To insure that all of our swimmers are properly prepared for their championships:

1. Meet attendance and participation through out the entire season is important.  USA Swimming meets offer the experience necessary for the championships.

2. Practice habits must be within our recommendations for the group the swimmer trains with. "Consistency" is the key word. The Junior Olympic Championships is not the ultimate goal. It is a seasonal goal that should lead to Zones, Junior & Senior Nationals, and beyond.  Making the "cut off time" is simply a requirement to attend the meet. The goal is to be as prepared as possible and perform to the best of one's ability at the meet.   Sometimes swimmers get the "end" and the "means" mixed up. Swimmers are special people and deserve to have positive experiences as rewards for their dedication and commitment. Let's make sure that parents, swimmers, and coaches, are laying the foundation for the best possible experience at the Championship meet.

The Prelims & Finals Meet

In a preliminaries and finals meet format, the object of the preliminary swim is to qualify for the evening finals session.  If a swimmer places among the top 8 (in an 8 lane pool) after his/her morning swim they then qualify to swim in the Championship finals in the evening session.  Some meets also swim a Consolation final.  If a swimmer places from 9th - 16th place from preliminaries, he/she qualifies to participate in the Consolation finals in the evening session.

In the evening finals session, the Consolation heat is swam first followed immediately by the Championship heat.  During the prelims, the results are usually posted within 1/2 hour of the conclusion of the event.   A swimmer should never leave the meet without making sure if they are a finalist or an alternate.  United States Swimming rules dictate that if a swimmer makes a finals event and fails to show up they are bared from participating in the remainder of the meet (individual events and relays). Alternates (the 17th & 18th place swimmers) should check with his/her coach about attending finals.

Circle Seeding

Used only in the prelims of Championship meets with events that have "prelims & finals".  This affects only the top 24 seeded swimmers (8 lane pool) which compete in the last 3 heats.  All other heats are regular seeding.  Circle seeding goes like this: The fastest seeded swimmer will be in the last heat in lane 4.  The second fastest swimmer will be in the second to last heat lane 4. The third fastest swimmer will be in the third to last heat lane 4.  The fourth fastest swimmer will be in the last heat lane 5 and so on.   The finals are seeded like a regular meet as are any events that are swam as timed finals such as relays, distance freestyles and other events most often held on Thursday or Friday evening as a timed finals session. 

 Awards & Placing

The swimmers who participate in the championship finals receive awards as listed in the meet information.  The swimmers who participate in the consolation finals often do not receive awards, but do score points for the team.  One very important thing:  Once a swimmer has made the championship final, the worst they can place is 8th, regardless of their performance in finals. The swimmers who participate in the consolation finals may place no better than 9th (the winner of the heat) regardless how fast they swim.  It has been known to happen that the winner of the consolation finals swims a time that would have placed him/her 2nd or 3rd in the championship finals, but the highest he/she can score is 9th.  That is why it is important to swim very fast in the morning prelims session to make the championship finals.  If a swimmer is disqualified in finals, they do not score points or get awards, however, a non-finals swimmer can not be moved up to score.  The place simply is not awarded.  Alternates occasionally get to swim and can score the same as any other swimmer. Awards are normally picked up by the coach at the end of the meet and distributed some time the next week.  If an award is not distributed please check your file.

Receiving awards in public

Whenever there is a system of presenting awards at a meet, it is customary for swimmers to be prompt and to cooperate fully with dignity and respect at the presentations.  A club uniform is to be worn when accepting the award.  It is also customary for Highlander Aquatic swimmers to be polite and modestly thankful for any awards they receive.  It is appropriate to congratulate other swimmers and receive the same with poise and a "thank you."  Good sportsmanship is essential.  If photos are being taken, we ask the swimmer to remain until the shooting is complete, being sure to cooperate with the photographer.  Do not ham it up! The picture may be special to someone else.  The image a swimmer presents is a direct reflection of the team.

Out-of-town meets

Trips to meets in other cities become an important aspect of a swimmer's career while advancing through the age group ranks. Highlander Aquatic Club has established the following policies for the safety of the swimmer and peace-of-mind of parents:

1. Parents are to be responsible for arranging transportation and lodging to away meets, with the exception of Nationals and those competitions so designated. DO NOT ASK YOUR SWIMMER(S) TO HANDLE THIS JOB.  Oftentimes, a certain hotel will be designated as "team headquarters."

2. Parents are encouraged to attend out-of-town meets with their swimmers and to chaperon other youngsters.  These trips can be great fun for parents and swimmers alike.  They also are a rare opportunity to participate in a special way in each young swimmer's career.

3. Any swimmer riding in a car is responsible to the parent/driver for his/her behavior and is expected to adhere to the Highlander Aquatic Club "Honor Code" at all times.

4. Beginning in August of 1999, a medical release and emergency telephone number should be given to the parent/driver with whom your swimmer is riding in case emergency medical treatment is required.

5. An appropriate contribution is expected from each passenger in a car to the driver/owner to help defray gasoline and related expenses.

Bus Trip Policy

It is important for swimmers to participate in meets both with and without their parents in attendance. This adds to the growth experience a child can gain from competitive swimming, teamwork, and individual initiative. As a swimmer progresses to Junior and Senior Nationals, oftentimes they attend these meets without his/her parents.  It is, therefore, necessary for a swimmer to learn to travel without his/her parents.

1. All Highlander Aquatic Club swimmers must travel with the team and stay in the hotel with the team on all bus trips.

2. Highlander Aquatic Club swimmers must remain with the team for the duration of the trip (including meals and team functions).

3. If a Highlander Aquatic Club swimmer would like to return with his/her parents, he/she may leave if his/her meet is over and arrangements were made prior to the start of the trip with a signed permission slip.  However, the swimmer is still responsible for full round-trip transportation costs.

4. The full amount of designated transportation will be collected in advance or billed to accounts. These amounts are not refundable.

5. If required all release forms must be signed prior to the trip.  

6. The "Honor Code" must be followed by all swimmers.  Regulations must be followed as set forth by coaches and chaperones