Parent Handbook
2025 Parent Handbook
Important Dates:
First Practice: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Swim Team Committee Members
| Coordinator | Jennie Griswold, (770) 841-5277 | [email protected] |
| Treasurer | Allison Albright | |
| Head Coach | Betsy Reeder, (317) 503-5158 |
2022 Merrimac
Tidal Waves Swim Team
All children, ages 4-14 as of JUNE 1, 2025, are welcome to join the Merrimac swim team. Children age 6 and under should be able to swim across the width of the pool with minimal assistance. They will be evaluated during the first 5 days of practice to determine if they are ready to be on the swim team. If the coaching staff determines that your child is not ready for the swim team, you will receive a refund less $20. No refunds will be given after June 10th.
Practice Schedule
Swim Practice will run from 5/27/25 - 6/27/25. We will run practices every morning Monday–Thursday.
Practice times will be as follows.
11/12 and 13/14 8:00-9:00 am
9/10 9:00-9:45 am
7/8 9:45-10:15 am
6&under 10:15-10:45 am
The times listed above are practice times in the water. All swimmers should arrive at the pool 10 minutes prior to the start of practice to stretch. It is very important to warm up with stretches to avoid muscle injuries.
A parent of the 6 and under age group needs to be on deck during the entire practice time. Other age group parents are welcome to attend practice, but not required to stay. At times, your child may be asked to swim up in a different age group.
Inclement Weather and Cancellations:
If the weather is not ideal for getting in the water (i.e. below 65 degrees), please make sure your child has athletic shoes. Coaches will lead the swimmers in dry land exercises and games. When in doubt, please go to the pool. Practice cancellations will be communicated through email and the team’s Swimtopia page.
Team swimsuits
If you need any practice suits or swim equipment, be sure to visit our team store at www.swimoutlet.com/merrimactidalwaves. A portion of all sales comes back to our swim team. So shop away for a good cause!
Communication
We will communicate to members of the team in the following ways:
Email - It is extremely important that you use an email that you check frequently. This will serve as our main source of communication.
Swimtopia team page – [email protected]
Meet Order of Events
Events 1-4 Individual Medleys for 11/12 and 13/14’s
Events 5-10 6&unders swimming ½ length of each backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle
Age Groups 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14
Events 11-18 Medley Relay for each age group
Events 19-26 Individual butterfly for each age group
Events 27-34 Individual backstroke for each age group
Events 35-42 Individual breaststroke for each age group
Events 43-50 Individual freestyle for each age group
Events 51-58 Freestyle relays for each age group
*Swimmers receive a ribbon for every event that they swim. Ribbons are filed alphabetically during the meet. Ribbons can be picked up at the next practice.
DEFINITION OF STROKES
Freestyle
May swim any stroke the swimmer desires. Swimmer must touch the end of the pool at the end of each length and at the finish of the race. Swimmer may not pull on the lane lines, walk on the bottom of the pool, or impede another swimmer.
Backstroke
Swimmer must start in the water. Swimmer must remain on the back for the duration of the swim. Swimmer may not have their back more than 90 degrees out of the water. At the end of each length and at the finish, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall, while remaining on their back
Butterfly
A two-hand simultaneous touch is required at the end of each length and at the finish of the race. Touch may be made at, above, or below the surface of the water.
- Arms- arms must recover over the water simultaneously: arms must mirror each other.
- Kick- legs must be parallel and the kick simultaneous (dolphin style). No scissors, flutter, or breaststroke kick.
Breaststroke
Swimmer may take one arm pull, followed by one leg kick, followed by one arm pull while completely submerged. A two hand simultaneous touch is required at the end of each length and at the finish of the race. Touch may be at, above, or below the surface of the water.
During the swim, the head may go under water, but it must break the surface once during each stroke. Swimmer does NOT need to take a breath with each stroke.
- Arms- arms must push forward simultaneously from the breast: arms must mirror each other. Arms must not pull below the hipline.
- Kick- legs must execute a simultaneous frog kick: up, out, together. No scissors, flutter, or dolphin kick.
I.M. (Individual Medley)
Must be swum in the order of butterfly, back, breast, free; 25 yards of each stroke. All individual stroke rules apply for each stroke in the swim order. Any form of flip turn or somersault from the backstroke to breaststroke is not allowed. The freestyle leg of the race may be swum in any stroke other than butterfly, back, or breaststroke. The repeat of any stroke is not allowed.
