Barracudas Swim Team

The Boulder Barracudas Swim Team runs May through July and is a member of the Boulder Valley Summer Swim League (BVSSL). The goal of the Barracudas is to find the right balance of fun and competition for each swimmer, understanding that everyone will find this balance with their own unique mix.

The Boulder Barracudas is a great way to have fun, make friends, and be active all summer long!

$225 (resident) /$275 (non-resident)

Our Core Values

• The City of Boulder Barracudas Swim Team’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility parallel Boulder’s SPIRIT. We strive to incorporate these values into all of our programs.
• All coaches have a responsibility to create a caring atmosphere that provides honest, constructive coaching and respectful dialogue.
• All swimmers have a responsibility to be honest with teammates, coaches and themselves; to care about their individual progress; as well as to respect the rules of The City of Boulder and the feelings of their teammates.
• All parents have a responsibility to care about their swimmer’s times and progress, to support their children no matter the results, and to respect the authority of the coaching staff while being honest about any concerns.

(Age 7-18) Clinics will help swimmers develop and maintain swimming skills during the off-season for better racing results in the summer. Clinics are open to the public and not just for Barracuda's swimmers.

Swimmers must be able to swim 25 yards without assistance. Clinics will focus on stroke form, endurance and technique. Please register for the clinic like you would for group lessons at the front, over the phone or online.

Apr

• East Boulder Community Center April 7- May 5, Saturdays, 11:45a.m-12:45  p.m.

 Resident $40  and Non- Resident $48

2018 Pre-Season Practice Schedule

May 21 - May 25 at the South Boulder Recreation Center

Age Group	Practice Start Time	Practice End Time
15-18	4:30 p.m.	6 p.m.
13-14	4:30 p.m.	6 p.m.
11-12	5 p.m.	6 p.m.
9-10	4 p.m.	5 p.m.
8 & Under	4 p.m.	4:30 p.m.

 

2018 Regular Season Practice Schedule

May 29 - July 23 at Spruce Pool

Age Group	Practice Start Time	Practice End Time
15-18	7:15 a.m.	8:45 a.m.
13-14	7:15 a.m.	8:45 a.m.
11-12	7:15 a.m.	8:30 a.m.
9-10	8:30 a.m.	9:30 a.m.
8 & Under	8:45 a.m.	9:30 a.m.

No practice: May 28  and July 4.
All age group practice TBD

Pre Team Practice Schedule Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday

May 30 - July 14 at Spruce Pool

Age Group	Practice Start Time	Practice End Time
Pre Team	9:30 a.m.	10 a.m.

2018 Afternoon Practice Schedule

Mondays and Wednesdays June 4 - July 17 at Spruce Pool

Age Group	Practice Start Time	Practice End Time
All Ages	6 p.m.	7 p.m.

Dual Meets:  

June 2nd    @ Home vs. BSTC

June 9th    @ Fox 

June 16th    @Home vs. RCC

June 23rd     @ BCC

July 7th       @Home vs. Glen

July 14th     @Mead 

Prelims & Championship

July 18th  9-10, 11-12 Prelims @ 8am Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center

July 19th   8 & under Prelims 7:30am, 13-18 @ 11am Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center

July 22nd   League Finals @ 8am GEO Myers

Additional Meets

Costs for entry is separate from team registration.

June 18th   Fox Hill Pentathlon

TBA    Hot Shot Long [email protected] 

Meet Overview

Overall

• Set-up is done the morning of the meet
• Snack bar tables, grills, coolers, and food
• Tents for the starter, snack bar, heating area, and for our team
• Tables for the ribbons and for the starter
• Rope off sides of leisure pool with cement blocks and rope
• Clip boards and stopwatches for the timers
• Computer and printers
• Heating area table and chairs
• Chairs behind each block for timers and swimmers

