1. Why is there a closed deck policy?
SwimTulsa and all other swim clubs are required by USA Swimming to close the deck due to insurance and safe sport reasons. We strive to keep only registered coaches and swimmers on deck to keep everyone as safe as possible. Registered swimmers and coaches are also covered under USA Swimming liability insurance policy.  Spectators are not.  This also allows for the coaches and swimmers to focus on coaching and swimming and not be distracted by spectators on the deck.
 
2. How early can we drop off our child?
We ask that you drop them off no more than 15 minutes early. Swimmers will not be allowed on deck until a coach arrives. 
 
3. How late can we pick up our child?
For Blue and White team Swimmers we have 10 minutes following the conclusion of practice to clear the deck and be picked up. Coaches will wait with your child until parents/guardians arrive. If coaches must wait for any time after 15 minutes, your account will be charged a late fee of $1 a minute for every minute after the 15 minute mark. The late fee will be paid directly to the coaches to compensate them for their inconvenience.
 
4. What kind of equipment does my child need?
When you tryout, you should have been given a list of equipment needs of each group. All swimmers need fins, kickboards, caps, goggles, and a proper fitting suit.  Blue Team and above needs a pull buoys and paddle. We have a limited supply of equipment, mostly kickboards and pull buoys.  We do have limited amounts of fins, but cannot guarantee that we will have your swimmers size
 
5. Is my child required to wear a swim cap?
Anyone with longish  hair needs to wear a cap in practice.  We require all swimmers to wear a SwimTulsa Cap to swim meets. Swim caps are worn at the highest level of competition by both male and female swimmers. Caps make you faster and allow coaches and officials to easily identify swimmers.  Caps also keep your hair out of your face.  We encourage everyone to wear caps in practice, this way when they swim in a meet they are used to them.
 
6. What is  the inclement weather policy?
SwimTulsa is required to follow Union’s weather policies as well as our own. Should practice need to be canceled due to inclement weather it will be posted on the website under news, sent out through the Coaches GROUPME, and an email sent out ASAP on the day in question. Always check to make sure a coach is on deck before leaving your child. DO NOT assume practice is canceled, unless you hear it firsthand.   To help foster a sense of responsibility, Coach Lynne will also directly communicate with Gold Team swimmers on Remind. Should we get a tornado siren during practice we will shelter in the locker room. Any parents may shelter with us or choose to take their swimmer home.  We will not allow swimmers to leave without a parent or guardian present to claim them.  This means if your swimmer drives they will need to wait until the threat passes or you come and claim them. We will not send any swimmer outside while a tornado siren is going off.
 
7. How do we know if there are changes in practice times or cancellations?
Throughout the swim season there are various high school and regular meets held at the pool. A weekly email is sent out that will highlight any changes to practice.  It will also be posted on the front page of our website as well as on the calendar.  If there is a last minute cancellation such as a broken pool, emails will be sent out ASAP and an announcement posted on the website, GroupME and to Gold Team swimmers on Remind. If you sign up on the website for Text alerts we can also text you with any changes.
 
8. What is the financial policy & what does it mean for me?
SwimTulsa is a competitive year‐round swimming program which  means  the  team contractually commits to coaches’ salaries and pool rental agreements for a full twelve ‐month period. Membership enrollment is therefore considered a year‐round ongoing obligation and the financial policies are in place in order to ensure that the team is able to meet its financial obligations. We ask all members to abide by the policies. Termination of Membership requires thirty (30) days advance written notice to the Treasurer and Head Coach. There are no refunds of dues paid.  See the financial policy for complete details.
 
9. Why are fundraisers important to the success of our team?
Fundraising is a must for all swim teams. Monthly dues alone do not cover all of the team’s expenses. In an effort to keep our team affordable for all,  our “Fundraising Commitment” helps to cover important costs such as coaches travel to meets, equipment for pools and other costs associated with a swim team.  As a result, we rely on other sources of funds to bridge the gap between expenses and dues revenue.    These sources include money made by team hosted meets and money raised through fundraisers like our annual Swim-A-Thon.  Each family is required to fundraise a specific amount based on the most senior swimmer group.
 
10. What is Swim-A-Thon?
This is a fundraising activity sponsored by USA Swimming.  The swimmers will swim to raise money for their team and USA Swimming (A portion we raise goes to USA Swimming). Swimmers can be sponsored per lap or get a flat donation.  All funds are collected online or brought to the pool deck (Coach Johanna will collect the checks) with the swimmer’s name on check or envelope.
 
11. I have more questions, who do I contact?
Start with your coach.  They are an excellent resource for all of your swimming questions.  If you have questions regarding your account and/or billing, please contact our treasurer.  If you have website questions or other general questions contact the team president.    All contact information can be under the coaches and board of director’s page.
 
FAQ FOR MEETS:
 
1. What is the meet schedule?
The meet schedule lists all swim meets for the swim year (Sept -July).  The schedule can be found on our calendar and upcoming meets can be found on the home page under “Upcoming Events.” You must login to see the events.  In addition to the officially sanctioned meets, Swim Tulsa hosts an Intrasquad meet and our Go For the Gold practice meets. Ask your coach about these specific meets.
 
