It takes a large number of volunteers to run a swim team and the MacDolphins expect each family to help out by volunteering.  Job Descriptions for all volunteer positions have been posted so you can determine which jobs interest you and what is required to do the job successfully.

Detailed instructions for signing up for jobs have been posted.  Each swim meet has a detailed Job Assignment report which shows who is responsible for which positions.  To see an example, view the current list of job assignments for 2011 Time Trials.  There is a similar page for each swim meet much like there is a scratch list for each swim meet.

If you are a Facebook user, visit the MacDolphins fan page and make sure you “Like” it! Some of the MacDolphins news will be shared via Facebook as well as here on the web site. With many of our swimmers being active Facebook users, they can get MacDolphins news directly in their Facebook feed.

To scratch via text send a text message to 919-410-MDCC (919-410-6322) and make sure the message includes swimmer name(s) and the swim meet(s) to be scratched.  In the event of a partial scratch, include which strokes the swimmer miss..

What is a no-show?

A no-show is different than a scratch. A scratch is an absent swimmer who is known ahead of time and therefore never appears on the heat sheet. Scratches are not a problem and a part of every swimming event. A no-show is an absent swimmer who was expected to be at the swim meet and is assigned to the events for which they are eligible. They appear on the heat sheet, are assigned a heat and lane, entered in the computerized timing system, and expected to be present by the kid pushers, the clerk of course, and heat sheet tracker. No-shows are a problem for any swim team.

Why are no-shows a problem?

The MacDolphins are a large team. As of Time Trials we have 178 swimmers registered this season. That is a lot of swimmers for the coaching staff and volunteers to place in events. Because the MacDolphins use an electronic timing system, each swimmer is assigned a specific heat and lane for each event and the system expects the swimmer to be in the right position.

The electronic system isn’t inflexible, we can and do make minor adjustments. There will be some unusual circumstances each week but we try hard to keep them to a minimum as too many of them overwhelm the ability to make changes. Making on-the-fly adjustments for 30 swimmers isn’t practical.

Impact of a no-show

To get an idea of what the potential impact of a no-show is, consider this example: We have 26 7-8 boys this year. In most 6 lane pools, 3 lanes will be assigned to the MacDolphins. This means we could have as many as 9 heats of 7-8 boys. If we have a no-show in heat 2, we would have to make 7 changes to fill the gap. Since a 7-8 boy will swim 4 events plus a least one relay, we’re looking at roughly 30 changes for a single no-show. Extrapolate this example out for 30 no-shows and we’re looking at 900-1200 changes. Those 900-1200 changes need to be accounted for by the Clerk of Course, by the Heat Sheet Tracker, by Kid Pushers, by the Coaches, and in the Timing System. The ripple effect from no-shows is very significant.

Impact of no-shows on Time Trials

Tueaday night we had 30+ no-shows each whom were assigned to swim 3 or 4 events. The no-shows caused us to deal with 90-120 heat sheet gaps on the pool deck. Because we were overwhelmed with gaps, we made a decision not to collapse heats. As a result, we ended up running quite a few heats of 2-3 swimmers when we could have run one with 5-6 swimmers. No-shows make for a very inefficient meet and increases the chances that a swim time will be assigned to the wrong swimmer.

Parent Responsibility

As a parent of a MacDolphin, it is your responsibility to submit scratches for your swimmer(s) if you will not be at a swim meet. Asking your swimmer or a friend to tell the coaches does not get a scratch into the system.

The scratch list for each meet is on the MacDolphins web site (see Time Trials here).  You can scratch swimmer(s) for any meet at any time. We ask that you do it as soon as you know your swimmer(s) won’t be at a meet. The meet preparation (seeding, heat sheet, etc.) begins on Saturday before a meet on Tuesday. Scratches must be in by Friday night so they can be accounted for. Late scratches are better than no-shows, so if something comes up, please submit scratches even after the deadline. Late scratches are better than no-shows!

If you do not see your swimmer(s) name on the scratch list, it is assumed they will be at the meet. To make it easy for parents to scratch their swimmer(s), there are two ways to scratch:

1. Using the MacDolphins web site (refer to these directions)
2. By sending e-mail to scratch@macdolphins.org

Scratches entered via the web site are immediately reflected on the scratch list for the swim meet on the web site. Scratches submitted by e-mail are delayed, but usually not more than hour or two.

Please take the time to scratch your swimmer(s). It only takes a couple minutes and it really does make a big difference in our ability to run a smooth and efficient swim meet.

Scratches

While school has started for many of our swimmers, it is still vacation time for many of our families and a lot of people are traveling. It is important that you scratch if you will not be at the Cary Park meet.

As of this posting, the MacDolphins have 44 full or partial scratches.  Please check the Cary Park scratch list to confirm your swimmer(s) name is listed if they will not be at the meet.  Please refer to the process for scratching from a meet if you will not be at the Scotts Mills meet (or any other meet as well).   If your swimmers need to leave the meet early, you can also do a partial scratch via the web site or via e-mail (scratch@macdolphins.org). 

Check the Cary Park swim meet page to review the current scratch list.

If you have any questions or run into problems regarding scratches, please don’t hesitate to contact Mike Walsh.

Logisitcs

We are working with Cary Park in advance in an effort to run the meet more efficiently.  Like last week with Scotts Mill, the software we use (WinSwim) is not completely compatible with the software Cary Park (Meet Manager) uses so we will likely have more heats than we’d ideally have to run.

Volunteers

Volunteer sheets for all meets have been updated.

Don’t forget to check your volunteer responsibilities and contact Beverly Speroff if you have any questions.

If you scratch using the web site, you will see your swimmer’s name immediately.  If you scratch via e-mail or the bulletin board, their name will not be on the list until the next time I have a chance to enter the scratches.  The same holds true for CCM registrations as the process is essentially identical.

To view the scratch list, select the desired swim meet from the 2009->Swim Meet Schedule menu.

Not sure how to scratch?  Use the Scratch Process posted earlier this year.

Want to register for the Cary City Meet?  The CCM registration process has been posted.