Pre-Meet

• Swimmers must arrive 10 minutes before warm up so we can enter as a team
• Warm up is split into age groups - first half is 11-18 and second half is 10 and under
• Coaches need to be helping swimmers so that's why it's important to have lots of parents helping with set up
• Warm up usually lasts 30-45 minutes total
• After warm up we have a team meeting to go over anything important or get the swimmers excited
• We pass out pink and blue cards to all swimmers
• There is usually a timers and officials meeting

During the Meet

• Swimmers sit under our tents so they are easy to find if we need them. The first event is medley relay so we work to get all the little kid relays together and over to heating area.
• Coaches help bring younger swimmers over to heating and get them into the correct lane.
• The first event, relay, is always hectic and disorganized but it gets much better after that.
• There is a first call/last call sign that tells what events are being heated at the moment.
• Older swimmers go over to the heating area on their own but coaches are still involved to make sure they're there
• Coaches with pink and blue cards get all the kids for a certain event and send them over to the heating area
• The heating parent will call out names of swimmers and put them in their correct lane
• The swimmers will move up in line until they are at the blocks and ready to swim
• Meets usually last until 12-1 p.m. but we then must clean up the pool area before leaving
• After the last race we can do a cheer for the other team to say thanks

Post-Meet

• Clean up begins
• Most families will stay and help clean up any trash that was left from either team
• Clean up snack bar and return grills
• Take down all the tents, tables and chairs
• Take down rope and cement blocks
• Ribbons are made and put into separate team bags
• We organize our ribbons on Monday or later in the week, but will give the opposing team their ribbons before they leave
• We must give the opposing team a copy of printed results before they leave
• Coaches make “speeding tickets” for any swimmer who gets a best time in an event

What to Bring

• Team Swim Suit
• Goggles (2 pairs in case one breaks)
• Towels (more than one is good)
• Sunscreen
• Healthy Snacks
• Water Bottle
• Swim Cap
• Extra Clothes
• Deck Shoes (like flip flops)
• Dress appropriately or bring a blanket – mornings can be chilly
• Deck of cards or small game to pass time between events

Times and place are subject to change. Coaches will have the most up-to-date information

Team Barbecue TBA

Coaches will provide more information the Monday before the event.

Water World Wednesday

We will be meeting outside the front gates of Water World TBA.. More information on tickets will be announced as they are made available. 

Age Group Party

TBA

Age group parties are a great way for swimmers to make friends in their age group. Coaches will be present to provide fun games and activities for swimmers. Parent participation is crucial! Coaches will give out more information. 

Friday Night Club

The night before home meets we will make posters and chalk the deck to welcome the opposing team!

• June 1st, June 15th , July 6th

End of Year Banquet

Tuesday, July 18th at 6pm at the NBRC Multipurpose Room. Come join us to celebrate our accomplishments for the season!

Big Fish Little Fish Program

The Big Fish Little Program pairs the younger, or first time swimmers up with the older, more experienced swimmers to provide peer mentors and role models to bridge connections between all age groups!

(Ages 4-9) Preteam is for swimmers that are new to the sport! They must be able to swim 25 yards continuously unassisted.
​May 30- July 7  M,W,F 9:15 at Spruce Pool $100 (resident) / $125 (non-resident).

Is my child right for preteam?

Preteam is one step before swim team. Your swimmer should be able to swim one length unassisted, but does not need to know the proper technique of any of the strokes. Your swimmer should be eager to learn how to swim and be able to handle 30 minutes of instruction.

If you start off in preteam and feel it is too easy, no sweat! We will happily move your swimmer up to regular swim team and you can pay the difference at any Boulder Rec Center.

Does Preteam compete in Meets?

Preteam does not compete in BVSSL meets on Saturdays. However, they do have two preteam meets where each swimmer will race a 25 of each stroke and everyone receives a ribbon.

Does Preteam participate in Swim Team activities?

Absolutely! We highly encourage preteamers to get involved with the team. We welcome all preteamers to regular team activities (ie, age group party, team bbq's, Water World, etc.)