2. How do I know if my child is ready for a meet?
Your child's coach can tell you if they are ready, but most swimmers are ready for meets just by being on the team. You can sign up for a meet and pick the day(s) you are available. The coach will then pick the events that best fit the swimmers abilities.
 
3. Does my swimmer have to participate in meets?
Meet attendance is not required at lower levels but is expected and is required to move forward on the team.  All the training and practice are geared toward meet participation. Meets allow your child to track their personal progress in swimming. No  matter  the  age  or  ability,  meets  allow  your  child  a  chance  to  build  their confidence and to improve their times. At the higher levels the expectation is attendance in the entire meet weekend. 
 
4. Why do we host meets? Do I have to volunteer if my child is not swimming in meets?
Every swim meet is hosted by a local USA Swim Team. Hosting meets is part of each team's responsibility to the swimming community and to provide our swimmers at all levels an opportunity to compete.   SwimTulsa will host 3-4 meets over the swim year (Sept-July). Hosting a meet means that our team will be responsible for the set up and running of the meet. ALL swim meets are completely staffed by parent volunteers and is what contributes to the success of all SwimTulsa meets.  Meets help generate vital income to help in the cost of running our team. Some of the meets we host will only be for a certain level. Even though your swimmer may not be eligible to compete, volunteers will still be needed to help ensure meets are run well and are safe and fun for all swimmers.
 
5. How do I know which meet to sign up for?
Most meets are open for the whole team to attend. Sometimes there are special meets that have qualifying times to attend like the State meet or the meet of Champs. Your swimmer can most likely tell you if they are eligible , You will receive emails for meets your swimmer is eligible to swim.  When in doubt, ask your coach.
 
6. Which events should my child swim?
Coaches will choose the events once you have confirmed your day(s) that you can attend.  If your swimmer has a particular event they wish to swim you can leave it in the “notes box” on the commitment page. At the higher levels, coaches will  discuss the events with their swimmers and they will choose together.
 
7. What should we bring to a meet?
Bring your team suit (this should be a very tight fitting suit with no sags or pooches and it should fit like a second layer of skin), team cap (every swimmer wears a cap to a meet), and a pair of meet goggles. You may want to bring several towels, something to keep warm in  ( parka hoodie, warm ups, etc) and a pair of backup goggles in case your pair breaks. You will need to bring water and some healthy snack foods. It’s also good to bring something to do: A book, phone/ipod, headphones, coloring books, etc.
 
8. What do we do once we are at the meet?
You will want to arrive a few minutes before warm up begins. Some teams may physically require your swimmer to check in (making a mark next to your swimmer’s name) Other meets are pre-seeded and don’t require that. It’s important to be on time otherwise we may not know you are coming and you won’t be able to swim! Once you are there, parents and spectators will head up into the stands and swimmers will head on deck to find their coach or the team.  From there your child's coach will make sure they get where they need to be. Once your child is finished with their races, they are free to leave.  Parents are not allowed on deck or in the athlete locker rooms at any time. 
 
9. Do we need to attend meet warm ups? Warm up is very important for awesome races. It gets the muscles warmed up and allows the swimmers a chance to get a feel for the pool. It's just enough swimming to get the body prepared to race but not too much to make them tired.  It also helps focus the mind on the upcoming races and can have a calming effect on nerves. Warming up the body properly also reduces the risk of injury. Warm ups are also where coaches may put together relays and double check that everyone has checked in.  If we don’t see you at warm up, we will assume you aren’t coming.
 
10. Should we attend practice the day before a meet?
Yes.  No matter the level, you should always practice the day before a swim meet. It’s a great time to sharpen skills needed for meets. Think of it as the dress rehearsal before the performance. .  
 
11. What are these B, BB, A times I keep hearing about?
A/BB/B times are all National Motivational Time Standards created by USA Swimming, our governing body. Each event has its own set time standard. They are broken up by age (ie.. 10 and under 11-12, 13-14, etc) and by gender. All swimmers start as "C" level swimmers. The goal is to get "B" times in each event.  Some meets will use these times as qualifying times for certain meets.  A meet may requires 12 and unders to have BB times for Faster and 13 and overs to have A times or faster
 
12. What is the state meet?
The OKS State Championship meet, or just State, is Oklahoma’s Championship meet. In the spring there is the 14 and under state meet and the Senior State meet. In the summer there is just one state meet for all ages.   These are the fastest swimmers in the state of Oklahoma.  This is one of our goals for our swimmers is to participate in this meet. You must make the qualifying times to enter this meet. 
 
13. What is Division 2 or D2s?
This is our first level of Championship meet.  You must swim the qualifying times for the events to participate in this meet. This meet is also the last chance to qualify for state cuts.  Please plan on either swimming D2’s and/or State
 
14. I have more questions about meets. Who do I ask?
Ask your coach.  They are an excellent resource for all things swimming. You can hit up all the coaches on the Coaches Groupme or through email.   Ask another parent you've seen around the pool. Parents who have attended meets in the past can give you insight into what they are all about.  Our parent booster club is always a great source of information.