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Conference 101: It's the Grooviest, Baby!
Location: Miramonte High School, 8 El Camino Flores, Moraga
Map of Team Areas: Click here for map
Food & Vendor Info: Click here for list
Jobs: Conference is a big, confusing meet. If you're working the meet, please show up on time. Check in 30 minutes prior to your shift with Raj and/or Ania Talwar (Saturday) or Robert Harris (Sunday). If you have hired a sub, please let Samantha Francois know no later than Thursday, July 29. Remember, all Conference subs must be 18 years or older.
Suits and equipment: Please make sure your swimmers have a cap, a good set of goggles (and a spare set!) and a tight (no drag) swim suit for Conference. These can make a big difference in the way a child swims. The coaches have noticed some stretched out, ragged suits and goggles which are slowing our swimmers down.
Regarding suits: The Walnut Creek Swim Conference voted to follow the new USA Swimming Rules and Guidelines for approved swimwear. If you are planning to wear a speed suit, please check with the coaches to be sure it is an approved suit. Wearing more than 1 suit at a time in a race is not permitted! Violation of these rules will result in disqualification.
What is Conference/Conference events? Conference is the championship meet of the Walnut Creek Swim Conference. It's by far our most important meet of the season. Saturdays events are (in order) free prelims, breast prelims, IM finals (for 11s and up), free finals, breast finals and the medley relay. Sunday's events are (in order) back prelims, fly prelims, IM finals (7-10's), back finals, fly finals and the free relay. The last events conclude around 4:00pm. We encourage you to stay until the end to cheer on our relay teams. It's fun to watch!
Conference Theme: This year the entire conference has a "Summer of Love" theme. Peace out, man! Dewing Park has a "Dewing Powers" theme.
Parking: Parking is tight at Miramonte. Allow plenty of time to find a spot. Parking is available in the Miramonte lots not otherwise blocked off, and on the streets in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Warm ups/Cheer: Warmups are mandatory on Saturday! Everyone should show up Saturday morning by 7:05 for 7:15 warmups. Our assigned warmup lanes are 6 and 7. Our team cheer will be follow warmups at 8:00! Be there to show your spirit!
Sunday warmups are at 7:45, lanes 8 and 9. If your child isn't swimming until later in the morning on Sunday and you wish to skip the official warm-up, please talk to a coach.
After the meet begins, swimmers can warm up in the designated warmup lanes at the south end of the pool. Young children using the warm up pool should be supervised by an adult at all times. Please note: "three-point entries" are mandatory. If your swimmer doesn't know what a three-point entry is, he or she should consult a coach by Friday. No starts or dives are permitted in the warm up lanes.
Individual Events: Each child has been entered in two individual events. In general, the two fastest IM swimmers of each gender in each age group (7 and up) also will swim the IM. If you are uncertain whether your child will be swimming the IM, please check with a coach. Unlike any of the dual meets or City Meet, Conference has both preliminary and final heats. Prelims are run in the morning, finals in the afternoon. After each preliminary event (e.g., freestyle), results are posted. The top twenty swimmers swim a second time, the fastest ten in one heat (called "finals") and the next ten in another (called consulation finals or "consuls"). Do NOT leave the pool until you know whether your swimmer has qualified for a second swim. (There are always surprises at this meet!) Further, if your child is an alternate, be sure to report to the Clerk of the Course and don't leave until all the swimmers are seated. Every year, many swimmers fail to make it to the Clerk of the Course on time and are disqualified from their second swim. Don't make this mistake! It is really fun for the children to swim in finals. In addition, the team earns points for each second swim completed successfully!
Relays: There will be an A and a B relay for each age group and each gender, except in those instances where we don't have eight swimmers of a particular age and gender. The tentative relay teams (with alternates) will be posted at the pool this week. They will also be posted in our team area at Miramonte. The coaches have discretion to modify relays as they see fit. The free relay will not be finalized until after the freestyle events on Saturday. Look for an email Saturday night listing the final free relay teams. Check in before leaving the meet to make sure your child hasn't been added to a relay. It is very important that all children ultimately slated for a relay are present and ready to swim. A child who fails to do so risks disappointing every other swimmer on the relay and on our team. Also, the relays are so exciting your child won't want to miss out.
Clerk of the Course: Swimmers of all ages are required to check in with Clerk of the Course prior to their races (similar to City Meet). Please listen carefully to the loudspeaker announcements for your seating times! Don't miss your swim! The first swims of the day begin checking in at 8:00am! Please check the white board at the pool next week to see what the plan is to gather our younger swimmers and walk them to clerk of the course before their events.
Marking: all 10 and under swimmers must be pre-marked on their left shoulders with name, stroke, heat and lane. The shoulders should be marked as shown in the illustration in the Conference Meet Program (and also in the clerk of the course area). Bring a sharpie to the meet.
Team Area: We will have an assigned team area. It will be posted on the white board at the pool next week. Our team is large but our team area will not be. Please be respectful of your Seahorse neighbors: make room for all!
Pool Spectator Area: Due to very limited deck space around the pool, there will be no team spectator areas. The very limited available seating will be reserved for rotating spectators only (i.e. for parents watching their own swimmers). Please be respectful of this.
Sportsmanship Award: This year, the conference will be awarding a Sportsmanship Award to the team that displays the most sportsmanlike conduct: shaking hands with other swimmers, staying in the water until all swimmers in that heat have finished, cheering on teammates, not trash talking other teams, and NEVER talking back to officials. Let's show our team sportsmanship and win this award!!!!!
Miscellaneous:
*No artificial noisemakers are allowed in the stands.
*Blue masking tape must be used to post signs. NO duct tape or zip ties are allowed. Nothing may be placed on the floors.
*First Aid: The first aid kit will be located at Lifeguard Station at the Main Entrance.
* Lost and Found: Lost and found will be located next to the Lifeguard Station at the Main Entrance. Stuff will be pitched at the end of the day Sunday.
* Children must be monitored at all times. No one is allowed on building equipment, stairways and roofs.
* Glass containers, BBQs and pets are prohibited.
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