New Parents Hub

Welcome to the Fishers Area Swim Club (FAST) Parent Hub! Here, we've compiled essential information and resources to help guide you through your journey as a swim parent. From understanding the dynamics of swim meets to navigating team events and attire guidelines, this hub serves as your go-to source for everything related to your swimmer's experience with FAST.

Whether you're a seasoned swim parent or just diving into the world of competitive swimming, we're here to provide insights, answer questions, and ensure you have a seamless and enjoyable experience with our swim community. Dive in, explore, and feel free to reach out if you have any further inquiries. We're excited to have you join the team!

Meetings and Events

Parent Meetings

At the commencement of the short course season, multiple parent meetings are scheduled to provide valuable information. Mandatory for all families is the annual club meeting, a forum to learn about club happenings, receive financial updates, and participate in board member elections. Simultaneously, parent age group meetings for younger teams offer in-depth insights tailored to newcomers, covering aspects specific to FAST and your swimmer’s team.

Team Events and Dinners

Throughout the season, dedicated parent volunteers organize enjoyable events fostering connections among swimmers and parents beyond the pool. These occasions provide excellent opportunities to make new friends and engage with other swim families. Ahead of Championship Meets, swimmers and their parents who qualify are invited to a Championship Team Dinner. Additionally, an awards dinner concludes the swim season, extending invitations to all swimmers and parents.

Attire and Equipment

Team Attire

FAST provides each athlete with three team shirts and three swim caps. Team suits are mandatory for all meets and can be purchased from Elsmore Swim Shop. While technical suits are optional, they do not replace the team suits.

Additional Equipment

Depending on the swimmer's level and team, specific equipment is required. A detailed list is available here.

Athletic shoes are mandatory for meets, practices, dryland, and warm-ups. It's important to note that Crocs and similar footwear are not considered athletic shoes.

Embarking on the world of swimming with FAST may seem like entering a realm with its language and unique aspects. To assist you in navigating this new experience, we encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions and Glossary provided below. These resources aim to alleviate any confusion or frustration, facilitating a smoother transition into FAST and the swimming community. If there are specific topics or information you find beneficial, please inform us so we can further enhance your journey in this aquatic adventure.

FAQ

Swimming 101

Glossary of Terms

Swim Apps

Navigating the world of competitive swimming and ensuring a seamless experience for both swimmers and parents is made easier through the use of dedicated swim apps. These technological tools serve as valuable companions in our journey, offering real-time access to crucial information, event details, and performance metrics. Leveraging the capabilities of these apps enhances communication, engagement, and overall participation in the Fishers Area Swim Club community.

Meet Mobile

Meet Mobile keeps you in the loop with psych sheets, heat sheets, and live results, providing a dynamic view of each swim meet.

OnDeck

OnDeck provides comprehensive insights into your swimmer's account, event schedules, team updates, and more.

USA Swimming

The USA Swimming App will give you access to your USA swimming account, swimming news, videos, and more.

Team Practices

All athletes must participate in a designated number of practices per week.

Athletic shoes are required for each practice, and any swimsuit may be worn.

Swimmers can be dropped off and picked up at door 6 of the high school.

While parents are permitted in the stands during practice, they must avoid distracting their swimmers from receiving instructions from the coaches.

01

Intro

In the realm of competitive swimming, two distinct seasons shape the training and competition landscape: short course and long course. The short course season spans from September to mid-March, utilizing 25-yard pools for meets, while the long course standard (50m) takes center stage from mid-April through July. Summer leagues, high school, and college competitions align with the short course format, while major international events like the Olympics embrace the long course. At Fishers Area Swim Club (FAST), we navigate both formats, recognizing the unique physical demands and training benefits each season offers.

Transitioning from short to long course requires endurance and technique mastery, and our brief break post short course ensures a mental reset without compromising conditioning. Short course emphasizes turns and starts, while long course hones in on technique, fostering strength in stroke patterns. Both seasons complement each other, contributing to the holistic development of our athletes. The Fishers Area Swim Club provides an opportunity for swimmers to excel in both formats throughout their careers, each season building upon the last in pursuit of long-term potential.

02

Meet Types and Standards

FAST Fridays provide a low-pressure environment for skill demonstration and earning Championship Meet time cuts. Dual meets offer smaller-scale competitions against a single team, while Invitational Meets in Timed Finals and Prelims-Finals formats involve multiple teams and take place over entire weekends. In Timed Finals meets, each swimmer gets 1 opportunity to swim their race. In Prelims-Finals, swimmers swim their Prelims races as if they were Timed Finals. However, if they are in the Top X in the Prelims (e.g. Top 8, Top 16, Top 24) then they will have an opportunity to swim the race again to place higher. View Schedule

Championship meets require swimmers to qualify based on time standards. Understanding these meet types is crucial for swimmers and parents, guiding their participation and expectations.

Time standards set benchmarks for qualifying in Championship, National, and International meets. USA Swimming establishes motivational time standards and they can be found here. These standards serve as a roadmap for skill advancement and competition readiness.

03

Meet Attire

Team suits, technical suits for specific meets, swim caps with the FAST logo for competitions, and designated team shirts are essential for swim meets. Adhering to guidelines for swim suits, caps, and shirts ensures uniformity and compliance with FAST standards. Meet letters (found in meeting information via OnDeck or TeamUnify), available in the week preceding a meet, will include details on team shirt rotations.

04

Event and Meet Signup

Swimmers must be signed up for each meet and every event they will participate in before the specific sign-up window closes. This can be done via the OnDeck app or the TeamUnify website. Select Events - Events & Meet Entries - Select desired meet - Commitment or RSVP - Here you will be able to confirm if your swimmer will be participating in the meet. From here if the meet data has been upload, you will be able to pick individual events for your swimmer. Be sure to take note of multiple days and how many events per day they can participate.

Additional fees may be assessed for each meet and event sign-up. If swimmers commit to a meet but do not select events, their coach will do so for them.

05

Check-In, Psych and Heat Sheets, Scrathing

Positive check-ins are required for some meets, ensuring swimmers' presence and participation.

Swimmers must check in with their coach upon arrival at each meet session.

Psych sheets rank swimmers based on seed times, and heat sheets detail events, heats, and lanes. Familiarizing yourself with check-in procedures and understanding psych and heat sheets enhances the overall meet experience.

Swimmers can scratch from an event or meet by consulting their coach.

06

Parent Volunteers

Volunteers are crucial for the success of every home meet at FAST. Various roles and responsibilities are available, with most requiring no prior experience. Additional training or certifications may be necessary for specific roles. Volunteer Requirements

Cameras are prohibited behind the starting block area, and only volunteers with designated roles are permitted on deck during a swim meet.

07

IMX and IMR

FAST utilizes these ranking standards when evaluating swimmers. More information can be found here, and any questions can be addressed with the coach.