Mustang Monthly - Internet Edition
October 2004
Thank You Haunted Hat Volunteers!
A sincere thank you to the many parent and swimmer volunteers who made our Annual Haunted Hat Meet a tremendous success. There were many new faces visible especially in key places such as hospitality and computer and timing system operations. It appeared that the swimmers had a good time with the haunted hat parade and we had lots of positive comments from parents, athletes, coaches and swimmers. Great job Mustangs!
The Meet Entry Process: How Do I Do It?
What Meets Should My Child Swim In?
Now that your child or children are getting in good shape from their training they are encouraged to enter one of the meets that the Mustangs attend as a team. The process for entering is the same for each meet. Follow the steps below and you will be sure to get your child entered in the appropriate meet before the host team deadline for entries.
- Find the meet information at each pool. At each of our three different pools we provide meet information stapled to a blank entry form which you can fill out. At Loos it is in the Mustang storeroom where the supplies are kept (close to the women’s locker room entrance). At HP check on the table holding the file boxes. If you swim at CFB please check with your child’s coach for the right meet information for your child (you will get it directly from the coach). The meet information will tell you what time standards are necessary to qualify for the meet in addition to providing a list of numbered events from which your child may choose to swim.
- If you are unable to obtain the meet information from the pool you may download through the North Texas Swimming Website (www.ntswim.org) by going to “Meet Information” and clicking on the hyperlink for the meet you are interested in entering or finding out more about. An entry form in word format is also available for you to download and modify with your desired entries. If you do it this way, make sure you get your form turned in at least 5 days before the date listed on the meet host meet information. This due date is different than the one on the form that we hand out at the pools. The meet information at the pools has the most accurate due date on them since this is the date that it is due to us. This allows us to process your entry in time to send it to the meet host as a team (usually on diskette or by e-mail prior to their due date).
- Write the meet name and date down on the entry form. Since we participate in several levels of meets each month it is easier to sort through the different meets when the names are on the top of the form. Your child’s birth date, your current address, and a daytime phone number are also necessary to fill out in case something on your entry is unclear or incorrect. Your USA Swimming ID Number and team code are already saved in our database, so don’t worry about putting those down unless you have to late enter on the day of the meet.
- List the events in meet event order on your sheet; it makes it much easier to follow your entry form for the person entering your child in the meet. Circle the distance of the event(s) you would like to enter (i.e., 25, 50, 100, etc.) and the type of stroke as well (FR, BR, BK, FL, or IM). These distances and strokes should match exactly with the distances and strokes of the event numbers that you have chosen for your child to swim. (This sometimes provides us with a clue as to what you meant to do in the event of an error/discrepancy and allows us to figure it out without having to contacting you prior to the meet).
- If you
know your child’s best time in that event you may put it down under the
“entry time” column. If you can’t
remember best time, just leave it blank and your child will automatically
be entered in his or her best time on record. We update our database with the results as soon as they are
available on the
- Make sure your child is eligible to participate in the meet you are attempting to enter. The meets usually fall into either an “A” level meet or a “BB/B/C” level meet in the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons and either A, BB, or B/C levels in the Summertime. An “A” swimmer should swim in the “A” meets only, not in the “BB” and below levels. A “BB” swimmer may not swim in an “A” meet until they make an “A” time standard. Even then they must have at least three time cuts before they can swim whatever they want at that level meet. 13 & Over swimmers are never B/C swimmers they are BB swimmers until they have achieved 3 "A" times or above. Some meets might even require that a swimmer must have an “A” time standard in each event that they choose to enter to be eligible to swim in that event. Check with your child’s coach to confirm what meet they should be swimming in if you have questions regarding this.
