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RAZOR AQUATICS SWIM

TEAM 2015-2016

TEAM HANDBOOK

MISSION STATEMENT- To encourage African American Children to

participate in competitive swimming, to train athletically talented

children to become exceptionally fast swimmers, and to train our

athletes to become high-achievers in life.

VISION STATEMENT- To consistently place swimmers on the national

and international swimming stage while helping them lead great

personal and career lives.

Team Locations Thurston High School- 26255 Schoolcraft, Redford, MI 48239

Unis Middle School- 7801 Maple St., Dearborn, MI 48126. Franklin High School- 31000 Joy Road, Livonia, MI 48150


WELCOME

Welcome to the Razor Aquatics Swim Team. We take our swimmers on an

exciting journey toward speed in the pool and personal development. In most

cases, we take children with little to no swimming experience and equip them

with the necessary skills to shine brightly in the pool. But we’re about much more

than that. Our swimmers receive tons of other benefits from being on this team

that don’t show up on a stopwatch.

Razor Aquatics is a year-round swim team that offers basic swimming instruction

and competitive swim training. Our team accepts young children that pass our

athletic ability assessment and works diligently to train them for future success in

swimming as they get older. We not only work to provide some the highest

quality training possible for swim performance, we also train our swimmers for

personal success as well. We work on building positive self-images for our

swimmers and providing them with the skills to become high-achievers outside of

the pool. But beyond outward success, we teach our swimmers the importance

of honesty, integrity, dignity, and helping others.

This team is financed and supported by the parents of our swim team.

Management and operations are handled by our head coach/aquatics director,

B.O.D., and parent organization. Our team offers competitive opportunities for

our children in local, regional, and soon to be national competitions sanctioned by

USA Swimming, Inc., the governing body for amateur swimming in the United

States.

This handbook will help you understand the ins and outs of the Razor Aquatics

Swim Team. You will learn about our goals, philosophies, training practices, team

policies, and personal responsibilities that will keep us on track to achieving our

team goals.


COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

This team is for select individuals that are willing to put in the work to become

special. This is not a recreational program. We are here for the purpose of

producing phenomenal swimmers. The first question to ask yourself after going

through this manual is “am I interested in joining this team, or am I committed to

joining this team?” There is a big difference. Those that are just interested in

success will only do what is convenient or easy. Those that are committed will

work hard and sacrifice some conveniences to become successful. There are very

few (if any) situations where success is achieved without overcoming challenges.

Our team is built for the grind and we’re here to create success stories.

Therefore, we are looking for people who know how to commit.

The other important word is “Excellence.” That means doing a better job than

what is necessary. We are more demanding than the average team because we

don’t want to be average. We want to be the best and we’re willing to put in the

work it takes to be the best.

So as we said earlier, this team is for individuals looking for something special.

Some parents are just interested in having their child join a good swim team and

become a fantastic swimmer. But when it comes to following a demanding

training schedule and overcoming personal inconveniences, that interest will go

away quickly. But when you are committed, you can handle the discipline it takes

to succeed in the sport of swimming. WE ARE LOOKING FOR MEMBERS THAT

ARE COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE.

TEAM VALUES

The first thing you should know about Razor Aquatics is that we care about our

swimmers. It’s not just about how fast they swim with us. We care more about

what type of people they are becoming as they grow older. That always comes

first with us. We want our swimmers to be able to live happy and fulfilled lives.

That means we have to teach them more than just swim techniques. We have to


teach them personal-improvement strategies that will help them set worthy goals

and progress toward them.

We hold our swimmers to high expectations. We teach them not to settle for

what is easy to accomplish, but to push outside their comfort zones to accomplish

what is special. We teach our swimmers hold a positive image of themselves so

they understand they are worthy of success. We train our swimmers to develop

the disciplines that are necessary stay on a goal-oriented path. And we challenge

our swimmers to work hard and not to take the easy way out.