• Parents must volunteer. During each home meet, each family is asked to supply a volunteer for half the meet.
• Parents will not engage in or encourage their child to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct with any coach, parent, swimmer, participant, official or any other attendee.
• Parents will not engage in any behavior which would endanger the health, safety or well-being of any coach, parent, swimmer, participant, official or any other attendee.
• Parents will not engage in or encourage their child to engage in verbal or physical threats or abuse aimed at any coach, parent, swimmer, participant, official or any other attendee.
• Parents will not initiate or encourage their child to initiate a fight or scuffle with any coach, parent, swimmer, participant, official or any other attendee.
• Parents are expected to assist in the management of their swimmer’s behavior. Parents should recognize their swimmers’ efforts and encourage the development of a positive attitude toward the program.
• Parents are requested to assist all swimmers in following the rules during practice and swim meets. Supervision in the locker rooms is requested during practice and swim meets.
• All parents are responsible for encouraging their swimmers to support individual and team achievement. By understanding the expectations of all swimmers and following the rules, the City of Boulder Barracudas Swim Team will continue to be a positive and rewarding learning experience for its participants.

Swim Meet Questions

Does my child have to compete in meets? 

• Swimmers are not required to compete in meets, but we encourage them to swim in at least one meet. If you plan on swimming prelims/finals, you are required by the league to swim in at least 2 dual meets.

What time do meets and warm-up start?

• All meets start at 8am, warm-up starts at 7am sharp.

How early should we arrive at a meet?

• We ask that everyone arrive at least 20 minutes before warm-up.

What is the first thing we should do when we arrive at a meet?

• Find a spot to spend the meet and tell your swimmer to check in with his/her coach.

Do I need to bring money to meets?

• You don’t have to, but you may want to.  There is a concessions stand and a BBQ grill at the meets.  It’s a long day and you or your swimmer(s) will probably want to buy some food, plus this one way the team raises money to cover our costs.

How long do meets last?

• It depends on the size of the team we are competing against, but plan for ending by 12pm.  It may end earlier or later depending on the size of the team.

Do I have to stay for the entire meet?

• Yes, unless otherwise worked out with a coach. If you do have to leave early, you must notify your swimmer’s coach.

What is the heating area?

• The heating area is where your swimmer goes prior to each race. They will be lined up in rows of 6 by lane number and those will be the 6 kids in that heat of a race.

Where is the heating area?

• For home meets the heating area is under the large white tent near the lifeguard office.

What are pink and blue cards?

• Pink and blue cards are given to the swimmers prior to the start of the meet and contain heat numbers and your swimmer’s name. Swimmers give their pink or blue card to the timers on deck just prior to their race and the timer’s write the race time on the cards after the race and it’s then taken to the scoring table.

Where does my swimmer get their pink or blue card?

• After your swimmer warms up, their coach will pass them out to the swimmers.

How do I know what events my child is swimming?

• You can find their events on their pinks/blues and heat sheets posted around the pool.
• What does my swimmer need to bring to the heating area?
• Your swimmer should come to the heating area ready to swim!  He/she should have a pink or blue card, goggles & a swim cap.  There is no place for a towel so they should plan to grab their towel after exiting the pool deck.

How do heats work?

• The first heat is the fastest heat. Each following heat is the next fastest, except during League Prelims and League Finals where the order is reversed and the slowest heats swim first leading up to the final heat which is the fastest.

How are swimmers selected for heats?

• Heats are set up by time.  We will hold a mock meet at the beginning of season to document times for each swimmer. If your child swam in a previous season and doesn’t record a time for a particular race at the practice meet, their best time from the previous season is used, as long as the distance is appropriate for their age group.

How many races can my swimmer swim at each meet?

• Up to 3 individual events and up to 2 relays per meet. Your swimmer may occasionally swim in an extra race as an exhibition swim. Exhibition swims are great for practicing a stroke and for getting a time recorded. They do not count toward points or ribbons.

Is there any difference which lane my swimmer is in?

