Parents, please read the Handbook in its entirety. Details subject to change due to any additional rules set forth by the Cobb Summer Swim League, the Vinings Estates Homeowners Association, and/or the Vinings Estates Swim Team Association, Inc.

Meet Schedule & Important Dates

Meets: This season, our meets will be on Wednesday evenings (except for week 1, due to Memorial Day, when our meet will be on Thursday). Meets begin promptly at 6pm. Our tentative swim meet schedule (subject to change by CSSL) for the summer of 2023 is as follows:

Team Picture Day: DATE TBD 

End of Season Celebration: Wednesday, June 29, 6pm-9pm. The only people allowed to attend and swim are swimmers, siblings and parents (no friends, cousins, grandparents, extended relatives, neighbors, etc.) For 2023, the cost of the party has been included in your registration. In the event of rain, will be held at the Crescent Ridge Clubhouse. Details to come.

Team Suits/Caps/Shirts

Team Swim Suits: Team swim suits can be purchased online directly from our team store via Swim Outlet: https://www.swimoutlet.com/collections/vedolphins

We encourage swimmers to ORDER EARLY.

Team swim suits are not mandatory, however swim suits worn at the meets (as well as swim caps) can not have USA, high school, or any other team logo on them, nor on swim caps. 

Team Swim Caps: Only required during meets of swimmers with long hair (both genders), one Dolphins swim cap will be provided with each swimmer registration. Additional caps are on sale for $7. https://viningsestates.swimtopia.com/shop Any cap may be worn, however none can not have USA, high school, or any other team logo on them.

Team Shirts: One team T-shirt will be provided with each swimmer registration. Additional caps are on sale for $15. https://viningsestates.swimtopia.com/shop

Practice Schedule

While practice is optional, all swimmers are encouraged to attend at least 3 practices each week so that the swimmer will be more confident and proficient at each stroke they will be swimming in the meets. In addition, this provides the coaches ample time to get to know your swimmer's proficiency to better schedule individual events and relays in the meets.

The practice schedule is posted at https://viningsestates.swimtopia.com/practice-sche...

• During practices, parents and children who are not swimming should stay away from the pool. Younger siblings WILL NOT be allowed in the toddler pool or the regular pool during swim team practice hours. While the coaches are certified, they are there to coach the children who are practicing with the swim team. They are not watching any other children. Furthermore, our team insurance covers the swimmers on the team, not the swimmers' siblings. 
• Please make sure that your swimmer is on time and ready for practice. Swimmers should bring with them to every practice: swimsuit, goggles, towel and (optional) swim cap. Your swimmer should also wear sunscreen to practice and meets. In the earlier part of the season, swimmers should also bring warm clothes and a jacket.
• Swimmers must not leave the pool area unless they inform the coach (this includes going to the bathroom or getting something to drink).
• Parents should be on time to pick up their swimmers after practice. The coaches and coordinators are not responsible for your child once his/her practice has ended.
• If your swimmer is not able to attend his/her regular practice time due to a schedule conflict (such as camp), it is occasionally allowed for swimmers to practice at a different time. Please ask a coach or coordinator first, and please do not make this a regular occurrence. It's best to train with the correct age group. 

Weather

Practice will only be cancelled in the event of lightning in the immediate area. We will swim in the rain. With respect to meets, you should attend each meet even if it is raining. We will make every effort to swim all meets, even in the rain. Meets will only be postponed or stopped if there is lightning in the immediate area. The Cobb County referee at the meet will have the sole discretion for determining when a meet is postponed or cancelled.

Cobb County Championship Meet

July 1-2, 2023: The Patti Wilder Cobb County Championship meet is open to anyone on the Vinings Estates Swim Team who resides in Cobb County (Cobb County has established minimum qualifying times for 5-6 year olds). At this optional meet, the top three finishes in each event for the 7 year olds and older will represent Cobb County at the Parks and Recs. State Meet (against the top swimmers from the other counties in Georgia) on July 14-15, 2023. We would like to see Vinings Estates well represented at the County Meet; however, this is purely optional. Additional details will be available during the regular season.

For more information, visit https://www.cobbcounty.org/parks/recreation/aquat...

Cobb County Rules

As a member of the Cobb County Summer Swim League, Vinings Estates must follow all county rules. We must also adhere to all rules set forth by the Vinings Estates Homeowners Association as well as our insurance policy. 