Our team also values preparation. We believe in taking the little things seriously

and mastering details. You can say we believe in “RAZOR PRECISION.” People

that rely on luck usually end up being unlucky. Those that prepare for

opportunity tend to be the ones that succeed. We believe in preparing the best

we can by taking the necessary actions to raise our chances of succeeding. We

don’t believe in just “winging it” and hoping for something good to happen even

though we didn’t work for it. We succeed on purpose.

So as you can see, this is a serious team. But, we are not too serious to have fun.

We believe the best part of being on any team is developing positive relationships

with teammates and learning to cheer for someone other than yourself. We

create lots of opportunities for our swimmers to have fun with one another. We

regularly schedule team trips, lunches, and social gatherings. We work hard but

we play hard too!

TEAM PHILOSOPHY: MAKE IT WORK.

Our team declares EXCELLENCE as our standard. Our motto is “MAKE IT WORK!”

This means we don’t expect success to come easily or to not have to deal with

challenging circumstances. But we will make it work nonetheless. This is a

culture we try to establish across our entire organization. This culture is

extremely important in creating our future success. It is a culture based on

acknowledging challenges, but refusing to succumb to them.


It’s easy to automatically think when other people get things done, it must have

been easy for them or circumstances were on their side. It’s easy to think that

when we come across a challenge, our challenge is uniquely unconquerable (even

though other people are probably overcoming it right now). But the truth is we

can do almost anything if we declare that we will accept nothing less. Solutions to

problems have a way of appearing when you decide not to let the problem win.

But if you consider failure an option, it usually becomes the result. When things

don’t want to work out for us, we make them work and get the job done anyway.

And we get the job done in excellent fashion.

MAKING IT WORK

This theme also extends to our parent group.

Swimmers must meet minimum attendance requirements

o Life is busy and hectic. We know. But we need our swimmers to put

in lots of practice to become excellent. Swimmers that don’t show

up to practice consistently stand a great chance of becoming average

or below average. Our team standard is EXCELLENCE. Therefore, our

swimmers are required to be at practice regularly so we can remain

excellent. Parents and other people responsible for dropping

swimmers off must find a way to make our schedule work for them.

Our team cannot rearrange our schedule to match each individual

parent’s personal schedule. We appreciate the way our parents

MAKE IT WORK in finding a way for their children to be at practice

consistently.

Swimmers must be at practice on time

o Swimmers are required to be at practice on time to be on this team.

We do understand that everyone will at one point or another be late

because of no fault of their own and they will not be penalized for

being late every once in a long while. However, swimmers that

frequently arrive late will be removed from the team. When lots of

swimmers are coming to practice late on a regular basis, it is

extremely disruptive to practice. Those constantly tardy swimmers

also miss out on valuable instruction and training time. Allowing

chronic tardiness would go against our team’s commitment to


excellence. Therefore, our team requires punctuality. Parents and

other people responsible for bringing swimmers to practice must find

a way to adhere to our start times. Our team cannot adjust our start

times to fit the vastly differing schedules of each individual parent.

That is impossible. This punctuality policy also applies to

competitions. Swimmers are required to show up to competitions on

time. We appreciate the way our parents MAKE IT WORK to find a

way to get their children to practice on time.

Team Fees Must Be Paid on Time

o Swim teams have expenses that must be paid on time to continue

operating. Therefore, it is extremely important that parents are

paying team dues and fees on time. Life does happen and there may

be a particular situation where an allowance is made. But if there

becomes a pattern of late/non-payment, it will result in removal

from the team. If everyone pays whenever they feel like it instead of

paying on time, the team would eventually self-destruct. Obviously,

that would hurt everyone on the team including those paying on

time. That wouldn’t be fair. In order to be excellent, our team must

be financially stable. We appreciate how our parents MAKE IT

WORK and pay on time.