- When
your child obtains the minimum of three time standards in the next highest
level, they are classified as that “level” of swimmer (i.e., a “B” swimmer
who gets his or her 3rd BB time standard in their age group becomes a “BB”
Swimmer). These times standards
can be found in the time standards link of the
- Swim events that make sense for your child. Once you determine whether or not your child qualifies to swim in a meet you need to figure out what events would be best for your child to swim. If it’s their first meet, try not to overwhelm them with too many events especially if they are swimming some of the events in competition for the very first time.
- Check the meet information to see how many events per day or session your child may swim. On the meet information there usually is a daily limit of events that your child may enter. If they exceed this number by chance at the meet, they will be disqualified at the meet in the event which exceeds the daily limit regardless of how they perform in that event. (Chances are they will be pretty tired anyway if they are exceeding the daily event limit and probably wouldn’t even want the time in the extra event to count!)
- Turn
in your entry form and check at the correct location. Loos has a “meet entry” bin in the
supply room. Attach your check
directly to the form with a staple or a paper clip. Keep the meet information for yourself
so you will be informed about the particulars of the meet (i.e. when you
child needs to be at the pool for warm-ups, what events are swum on what
days etc.). The pool address and
directions are usually available at the top of the meet information for
your reference.
- Make sure you “pay as you go” on the meet entry fees. The event fees are listed in the meet information. Make your check out to the Dallas Mustangs to cover the individual events you enter your child in. Do not enter your child in or pay for relays. We figure those out the day of the meet during warm-up when we see who shows up. If you are running late with turning in the entries and have sent them to Doug via e-mail (dougm@dmswim.com), make sure you drop off your check at the designated spot at each pool, as soon as possible. This will allow us to reconcile the meet fees after we send in our team check to the host team. Write the name of the meet in the information part of your check so that we can identify what meet and events you are paying for. Try to avoid attaching cash!
- Please review your child’s meet entries. There is a link in the main menu of our website (www.dmswim.com) entitled “Review Meet Entries”. Follow that link to access your swimmer’s entries in an upcoming meet. The meets entries are usually available for review by the Monday prior to the meet start. Let Doug know about potential challenges as soon as possible at dougm@dmswim.com. This will allow him to contact one of our coaches assigned to work the meet, with a head’s up in regard to your entry issue.
What is the hierarchy of swim meets? Before your child proves otherwise technically they are a “C” swimmer. Once they swim in a meet they will attempt to make “B” times, then “BB” times, “A” times, TAGS (Texas Age Group Swimming) time standards (14 & Under), Sectional times, and ultimately if they work hard enough and are blessed with a bunch of swimming talent… National or Olympic Trials cuts. Hopefully, no matter at what level of swimming your child swims, he or she will have a great time!
When Things Get A Little Busy At The Pool….
The Olympics typically have a great effect on interest in competitive swimming in the country - and for good reason. We are the strongest swimming nation in the world and we are one of the many teams nationally that has grown as a result of an increased interest in swimming. How does this affect you? Well, when our Mustang groups get a little busy at our different pools here are some things to consider in order to avoid being lost in the crowd…
Try to workout during “off” peak days. Historically, we have been the busiest on Mondays, then Wednesdays, Thursdays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, in that order. If your child has been coming M-W-F they might be on the same pattern of attendance as many of the other kids. To avoid the crowds try a workout schedule of TU-TH-FR. They still practice three days per week and at the same time they might get a bit more personal attention from the coaches on less busy days!
If you must come on a busy day, arrive at the pool early. This allows your child to get the proper equipment prior to the start of workout instead of during the workout (this really applies to HP only). When workouts are busy it is a little harder to find the right size fins as quickly. When kids are in the water on time and it also allows the coaches to coach instead of trying to find equipment during the practice.
If another group is finishing up their workout just before your child’s group starts, have your child wait on the side of the pool until it is their time to access the pool. This also ensures that the coaches and swimmers in the previous group are not distracted and that the deck will be kept clean of equipment for the next workout.
