best for the team and our scoring.
• We will not look at preferences for these meets, and while doing entries, it is way too much to balance trying to please everyone (we have 200 swimmers) while also following the entry rules set forth by the DCCL.
• Swimmers may swim 4 events (which is a LOT) and 2 relays. We ONLY get 2 heats of entries for breaststroke, butterfly, and IM events. If your swimmer is not one of the stronger swimmers in these events, we may not be able to get them to swim it.

How we determine who swims in breast, fly, IM

• Times are the first thing, but not the only thing we look at.
• We pay attention to who is the most legal, who does the details right, and who is swimming faster in practice. We have conversations with the coaches each week and daily about who is standing out in these events. Not everyone gets an opportunity the first week and people do improve, so we do have to pick based on feel sometimes and can’t go strictly on times for these events.
• We try to get as many swimmers as possible for these events and give everyone an opportunity to swim the events they like, but we have to be mindful of many factors.

All Stars is the exception

All Stars is the meet that is not scored and is ALL individual. If you qualify for all stars, YOU choose your events. The eligible swimmers that are the fastest get first pick and we don’t look at team scores for this meet.

No cameras (including cell phone cameras) or other recording devices are allowed behind the blocks at any time. If you see a camera, you should inform the camera user of the policy and request that it be put away. Inform the Head Official or Deck Referee of the camera use. Do this even if the camera user puts the camera away when asked. (From USA Swimming and Safe Sport)

Dear Parents,

No cameras, cell phone cameras, or other recording devices are allowed behind the blocks at any time.

Did you know… that the second most abused photo of a child on the internet is the one in a swimsuit? Only second to gymnastics.

Did you know… that if you post a picture of your own child taking their mark on your personal social media, you are putting your child at risk with that photo?

Keep your phones away, folks. And help protect all our athletes by speaking up if you see someone else with their phone out behind the start end of the pool… and if an official tells you to put your phone away, please abide immediately.

Exception: a credentialed, official Meet Photographer identified by the Meet Director, stated in the Meet Announcement and available to all athletes is allowed behind the blocks after the start.

From DCCL Bylaws:

Locker Rooms / Restrooms

▪ Cell phones and other mobile devices with recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras increase the risk for different forms of

misconduct in locker rooms and changing areas. The USA Swimming Athlete Protection Policies prohibit the use of such devices in the locker room or other changing area:

▪ Use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone camera, is not allowed in changing areas, restrooms or locker rooms.

Timers

▪ Do not text or use cell phones during the meet. Ask the Chief Timer for relief if you need to do so.

▪ No cameras, cell phone cameras, or other recording devices are allowed behind the blocks at any time.

▪ If you observe camera use behind the blocks, notify the Head Timer or the nearest Official, who will then notify the Deck Referee.