Participating in Team Fundraisers is mandatory

o We make our team fundraisers easy to participate in. We usually

hold 1-2 fundraising events per year. Parents that are unable to

physically be present at fundraising events still have the ability to

participate in other ways. We do not try to bog down our parents all

year with non-stop fundraising. But the 1-2 times per year we do

conduct a fundraiser, we expect full participation. Excellent teams

have excellent parent participation. The other teams don’t. We

appreciate the way our parents MAKE IT WORK when it comes to

fundraising.

OUR TEAM IS WORTH IT


Our swim team requires hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. But IT’S WORTH IT!

Our program is very unique. Not just because of the number of African American

children we get involved in competitive swimming. But because of the level of

personal development our athletes achieve in addition to spectacular swimming

results. Our swimmers develop stronger working habits, higher self-esteems,

health awareness, independent thinking patterns, and stronger, clearer visions for

the future.

These are things you cannot put a price tag on. You can’t quantify the value of a

higher self-esteem and what it will allow the child to accomplish as they get older.

You can’t quantify the value of a swimmer learning to become a leader and

developing the strength of character that will keep them from falling victim to

negative influences. You can’t quantify the sense of accomplishment a swimmer

feels when they reach a new benchmark that they have worked so assiduously

for. And you can’t quantify the higher quality of life our swimmers will experience

as a result of becoming more health conscious and learning to take care of their

bodies.

Stick with our team and we will deliver. Trust us. And always feel free to come to

our practice sessions and talk with our parents if you feel the slightest bit

incredulous about our claims.

SWIM SEASONS

We offer a year-round program. We have a primary season which runs from the

beginning of September until the end of March or the beginning of October until

the end of March depending on the swimmer’s training group. The primary

season has attendance requirements swimmers must meet to stay on our team.

We also have a secondary season that covers the remaining months in the year

(April-August). The secondary season has much looser attendance requirements

however so children have room for a break every here and there if needed.

Strong participation in the secondary season is still encouraged however,

considering that we are committed to excellence. Primary Season attendance

requirements for each training group are provided later in this handbook.


HOW WE ACCEPT NEW SWIMMERS

Razor Aquatics is committed to providing a system that gives our swimmers a very

high chance of success in the sport of swimming. We call in our Talent

Development Success System. The basic premise behind it is: find athletically

talented children at young ages and provide them with superior training.

Our current standard is to accept new swimmers between the ages of 4 and 7.

We like to start training our swimmers at young ages so they will have a solid

foundation of skills and experience as they continue training with us beyond the

age of 7. Swimmers outside of that age range may be accepted based on head

coach’s discretion (which does not happen often). There will be designated

registration periods during the year when new swimmers may join the team.

Razor Aquatics has high standards for incoming swimmers. New swimmers must

pass an athletic ability assessment which involves a demonstration of physical

conditioning, speed, and strength. The athletic ability assessment involves

running, calisthenics, and other skills. This is a land-based test. Swimmers do not

need any swimming skills to join our team. Even if a prospective swimmer has

prior swimming skills, he/she must still pass our team athletic ability assessment

(unless waived by the head coach).

If a swimmer passes the athletic ability assessment, they will qualify to join the

team. The parent will be contacted by a team coach to go over when the child

may start on our team. Starting in 2016, new swimmers will also be subject to

month-long training tryout to evaluate each new swimmer’s attendance,

punctuality, training habits, and work ethic. New swimmers with positive

evaluations will be invited to stay on the team.

TRYOUT STANDARDS

Our team has high standards and new swimmers must demonstrate strong

athletic ability to join our team. Our athletic ability assessment takes place at the


track at Ford Woods Park in Dearborn. The address to the park is 5700

Greenfield, Dearborn, MI, 48126.