Parents, please stay off the pool deck! Let the coaches coach and we’ll let the parents be parents! If you have questions for the coaches, address them before or after the workouts, not during the workouts. Similarly, if a coach is busy giving a lesson to a swimmer, do not interrupt the lesson. Workouts and lessons are what the coaches are paid to do – no one swimmer should be denied a fair workout because of a parent interrupting a coach.
Please try not to let your kids “run-wild” before, during,
or after a workout. Sometimes parents
will bring other kids out of necessity with them while they wait for their kids
to complete their workouts. Don’t let
them run around a wet pool deck or frequent other potentially dangerous areas
without proper supervision. At
Pay attention to the team line information and the team e-mails for any last minute scheduling changes. Call the phone line on a regular basis to check for special updates on clinics, workouts, and meets.
And please utilize the board members and other seasoned swim
parents. We have all been there before; we have wondered about the same issues,
asked the same questions and more often than not, had other parents help us
out. You can also consult our website for a list of helpful “Key Contacts”.
Swim-A-Thon 2004
With your participation and support, Swim A Thon 2004 will be a huge success, the money raised will be the first deposit into the Dallas Mustang Future Fund. Thank you in advance for your help. To ensure success, please follow these guidelines:
1) Each and every swimmer should have a Swim A Thon packet, with his/her name and training group on it. These packets were handed out at the team picnic on September 26, at the Mock Meet on October 5, and during practices on Wednesday and Thursday, October 6 and 7. The remaining packets were put in the mail on Saturday, October 9. If your swimmer doesn’t have a packet for any reason, please contact Nancy Beck asap and she will mail you one. Call 214-358-0129 or email her at fundr@dmswim.com. These packets must be returned by Wednesday, November 10 regardless of money raised. Since all packets have swimmers names on them, we know who you are, so don’t flake out!!! Get a packet, and fill it up with checks!!!
2) Each and every swimmer should raise at least $100. This money is the seed money for the Dallas Mustang Future Fund, and 95% of the money raised will ensure that the Dallas Mustangs have a secure future. (5% goes to USA Swimming).
3) Each and every swimmer and their parents should come to the Swim A Thon on Monday, October 25 at 5:00 pm. Why? Reasons below:
a) Swim laps to the tunes of a live DJ !!
b) Enjoy Maggie Moo’s ice cream with toppings !!
c) Watch your parents swim in the parents only lane (this should be comical). Parent vs swimmer relays are a possibility !!
d) Build team spirit. This is one of only three times the Mustangs gather as a team – don’t miss it!!
KEY DATES TO REMEMBER:
NOW
THROUGH OCTOBER 24 – GET PLEDGES FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS
MONDAY,
OCTOBER 25 – SWIM A THON SWIM AND PARTY
WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 10 – ALL PACKETS MUST BE TURNED IN TO YOUR
COACH
(this is the deadline date to be eligible for prizes)
DATE TBA (late
Novmber) SWIM A THON AWARDS PARTY.
T-shirts for all swimmers raising $100.
Additional prizes for those raising more (movie and restaurant
passes). Top fundraiser earns two
roundtrip AA tickets!!!
Dallas
2nd Annual Poinsettia Sale
It’s that time of year again! Are you decorating your home for the holidays? Are your friends decorating their homes for the holidays? If so, please buy your poinsettias from the Dallas Mustangs this year! In addition to being beautiful, seasonal and long lasting, they make perfect gifts! The plants we buy are about 20” tall, multi stemmed, with a foil wrap around the container. The only available color is red. Order forms are available on our website. Please follow the links from the homepage to print order forms. We must have your completed order form/check by Tuesday, November 23rd.
Important Scheduling Dates
The following includes a list dates when DISD and HP high school swim teams are competing at Loos and HP pools respectively (highlighted in yellow). During the high school swim season, DISD hosts a number of dual meets and utilizes one of the pools at Loos. That means that that particular pool or side (usually the deep end) is closed to our team for practices. That in turn means that we must double up our groups to swim in one end of the pool. For those of you who are not required to practice everyday (Bronze and Silver groups) it might be beneficial to take note of these days and plan to swim during the week on an alternate day than that listed. Similarly, at HP the entire pool is being utilized for the meet and therefore is closed to our team for practices. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause but we are trying our hardest to accommodate all of our swimmers and ensure that they get the best workout possible.
