Frequently Asked Questions
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Registration
| How much does it cost to be a Dolphin? | Dolphin swimmers register through Parks and Rec. The price for one swimmer is $115 and $100 for each additional sibling. (Members of the Flying Dolphins also receive a 15% discount on season family pool passes.) |
| Is there a team uniform? | We do have a team uniform available for purchase through Swim&Tri, however this is not required to participate in any MAFD or GKAISA event. |
| Is my child ready to participate on a competitive summer swim team? | The MAFD Swim Team accepts swimmers age 6-18 years old who can swim 25 yards across the pool unassisted (using any stroke or combinations of strokes). |
| I want to register my child to participate but I am worried he/she either will not like it or may not be quite ready to be on a competitive swim team. |
There is a cut-off date for registration with Blount County Parks & Recreation which is usually the end of the second week of the summer practice.
We do allow new swimmers to come to the first week of practice as a trial period if there is a legitimate concern with the child's ability or desire to participate on our swim team. |
| What is the birthday cut-off for the different age groups? |
The age groups are: 8 & Under, 9-10 yrs, 11-12 yrs, 13-14 yrs, and 15-18 yrs.
*Per GKAISA rules, swimmers must compete in their legitimate age group (age as of midnight, May 31) in all events. The one exception is when a coach opts to "move up" one swimmer one age group for a single relay event if needed. |
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Practice
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What happens during practices? |
Morning Practices focus mainly on endurance. Evening practices focus more on form.
Swimmers are divided into different lanes/groups based on their abilities during practice. |
| Is there an attendance policy for practice? | No. However, practice makes perfect, so the more practices your swimmer attends, the better he/she will be prepared for meets. Also, attending daily practices allows coaches to know each swimmer's abilities for optimal placement in a meet. |
| Can my swimmer attend both morning and evening practices? | Yes. Typically, the more a child swims, the better they are in both endurance and skill. However, attending each and every available practice is not required. Please adjust your practice attendance to best fit your family and your swimmer’s needs. |
| Is it okay to miss practices or meets for family vacations? |
Yes. MAFD is a family-friendly team and we want you to enjoy your time together.
As a courtesy to coaches, please RSVP BEFORE you leave for vacation to let us know you will not be attending a meet. |
| What does my swimmer need for practice? |
Swimsuit
Water bottle Goggles (sport style) Swim cap (optional)
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| If you have additional questions regarding equipment, check out this blog |
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Weather
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What if there is inclement weather? |
Swim practices and meets WILL take place in rain unless there is thunder or lightening in the area. MAFD and coaches will closely monitor weather conditions in the hours leading up to a practice/meet. If it is determined that unsafe weather conditions exist before a practice or meet starts, MAFD will post this information on the SwimTopia App (alert), Facebook group, and Instagram page as soon as the decision is made. |
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What happens if a thunderstorm pops up once the meet is underway? |
For the safety of everyone during thunderstorm, swimmers will exit the pool and the pool deck will be cleared for a minimum of 30 minutes as soon as a clap of thunder is heard or lightning is seen by coaches or meet officials. The clock will reset for an additional 30 minutes each time another clap of thunder is heard or lightning is present. Practice: If thunder or lightning is present during practice, swimmers will gather under the pavilion for safety until a parent arrives to pick them up. An alert will be sent out as soon as a decision is made to cancel the remainder of practice, however you are welcome to pick up your swimmer prior to an official cancellation. Meets: Please do NOT leave the meet or enter the pool deck during these weather delays. If the weather continues to present unsafe conditions, coaches and meet officials from both teams will notify families that the meet is being canceled. Note: If rain is in the forecast, plan accordingly by packing rain ponchos, umbrellas or tents/canopies. |
| Will the meet be rescheduled if it is interrupted by bad weather? | Every effort will be made to reschedule meets that are canceled due to stormy weather. Coaches and team officers will let families know of new dates as soon as they are set, and the new date will be added to the calendar on the team website. |
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Health
| What do I do if my swimmer gets sick before a meet? | Please call or text the head coach as soon as you decide your child is too sick to swim during a meet. Please also notify the Volunteer Chair if you will not be able to fulfill your volunteer position so a replacement can be found. |
| What do I do if my swimmer gets sick during a meet and we need to leave? | Please notify a coach that your child is sick and will not be able to finish the meet. Please do not leave the meet without letting a coach know so he/she can rearrange relays for the remaining swimmers. If you are volunteering at the time, please find another parent to replace you. If you have to leave with a sick child before your volunteer shift begins, please notify the Volunteer Chair so a replacement can be found, or arrange for a replacement before leaving the pool. |
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Swim Meets
| What happens at a swim meet? | Check out our Swim Meet 101 resource for more information! |
| Does my child have to attend every practice to be eligible to swim in a meet? | No. However, practice makes perfect, so the more practices your swimmer attends, the better he/she will be prepared for meets. Also, attending daily practices allows coaches to know each swimmer's abilities for optimal placement in a meet. |
| Does my child have to swim in every meet? |
No. However, meet attendance is important.
