FAQ

Do I need to be at the pool with my swimmer? It is preferable that someone stay at the practice, but if you must leave and return at least bring them into the pool personally first, then come back in to pick them up. Do not just drop and run at the outside doors. If this is unavoidable, please remember to have your swimmer check the bulletin board and folder for updated information.
Can I split my club fees? We have several payment options available. A Board Member will help you with your payment needs at time of registration. We do require the Club registration and USA/Indiana Swimming registration fees to be paid at time of registration.
Do I have to work during our meets? Yes! It is necessary in order to have a well balanced meet. We rely on our meets to supplement the coaches' salaries and need the participation of all of our parents. Each family is required to work 2 different sessions of each meet.
Are there any required meets? No, we do not require swimmers to attend meets; however, we do strongly encourage participation at our hosted meet, and our conference championship meet. These occur once each season, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter.
Can I get a refund if my swimmer decides not to swim anymore? No. The fees are not refunded and the family is still responsible for any unpaid fees. Unpaid balances will be turned over for collection. If you are paying monthly, you are still responsible for the balance of the season. We will pro-rate fees for those swimmers leaving the Club within 60 days from the Club's initial registration period.
Must my child join the USA swimming Organization? Yes, this is the organization that is the governing body for amateur swimming in the United States. It provides the club insurance to guard against accidents and lawsuits. A swimmer must have this before they ever enter a practice or meet.
Do we go to travel meets? Within reason, we do go to meets that are away from Indianapolis and Greenwood. Usually only 2 or 3 that are 2 hours away, most of our meets are within 1 hour or less drive time. If we go to a far away meet we usually look for affordable lodging options for those that choose to go. Travel arrangements and lodging are the family’s responsibility, as we do not take a group of swimmers without their parents.
How long are the meets? A session in a meet usually takes four hours or less. Most meets consist of 4-5 sessions. Each session is broken into specific age groups. Registration forms and the bulletin board has the session times and information.
Must we swim in all meets? No. The Greenwood Gators do not expect all swimmers to go to every meet. It is however, encouraged that a swimmer compete as much as possible during the course of the season. Competition is the only true way to get better in the sport of swimming, to show improvement on a much grander scale. Do not put emphasis on place earned, but rather the decrease in time it took to swim a particular event.
Can I pick what session to swim? To some extent, yes. You may pick the day or days that you want to swim, but the session is determined by which age group is swimming in the AM or PM, Warm-up times, and those sessions are set by the host club. If Open events are offered, any age swimmer can swim in those events (i.e. you have an 9 year old and a 15 year old, they can both swim in events offered as "open" events).
What is the difference between finals and a prelim/finals meet? In a timed finals, the time and place a swimmer swims in the session will be his/her official time and place for the meet. In a prelims/finals meet, there will be a session in which all swimmers qualify by placement to swim in a later final session. Prelims are usually held in the morning with the finals to be competed that late afternoon or evening. There are usually 10 & under events competed either in the same session or the same day, which will be as timed finals. The host team will generally charge an additional amount for prelim/final events, which will be collected at time of sign-ups. Please note the entry forms for each meet to see if it is noted as a prelims/finals meet. If not noted, the meet will be held as a timed finals.
How does my swimmer qualify for post season or special meets? A swimmer qualifies for Divisional, State, Zone, National, or a special meet by swimming faster than pre determined times.
Is there food available for purchase at a meet? Most host teams will provide a concession stand; however, the type of food provided may not be the best type of consumption for your swimmer. You may still want to consider packing a cooler so that you can monitor or determine what your swimmer is eating and drinking.
Is there seating at a meet? During the fall/winter season the meets are at either high school pools or college natatoriums with built in seating. Sometimes it is hot or limited seating at these facilities, so you may consider packing seating for use in the camping area with the swimmers. During the summer when we attend outdoor meets you should plan to bring lawn chairs, as they are usually city pools that have no bleachers.
What if it rains during an outdoor meet? The swimmers are already wet; it will not matter to them. You will, however, be sorry if you don’t prepare. If there is a possibility for wet weather, bring umbrellas or raingear. If the weather gets inclement and threatening, the officials will postpone or cancel the remainder of the session or meet. They may elect to get indoors (if such a facility exists) and try to wait it out before they cancel the remaining events. If a parent member volunteers, we have a tent available to put up at outdoor meets for swimmers and families to congregate under at appropriate spectator areas of the pool deck. It is not guaranteed that this will be provided.
Must my swimmer attend all practices? It is up to the parent to decide if a swimmer will attend practice or not. Attendance is not mandatory, but is strongly suggested. If a swimmer is ill do not bring them to practice to infect the rest of the team. You do not need to call anyone if you cannot make practice.
If we cannot make a meet that we have signed up for what do I do? If for any reason you cannot make it to the meet, call the president, home: 317-859-4607 or Cell: 317-506-5855. If you have the coach’s cell phone you might also try that number. You might also call if you are coming but running late. There is no guarantee that calling will ensure your swimmer to be signed in by a coach or other member. Swimmers must be signed in at meets 45 minutes prior to the start of the meet.
If we miss a meet can we get our entry fee back? No. The entry fees are sent to the host club usually 2-4 weeks in advance of the meet. As a host team will not refund fees, neither can our club offer a refund of entry fees.
Are there team suits? Yes. It is requested that our swimmers wear the team suit, and the girls wear the gators team cap. If you choose not to purchase the team suit, a basic black or black/green suit is suggested. Team caps may be purchased at the pool for a cost of $4.00 (price subject to change).

GREENWOOD AQUATIC TEAM (GATORS)

FAQ

Greenwood Gators

Home

Can I split my club fees? We have several payment options available. A Board Member will help you with your payment needs at time of registration. We do require the Club registration and USA/Indiana Swimming registration fees to be paid at time of registration.

Do I have to work during our meets? Yes! It is necessary in order to have a well balanced meet. We rely on our meets to supplement the coaches' salaries and need the participation of all of our parents. Each family is required to work 2 different sessions of each meet.

Are there any required meets? No, we do not require swimmers to attend meets; however, we do strongly encourage participation at our hosted meet, and our conference championship meet. These occur once each season, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter.

Must my child join the USA swimming Organization? Yes, this is the organization that is the governing body for amateur swimming in the United States. It provides the club insurance to guard against accidents and lawsuits. A swimmer must have this before they ever enter a practice or meet.

How long are the meets? A session in a meet usually takes four hours or less. Most meets consist of 4-5 sessions. Each session is broken into specific age groups. Registration forms and the bulletin board has the session times and information.

How does my swimmer qualify for post season or special meets? A swimmer qualifies for Divisional, State, Zone, National, or a special meet by swimming faster than pre determined times.

If we miss a meet can we get our entry fee back? No. The entry fees are sent to the host club usually 2-4 weeks in advance of the meet. As a host team will not refund fees, neither can our club offer a refund of entry fees.

Are there team suits? Yes. It is requested that our swimmers wear the team suit, and the girls wear the gators team cap. If you choose not to purchase the team suit, a basic black or black/green suit is suggested. Team caps may be purchased at the pool for a cost of $4.00 (price subject to change).

GREENWOOD AQUATIC TEAM (GATORS)