How do I know if my child is ready to swim on the team?

We recommend that at some time prior to the start of swim team, or prior to the registration deadline, you take your child to a public swimming facility (Anne Arundel County public pool at Riva Road or a local community pool) and make sure they are comfortable “swimming” the length of the pool. At the younger ages, and for their first exposure to swimming on a team, swimming just means getting across! Your swimmer does not have to have a perfected freestyle stroke to be part of the team – that will come with practice and guidance. Our team welcomes swimmers of ALL abilities - no previous swim team experience is needed. All swimmers should be comfortable with physical separation from their parent/guardian and be to follow directions from our coaches.

What is the difference between swim team and swim lessons?

The Davidsonville Swim Team is not a swim lesson program, and for safety reasons, all swimmers must be able to swim a length of the pool to join the team, or be close to meeting that goal. Swimmers who are not yet able to swim a length of the pool will have the opportunity to join the DST pre-team (see below). Swim team will teach swimmers stroke technique in a group setting, but is not a replacement for individual swim lessons lessons where specific skills will be taught.

What is the DST Pre-Team?

The DST pre-team is for swimmers who are not yet able to swim the length of the pool, but are close to achieving that goal. Swimmers should be able to swim at least half the length of the pool using some type of freestyle, be able to kick the full length of the pool using a kickboard, be comfortable in the water. Swimmers should be comfortable with physical separation from their parent/guardian and be to follow directions from our coaches.

When are practices held?

The practice times for both pre-season practices and regular season practices are posted on our practice schedule page. Swimmers will practice with others in their age group.

What type of equipment does my swimmer need?

All swimmers need a pair of leak-proof googles (and a back-up pair), a tight-fitting competition style swimsuit, a swim cap, and a kickboard. A mesh bag may also be helpful for transporting equipment to practices. Check our equipment page for the list of required and recommended gear.

Do I need to purchase the team swimsuit?

We highly encouraging purchasing the team suit. If your swimmer(s) does not have a team suit, we suggest wearing a solid black one piece suit (for girls) or a solid black jammer (for boys) for each swim meet. Need a team suit but missed the deadline? Check our suit swap to see if one is available.

For meets, swimmers may wear any swim cap and/or competition suit as long as it does not bear the name or logo of any team other than the GASL team of which the swimmer is a member. No club swimming caps or suits are permitted at meets.

Should my swimmer wear the DST team suit to practice?

To ensure your swimmer’s team suit lasts the entire season, we recommend the team suits are only be worn at swim meets and on the Team Picture Day. For practices your swimmer should wear a different competition style, tight-fitting swim suit.

Does my swimmer need to attend every practice?

We ask that swimmers make as many practices as possible. We strongly encourage swimmers to attend every day if they wish to truly improve throughout the season. The more they come to practice, the more they will learn, and have time to work on their strokes. If swimmers cannot make it to practice every day, that’s okay. You do not need to let the coaches know if they are going to miss practice.

What are the different age groups?

There are six age groups: 6 & Under, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18. When/if needed, some older swimmers may “swim up” an age group. This does not happen very often and is only used by the coaches when there is a necessity to fill an event in a specific age group.

What is a meet program?

A meet program will contain your swimmer's heat and lane assignments for the meet. The program is organized by event in the order that they occur at the meet.

How are the lane assignments determined for each event?

In events with more than one heat, the swimmers with the slower times will swim in the first heat. The fastest swimmers swim in the last heat.

Where will the meet program be posted?

Meet Programs will be posted on the “Meets & Events” tab of our swim team website.

When will the meet program be posted?

Meet Programs will typically be posted no later than the day prior to each meet. The coaches will notify swimmers via email once the meet program has been posted. Paper copies are not available at the meet, so please either access the information online or print it out prior to the meet.

What is a psych sheet?