2015 Athletic Ability Assessment Standards

AGE 4 AGE 5 AGE 6 AGE 7 HALF LAP RUN

Run a half lap around the walking track

3 min 5 sec 2 min 45 sec 2 min 30 sec 2 min 20 sec

SPRINT

Run as fast as possible from the starting point to the finishing point

14.0 sec 13.2 sec 12.00 sec 11.50 sec

SIT-UPS Perform at least this many sit-ups within 30 seconds

14 16 17 19

PUSHUPS

Perform at least this many pushups in a row

Hold pushup position in the up position for 40 seconds

Hold pushup position in the up position for 45 seconds

7 10

JUMPING JACKS

Perform at least this many jumping jacks within a minute

58 61 64 67

BROAD

JUMP/STANDING

LONG JUMP Cover at least this distance jumping forward from a standing position with feet side by side (measuring

3ft2in 3ft8in 4ft 4ft4in


where the heels lands) PULL-UP HANG Hang from the bar with your chin over the bar for at least this long

5 seconds 10 seconds 14 seconds 16 seconds

SWIMMING GROUPS, SCHEDULE, AND

ASSOCIATED FEES

TRAINING GROUPS, SCHEDULES, AND FEES

Training Days: Monday-Friday

Locations

Thurston High School: Tues, Thurs, Fri 26255 Schoolcraft, Redford, MI 48239

Franklin High School: Monday

31000 Joy Rd., Livonia, MI 48150

Unis Middle School: Wednesday 7801 Maple St., Dearborn, MI 48126

PRE-TEAM TRAINING GROUP For swimmers with little or no swimming ability TUESDAY, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY 5:45-7:45 At Thurston High School


COMPETITIVE TRAINING GROUP

For swimmers with moderate to high swimming ability MONDAY-FRIDAY 5:45-7:45 (sometimes 5:45-7:55) At Thurston on Tues, Thu, Fri At Franklin on Monday At Unis on Wednesday

Primary Season Attendance Requirements Beginning of September – End of March

Ages 4-6: 60% Ages 7-9: 75% Ages 10-12: 85% Ages 13 +: 90%

Secondary Season Attendance Requirements Beginning of April – End of August

40% for All Ages

Team Fees Month-Long Tryout Fee for new swimmers: $120 for single swimmer or multiple swimmers

Annual Registration Fee: $240 Covers USA Swimming registration for an entire family. Covers team swimsuit and team apparel/gear for a single swimmer. $240 per family (no extra cost for multiple swimmers) Registration fee can by paid upfront or be deferred by having an additional $5


per week added onto the weekly membership fee rate. If parents choose the deferment option, they will have to purchase their own team swimsuits and apparel for the first year.

Membership Fee:

Covers Team Training expenses (facility rentals, coaching fees, etc.) Paid every 4 weeks unless parents use the online payment option. 1 swimmer: $30/week 2 swimmers: $40/week 3 swimmers: $50/week 4 or more swimmers: $60/week

Our rates are very competitive for the value of this program. Just break down the

by-the-hour cost and the sibling discounts and you’ll see. If you are looking for a

serious sports program to provide your child with valuable benefits and priceless

opportunities, this is the team. If your child becomes one of the swimmers we

send to college for free, you’ll definitely understand.

Our team also offers a split payment option for weekly training fees. This will only

be an option for those using the automatic debit/credit card or PayPal payments.

This will allow multiple family members to split the weekly payments at smaller

amounts. Example: A $30 weekly training fee for a swimmer could be split

between a mom, dad, and uncle all paying $10/week a piece. This option is

available by request and can be split into increments of $10.

OPTIONAL WEEKEND CLINIC WITH COACH ROBERTS

This is an optional program that dedicated parents can take advantage of

whenever they feel it can really help. During a weekend clinic, a swimmer will

get more concentrated instruction time with the head coach, Coach Roberts.

A weekend clinic would last around 4 hours with 3-4 swimmers. Coach


Roberts would work in depth with highly technical aspects of the swimmers’

techniques to make accelerated improvements.

In addition to concentrated attention to the swimmers in the pool, Coach

Roberts would also spend time with the swimmers outside of the pool helping

them develop effective goals and personalized actions plans that will help

them get closer to their goals for the season and beyond. Weekend clinics

would be arranged by appointment. They would be individually scheduled

between Coach Roberts and the participating parents. The starting cost would

be $65 per swimmer.

