Bent Creek Blue Marlins

Q: What swim association is the Bent Creek swim team affiliated with?

A: Bent Creek swim team is part of the SAIL organization. SAIL is a swim association started in Greenville since 1964 so swimmers have been participating for over 60 years. Our team was started in 2015. This year we will compete in the Green Division of SAIL. 

Q: Does my swimmer have to swim the length of the pool?

A: While the coaches do offer stroke correction and instruction, Bent Creek Swim Team is not a substitute for swim lessons. Your child must be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted in order to participate, with the exception being the Guppies team.

Q: Do we need certain supplies for swim team?

A: Yes. Your child will need a bathing suit, swim cap, goggles, sunscreen, and towels. Our team suit is new this year and information and ordering links will be a part of the online registration. Team swim caps can be purchased at registration or your child can wear a solid-colored cap with no logos. Please label all items - goggles, swim suit, t-shirt because they will all look almost the same!

Q: Does my swimmer win anything at meets?

A: YES, each swimmer will be awarded a ribbon for each event swum in the meet. Heat one participants will receive SAIL ribbons, all other heats will receive team ribbons. Ribbons are awarded weekly on Friday mornings after a meet. The Coaches pass out ribbons to the swimmers.

Q: What if it rains or the weather looks questionable on meet or practice day?

A: Practices and meets can continue in the rain. However, if the rain is so hard that the bottom of the pool is not visible, a delay will be called or practice may be canceled. In the event of thunder or lightning, the pool will be cleared and there will be a delay in the meet or practice. If inclement weather continues, practice or a meet may be canceled.  Please do not leave the meet during a delay. We will send information through the Swimtopia app.

Q: How do I sign my swimmer up for a meet?

A: Each family is responsible for signing up their own swimmers on our online meet sign up site https://bentcreekbluemarlins.swimtopia.com/swim_meets. A deadline for signing up for each meet will be announced prior to the meet so that the coaches can seed the meet properly.

Q: We are going on vacation/participating in summer camps etc. during swim season. Is it OK to miss practices and meets?

A: Absolutely! We realize that families have lives outside of swim team. The great thing about swim team is that you can participate at your own level. Again, you will declare on our team website if your child will be present or absent for certain meets. There will be a deadline for declaring if your child will be absent so the meet can be seeded properly. Practices are offered twice a day on many days, but swimmers are not expected to come to both practices and may need to miss practice for summer camps, VBS etc. Attendance will not be taken at practices.

Q: What is the volunteer requirement and what positions are available?

A: Our swim team is 100% run by parent volunteers, and we ask that every family pitch in to help our meets run smoothly and to ensure our swimmers have the support they need to swim their best. Each family is required to work at least one half of a home meet and at least one half of an away meet. There are numerous opportunities to help out. We need tent parents, timers, head timers, starters, referees, stroke and turn judges, concession workers, and ribbon helpers. See the descriptions below. Parents are also asked to help set-up and clean-up after home meets.

Q: What does each volunteer position involve?

A: Each position is pretty simple once you’ve tried it. If you’re new to the team or would like to try a new position this summer, talk to one of the Board members or the volunteer coordinator and we can help walk you through it.