Here are a few of the specific rules for you to be aware of:

• Swimmers are not allowed to wear any USA swim team or high school swim cap or suit.
• No smoking or drinking of alcoholic beverages by parents, swimmers, volunteers or visitors is allowed on the pool deck. This will be STRICTLY ENFORCED. Cobb County has imposed a $250 fine per occurrence on teams where alcohol is consumed within the fence at swim meets. In the event that Vinings Estates Swim Team is assessed a fine, such fine will be charged to the family in possession of the alcohol and the fine will be required to be paid before the swimmer is allowed to swim in another meet. Additional violations of the no alcohol policy may result in our team’s suspension from the league. 
• All events will start at the deep end of the pool except for 100 yard relay legs. Sit starts shall be required in the shallow end for those relay legs.

Swimming At Meets

Home Meets: Set up will begin at 4pm. Swimmers and all other volunteers must arrive at the pool by 4:30pm. Warm-ups for the Vinings Estates team will begin promptly at 5pm.

Away Meets: All swimmers and volunteers must arrive at the away location by 5pm. Vinings Estates team warm-ups will begin promptly at 5:30pm. We will provide directions to the away meets at least one day before the away meet.

If for any reason, your child cannot swim in the meet, you must email the coordinators immediately so changes can be made. While we recognize that things happen at the last minute, it is important that you inform us as quickly as possible so the appropriate changes can be made. If your swimmer is also playing in summer little league, coaches cannot promise he/she will be placed in any relay, as little league tournament play often conflicts at the last minute with our swim meets. 

Swimmers may swim in an older age group (referred to as “aged up”) at the coaches’ sole discretion. However, swimmers may not under any circumstances swim down to a younger age group.

When swimmers arrive at the pool, they should immediately check in with a coach to get his/her race slip for the evening. Swimmers should write races on arm in sharpie, get settled and be prepared for warm-ups.

Events: 6 & UNDERS will swim 25 yard Freestyle, 25 yard Backstroke, and the 100 yard Freestyle Relay (consisting of 4 swimmers, 1 lap each). All other age groups will swim the Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Individual Medley, Freestyle Relay and Medley Relay (the distances will vary based on age group). Swimmers may swim up to 3 individual events, 1 freestyle relay and 1 medley relay. The coaches, in their sole discretion, will make the final decision on meet entries.

Bullpen: We will have a bullpen for swimmers 8 and under. The bullpen is a roped off area that is used to line up the younger swimmers before their events. This way the coaches will know that all swimmers are in place and ready to swim BEFORE their assigned events. We absolutely CANNOT run a meet without Bullpen volunteers!

There is no bullpen for 9 year olds and up. It will be the swimmer/parent’s responsibility to make sure your swimmer is lined up and on time for their events.

When 5-8 year old swimmers arrive at the pool, after getting their race clips from coaches, they should immediately go to the Bullpen area, where a bullpen parent will check the swimmer in. Swimmers should get settled and get ready for warm-ups.

Ribbons: Every swimmer is a winner and is important to the team. All swimmers who swim in a meet (except for the Cobb County and state meet) will receive a ribbon. Ribbons will be given according to the place finish in each heat. Ribbons will not be awarded if the swimmer is disqualified (“DQ”).

Disqualifications (DQ’s): The meet referee may DQ a swimmer for any rule violation. This is to ensure that the swimmer does not have an unfair advantage over another swimmer. Points will not be given if a swimmer is DQ’d. Cobb County Summer Swim League follows USA Swimming Rules.

Code of Conduct: Parents are to bring any concerns/complaints to the coordinator and are not, under any circumstance, to approach the referee. Interfering with the referee could result in that person being removed from the meet and a forfeit could be imposed on the team. Parents are to conduct themselves at all times in a positive manner. Please remember that the goal of summer league swimming is to have fun, meet your neighbors and represent Vinings Estates in a positive light.

Parents are also the role models for their children.

Meet Etiquette For Vinings Estates

1. The parking lot nearest the pool is for the visiting team. Please walk to the pool, carpool or drop off your swimmer. If it is necessary to drive, please use the parking spaces farthest from the pool.
2. If your child is scheduled to swim in the meet and at the last minute gets sick, you must let the coordinator know as soon as possible.
3. There will be a concession stand at each meet. This is a fundraiser for the home team, and is used to offset costs and keep registration fees to a minimum. Please support the concession stand.
4. Water and soft drinks will be provided to the timers, place judges, referee, starter, announcer, coaches and coordinators at each meet.
5. BE ON TIME and ready to swim.
6. Give encouragement to your swimmer and the other swimmers. Don’t be critical of your child or any of the other swimmers—they are doing their best. Let the coaches coach.
7. Help your swimmer set reasonable goals for himself/herself, such as swimming a “clean” race (i.e. not getting disqualified), improving his or her time, or not stopping to hang on the lane rope. Encourage your child not to set unreasonable expectations for himself/herself.
8. Do not assume the meet is cancelled if there is a thunderstorm in the area. We will make every effort possible to get the meet in on the scheduled date (make up meets are not desirable). As long as we finish ½ of the meet by 11:00 pm, it will be considered a full meet. Each team should show up at the pool on time and prepared to swim. The referee and the coordinators will decide to either delay the start time or reschedule. If the start time is delayed or if there is a delay in the middle of the meet, please do not leave the area. The meet could begin at any time and your swimmer might miss an event. 
9. If for any reason you need to leave the meet prior to finishing your events, please talk to the coordinator first. We do not want you to leave your teammates without the 4th person for the relay!

