Information Sheet for CEE National Age Swim Team

GENERAL TEAM PROTOCOL

Swimmers are to meet Coaches on Pool Deck: The team will sit on the POOL DECK with the Coaches and NOT in the stands.

This will save them from having to climb stairs all week.

Swimmers are to have their CEE Tee Shirts and Caps.

It is the SWIMMER’S responsibility to find out what time they should report for warm-up, each session. Swimmers should confirm with Angelo, Gai or Steve, before leaving for home, when they are expected to next arrive. This might seem basic, but it is easy to forget simple procedures.

Swimmers should take all necessary items including Drinks and / or Snacks as Parents cannot visit the Pool Deck or the Swimmers’ Grandstand.

TEAM MANAGER

The Team Manager is Gai Campbell.

This might be the first Swimming Meet you have attended where there the squad has a Team Manager. The Team Manager should be the first contact for Parents and the Swimmers.

The Team Manager usually represents the Swimmer should there be a Protest, Dispute or Drug Test.

The Team Manager is responsible for all aspects of Managing the Swimming Team and those responsibilities are quite extensive and quite time consuming, especially for a large Team, or when the Team is on Tour, or the Meet is Interstate.

Often the Team Manger is not a Coach, so we are fortunate to have an experienced Coach, as our Team Manager, this year.       

SESSIONS

National Age Championships swim Heats in the Morning and Finals in the Evening. If this is your first time at a meet conducted in this manner, you might consider thinking about management of: rest, food and travelling as we all want you to make Finals in your Events.

ACCREDITATION

The Swimmer’s Accreditation is to be kept with them at all times – it allows Front Door Entry and also access to areas within the Pool Enclosures and it is the Swimmer’s Official ID should an Official ask - for example the Clerk of the Course (aka “Marshal”) checking Start lists.

 
OFFICIALS and THE RULES

A few points to note:

Previously at National Age Meets - MARSHALLING has often been carried out STRICTLY within SA Rules, specifically two incidents come to mind:

• Clerks of the Course and/or Check Starters (commonly called “Marshals”) have been inflexible with late arrivals at the Marshalling area, deeming all Swimmers who have not reported on time, as DNS (Did Not Start). For example, if the reporting time is “X events before” when the Starter announces that particular “Cut-off Event”, there has been no latitude, not even a few seconds. This is especially important to note when some events might have only one or two heats and be completed quickly.
• Clerks of the Course (usually the “Marshal” who checks the swimmer’s name in the Marshalling area) have rigidly enforced the correct protocol for leaving the Marshalling Area once the Swimmer has reported and been marked off the Start List. For example, it is especially important that Swimmers arrive with all necessary equipment and have attended to all Toilet requirements.
• Swimmers should NOT leave the Marshalling area once having reported: not even venture just outside the area.
• In an emergency, a Swimmer should go to the Clerk of the Course (the Chief Marshal), identify themself and ask for the correct protocol to leave the area and also HAVE A VERY GOOD REASON for asking.
• Receiving permission to leave, WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES, should not be an expectation of the Swimmer.

ABOUT LOGISTICS & TIME

The Royal Easter Show is on during this meet: At previous Age Nationals this has also happened and Sydney Traffic has been chaotic on some days. It is wise to allow extra time for travel and for parking as. Remember that no Clearways on Public Holidays and Weekends.

A couple of specific notes:

FLAT RATE DAILY parking is NOT available on Monday 4th & Sat 10th April.

(if there is space in P2 Parking) you CANNOT enter P2 from Olympic Boulevard, during Royal Easter Show days. During these days access to P2 is only available from Edwin Flack Avenue Entrance.

DRUG TESTING

All National Swimmers are Subject to Drug Testing.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) is an independent body responsible for drug testing athletes in and out of competition. ASADA is responsible for selecting athletes for a drug test including winners, placegetters and unplaced competitors. These selections may be made from either the heats or finals of any event. During events all ASADA officials must wear uniform and identification badges.

Details of procedures are available at: http://www.swimming.org.au/
Open Menu: “High Performance”
Open Menu: “Doping Control”

All Swimmers should be prepared to and know the procedure of providing a Urine sample, if requested: even you expect the likelihood of being tested is slim.

THERAPEUTIC USE EXEMPTIONS (“TUEs”)

Note the recent changes to procedures regarding medications, especially Asthma Medications.

If the Swimmer is taking ANY medications it is the Swimmer’s responsibility to know the correct procedures for exemptions, for Therapeutic Use.

SPECTATORS

At National Age Meets, Parents and Friends are usually allocated seating APART from the swimmers. At SOPAC we sit on the OPPOSITE side of the pool to where CEE usually sits (i.e. Public seating is on the STARTER’S side).

Note that Parents have NO ACCESS to Pool Deck or the other side of the pool’s seating which is reserved for Competitors, Coaches, Team Managers and Officials. Tickets are available from the SA Ticket Office, which will be located outside in the SOPAC forecourt. There is no numbered seating. 

DEVELOPMENT BREAKFASTS

    
Each morning, beginning on the SECOND Day of competition, SA conducts a Sports Development Breakfast.

This year, the Breakfasts will run from 07.30hrs to 09.00hrs and be held in the John Konrads Room.

The Breakfasts cover a range of topics. Topic information is usually in the Events Programme and an announcement concerning the following Morning Breakfast is usually made during the day, via the Public Address System. 

DETAILED INFORMATION

Useful pdf Documents can be found on the SA website: http://www.swimming.org.au/

Key Documents include:  “2010 Age - Information Book v2” & “Program of Events v4”