Team FAQs / Meet Tips - Balcones Country Club Sharks

Frequently Asked Questions

Swim Meets | Swim Practice | The Swim Team

Swim Meets

How do I enter my swimmer into a meet?

The Sharks use a circuit-wide standard of weekly meet attendance declaration. Go here for full meet-entry instructions.
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What happens if I have entered my child in a meet and he/she now can't swim in that meet?

Our coaching staff will be completing each meet's seeding based on meet entries received for that meet. Please make every attempt to notify the coaching staff if your swimmer is unable to attend a meet, even if it is after the Monday at Midnight deadline. We understand that plans can change quickly and unexpectedly, and that emergencies do occasionally arise between any given time. In such cases, please do the following:

If it is before the Monday at Midnight deadline, log into your SwimTopia account, and update your swimmer's meet attendance status for the meet (more info).
If it is after the Monday at Midnight deadline, we ask that you immediately e-mail the (1) head coach, (2) [email protected], and (3) your tent parent so that they can make necessary adjustments. You can notify all 3 in one email.

What if I have to show up late to a meet?

If your swimmer will be arriving late to the meet, you need to do TWO things. First, when you declare your swimmer's events for that meet, select the relay option that says you are NOT available for early relays. Second, you must contact your child's tent parent to let them know you are coming late so they do not scratch you from your individual events and/or your late relay. If you do not let the tent parent know, you will be scratched from the meet and the relays will be reseeded without you.

Why is it so important that I notify the coaches if my child has to miss a meet?

Our coaching staff will be completing each meet's seeding based on meet entries received that week.

Our coaches must start seeding the swimmers - that is, deciding who will swim which event(s) - at the beginning of each week and will assume that all swimmers who have submitted a meet declaration will be participating in the Saturday meet. Simply not showing up at a meet without warning is not only inconsiderate; it is unfair to other swimmers. No-shows can and do cause relays to be canceled. Our computer-generated heat sheets (lists of swimmers by the events and heats they are swimming) are produced by Friday afternoon before a meet.

Our heat sheets are unofficial, but it is more than helpful when they are accurate. More importantly, absolutely no substitutions may be made later than 10 minutes before a meet starts. If one relay heat has to be scratched (canceled) because of a surprise no-show, that means three other children will not be able to swim that event.

We understand that plans can change quickly and unexpectedly, and that emergencies do occasionally arise. In such cases, at the earliest possible moment, either log into your SwimTopia and edit your swimmer's meet attendance status for the meet (if before the Monday at Midnight meet declaration deadline-- more info), or e-mail the head coach (if it is after the Monday at Midnight deadline) to notify our coaching staff and email [email protected] so that they can make necessary adjustments. Back to Top

Where are meets held?

Home meets are always held at the Balcones Country Club pool (8600 Balcones Club Dr). Away meets are held at the different NWSC member pools. To find out where a particular meet is being held, as well as view a map to that location, visit the Meets page. Back to Top

What are the conversion times for the various pools?

Individual pools the the NWSC vary in length and because of this variation, swimmers' times must be adjusted accordingly in order to have a consistent measure. In order to determine the official time, use the following formula:

Official Time = Stop Watch Time x Adjustment Factor

Visit the MEETS>NWSC Pools tab for a list (in the right margin) of adjustment factors by pool. Back to Top

Do I have to volunteer at the swim meets?

Yes, the BCC Sharks swim team as a whole could not operate without the generous work of parent volunteers. All the work of putting together a team of volunteers, keeping within a financial budget, arranging all of the schedules, and running the swim meets is up to all of us.

For this reason, we require every Sharks family to work a minimum number of shifts throughout the summer swim season. A shift is usually defined as 1/2 of the swim meet. This means we are asking each family to help in a volunteer position for half of the swim meet, a number of times throughout the season. Read our Family Participation Policy for more details.

None of the jobs are difficult and simple training is provided as needed but you can easily learn how to do most of the tasks in a few minutes. If you are brand new to the summer swim league, the jobs of team parent, timer, runner, meet prep and score table are pretty good places to start. Read more about the job descriptions HERE. One thing to remember: as a volunteer you will definitely feel a part of the teamwork, and it actually does make it feel like the meets go faster. Back to Top

What are the various volunteer positions?