GENERAL TEAM FEES

Late payment fee- $2/day late

Credit/debit card denial/expiration fee- $20

Returned check fee- $30

NEEDED EQUIPMENT

Swimmers do not need much to get started with our team.

New swimmer Needs

o Properly fitting swimsuit

One piece for female swimmers

Trunks or Jammers for male swimmers

o Goggles

Vanquishers or Speed Socket goggles by SPEEDO

o Finis snorkel

o Swim cap for female swimmers

Competitive Swimmer Needs

o Same as above

o Team Swimsuits

o Waterproof sports watch

o Fins

o Hand paddles


SWIMMER NUTRITION

Our team places great importance on health and nutrition. We expect our

swimmers to practice healthy eating and drinking habits. We believe it is

EXTREMELY important to help our children develop healthy eating habits while

they are still young. This way, they won’t have to work so hard breaking bad

health habits when they are grown. This country is becoming unhealthier year

after year. Go to any crowded place and look at the ratio of adults that are in

good physical condition to adults that are in poor physical condition and you’ll see

for yourself.

We want our swimmers to escape this trap as they get older by understanding

proper nutrition concepts. We aim to get swimmers to practice health

consciousness and ask themselves if what they are eating is extending their life or

shortening their life. Our team will provide swimmers with valuable nutrition

information throughout the year.

But it is even more important that parents also learn about healthy nutrition since

they will ultimately be making the dietary decisions for their swimmers. As part

of our commitment to excellence, parents are expected to practice health

consciousness and to provide positive eating choices for their swimmers. To

practice health consciousness means to actively seek information and learn about

the foods you currently eat and the liquids you drink and their long-term effects

on the human body. This means to not ASSUME you already know enough about

what you consume. Most people would be shocked and disturbed to find out the

lengths American food and drink companies go to to deceive and hide what is in

their products and how it is impacting the consumer’s health.

While our team will provide healthy tips and general information on what is

helpful to live a healthier life, it is much more important that parents seek out

information and learn on their own. While it may seem like a little more work to

do some research on what you are eating or maybe even uncomfortable because

you think you don’t want to know, it is one of the best decisions you could

possibly make. Information is very available these days for those that are looking.


Most people don’t think about making healthier decisions until they are suffering

from a major illness such as heart disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, or CANCER.

But these illnesses can wreak all kinds of havoc on the lives of their sufferers AND

their families. We elect to be in the group of people who do their best to avoid

these health complications.

So when we ask our members to practice health consciousness, it’s not to be

intrusive or irritating. It’s because we really care about you!

GENERAL HEALTH TIPS

Swimmers expend lots of energy physically through training. It is important that

they are getting the proper fuel to keep them going. Here are some helpful tips.

Complex Carbs- Swimmers need complex carbohydrates to fuel them

through practice. These are typically your starches: grains, potatoes, rice,

pasta, etc. Bread also falls into this category, but swimmers will want to

avoid eating a lot of bread for numerous reasons (please research why).

Water- Swimmers want to stay hydrated. They should be drinking water all

day. It’s best to drink small amounts frequently throughout the day instead

of trying to drink all 64oz for the entire day at once. Your body can only

absorb so much at one time. The rest just comes out in the restroom. It’s

also better to buy water in bulk rather than drinking tons of tap water

(please research the chemicals in your tap water and their effects on the

body).

Fruits and Vegies- Eat fruit and vegetables often. They say you need 5

servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables per day. But some people find

that recommendation overwhelming and just say “forget it. It’s not

practical for me to eat fruit and vegetables every day.” But something is

better than nothing. If you just have to settle for 1 serving of each per day,

it’s better than missing out altogether. Also, make sure your fruits and

vegetables are organic. The extra cost is more than worth it. Non-organic

fruits and vegetables have much less nutrition than you probably think.