Oct 14 - BB/B/C meet entries due for Northlake meet
Oct 23 - Saturday morning practice @ HP (N-7-9, G&S-9-11)
Oct 25 - Swim-A-Thon party at Loos 5:30-7:30 - All swimmers are encouraged to come. No practices at HP or CFB.
Oct 26 - No practices at HP because of high school meet. Those groups may practice at Loos (G-5:30-7:30, S-6-7:30, B-5:30-6:30 or 6:30-7:30)
Oct 28 - "A" meet entries due for Southlake meet
Oct 28th - DPL (Dallas Parochial League) swim meet at Loos. There will still be practices for all groups at Loos but we will be crowded since all groups will be practicing in the shallow end of the pool.
Oct 30 - Saturday morning practice @ HP (N-7-9, G&S-9-11)
Nov 3 - High school meet at Loos. There will still be practices for all groups at Loos but we will be crowded since all groups will be practicing in the shallow end of the pool.
Nov 4 - No practices at HP because of high school meet. Those groups may practice at Loos (G-5:30-7:30, S-6-7:30, B-5:30-6:30 or 6:30-7:30)
Nov 6 - Saturday morning practice @ HP (N-7-9, G&S-9-11)
Nov 10 - Swim-A-Thon money is due
Nov 10 - High school meet at Loos. There will still be practices for all groups at Loos but we will be crowded since all groups will be practicing in the shallow end of the pool.
Nov 11 - High school meet at Loos. There will still be practices for all groups at Loos but we will be crowded since all groups will be practicing in the shallow end of the pool.
Nov 13 - No Saturday practices
Nov 16 - Swim-A-Thon Awards Party - more details to come.
Nov 17 - High school meet at Loos. There will still be practices for all groups at Loos but we will be crowded since all groups will be practicing in the shallow end of the pool.
Nov 18 - High school meet at Loos. There will still be practices for all groups at Loos but we will be crowded since all groups will be practicing in the shallow end of the pool.
Nov 19 - No practices at Loos. Those groups may practice at HP (N&G-4:30-6, S-6:45-8:15, B-6-7)
Nov 20 - Saturday morning practice @ HP (N-7-9, G&S-9-11)
The following is a list of dates that Loos will be closed entirely to our team practices as both ends of the pool will be utilized to host meets. Swimmers will be able to workout at HP (schedule will be confirmed in a separate email).
Other H.S. Meets:
Fri.
Fri.
Mon.
Fri.-Sat. Feb 11-12, 2005 Regionals
Team Directories
Each year the team publishes a team directory which lists the most current swimmer and family information that we have on file. That information is gathered from the registration forms that each family submits upon registration/re-registration at the beginning of the swim season. If you have any changes to email addresses or other pertinent contact information, please let Wendy Begg know ASAP so that the corrected information will be printed in the directory. You can reach Wendy at vp@dmswim.com (best way) or at 972-307-3128.
Open Tryouts
Spread the word to your friends at school, at church, at sporting events...whatever gathering you choose! The Dallas Mustangs has open tryouts for new swimmers on Tuesdays at 5:30pm at both HP and Loos pools and at CFB pool at 4:30pm.
Painless Fundraiser
The Dallas Mustangs is registered with Tom Thumb in its Good Neighbor Program. Please remember to attach our Good Neighbor Number to your Reward Card and Tom Thumb will donate a percentage of the member’s total grocery purchases back to the Dallas Mustangs every time your Reward Card is used! Painless and potentially profitable for our team!
OUR TOM THUMB NUMBER IS 7648
