Marlins Team Policies & Procedures
Practice Policy & Procedure
Practices are held at Lambert Pool at each group’s assigned times. All parents, other family members, and swimmers must follow the below procedures when using the pool facility.
- Parents may watch practices from the grass areas surrounding the pool deck – bring a blanket, towel, chair, etc. The exception to this is the grass area behind the diving blocks. This area is used for stretching and dryland exercises with swimmers.
- Parents may drop swimmers off and return after practice for pick-up.
- Parents are not permitted to be on the pool deck without authorization from the coaching staff.
- Swimmers should arrive 15-minutes early for practices for set-up and stretching.
- Swimmers are not permitted to be in the water before their scheduled practice time and without the supervision of a Marlins coach.
- Attendance is taken at all practices. Swimmers are encouraged to attend all scheduled group practices in order to progress.
- Swimmers are responsible for their swim equipment during practices and swim meets.
- Practice schedules are subject to change. Schedule changes are communicated via Swimtopia and will be posted on the Marlins' social media websites.
Swim Meets
Swimmers are strongly encouraged to participate in all swim meets. The procedure for signing up for a specific swim meet is available on Swimtopia for each meet. We ask that swimmers arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of warm-ups and check in with their coach upon their arrival.
In the event your swimmer has registered for a swim meet but are unable to attend, it is important for you to inform Coach Karli ([email protected]) at least 48 hours in advance. This will ensure that accurate event entries and relays are provided. However, if an unforeseen emergency arises and you are unable to attend a meet within the 48-hour window, please contact Coach Karli or the Marlins Board email ([email protected]) as soon as possible to allow your swimmer to be promptly removed from the meets events.
Team Swimsuit
A team swimsuit is suggested for the swim meets and can be purchased from our swimsuit vendor at any time (Swimoutlet.com). Other necessary gear can also be purchased here.
Social Media and Communications
Coaches and swimmers are prohibited from adding each other as "friends" on personal pages and from communicating through social media or instant messaging. To protect their privacy, coaches should ensure that their pages are set to "private." All communications outside of practice and swim meets should be between the adult/guardian and the head coach. The content and intent of all communications must adhere to the USA Swimming Code of Conduct.
We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of bullying and it will not be accepted under any circumstances. Bullying not only undermines team unity but also has the potential to cause severe harm to the victim. Our utmost priority is to create a secure, nurturing, and welcoming atmosphere for all our members. In the event of any bullying incidents, we assure you that they will be addressed promptly and efficiently. We strongly encourage anyone who becomes aware of bullying to report it to a coach without delay.
Additional Resources
Parent Volunteers
Every family is expected to participate at each meet (home or away) in which your swimmer is competing. We understand this can be an inconvenience, however, meets are run by volunteers only. If you are unable to volunteer your time, you must find your own replacement. Your replacement can be a grandparent, nanny, babysitter, teenage child (age 14 or older) or another responsible person. Volunteer descriptions and additional details can be found in the Parent Participation Contract. Instructions on how to sign up can be found under the Meet Signup tab. We thank you in advance for offering your time and talents to make each season a success!
Inclement Weather
Practices and meets are not necessarily canceled due to rain, however, during inclement weather such as severe low temperatures, lightning, thunder, and severe rain or wind storms, practices or meets may be canceled by coaches or officials. Cancellations will be announced as early as possible and through SwimTopia which automatically sends notifications to its subscribers.
Our team posts the air and water temperatures each morning on our SwimTopia homepage. If you have a swimmer who does not tolerate cold, please check the temperatures there before practice and come prepared with warm clothes, towels and blankets for any time out of the water.
Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Policy
Martinsburg Marlins prohibits and does not tolerate sexual abuse or misconduct during any organization-related activity. Martinsburg Marlins provides policy and procedures for employees, volunteers, board members or any other victims of sexual abuse or misconduct to report such acts. Those reasonably suspected or believed to have committed sexual abuse or misconduct will be appropriately disciplined, up to and including termination of employment or membership, as well as criminally prosecuted. No employee, volunteer, board member or other person, regardless of his or her title or position has the authority to commit or allow sexual abuse or misconduct.
Swim Parent 101
Need help in understanding what to expect during the summer swim season. Whether you are a seasoned parent needing a refresher or a brand newby take a look at our Parent Handbook for useful hints and tips for having the best season.
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