Volunteers

Our swim meets are extremely labor intensive, and we rely solely on our parents to volunteer for each meet. Each swim team family will be REQUIRED TO VOLUNTEER AT LEAST 2 SHIFTS PER SWIMMER during the season. A shift is ½ of a meet. Parents of 8 & UNDERS will be required to work at least 1 shift in the bullpen. Please note that the number of shifts required is subject to change based on the number of families represented on the team, i.e., a smaller team may result in a higher number of required shifts. If changed, it will be communicated at the Parent Meeting. If an essential role has not been filled and we are at risk of forfeiting the meet due to CSSL regulations, the volunteer coordinator may assign families to any essential shifts that must be filled in order for the meet to function.

Swimmer participation on our team requires a $100 PER SWIMMER volunteer deposit, which will be returned upon the completion of your volunteer commitment at the end of the season. This policy is MANDATORY, and your swimmer(s) will not be allowed to swim (in practice or in a meet) until your deposit has been received.

You can sign up for volunteer sessions (when the Volunteer Coordinator communicates that it is "open") via the online portal. Volunteer sessions are offered on a first come, first served basis.

• When you arrive at the meet, you will need to check in with one of the volunteer coordinators. This is how we will know that everyone has arrived and we can begin the meet on time.
• If you can not work a shift that you signed up for, please let the volunteer coordinator know as soon as possible so that she can line up a new volunteer. 
• We will send emails to recruit volunteers if we do not have enough participation.

Questions on Volunteers: Please contact Jennifer Lucas at lucas81107@gmail.com

Volunteer Positions

Home Meet Volunteer Positions

• Meet Set Up 
• Place Judges 
• Timers
• Concessions 
• Starter / Announcer
• Bullpen 
• Runners 
• Scorekeeper 
• Meet Clean Up

Away Meet Volunteer Positions

• Place Judges 
• Timers 
• Runners
• Bullpen 
• Scorekeeper

Volunteer Position Descriptions

Meet Set Up: (4 needed for each home meet) Responsible for setting up backstroke flags, roping off specific areas, clearing the deck of lounge chairs, setting up scoring tables, chairs for place judges, put up bullpen signs, organizing concessions areas, etc. Set up will begin at 4pm on home meet days.

Timers: (12 needed for each meet, 6 for each half). Responsible for timing all swimmers in your assigned lane. This is a job that requires a lot of standing, but you get a great view of each race.

Place Judges: (8 needed for each meet, 4 for each half). You will be required to record lane finishes for each race. This is a great job if you are unable to stand for long periods of time.

Clean Up: (3 needed for each home meet). You will be responsible for putting the pool back to its original state. This includes hosing off the pool deck, removing back stroke flags, moving tables, replacing lounge chairs, etc…

Runners: (2 needed for each meet, 1 for each half). You will be responsible for picking up the cards from the timers at the end of each race, along with the place judge sheets and deliver them to the scoring table. This job requires a lot of walking.

Bullpen: (6 needed for the 8 and under age group,4 for the first half and 2 for the second half of the meet). Bullpen volunteers will be responsible for lining up each age group for each event according to the heat sheet and escort the swimmers to the starting blocks prior to their event. Parents of 8 & under should volunteer for this position.

Refund Policy

The registration fee for 2023 is $200 for residents and $225 for non residents. The fee has increased this year due to a price hike passed along to us from Cobb Summer Swim League and because we are now including the cost of the End of Season party in the swimmer registration fee. Because team expenses are incurred prior to the start of the season, there will be no refunds given for swimmers who drop from the roster on or after May 1, 2023. For swimmers who drop after registration, but prior to May 1, a full refund, less a $30 administrative fee, will be given.

Parents Meeting

There will be a mandatory Parents Meeting on Monday, April 24 at 7pm at the Crescent Ridge Clubhouse. This will be an informative meeting regarding the swimmers, parents, coaches and volunteer expectations for the season.

Contact Us

The best way to contact us is via email at swimteam@viningsestates.com

Website:  https://viningsestates.swimtopia.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vinings-Estates-Swim-Team-372784362731945/