• The fastest lane in the pool is the middle lane. For home meets the Barracudas swimmers will be in lanes 1, 3 & 5 and the opposing team swimmers will be in lanes 2,4 & 6

Do I need to keep track of my swimmer’s times & where do they post results?

• No.  All times are recorded electronically and results will be emailed to the team a day or so after the meet. 

What is a DQ?

• Disqualification or a “DQ” from an event in a meet is unfortunate, but is an important learning tool for developing swimmers.  Swimming a stroke illegally (e.g. wrong kick), turning illegally, or not touching the wall properly will cause disqualification from the race only (not entire meet).  DQ’s are not intended to punish, but to help swimmers become aware of things that need correction. It is important for all swimmers and families to recognize this!
• Common DQ’s include but are not limited to: turning onto stomach during backstroke; relay member starting off blocks before his/her teammate touches wall; relay member staying in pool after touching wall; relay member pushing other teammate into water; two false starts; and touching with only one hand when turning or finishing butterfly or breaststroke.  8 and under swimmers are not scrutinized quite as stringently as older, more experienced swimmers.

How are kids selected for relay teams?

• Coaches pick the lines ups based on current swim times, work ethic and practice attendance.

What’s the difference between the A, B, & C relay teams?

• The A relay is the fastest relay composed of the 4 fastest swimmers for that race. There is also some coach discretion depending on how the coaches want the race to go. Sometimes they will spread out the faster swimmers across the different relay teams.  In the first heat, relays A, B & C will swim against the A, B  & C relays of the opposing team. The A relay will always be in the middle lane or lane 3 in our home pool.

If my child gets a speeding ticket or a ribbon, where do I collect that after a race?

• Speeding tickets and ribbons are placed in your swimmer’s file folder in the days following a meet. They are usually ready by Monday practice but sometimes it’s Tuesday. 

How do scoring & ribbons work?

• Each event has one or more heats per gender, per age group. All heats are scored, and ribbons are handed out to top six finishers, however, only the fastest three swimmers per team score and receive ribbons.
• At League Prelims, swimmers are ranked by their times, the fastest 20 times continue to Finals.
• At League Finals, swimmers in the first heat (consolation heat) are ranked eleventh through twentieth place. In the second heat (championship heat) swimmers are ranked first through tenth, based on times during Prelims. During Finals, swimmers can only move within their heat for placing (i.e. a swimmer cannot move up from eleventh place, or down from tenth place).

Is there a meet program?

• A meet program will be posted in various places around the pool. We ask that parents do not come up to parents to ask for their child’s event/heat/lane.

Is there a numbering key to events?

• Yes!  Each age group and gender ends in a different number. Once you learn the event numbers and your swimmers race numbers it will be easy to look through the meet program quickly. 

What are the extra meets and are they mandatory?

• Extra meets are not mandatory but they are fun! The Pentathlon gives your swimmer a chance to race all four strokes and an IM in one meet. The Hot Shot Meet gives your swimmer a chance to swim sprints in all four strokes.  The Long Shot meet gives your swimmer the chance to pick their own races and is a good meet for seeing the competition across all league teams. 

How much do the extra meets cost?

• The Pentathlon in $38 and the Hot Shot is $25.  If swimmers enter both the Hot Shot and Long Shot meets (held on the same day) the total cost is $40. Email reminders will be sent with detailed information about cost and sign up deadlines.

What are "Prelims" and "Finals"?

• ​​Prelims are the end-of-season qualifying meets for finals. Prelims are age-group specific and are held on a certain day the week before finals. All swimmers may attend prelims if they swam in two dual meets. 
• Finals are the season finale. The fastest 16 swimmers in each event for each age group compete for individual awards and the League Trophy. All 14 teams in the Boulder Valley Summer Swim League (BVSSL) compete.  ​
• These meets do not cost extra, it is included in the Booster Fee.

Parent Volunteer Questions

What are my obligations as a Parent Volunteer?