We're glad you asked! Volunteer positions range from team parent to timer to runner to hospitality. The Volunteer Position Description document (PDF), which has detailed information about the volunteer positions, is available on here. If at any time you have questions about your volunteer position, please contact the Volunteer Director. Back to Top

When I volunteer at a meet, what time do shift 1 and shift 2 occur?

The first shift always begins at the start of the meet. There will be an announcement calling all first shift volunteers approximately 15 minutes before the first event of the meet. Listen for the announcement so you will know when and where to report for volunteer duty. As far as when second shift will begin, that time will vary based on the number of heats in each event for that particular meet. Generally, though, there is a 15 minute break about mid-way through the meet events and that is when the shift change happens. Again, there will be an announcement calling all second shift volunteers. The Divisional meet is a meet between three teams instead of two, so it is a longer meet and therefore has three volunteer shifts. The same guidelines apply to the Divisional meet. Back to Top

What time does my swimmer need to arrive at swim meets?

Swim meet check-in and start times are always listed on the Meets page. As meet starting times are subject to change, always check there for the most up-to-date information regarding an upcoming meet.

What do I do when I arrive at a meet?

The first thing you should do upon arrival at any meet is check in with each of your swimmers' tent parents to let them know your swimmers are present at the meet. Get your swimmer(s) set up in their tent area and grab yourself a spot somewhere in the area. It is important to bring your own chair since there are not a lot of chairs available at the pools. If you have not already marked your swimmer's arm with their event, heat and lane number now is a good time to do this. (Ask your tent parent if you need help with this.) Wait for the announcer or coach to call your swimmer's age group for warm up.

For other helpful information about what to expect/bring/do at swim meets, see Helpful Tips for Meets. Back to Top

Where do I find heat sheets and results?

The day before each meet be sure to check the Meets page. There, you will be able to download and print a session report (a list of all events for a meet) and a heat sheet. Heat sheets are like a meet's "program." They list the details of each event, including approximately what time an event will be held, the names of the swimmers in each heat of an event, and which lanes they will swim in.

It's a great idea to print heat sheets the night before the meet, and highlight your swimmers' events so that you will not miss them. How to Read a Heat Sheet

Results are usually posted in the evening after the swim meet has ended. Again, check the Meets page. Back to Top

What happens if meets are canceled due to weather?

The Home Meet Director will make the final judgment on the postponement or cancellation of a scheduled meet due to inclement weather. Such decisions will be communicated to the visiting Meet Director as soon as possible. As information becomes available, we will relay it to parents via Remind, Twitter and Facebook. (Be sure we have a current phone number and that you have joined the Remind Class and/or followed us on Twitter and Facebook!)

If a swim meet has been canceled entirely, a decision will be made as to whether it will be made up. Back to Top

Where can I find my swimmer(s) results after a swim meet?

After a swim meet, meet results, including final scores and individual results, will be posted on the Meets page of our Web site. You can also find data for each individual swimmer in Hy-Tek's Team Stats Online. Back to Top

Where can I buy the team suit?

Teams suits for the 2024 season are available at D&J Sports located at 13359 US Hwy 183 N, Suite 402, Austin, TX 78750, a few door down from Kerby Lane at 183 and Anderson Mill Road. They are not required. Please see https://www.bccsharks.org/2024-merchandise

Who can swim in the Divisional Meet?

To be eligible to participate in a Divisional Meet, a swimmer must meet the eligibility requirements of the NWSC bylaws and must have competed in a minimum of two Dual Meets of the current season. Entry on the Official Heat Sheet of canceled meets or events shall count toward this requirement. Swimmers must have an official time in an event from the current swim season to be entered in that event in the Divisional Meet. Also, families of those who swim in the divisionals meet must volunteer at the divisionals meet.

Swim Practice

When do practices begin?

Swim practices generally begin on or about the first Monday in May, providing the weather cooperates. Before school lets out for the year, practice will be during after-school hours, and our regular summer practice schedule will commence the first day after the school semester ends. Check the practice schedule for up-to-date information. Back to Top

How often are swim practices held?

Practices are held five days a week, Monday through Friday. Back to Top

What if my child has to miss practice?