• Parking Attendants: Starting 1 hour before warm-ups, you will arrive to help with parking. This volunteer helps to keep cars from parking the pool parking lot and off of the grass. The parking lot is for handicap, swimmer drop off, and reserved spots for the team officials only. You will direct visitors to the street on the clubhouse side of street. Your position ends at the beginning of the meet.
• Tent Parents: These parents sit in the tent area with the swimmers during the meet and help to check swimmers in when they arrive to the meet. Also, with the use of a heat sheet, tent parents gather swimmers for upcoming heats and send them to the clerk of course area. Since there is usually more than one tent parent, parents can go up on deck during their swimmers event to watch them swim. Swimmers are stay under the tents unless they tell you where they are going.
• Clerk of Course: These volunteers line kids up on benches by event and heat during the meet. Clerk of course may also work prior to the start of the meet to combine events to make the meet run more smoothly.
• Timers: Each lane during a swim meet will have three timers. Timers will use a stopwatch to time their swimmer based on the strobe light start and their swimmer touching the wall.
• Recording Timers: Each lane will have a recorder. You will most likely be sitting at a small table behind the blocks writing down all of the times from the stopwatches on a timer sheet. Occasionally a "Runner" will come by and collect the timer sheets from you.
• Head Timer: This person will stand behind the timers and signal to the starter/referee when the timers are ready for the next heat to start. This position will also start a stopwatch in case a timer’s watch does not start. At away meets, our team’s head timer will serve as assistant head timer, working in conjunction with the hosting team’s head timer.
• Stroke and Turn Judges: This position will use official rules learned during certification to ensure a swimmer’s stroke is legal. If a swimmer’s stroke in found to be non-legal, the stroke and turn judge will raise their hand and communicate with the referee regarding the possible disqualification of the swimmer.
• Referee: This person will oversee home meets and serve as assistant referee of away meets. This role has the responsibility of seeing that the meet is properly conducted and that rules are fairly enforced for all swimmers.
• Starter: This person will be “the voice” of the meet and start each heat using an electronic starting system when they assistant referee and head timer signal that swimmers are ready.
• Computer Software: Enters swimmers' names/events into computer program each week. Records all swimmers' times during meets. Submit results weekly.
• Concessions: Assists in ordering, setting up and selling of concessions during home meets. Also may be needed to assist with cleanup duties from concessions as well.
• Hospitality: Checks with volunteers to make sure they don't need anything. Usually carries and offers water to those that are volunteering for the swim meet.
• Runner: Collects timer sheets from recording timers and DQs from refs and delivers them to the computer software area. May also be asked to post updates or run other short errands.
• Ribbons: Place result stickers on the back of appropriate place ribbon and file into folder of specific swimmer.

Most positions require taking a short certification and test online prior to the season. All tests will be available on-line.

Q: What is Divisionals?

A: Our Divisional meet is held at the end of June. This meet will be held on a Friday night and Saturday morning rather than a Thursday night like our regular season meets. At Divisionals, our swimmers will compete against all the other teams in our Division so it is a longer meet than those during the regular season. This meet will be held at another Green Division team pool. Each division in SAIL will hold their own Divisional meet the same weekend. Your swimmer’s times at this meet will determine if they qualify for Championships and/or Classics the following weekend.

Q: Does my swimmer have to attend Divisionals?

A: Divisionals is optional but strongly encouraged if your family is available and if your swimmer has qualified. In order to qualify, your swimmer must have partcipated in 2 meets during the season. This is the meet that determines the winner of our Division for the season. An “Intent to Swim” form will be required several weeks prior to this meet where you can declare if your swimmer will participate in Divisionals and in Championships and Classics if they qualify.

Q: What are Championships and Classics?

A: Championships and Classics are qualifying meets held the weekend after Divisionals. Championships are on Saturday and Classics on Sunday afternoon. The top swimmers in all the SAIL divisions combined compete in these meets. Classics consists of the top 16 swimmers in all of SAIL for each event while Championships consists of the number 17-40 swimmers in each event. The fastest relays can also qualify for Championships and Classics.

Q: Will there be any other swim team events besides practice and swim meets?

A: Yes! With the help of our social committee, we hope to have a few fun events planned for our families this summer as well! We will have a kick-off party, Pasta Pump Up prior to our Divisional meet, our end-of-the-season awards night, and hopefully a few more fun activities thrown in throughout the season. Check back on the website frequently for important dates!

Q: What is Spirit Week?

A: Spirit Week is reserved for those swimmers who are participating in Divisionals ONLY. It is a week full of fun events all around a theme in which the coaches and board decide on. You cannot participate in Spirit Week unless you are participating in Divisionals. 

Q: What must one do to earn an IronMan award?

A: Swimmer must complete (without being disqualified) each stroke: Butterfly, Breast, Short Free, Long Free, Backstroke, Individual Medley(IM). They must complete these 6 strokes legally during the regular season, before the Divisional meet.

Q: Can I get a refund?

A: If you end up NOT participating on the team, you are eligible for a $50 refund per swimmer up until May 21st. ALSO NOTE: After May 21st there are no refunds.