Welcome
Welcome to the Northern
Berkshire YMCA Betta Swim Team. As parents or prospective parents, you are
just as important as your child(ren) to the support of the team. Our team can
only be as successful as the backing it has from parents. Your help is always
needed and appreciated.
The following information as
been put together by the coach and parents to help you understand the
different aspects of our swim team. We hope this information will answer any
questions that you may have about our organization.
NBY Betta Swim Team Coach,
Sonya DiSanti (663-6529)
Betta Swim Team
This program offers competitive
swimming, leadership, physical exercise, and good fun all year long. Swimming
is a "basic" sport and a conditioner for other activities. It
develops strength, endurance and coordination. Swim team teaches individual
values, self-discipline, teamwork, and builds lifelong friendships. Our team
is year round, with the summer schedule offering the newcomer the advantage
of learning the "ropes" with less pressure of competition. Open
house will be scheduled periodically to start the winter season.
Rules and Procedures of the
Bettas
Self-discipline and conditioning
are essential to success. During the swim season swimmers are expected to
come to practice at least two times a week. Interested swimmers should be
able to swim 25 yards, or one length of the pool, without a floatation device.
Team members are encouraged to swim in YMCA progressive swim classes, and
these classes will count as part of required practice. All swimmers are
encouraged to attend practice as often as possible.
Swimmers must be in the pool
area ten minutes prior to the start of practice to allow time to stretch
properly before swimming. Swimmers must notify the coach if they are unable
to participate in a meet. Pool time and coaching is available year round.
Swimmers are expected to behave
properly at practices and meets. Unacceptable conduct warrants suspension.
The Swim Season
The fall / winter competitive
swim season begins in September. The season starts with our Halloween
Invitational Swim Meet and is followed by eight league meets ending with the
Western Massachusetts Championships in February. Swimmers who qualify for the
New England Championships swim until the end of March.
Home meets are held on Saturday
afternoons and usually last three hours. Times for away meets are determined
by the host team. Team members are expected to participate in all league
meets. Again, swimmers must notify the coach if they are unable to
participate in a meet. Transportation to away meets is by car pools.
Optional invitational and fun
meets occur during the swim season. Team members may also join summer YMCA
swimming.
Parent Participation
Any swim meet, both home and
away, requires many people to facilitate a successful event. Timers,
officials, runners, lane judges, scorers, ribbon writers, and kitchen workers
are needed. Parents are expected to help in all league meets. Each family is
required to bring an appropriate food item to sell at our home meets.
Team Financial Support
The Betta's are an official
program of the YMCA. To belong to the swim team, a child must possess a YMCA
membership (family or individual) which is purchased through the Y office. In
addition, a Swim Team assessment fee is billed by and payable to the Y
office. The Y's scholarship aid program is available to swimmers unable to
afford the YMCA swim fees.
The YMCA provides pool time. All
other annual team expenses, including coaching, practice equipment, ribbons,
stationery, trophies, postage, coach's expenses at the New England
Championships, etc. are the responsibility of Betta parents. To meet these
responsibilities, we depend on fundraisers; i.e. food sales at home meets,
donations, 50/50 raffle, and bottle redemption.
Meetings
Parent meetings are held monthly
at the YMCA year round. One or both parents from each swim family are
expected to attend these meetings to facilitate important decisions and be
aware of swim team activities.
Swim Team News
A swim team bulletin board is
located in the hall outside the pool. Parents and swimmers should check this
board regularly. All important swim team notices and sign up sheets for
coming events are posted there.
Additional Information
Upon registration, all swim team
members and their parents must complete the swim team permission form and
medical release form, which are available at the Y office.
All swimmers are required to
wear caps at practices and meets.
All swim team members must
purchase a team suit at the beginning of the swim season. These suits must be
worn for all team meets, not during practices.
A banquet for all swimmers and
their families is held at the end of the swim season. All swimmers who
participate in meets and practices regularly for the entire season will be
honored at this event.
The Betta Swim Team Parent
Association if managed by a group of five elected parents known as the
Executive Committee. These people are elected at the end of the fall / winter
swim program by the parents. Please contact any member of the Executive
Committee should you need any information or have any concerns or
suggestions.
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Aquatics Programs] [Aquatics Department]
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