All children of OP members ages five through eighteen, regardless of ability or experience, are invited to participate in the FUN of swim team. Each team member can perfect their strokes, make new friends and learn the unity of the team experience.

Our team is part of the Greater Charlotte Swim League. The purpose of the GCSL is to encourage children to swim in a friendly, nourishing, recreational environment. OP will compete against approximately six teams. Some meets will be hosted at OP and others are held at our competitors’ clubs. Additionally, an All-Star meet will be held in July in uptown Charlotte.

The following information will be useful in familiarizing swimmers and parents with the summer swim league experience.

OP puts safety first. All Shrimpers (5-6 year olds) and swimmers new to the team will be assessed for their swimming ability and comfort level in the water.

In order to swim in a meet, each child must be able to swim 25 yards freestyle unassisted without signs of distress. This means no help from coaches, parents, officials, lane lines or walls. For those close to mastering the 25 yard swim, an opportunity for reassessment will be provided before each meet.

Regardless of a child’s ability to compete in swim meets, they are still a member of the team. Our coaching staff will continue to work with them at practice towards attaining their goal of participating in meets.

All equipment, including team suits, can be purchased at registration or from the Carolina Swim Shop located at Mecklenburg Aquatic Club on Charlotte Latin’s campus.

• Swim Suits (Practice and Team Suit Required)
• Full suit for girls
• Jammers or swim trunks for boys
• Goggles (Required)
• A bungee cord strap may be preferred, but is not mandatory.
• Swim Cap (Team Cap Required for girls)
• Towel

Note: Having two towels and two pairs of goggles at swim meets would be preferable, but is not mandatory.

NO YEAR-ROUND OR HIGH SCHOOL SUITS OR CAPS ARE ALLOWED AT ANY MEETS!!

A child’s age group is determined by their age as of May 31. Following are the different age groups:

Shrimpers (6 and under) – these swimmers will compete in one length of freestyle, but their results are not scored as part of the meet.

8 and under – these swimmers should be able to swim one length of the pool freestyle, and be able to demonstrate the capability of at least one other stroke.

9 and 10 – swimmers of this age should be familiar with the competitive strokes and be willing to learn from, and practice with, our experienced coaches. It is not necessary to be proficient in all strokes, or to be an expert swimmer. These swimmers may also enter the Individual Medley (IM) – one pool length of each stroke in this order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

11 and 12 – These swimmers have the same requirements as the 9 and 10 age group except that they must swim two full pool lengths for each event except IM, which will be 100 meters.

13 and 14 – these swimmers have the same requirements as the 11 and 12 age group.

15 through 18 – same as above.

Practices start mid-May and continue through the end of June. Swimmers are grouped according to age and ability. Practice length varies from group to group. Shrimpers typically swim 30 minutes while the other groups swim one hour. Practice takes place in the evening between 5:30 – 8:00PM. See schedule for exact times.

Please note this schedule is subject to change depending on the number of swimmers registered in each age group and their needs.

Each season we will be competing against other teams within our division. Some meets will be at home while others will be away. You can expect 5 to 6 meets per season.

Home Meets – Swimmers and meet volunteers must be at OP pool by 5:15PM, warm-ups start at 5:30PM. Meet will start promptly at 6:00PM.

Away Meets – Swimmers and meet volunteers must be at the away pool by 5:30PM, warm-ups start at 5:45PM. Meet will start promptly at 6:00 PM.

Again, swim meets begin promptly at 6:00pm. All swimmers and volunteers must be at the pool on-time………even if it is raining. Rain alone is not a sufficient cause to delay a meet. Only thunder will cause a meet delay and according to the Greater Charlotte Swim League by-laws, the meet cannot be called until there is a delay of 45 minutes. At that time, the team representatives and coaches from both teams will decide whether or not to cancel and reschedule the meet. Rescheduling a meet is a great deal of work and generally waiting out the weather is the best option.

Order of Events at Swim Meets

• Shrimpers
• Medley Relay
• Freestyle
• Backstroke
• Individual Medley
• Breaststroke
• Butterfly
• Freestyle Relay

Each event starts with the youngest swimmers and progresses through all age groups to finish that event.

Swim meets require a large number of volunteers and parents play a crucial role in running efficient meets. Due to the size of our team and the large number of children participating at meets, OP has instituted a mandatory volunteering requirement. The required number of sessions to work depends upon the number of children you have participating in the program. A volunteer “session” is defined as either half of one meet, or one non-swim meet activity.

There are 2 types of volunteers needed. Those who work at swim meets and those who take care of activities not at swim meets. We realize that sometimes it is hard for parents to work at the meet. It is our hope that you will then volunteer for the other activities. You may sign up to volunteer at registration, during the kick-off party or at selected swim practices.

If you have not signed up for your required slots, you will be contacted, and your child(ren) may not be allowed to swim at the meet.

Sportsmanship is a very important component to a team. It is defined as playing fair, following the rules of the game, respecting the judgment of coaches, referees and officials, and treating opponents with respect. OP expects all swimmers and their families to conduct themselves accordingly.

1. What events(s) will my child swim?
   The coaches will have a list (heat sheet) posted. Teach your swimmer to check the heat sheet upon arriving at a meet.
2. How will my child know when to swim?
   Teach your swimmer to listen for the announcement for his or her event. Example: “All 8 and under girls swimming in the freestyle, please report to the Clerk of Course now.”
3. What is the Clerk of Course?
   The Clerk of Course is a parent (or parents) who organize the swimmers for each heat and event. At our pool, this is done on the bleachers behind the starter. From the bleachers, the swimmers are taken to the starting blocks for their events.
   The clerk of course works from the heat sheets which are prepared by our coaches and the opposing team’s coaches. The clerk of course will organize the swimmers by heats, and place them in their assigned lanes.
4. What ribbons are awarded?
   First, second, third, and fourth place ribbons are awarded to swimmers in each individual event. First and second place ribbons are awarded to each swimmer on a relay team. Heat ribbons are awarded to the winners of individual heats for swimmers 10 years and younger. “Did My Best” ribbons are awarded to all 6 & Under swimmers.
5. Will there be food available during the swim meets?
   For home meets, the OP deli will be open. Also, after each home meet we will have pizza and soft drinks (at a minimal charge) for those who wish to participate. You may sign-up and pay for this before the start of each home meet at the lifeguard desk. For away meets, while it varies at each pool, typically there will be some type of snack bar open during the meet. After away meets, a location for the team to get together will be announced toward the end of the meet.
6. What is included in the swim team fee?
   The kick-off party for the entire family, approximately 23 team practices, 5-6 swim meets, a swim cap, a special team item which varies from year to year (t-shirt, swim bag, etc.),a fantastic team experience, and lots of fun!