A psych sheet does not have heat or lane assignments. Rather, it lists your seed times and how you are seeded compared to other swimmers in a particular event. Psych sheets are meant as a sneak peek into the meet. You can see how close the swimmers ahead of you are, and you can mentally prepare for racing your competition.

What time does my swimmer need to arrive for the meet?

Arrival times will vary based on whether the meet is at home or away. For home meets at Harbor Hills, swimmers typically need to arrive by 7AM for warm ups. The coaches will confirm the exact start time each week and notify swimmers via email.

How long are the Saturday morning meets?

Meets typically last around three to four hours, but exact end times will vary depending upon how many swimmers participate in each meet and what events your swimmer(s) participate in.

Can my swimmer leave the meet once he/she has completed all of their events?

That depends. If you have a volunteer assignment scheduled for that meet, a family representative will have to stay for the duration of the meet to fulfill their assignment slot. If your family does not have an assignment for a particular meet, then although it is nice to stay to cheer your teammates on, you do not have to stay until the end of the meet. Pease double check with the coaches that your swimmer(s) are not participating in the freestyle relays before you leave the meet.

Where will the results be posted after the meet?

Results will be posted on the “Meets & Events” tab of our swim team website.

Does my swimmer have to swim in every swim meet?

No, however, we prefer our entire team participates in every meet. If you know your swimmer(s) will not be swimming in a meet, you must indicate their availability online well in advance. A swimmer must participate in at least two (2) swim meets to swim in the league Championship meet at the end of the season.

What do I need to do if my swimmer cannot attend one of the swim meets?

If your swimmer is not able to attend a meet, click the “Meet Entry” tab and then click the green Edit tab under your athletes' names. For each of your swimmers, select an option from the drop down list next to their names.

• Undeclared

• Attending

• Not Attending

If you do not update your swimmer’s availability, they will be seeded for the swim meet and potentially selected for a relay team, so it is critical to indicate if your swimmer will be unavailable.

What should my swimmer bring to a swim meet?

We recommend packing gear for each swimmer the night before each meet. Here is a list of recommended items:

• DST Team Suit (and backup)

• DST Swim Cap (and backup)

• Goggles (2 pairs minimum)

• Towels (2 minimum)

• Water bottle and/or other drinks

• Healthy Snacks

• Sunblock

• Flip‐Flops or shoes

• Sweatshirt or Jacket

• Activity to pass the time in between events (books, games)

• Chairs

• Money (for concession stand)

• Label all items with permanent ink/Sharpie

Should I bring my own food to the swim meet?

Yes, you are welcome to bring healthy snacks and drinks for your swimmers, or you can visit the Concession Stand for alternative food options. Food and drinks will be available at every swim meet but options will vary based upon the team hosting the meet.

Are all GASL pools the same length?

No. The Harbor Hills pool is 25 meters long, but some GASL pools are 25 yards or 20 yards long. Your swimmer’s times will vary based upon the length of the pool. The meet program and meet results will indicate whether or not the pool is a meters or yards pool.

Are families with only one swimmer required to fulfill the same number of volunteer commitments as families with multiple swimmers?

Yes. Each DST family is responsible for volunteering for two (2) volunteer shifts. Families with only a swimmer on the DST pre-team are not required to volunteer, but are highly encouraged to volunteer if possible.

Where do my registration fees go?

The money you pay to register your swimmer pays for many things the team needs throughout the season. It pays for our coaches salaries, league dues, swimmers insurance, meet fees, pool rent, end of season awards, and other necessary capital expenses as they arise.

What is the refund policy?

Once the season has started, we can no longer issue refunds. The season officially begins when practice starts, however, if you change your mind about registration prior to the start of the season, we will issue a full refund, less processing fees. If it is after the start of the season, we cannot issue refunds because insurance fees and other fees have already been paid for a swimmer.

Who do I contact if I have more questions?

The DST e‐mail address is swimming@daagators.org. This e‐mail is constantly monitored by team representatives and is always a good way to get in touch with any questions.