You do not need to notify us if you need to miss practice. Back to Top

Where are the practice pools located?

The BCC Sharks Swim Team has two swimming pools available for practice:

Balcones Country Club pool (8600 Balcones Club Drive)
Spicewood pool (11210 Spicewood Club Drive)

Having two pools to use has both advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is all our swimmers are able to get into the water for practice every day. The disadvantage is we have to split our coaches to support both pools, which means not all coaches will get to be with each child every day. Effort will be made, however, to make sure each child is able to benefit from the experience of all the coaches by rotating coaches between pools. Back to Top

Where will my swimmer practice?

Since we have two pools available for practice, the team is split up between them. You will be informed of the practice time and pool for your child prior to the first practice session. Always visit the practice schedule section of this Web site for up-to-date information. Back to Top

What equipment will my swimmer need?

During practice, it is important for all swimmers to have the following items:

Competition style suit (a practice suit, not the team suit)
Swim cap for swimmers (boys included)
Goggles
Fins

The price of these items is NOT included in the registration fees; they must be purchased separately.

Note: All items should be labeled with a waterproof marker for easy identification. Back to Top

Where can I buy required equipment such as caps, goggles, fins and swim suits?

Many sports stores carry swimming equipment, including D&J Sports. D&J Sports will have team suits for the 2024 season. Back to Top

The Swim Team

What are the registration fees?

Swim team registration fees are determined each swim season and will be posted on the website under the "Team Fees" tab. For non-BCC club members there is an additional Facility Fee charged by Balcones Country Club. These registration fees are the team’s primary source of financial support.

Registration fees cover the following:

Coaches’ salaries
AAU swim insurance
Pre-season Evaluation Fee
Individual Sharks t-shirt
Ribbons, trophies, medals, and other awards
Team photograph
Miscellaneous administrative expenses
Divisional swim meet entry fee

The cost of the team swimsuit and other equipment (such as fins, goggles, swim caps, etc.) is NOT included in the registration fees. These items must be purchased separately.

Who can join the team?

Swimmers must be 17 or younger on May 1st of the current year. BCC Sharks is not a learn-to-swim program. The swimmer should already have some basic swimming skills before joining the team. Prior to the first day of practice, new swimmers will be evaluated on their swimming ability. Your swimmer must be able to swim 25 yards (one length of the pool) freestyle, unassisted. Back to Top

How do the BCC Sharks communicate with the parents?

We communicate with parents via the following means:

E-mail (via Swimtopia), Website, Facebook.

Make sure to provide a current e-mail address for your family and to check your emails for updates.

The latest meet information will be posted on the Meets page of our Web site. Back to Top

Where can I buy Sharks t-shirts and other Sharks merchandise?

We encourage all BCC swimmers and their families to show team pride and spirit. Swimmers are encouraged to wear their team suit, cap, and t-shirt at the meets. Family members can also purchase and use Sharks items and Spirit Wear to show their support at our poolside Shark Shack while supplies last.

Each swimmer will receive a Sharks t-shirt with his/her paid registration. Spirit Wear items (other merchandise with the Sharks logo) can be purchased at our poolside Shark Shack while supplies last.

At most swim meets the Shark Shack tent will be available for the purchase of items that a swimmer might need on the day of a meet, such as Sharks caps, goggles, etc. They also carry other fun merchandise such as jewelry, yard signs, toys and window decals. Sales from the Shark Shack help raise money for the team. For questions about Shark Shack, contact our Merchandise Director. Back to Top

Who makes up the Sharks Board of Directors?

The BOD is made up entirely of unpaid parent volunteers. The only volunteer jobs requiring election by the parents are the swim team board positions. At the end of the season, a nominating committee appointed by the current president nominates board members for the next year's open positions. Any parent wishing to be a candidate for any of the open board positions may throw their hat in the ring by having another team member nominate them by informing the nominating committee up to 48 hours prior to the annual meeting at the end of the season.

The election of the board members will take place during the annual meeting portion of the awards banquet, which is held at the conclusion of the summer swim season.

BCC Board Members' and coaches' e-mail addresses are listed to accommodate any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. If you have suggestions or comments, please share them with us. Back to Top

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