Plus pesticide residue and genetic engineering come with their own set of

issues (please do some research on non-organic, GMO fruits and vegetables

and you’ll understand why).


Minerals- Don’t forget your minerals. Many Americans are mineral

deficient. Getting the proper minerals (magnesium and calcium in

particular) in your diet is extremely important for a growing child and

athlete. I encourage you to do some research on the importance of getting

enough minerals in your diet, especially for an athlete.

Say no to Energy Drinks and Performance Enhancing Supplements- Avoid

performance enhancing supplements and energy drinks (including those

energy shot drinks). I won’t name any specific brands. Trying to find a

quick fix for energy or a secret edge in the form of a supplement is a

dangerous game. There are countless performance enhancing supplements

on the market but there are only a few that have been generally considered

effective AND safe. Many supplements are unregulated, tainted,

ineffective, and/or unhealthy even though their labels may say otherwise.

Please do some research on energy drinks and the supplement industry.

AVOID REFINED SUGAR- Most people have no clue how much sugar they

ingest on a regular basis. Most people also have no clue they may be

eating 5-10 times more sugar than they should on a regular basis. Please

avoid sodas and juices (YES FRUIT JUICES TOO!) as often as possible. And

please be aware that there is a huge difference between eating fruit and

drinking a bottle of something that says “100% juice.” Please do some

research on how much sugar you should ingest daily and the long-term

effects of too much sugar on the body. The damage is more catastrophic

than you may think. Diabetes is not the only thing to think about when it

comes to ingesting too much sugar.

AVOID FRIED FOODS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE- When oil is fried, it has an

almost toxic effect on the food in most cases. Please do some research on

fried foods and see what you come up with.

Be Careful with Your Meat Consumption- No one is suggesting you

become a vegetarian. But you should really research the type of meats you

are eating and how the animals are raised. For example, find out why

American meat is so full of antibiotics.

Schedule Your Snacks- Let’s be honest. There are some unhealthy foods

that we really like to eat and giving them up all together may seem

unreasonable. So instead, significant limit them in your diet. Put your


snacks on a schedule. If you decide that you will eat a few less-healthy

snacks during the week in advance and know what days you will eat them,

you are less likely to overindulge in them throughout the week.

COMPETITION

The competition schedule will usually be posted on the team website,

www.razoraquatics.com. Competitions are held on Weekends. Most of our

scheduled competition days will be on Saturdays and Sundays. However, some

meets will include Friday evenings. Typically, girls under the age of 11 and boys

under the age of 13 compete in the morning sessions with warm-ups usually

starting at 7:30am. The other age groups usually participate in the afternoon

sessions with warm-ups starting around 12:30pm. Some meets vary however.

Most of our swim meets have an invitational format. This means there may be 20

other teams at a swim meet and swimmers would compete against other

swimmers in their designated age group. The age groupings for many of our

meets are 8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15 and up. However, some

competitions start the age groupings at 6 & under and some meets start the age

groupings at 10 & under. Boys swim against boys and girls swim against girls.

There will usually be 1-2 competitions scheduled per month during the short-

course season (October-March) and the long-course season (April-July). More

meets may be offered during State Championship months (March and July). We

usually participate in meets that are within about an hour’s drive from Detroit.

However, a few meets per year may require extensive travel such as

championship meets or annual out-of-state travel trip meets.

Parents pay by the event for swim meets plus a $1 Michigan Swimming surcharge.

Most events are $5/ individual event and $3/relay participant. So if a swimmer is

competing this weekend and plans to swim 4 individual races on Saturday and 4

individual races on Sunday, the cost for that swimmer would be $41. Suppose the

swimmer plans to swim just on Saturday and enters into 4 individual events and

one relay event. The cost would be $24. Championship meets may cost slightly

more per event.

http://www.razoraquatics.com/


Swimmers that are not currently competition ready are still encouraged to show

up to a swim meet every once in a while to spectate and see what the

environment is like. It also helps new swimmers to see the processes involved in

swimming at a competition.

