Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What do I do when my child has to miss a meet (or part of a meet)? A. If your child will miss a meet (or part of a meet), you MUST let the coach know by the Monday night prior to the meet. This is extremely important. No-shows jeopardize relays or even the entire team if one of the normal confusions associated with no-shows gets out of control. If your swimmer becomes sick after the Monday deadline, and won't make it, you must contact one of the committee members or the coach ASAP so that they can deal with any changes that will need to be made. It is also important to be on time to the meets. We may scratch your child from the meet if he/she is late. It is important to check in when you arrive at the meet so that the coach is aware that you are present. Q. Why does my child always get "DQ'd"? A. Just like in anything else, sometimes it takes a while for swimmers to understand the stroke mechanics. There is not enough time or resources for frequent individual attention, although the coach does the best he/she can. The best solution for you as a parent (in addition to continuing to encourage your swimmer) is to familiarize yourself with the stroke mechanics and "do's and don'ts" of swimming and help your own child. The best swimmers are the ones whose parents get involved, even if they don't know much about swimming. View the >>NWAL Official Rule Book<< (an Adobe PDF file). This may help in your understanding of the rules of swimming and strokes. Q. How can I help my child swim better? A. The best way to help your child swim faster and better is to continue to encourage them every step of the way. In addition, you can familiarize yourself with the stroke mechanics and "do's and don'ts" of swimming. Ask questions, pay attention to practice and meets, and observe other swimmers. Q. How does my child get on the "A" relay? A. Each swimmer has an opportunity to earn a spot on an "A" relay. No one has a guaranteed spot on a relay, even if they have been on the relay every time before. The 4 best swimmers, determined by the coaches, will swim on the relay. Sometimes the swimmers with the 4 best times are not the 4 best swimmers. For instance, some swimmers swim much faster in relays than in individual events. Some swimmers consistently DQ relays. Some swimmers don't swim an individual event every meet and so they are faster than their listed time is. The bottom line is, trust the coaches, they are usually right. The coaches do however let all swimmers swim relays at some point in the season. Q. Is Divisionals optional? A. NO! Of all the meets, Divisionals is the most important. EVERYONE swims. Q. What are the guidelines for swimming at Divisionals? A. No swimming up unless it's done for all events. We will only have A relays and must have a valid NWAL time. The relays have to have a valid NWAL time. All swimmers must have a valid NWAL time (not time trials) for the stroke they are swimming. All swimmers must have swam at least two NWAL meets to swim at divisionals. To compete in divisionals a swimmer must have a time of under 2 min. for a 25yard stroke. Q. What are the Invitational meets? (Ponderosa, All-Stars, Red/White/Blue) A. Invitational meets are optional meets that generally require a swimmer to meet a qualifying time. You or your swimmer will be informed if he/she has qualified for an invitational meet. If your child makes the time, they are encouraged to go. These meets are great experiences, and most of the time the competition generates amazing results from our swimmers.