WIMBLEDON KILLER WHALES

Meet Sign Up/Declaration

All swimmers must declare/register for each meet on the Killer Whales website the Tuesday before the meet prior to 11:59pm. It is extremely important we are aware if a swimmer is not attending a meet because of the potential impact to relays. Please be sure to declare your swimmer(s) within the deadline established. Sign up opens on Sunday morning the week of the meet.

Meet Entries

Each swimmer can be entered in as many as five (5) events. A swimmer may participate in no more than three (3) individual events and up to two (2) relays. Relay entries are determined by the computer based upon best recorded times and are confirmed by coaching staff and the computer official.  You may request events when you declare your meet attendance on the website (use the comments section) but understand the coaches will make the final determination on entries for all swimmers and their decision is final.

Relays

It is important all swimmers participate in the relays they are assigned. It is not fair to the other swimmers in the relay, or the team as a whole, if a swimmer does not show up for a relay. Swimmers who do not show up for a relay for which they are assigned may not be selected in future relays.

All relays are based on individual times, swimmer consistency in legal strokes and are designed to give the relay team the best possible chance for success. The individuals that make up a relay may change throughout the season as swimmers improve their times and strokes. The relay teams are chosen by the computer system based upon the best recorded times of swimmers. 

Restricted Areas

Each host pool will have some restricted areas during the meet. The ready bench area and the deck immediately around the pool are usually roped off. Please be considerate and avoid these areas so the meet can run smoothly and efficiently.

Please do not enter the computer room or approach the computer tables during the meet. The people at these tables are busy running the swim meet and ensuring the accuracy of the swim times and overall results.

Inclement Weather

Per the NWAL Rule Book, a meet can be delayed or postponed due to climatic conditions. The meet shall immediately be suspended when thunder is heard or lightning is visible. The meet shall be suspended until 15 minutes after the last thunder was heard or the last lightning was sighted. When a meet is suspended because of lightning and/or thunder, the pool area shall be immediately cleared of all participants, officials, and spectators. Check with the coach before leaving the pool site.

If a dual meet has progressed through event 58 and is suspended due to unfavorable climatic conditions, the meet is considered complete and no reschedule is necessary. The results through the last event completed shall be the final score.

Disqualifications

NWAL events are officiated by trained and certified judges. If a swimmer does not swim a stroke with the limits established by the league, does not touch the wall in the prescribed manner, or does not have a clear start an official may call a disqualification (DQ) and the swim will not count. At the conclusion of the swim the official should explain to the swimmer why he or she was disqualified. This should be looked at as a learning experience and the swimmer should tell the coach the reason for the disqualification so they can discuss and work on the issue.

Under no circumstances is a parent or swimmer to approach an official or question an official’s decision. The officials are certified volunteers helping the sport and doing the best job they can. The coaches will handle any questions or discussion about a decision with the Team Representative who is the only person who may discuss an issue with the meet referee. Parents who interfere with an official or disrupt the meet will be asked to leave the pool area.

Meet Types

There are 4 types of meets we participate in. They are:

• Time Trial Meet – The Time Trial meet is our pre-season meet where all team members will swim each of their age & ability appropriate events for a time. This is your swimmer’s opportunity to obtain an official time, which is required by NWAL to participate in future meets. Additionally, it gives the swimmers and parent volunteers a practice run of an actual meet. There is no limit to the number of individual events a swimmer can swim during this meet, it is preferred for all swimmers to participate so that when they're able to attend a meetthey can swim. Relay events are not swum.
• Dual Meet – Meet where two (2) swim teams compete against one another. Dual meets make up the majority of the meets that we will compete in during the summer swim season. These meets can either be a home meet at the Wimbledon Champions Pool or an away meet at the competing team’s pool.
• Divisional Meet – Meet where all teams in the division compete against each other at a single meet. Swimmers must have participated in 2 dual meets in order to swim at the divisional meet. You must also have an official time (time recorded at a dual meet - not Time Trial) to participate in an event at the divisional meet. There will be only one relay team for each relay event at the divisional meet.
• Invitational Meet – Invitational meets are open to swimmers who have achieved a pre-determined qualifying time. We encourage all swimmers who qualify to participate. More information will available regarding all invitational meets later in the season. Invitational meets are additional meets outside of our normal meet schedule. We will distribute and collect registrations as the deadlines approach. Swimmers will be responsible for the fees required to participate in invitational meets and the team will pay for any relays entered in invitational meets. Our team has traditionally participated in Summer Thunder held mid-season as well as Ponderosa & All Stars at the end of the season.

There are 80 events in a dual and divisional meet. The order of the events is as follows:

1. 10 & U 50 Freestyle
2. 100 Freestyle
3. 6 & Under Free Relay
4. Medley Relay (stroke order: Back, Breast, Fly, Free)
5. Freestyle
6. Breaststroke
7. Individual Medley (IM stroke order: Fly, Back, Breast, Free)
8. Backstroke
9. Butterfly
10. Free Relay

Events start with the youngest girls in each classification and work up through age groups alternating girls then boys for each event. The strokes and distances swam are determined by age group.