advice to parents

Tip-Top Tips for parents of Tip Top swimmers What's my job? what's my main indicator of success for the day? Insurance What kind of gala is it? how long does it take? what's the food like? Is it comfortable? What about the trophies and certificates? what's the social dynamic? What else goes on? 10 commandments for parents.

if this is your child's first gala then there's a few things you might want to know The athlete (formerly known as your son/daughter/nephew/niece) will have come home from a training-session at the pool and told you the date of the gala and that they are in a couple of events......... closer to the day the athlete will have been given their event-cards if that is the system for that gala. These have to be handed-in at the pool - usually in a box in the entrance hall, with the event-number on it. back to top What's my job? You have to make sure that the athlete gets an early night before the gala and arrives at the pool in plenty of time. If it is a gala with an event-card system it is your job to make sure that they are there to drop their cards in before the deadline for that session. There is usually a morning and an afternoon deadline. Make sure the athlete has their club tee-shirt, costume and a spare costume , goggles, spare goggles, spare goggle-straps (as set out in the gala guidance for athletes) ....... oh and then you have to be seen to be cheering, taking photos (remember spare batteries, memory sticks or film and sign child-protection form), and worrying. Sorting out the lunch is also in the job-description! It is not your job to pack their bag, merely to check that it is done. From the earliest stages get the swimmer to pack their own bag and sort their own equipment. They are perfectly capable of doing this. This is important as they must learn to take charge of their swimming as soon as possible. Also if they pack their stuff they are less likely to forget it, a lost tee-shirt and pair of goggles adding up to nearly £20 per competition will be hard for you to sustain. We have ways of knowing you are phoning from the IKEA carpark while you tell us you are at the casualty department at the Homerton. Remember that if your athlete doesn't turn up to the event, because you wanted to stay at the barbecue or you are stuck in the Ikea carpark, age-group restrictions at the gala might mean the club can't field a swimmer legally and other swimmers may be unable to swim without a 'fourth' for a relay-team. If you said you were going to be there, BE THERE. back to top what's my main indicator of success for the day? Punctual delivery of the swimmer and the card or registration, is your primary indicator of success. This is how the gala officials know the athlete is in the building and ready to race. If you arrive after the boxes or registration desks are closed that's it. The dash from home has been a waste of time and you are in deep-trouble with the athlete. back to top Insurance. Definitely have a good look at the map, timetables and instructions the night before so you know where you are going. Make sure you know which session the athlete's events are in. Set the alarm-clock and leave home in plenty of time so that the athlete (and you) can remain calm. Check the tick-sheet from the gala-advice webpage. Blokes please remember that that method of driving faster when lost and blaming everyone else for the confusion fools no one AND rattles the swimmer. back to top What kind of gala is it? There are a couple of types. Whatever type of gala, the important thing is to get on the first gala 'rung' with an officially-recorded time. Clissold will usually try to put the swimmer in a relay race for their first experience of competition - this helps to control the inevitable 'first race nerves'. There are 'B' or 'graded' galas which are designed for swimmers who are developing and are not the fastest in their age group. There are clearly set cut-off times, which earn a 'speeding-ticket' or 'upgraded' for athletes exceeding them (i.e. swimming faster). This means that the swimmer is not eligible for medals (and is effectively disqualified) but is a very positive indicator of a 'good time' for that race, in that age group. This is when quite a bit of explaining has to be done by the coach or parent to the 'first-gala' athlete. Its a great gala system that allows people starting out to get 'in the medals'. So a speeding-ticket is a good thing just as a is a win or a placing or personal-best (PB). There are no heats just races, with swimmers racing against swimmers with similar qualifying times - and the clock. The times are then recorded and the winner is the quickest swimmer under the time-limit (by excluding those with the much-coveted speeding tickets - see above). A well-organised gala will have a full programme available when you arrive. These are usually presented 'per session' , i.e. a programme for morning and afternoon, day one or two. There usually two levels for each stroke in each gala one slightly quicker than the other. When upgraded in the slower event the swimmer then moves to the quicker event, when too quick for the quicker one they have to swim in other strokes. All swimmers that have swum under and achieved a speeding-ticket then move on to 'open' galas' probably with heats and finals. They can no longer enter a B-gala event for that stroke. Whenever swimmers in races have a qualifying-time they are given a lane in the race appropriate to their last race-time. It is usual for the fastest swimmer to be allocated lane four and the swimmers each side have slower times - but remember THAT WAS THE LAST RACE!. The club goes to a great deal of trouble putting together teams for these races to balance speed, ability and the opportunity for swimmers new to competition to get a start. There are times when the swimmers out-perform expectations and on the night the swimmers go too fast for our plans - the swimmers win and PB but the club loses the gala on the night so not a bad thing at all. back to top how long does it take? It can take absolutely ages! And the races are all over pretty quickly. Be sure you don't miss it by an inappropiate moment for the loo, coffee or a snooze. If you do it will take at least 10 years before the family re-telling becomes bearable. Depending on how many competitors there are in an event there can be a lot of heats. It can be a long day so it's a good idea to try and share the load if you and another family have athletes competing across the day, you can share the morning out and evening back. back to top what's the food like? Great if you can survive on crisps, twix, Red Bull and chips - and the usual leisure-centre fare. It's better to get a good packed-lunch in a picnic-bag and take loads of water and favourite juices so that you can eat what you want, when you want. Check our foodtips page . back to top Is it comfortable? Sort of, but it can be very hot, don't wear warm-clothes and at some pools you need to be there early to get the best seats, many people bring a cushion. back to top What about the trophies and certificates? For these you have to wait right through to the end, as these are handed-out at the end of the morning and at the end of the afternoon sessions - after the events and the finals. The medal system and their quality will vary from event to event. back to top what's the social dynamic? It's a club and this is a team. Mutual-support is the order of the day. The coach and assistants will play a key role on the poolside and the athletes are expected to support each other. As parents you'll probably have litte direct contact with your athlete as being poolside is restricted to teams and team-managers but support from the viewing gallery will be appreciated and expected (not just for your own offspring but for other club swimmers)! Clissold SC supporters are known for being loud. In the event that you have to go poolside to give a coach a breather, console an athlete or whatever please remember to remove footwear and try to have flip-flops or clean footwear on. The admonishment you might receive from a gala official if you are in street shoes is not pleasant. Remember you are the parent/carer of the swimmer, you are NOT the coach. While not winning the swimmer may have set a new PB, worked on a new technique and had a wonderful time. Be supportive, make sure both you and the swimmer talk to the coach before you offer any opinions that dismiss the superhuman physical and psycological effort that your hero has just performed. Remember they have performed it despite growing up, studying, getting bigger, getting smarter, working out how the world works, and tolerating the aforementioned coach. They also put up with that bloke in the car in the morning driving too fast and shouting while lost - (not sexist, women don't do that). back to top What else goes on? There may be shops - swimwear-retailers will usually have a stall - there can be bargains on previous-year costumes and goggles and some fundraising events by the host club. back to top