2006 Aliso Niguel Swimming: Girls
Welcome
to the Aliso Niguel Swim Team! We
expect great things for the team this season, and to approach these expectations
we need your cooperation and agreement on basic philosophy and methodology.
Please read the following longwinded guidelines for swimming on the team,
sign the contract at the bottom, have your parents read and sign at the bottom,
and return the bottom portion only (you keep the top portion).
1.
Be prepared. You will
need the following equipment: suits,
goggles (that work), a water bottle, and fins (comfortable fit).
A small pull buoy and hand paddles (Strokemaker brand, yellow, green, or
red size) are recommended. Have several
spare pairs of goggles, a pair of board shorts (for drag), and at least one spare
suit. A non-suit, for any
reason other than doctor’s excuse (NOT a parental note) or the coach’s
discretion is considered a “present-absence/non-suit,” meaning your grade
and participation points will drop for each instance.
Additionally, be on time, as tardies will be counted, just as in regular
class, and will warrant detentions, etc….
Lastly, our practices are pre-written:
getting changed and into the water on time will determine whether we get
out of the water on time, regardless of your after-practice plans.
2.
Attendance is mandatory. If
you think that you may have a problem in this area please do the coaches and
team a favor: save us the hassle of dealing with attendance problems that
will eventually result in you dropping the course—drop now.
Being on this team is a privilege, not a right.
Any unexcused absence may result in being dropped from the team at any
time (this includes an unexcused non-suit).
Additionally, attendance at school, no matter how sick, necessitates
attendance at practice, no matter how sick.
If you are sick enough to stay out of the water, you are sick enough to
stay home from class and rest completely, and vice a versa.
Swimming is a class, just like your other courses; please treat it as
such. Unless discussed with you
&/or your parent, an excess of excused absences (exceeding 10) will
also result in your involuntarily dropping the class. Of course, early communication with the coaches about
a pre-known or pre-arranged absence is the best route for congenially getting it
excused.
3.
We are a team. The
trite cliché “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” holds true on
this team. Negative talk, to the
face or behind the back, is forbidden, as it only erodes our chain:
companionship, camaraderie, self-esteem, morale, and performance are the
casualties of negative talk. Evidence of this may result in being dropped from the team.
Contrastingly, encouragement and edification are much better motivators
and team-builders – use them liberally. Additionally,
although swimming is a seemingly individual sport, we will function as a team.
This means we ALL watch and encourage each other at ALL
levels. We get in the water
together, and we leave meets together (on the bus – together).
Please keep individual “special” requests to a minimum.
4.
Attitude is everything. While
ability is a natural talent and often a reward for previous hard work, a good,
positive attitude and impeccable work ethic will reap much greater rewards in
and out of the pool, and especially later in life.
When this seems impossible, fake it; it’s amazing how much better a
situation can become with a different perspective, especially one that stares
adversity down and overcomes it despite overwhelming odds.
Ideal conditions never come. The
most successful people are those who press on toward their goal through
seemingly impossible obstacles. Similarly,
excuses are the fathers of failure – purge them from your mind and mouth.
An explicitly and blatantly poor attitude will result in being dropped
from the team, as this type of a cancer can become quite contagious.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have read, understand, and agree to the
above-mentioned guidelines to be on the Aliso Niguel Swim Team.
Athlete:
(Signed)__________________________________
(Printed)_________________________________
(Signed)__________________________________
(Printed)_________________________________
Miscellaneous
Policies (clarified):
1.
Because we are a team, EVERYONE
rides the bus together to and from meets. Do
not ask to go home with
2.
Morning practices are mandatory for varsity swimmers; unexcused absences
from any
3.
Attendance at practice the day before & morning of a
meet is necessary to participate
4.
Attendance at a minimum of 4 spring break practices (April 9-April
16) is required to
5.
Training with swim clubs in place of high school team criteria is
twofold:
a)
must be a true, year round swimmer on a club, having a consistent history
with
b) must have or be very close to Junior National qualifying times, or have AUTOMATIC CIF qualifying times.
6.
If you drop the class AFTER Spirit Pack orders have been placed, you will
receive the