Please be sure to RSVP EACH TIME a swim meet is posted, even if you cannot attend a meet. This will allow our coaches to build relays and place swimmers in appropriate events. Please note: a swimmer must swim in TWO regular season dual meets to be eligible for the GKAISA City Championship Meet at the end of the season (the Smoky Mountain Invitational does count toward that requirement). |
| What should swimmers bring to a swim meet? |
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| What should parents bring to a swim meet? |
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| What will my child swim during a swim meet? |
Each swimmer has the opportunity to swim in 4-5 (
new rule in 2023) events during a swim meet.
Typically, each swimmer will swim in two or three individual events (backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle or individual medley) and one or two relay events (medley relay and/or freestyle relay). Coaches will consider each swimmer's abilities, availability and preferences when building the meet entries, but will place each swimmer where he/she can best help the team score well. |
| How do I RSVP for a meet? | Please RSVP for each meet on the team website or the SwimTopia mobile app as soon as you know whether your swimmer will be attending. Step-by-step instructions are available here, or under the "Calendar" section of the team website. |
| How do I sign up to volunteer at a meet? | Swim meets are completely volunteer driven. Without our volunteers, a meet simply cannot happen. For that reason, MAFD asks for each family to volunteer at lease one person per family for half of each meet. Volunteer sign-ups are available on the team website and SwimTopia mobile app. Please see more information about volunteering under the Volunteer section of the team website. |
| How do I find out what events my child will swim at a meet? | Meet entries (heats and lanes) information will be available on paper at the meet check-in table. The meet entries (event number only) is viewable on the free SwimTopia app and on the Dolphin website. The Pro version of the App will give more information (accurate only if the hosting team is logged into wifi with the correct meet data). |
| How do I find out how fast my swimmer swam during his/her races? | Times for each race will be printed on ribbons and made available for each swimmer following each meet. In addition, you may log into your SwimTopia account, click on "My Account," then click on the name of your swimmer and scroll down to the "Best Times" section. Times are listed by date and meet. |
| How does my child get his/her ribbons from the meet? | MAFD has two plastic ribbon boxes placed on a table at the morning practices between meets. Each family has a folder in the box in which the ribbons are placed. |
| Seed times? Psych sheet? Stroke & Turn? Where can I learn these swim team terms? | We promise you'll pick up the lingo just by being around the pool. But in the mean time, this site is a good place to start. |
| What is the Blue and White meet? |
The Blue and White meet is our training meet held just for MAFD swimmers and their families.
As the first meet of the season, it serves to teach new swimmers how to participate in a swim meet, for new parents to learn how a swim meet is run and to train volunteers. Each swimmer will swim each stroke (backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle) during this meet. The Blue and White meet also helps get seed times for each swimmer on each stroke to help place them in the appropriate place for the first dual meet of the season. |
| What is the Smoky Mountain Invitational (SMI)? |
This is a regional meet MAFD hosts each year for summer swimmers only.
Swimmers who compete with a year-round club swim team are not eligible to swim competitively during the Smoky Mountain Invitational but may enter as an exhibition swimmer. SMI is typically held on the 1st full weekend following the 4th of July each year at our Springbrook Pool in Alcoa. Exact dates will be posted to the SMI website at the beginning of each season.
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| What is the GKAISA City Swim Meet? | This is the end-of-season championship meet for swimmers across all leagues within GKAISA. City Meet is typically held on the 3rd or 4th full weekend in July at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center on the UT campus. More details about this meet will be made available at the beginning of July. |
| How can I become a certified official with GKAISA? | MAFD is always in need of volunteers who are willing to become certified officials to help at the meets. MAFD typically hosts one training session each year for GKAISA officials. Anyone is welcome to attend. For more information about free training for officials, visit GKAISA's training page. |
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