• Meets cannot function without the support of the parents. If your child is swimming, each family is asked to supply a volunteer for 1/2 the meet. We will hold parents accountable by having a $100 check given to our treasurer as a “volunteer deposit”. If your child swims and you do NOT volunteer, we will cash the check at the end of the season. If you fulfill your volunteer requirement, we will shred the check. If your swimmer does not swim in any meets, we will shred the check. 
• Your swimmer will not be able to swim in meets unless we have the deposit check. 

How do I sign up for volunteer positions?

• Our Parent Volunteer Coordinator will send out an email prior to the meet with a Google doc to sign up. Please see the Parent Volunteer tab (below) for position details.

Big Fish Little Fish Questions

What is Big Fish, Little Fish?

• Big Fish Little Fish is a mentoring program for the competitive team that pairs older swimmers to the younger swimmers for the season.  They cheer each other on during meets and the Big Fish can help show your Little Fish the ropes if they are unfamiliar with how meets go.  It’s a great program that helps younger, inexperienced swimmers feel included in the team experience.  We highly encourage your swimmers’ participation! 

Do I have to sign up? 

• No, but it’s a fun program and a great way for the kids across different age groups get to know each other. More details will be sent out at the start of signs ups.

How do I sign up? 

• Coach Casey will send an email out when sign ups start!

Parent Volunteer Requirements

Our team cannot function without the help and support of the Barracuda parents. If your child is swimming in a meet, your family is required to have one volunteer for half of the meet. 

Due to a lack of support in the past, we have had to put a policy in place to hold everyone accountable. Each family is required to turn in a "volunteer deposit" check of $100. If you child swims in a meet and you do NOT volunteer, that check will be cashed at the end of the season. If you fulfill your volunteer requirement or your child does not swim in any meets, your check will be shredded.

Your child will not be eligible to swim any meets until we receive a "volunteer deposit" check. 

Any questions regarding this policy can be sent to: [email protected]

Parent Volunteer Positions

Sets Up/Clean Up: Puts up/tears down tents, tarps, chairs, tables, etc. Cleans up trash after meet.
Heating Area: Seats/organizes the swimmers in the heating area, makes sure they all have cards, tells the coaches who is missing. Escorts swimmers from the heating area to their correct lanes

Timers: Two timers are required for each lane. Takes cards from swimmers and ensures they are in the correct lane. Uses stopwatches to start at the sound of the bullhorn and to stop when the swimmer touches the side. Records both times on card; an average is then computed.

Stroke Judges: Ensures swimmers are following league rules through legal strokes. If not, informs the timer that the swimmer is disqualified. This position requires swimming experience and attendance at the league stroke judge clinic on May 31st at 6:00pm

Treasurer: Carlton Schneider Handles all money for the club.

Starter: There cannot be a meet without one!! Announces races, uses bull horn to start each race.

Concessions Coordinator: Takes inventory, buys food (can be delegated), makes sure cash and cash box are brought to meets.

Concessions Workers: Sets-up/cleans-up food stand and sells food.

Grillers: Keeps the burgers and dogs coming.

Runners: Organizes completed time cards from first to last place while bringing them from the timers to the scorers; place picker sheet is placed on top. A second runner is needed for 25 yard events, to bring the cards from the swimmers to the timers on the other side of the pool.

Place Picker: Visually checks the order of swimmers finishing each race and writes it down. The place picker judgment takes precedence over times; this is an important, and exciting, job!

Heat Winners/Popsicle coupons: Helps the place picker and hands out “free popsicle” coupons to heat winners.

Scoring:  Enters swimmer's times into the computer during the meet (from the cards that the runners bring them). It is best to have one scorer organize cards and read off times, and another scorer to enter times into the computer. Note: requires attendance at league scoring clinic on June 2nd at 6:00pm. Great job for techies!

Parent Volunteer Coordinator: Jenn Saal ensures volunteers have everything they need, including food and water and facilities breaks. Ensures that there are volunteers for all positions.