Team Objectives
- Maintain a safe environment for all swimmers to learn and have fun
- Teach the principles of good sportsmanship
- Foster the development of advanced aquatic skills for swimmers of all ages
- Inspire teamwork
- Ensure swimmers and parents have fun!
Future Fins
Future Fins is a swim lesson program for younger swimmers not yet ready for pre-team. The focus is on building confidence in the water, developing basic swim competencies, and beginning to teach proper techniques.
Requirements:
At least 4 years old
Comfortable in the water
Comfortable putting face in the water
Able to listen to and follow directions
Pre-Team
Not all swimmers are quite ready to compete in a swim meet or participate in a rigorous one-hour practice session, and the Fins pre-team is just the place for them. Pre-team swimmers receive much more individual attention and instruction from our coaching staff and Coaches-in-Training (CITs).
This personal attention provides an opportunity for specialized skill development, and stroke instruction, and confidence building while ensuring every swimmer is safe and having fun.
A Meets
A Meets are the official MCSL-sanctioned summer swim meets, and they are conducted in strict accordance with MCSL rules. There are five A Meets, all of which take place on Saturday mornings.
There is a single heat for each event and generally the three fastest swimmers on the team in each stroke in each age group compete in A Meets. There are two freestyle heats for each age group, meaning six swimmers have the opportunity to compete.
A swimmer may participate in up to three individual stroke events in an A Meet, plus the Individual Medley (IM), and one relay event.
Relay teams at A Meets are selected from the fastest swimmers over the course of the entire season. It is the coaches’ discretion to strategize relay team combinations for A Meet relay events to secure the most team points.
B Meets
There are also five B Meets during the summer which take place on Wednesday evenings and are generally conducted under the same rules described above.
One of the main differences is that all Fins swimmers participate in B Meets, meaning there are generally multiple heats for each event, giving every swimmer an opportunity to compete.
The Fins do not have an “A Team” or a “B Team”
We are one team...and we are all Fins!
Relay Carnivals
Relay Carnivals are special multiple-team meets exclusively comprised of relay races of all sorts — some within age groups, some across age groups, and even some in which boys and girls compete together.
The A Relay Carnival is an official MCSL-scheduled summer swim meet, and is conducted in strict accordance with MCSL rules. The B Relay Carnival is open to all team swimmers.
The Relay Carnival meets in which we participate are always among the highlights of the summer. Loads of Fins team spirit and so much fun!
Divisionals
Divisionals is the culminating championship meet of the season and features two heats of each individual event and one heat of each relay.
Swimmers with the 2 fastest times in each event for every age group are typically selected to swim the individual events. The coaches assemble the most competitive relay teams possible from available swimmers.
The number of allowable swimmer entries for Divisionals follows the same rules as an A Meet: three individual stroke events, the IM, and one relay.
Selection of the Divisionals team is made by the Head Coach after the last A Meet, and seeding times are based on a swimmer's best A Meet result during the summer.
Confirming Meet Attendance
An accurate list of available swimmers is critical to the coaches’ ability to create the team lineup before a meet.
We cannot over-emphasize how important it is to confirm availability or lack thereof for each meet.
A swimmer who does not confirm availability for a meet will be assumed to be unavailable and will not be entered in the lineup.
Scratch deadlines:
A Meets - Preceding Wednesday at 10:00pm
B Meets - Preceding Sunday at 9:00pm
Volunteering
The team runs on volunteers -- they are the lifeblood of the Fins! You should volunteer for at least part of each meet in which you have a child swimming.
There are many options for volunteering!
Officiating
Kid Wranglers
Hospitality
Timers
Automation/Results
Concessions and spirit wear sales
All jobs are fun and easy, and we need your help!
