Barracuda Code of Conduct

Mission Statement Do Your Best - Support Your Teammates - Have Fun

We expect our swimmers to demonstrate Sportsmanship, Character and Respect at all times

Sportsmanship – the conformance to the rules, spirit, and etiquette of oursport. All participants have an equitable chance to pursue victory. Swimmers are expected to act toward others in an honest, straightforward, and dignified manner even when others do not play fairly.

Character – demonstrate a good work ethic and hold one’s self to a higher standard.

Respect - We expect swimmers, parents, and coaches to demonstrate the highest level of respect at all times towards team members, opponents, officials and staff.

Parent Guidelines

Any comments, concerns or questions from parents for the coaches MUST be saved until AFTER practice or meets so they may be addressed IN PRIVATE. The coaches want to give you their full attention, but when they are on the deck their focus must be on the swimmers. The coaches have each supplied a phone number and email where they can be reached to privately discuss any issues parents may have.

Coaches will also give parents the same respect and courtesy when addressing concerns or issues regarding a swimmer’s behavior. Coaches have been instructed to handle all parent /child related issues in private and after meets or practices.

If a swimmer’s actions during practice or a meet force a coach to focus their attention on the swimmer and not the team the coach has the authority and full support of the Barracuda Board of Directors to take the following actions:

Remove the child from the pool/practice until such time as the coach is confident the child’s behavior and respect for the coaches authority has improved. This may last for a portion of the practice, the entire practice or for as long as the coach deems appropriate.

If the child’s actions are of such a magnitude that the coach feels the child’s continued presence at practice is/has created a negative atmosphere; the coach will call the parent to the pool and have the parent remove the child.

Continued discipline issues with any swimmer could result in their season long dismissal from the team.

The Rocky Mountain Swim League has instituted a policy where if during the course of a meet an issue arises that a coach, swimmer or parent wishes to contest – the issue MUST be channeled through our Parent Representative.

If during the course of the season a parent or swimmer feels it necessary to discuss an issue of a sensitive nature. Please contact a Board Member to discuss in person. Neither the Board nor the Coaches will respond to terse emails or phone messages.

The coaches want to encourage every swimmer to do their best. The Board has instituted a “no-cut” policy. This means no swimmer will be told his/her abilities make them ineligible to be a team member. However, the minimum requirement to participate in a meet as outlined by the Rocky Mountain Swim League requires that a swimmer must be able to complete 25 meters - one length of the pool. This length may be any stroke and lane ropes and walls may be used for resting, however, the swimmer may not be assisted in any other way; no coaches/parents/other swimmers or floating devices.

Rocky Mountain Swim League policies require a swimmer to participate in two dual meets during the regular season to be eligible for Prelims or Championships. Any swimmer who is not planning on participating in Prelims must notify the Coaching Staff at the beginning of the season.

Entries for weekly dual meets are set each Wednesday. If a swimmer has a planned absence from a meet, the swimmer’s coach must be notified no later than Tuesday evening at 5:00pm.

NOTE: We appreciate your courtesy in this matter, because unexpected meet absences affect everyone; the coaches who must change the lineup, the volunteers in the bullpen, the clerk-of-course who must change lane assignments to fill holes, families who have stayed through the entire meet to see their child swim in a relay and especially the relay teammates who are left without enough members because one swimmer is unexpectedly absent.

Relays – The Board has determined the following regarding relays

1) Initial relay teams will be determined by time trials conducted at the beginning of the season, before the first dual meet.

2) Once a relay team has been established a change to that team will only occur if a faster time is recorded at by a swimmer during an individual event during that week’s dual meet. Every week is an opportunity for a swimmer to move onto a relay team.

3) A relay team that is seeded for a prelim meet will be treated as a single entry for Championships. This means that only in the event of sickness or unexpected absence by a member of the relay will substitutions be allowed.