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FAQs
What is the difference between the Junior Team, the Novice Team, and the Regular Team?
A child can register for either the regular team or the Junior team. The Junior team is for very young swimmers who have taken lessons, are comfortable in the water, and can make it at least half way across the pool on their own. These swimmers will not compete in the Wednesday night GRAL meets. If a large number of children register for the team, like in 2009, the coaches can choose to also have a Novice team. This team will be composed of the younger, newer swimmers and they will compete against each other during Saturday morning meets. Once their skills and speed have progressed sufficiently they may be invited to participate in a full Wednesday night GRAL meet against another pool. Selection of the Novice team will be determined by an evaluation at the pre-season party at NOVA.
How will I know if practice is cancelled due to weather?
Check the web site or the white board mounted on the outside of the fence at the entrance of the pool. What kind of equipment, other than a swimsuit will my child need? The Coaches recommend goggles and a swim cap. The Coaches will keep a Communications Logbook at the pool. If you need to talk to any of the Coaches, just make a note in the notebook including your name, your child’s name, the best time to reach you, and how you can be reached (phone number, email, etc.) The Coaches will check the logbook daily and will return calls as soon as possible. Our coaches check their email regularly. Their email addresses are located on the Contact Information page of this web site. What happens if I’m not able to fulfill my volunteer responsibilities? The Meet Directors count on every volunteer spot being filled at every Swim Meet. If, for any reason, you are not able to fulfill your commitment, please use the roster and find a replacement then notify the Volunteer Coordinator.
When do Swim Meets start?
What should my family bring to a Swim Meet?
In a Swim Meet, what is the difference between an “Event” and a “Heat?”
How are the Events my child swims in the Meets determined?
How do I help my child keep track of what Events he/she is swimming in?
What are “Age Groups?”
Age Groups are a way in which the GRAL groups swimmers. There are 5 Age Group categories: Age 8 and under - Mites Age 9-10 - Midgets Age 11-12 - Juniors Age 13-14 - Intermediates Age 15-18 - Seniors
Any child age 8 & under will swim with the Mites, but separate standings and ribbons are awarded for 6 & under and 7-8 year-olds.
What do the terms “Novice,” "Advanced" “Junior Varsity,” and “Varsity” mean? GRAL has 4 Classifications of swimmers determined by the times the swimmer has earned in a particular Event in a qualifying Swim Meet: Novice (N) - a swimmer with no time in a given Event or has not achieved a valid Adv, JV, or V time in the Event in the Age Group in which the swimmer is competing. Advanced(Adv) – a swimmer who has achieved a valid Adv. time and has not achieved a valid JV time in that Event in the Age Group in which the swimmer is competing. Junior Varsity (JV) – a swimmer who has achieved a valid JV time and has not achieved a valid V time in that Event in the Age Group in which the swimmer is competing. Varsity (V) – a swimmer who has achieved a valid V time in the Age Group in which the swimmer is competing. What are “Time Standards?” Time Standards are the times that GRAL sets for the Novice, Advanced, Junior Varsity, and Varsity classifications. Time Standards vary for boys and girls within Age Group categories.
How do swimmers earn ribbons?
The Tidal Waves Team awards three types of ribbons based on performance in Swim Meets: GRAL ribbons are awarded to the first six finishers (for both competing teams combined) for each of the Swimmer Classifications (N, Adv, JV, V), for each Age Group for each Event. Therefore, a maximum of 24 GRAL ribbons may be awarded for a particular Age Group for each Event. Please note that GRAL ribbons are awarded for the category in which the swimmer was entered in the Event, not in the category for the time they achieved. For example, if a child enters a JV Event and swims it in a Varsity time, the ribbon will be a JV ribbon for that race. The next time the child swims that Event, he/she will be a V swimmer in that Event. Because some Events have multiple Heats, there are times when dozens of swimmers may be swimming the same event. This means that a number of swimmers will not earn GRAL ribbons. Parents are encouraged to help their child to not focus on the GRAL ribbons, but rather on the week-to-week improvement in his/her individual stroke and times. “Best Times Ribbons” are awarded by the Wyndham Tidal Waves to those swimmers in every event in which they better their time but do not earn a GRAL ribbon.“Participant Ribbons” are also awarded by the Wyndham Tidal Waves to those swimmers who do not earn GRAL or Best Times Ribbons.
How many Events can my child swim during a Swim Meet?
Each swimmer can enter up to 3 individual Events plus one relay each Swim Meet. How does scoring work during a Swim Meet? Individual Events are scored (1st place to 6th place): 7 points/5 points/4 points/3 points/2 points/1 point. Relay Events are scored 14/10/8/6/4/2 points. During the course of the evening, Swim Meet results will be posted on the pool house behind the diving boards during Home Meets. The check in parents should be able to tell you where results will be posted at Away Meets.
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