HOW TO ENTER YOUR CHILD INTO A

COMPETITION

The first thing a parent would do when deciding to enter his/her child into a swim

meet is check the schedule for the dates, location, and time of a competition. The

schedule will also include the due date of payment and registration. Generally, a

parent must register their child (through the team) for a competition a month in

advance. Payment must also be made a month in advance. Refunds will not be

given if a swimmer is unable to make it to a swim meet the previously registered

for.

Through the website, parents will be able to find the swim meet program with the

event information. Also through the team website, parents will be able to select

the day/s the swimmer will compete on, the number of individual events, and if

he/she would like their child to participate in a relay if available for that swimmer.

Coaches will have the final say on which events the swimmer will race based on

their understanding of what best suits the swimmer. Coaches will also have the

only say in determining relay groups.

The meet entry will be considered official once payment is made for that event.

Payment must be made by the team due date (not the host team’s registration

deadline).

EXPECTED SWIM MEET BEHAVIOR


1. Best Behavior: Razor Aquatics swimmers get compliments on how well

behaved they are at swim meets. We will keep that tradition alive. All

swimmers are expected to conduct themselves in positive manner, be

courteous to other swimmers and adults on deck, and clean up behind

themselves.

2. Parents are expected to be courteous to others at the meet. If there is

ever a situation where another parent from another team is being

discourteous toward any of our parents or swimmers, please express to

that person that he/she is being inappropriate without stooping down to

their level. Never let yourself look like the “bad guy.” Also, please make a

formal complaint.

3. As a matter of courtesy, all questions swimmers or parents may have

concerning meet results, an officiating call, or the conduct of a meet,

should be referred to the coaching staff. They, in turn, will pursue the

matter through the proper channels.

4. Parents are encouraged to cheer for the swimmers on our team.

5. Negative comments should be kept to oneself. There is always someone

listening. So let them only hear positive things coming from us.

6. Swimmers are expected to be on deck prior to the start of warm-ups

regardless of the fact that check-in usually closes 15 minutes after the start

of warm-ups. Do not plan on showing up to swim meets late and having

another parent check your child in.

COMPETITION DAY CHECK LIST

Swimmers

o Team swimsuit and team cap

o Proper Goggles

o Water

o Fruit

o Something to cover up in

Parents

o Team Shirt


o Personal Seat Cushion (You will want one)

o Something to read or entertain yourself with

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SWIMMERS

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Swim training

o We are a swim team. So obviously our swimmers will be getting

physical conditioning through swim practice. They will develop

higher levels of endurance and speed from training.

Strength and Conditioning

o Our team also engages in cross-training exercises to improve the

strength, body composition, and physical conditioning of our

swimmers.

Health and Nutrition Awareness

o Our team promotes health and healthy lifestyles. Our swimmers are

introduced to topics on health and nutrition so they can make

educated decisions about what they put in their bodies.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Happiness

o We teach our swimmers the secret to happiness. APPRECIATION.

When you learn to focus your attention on the things in your life you

enjoy and appreciate, you live with a sense of abundance. This

prevents you from experiencing the constant unhappiness that

accompanies a focus on what you don’t have.

Positive Self-Image

o We spend a great deal of focus on helping swimmers see themselves

as being “worthy and deserving.”

Mental Training

o We place great importance on helping our swimmers develop strong

minds that allow them to handle pressure and feel a sense of

toughness.


Fulfillment

o We train our swimmers to challenge themselves and work with

diligence to pass their own personal tests. We believe the only way

to personal fulfillment is to achieve something that was challenging

at the start and to set a new goal when you accomplish the last one.

COMPETITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Fundamentals

o We train our swimmers to develop strong fundamentals in the early

stages of swimming.

Advanced Skills

o Once swimmers have succeeded in developing solid fundamental

swimming skills, we progressively move them from proficiency to

mastery of swimming techniques.

Advanced Training Load

o We challenge our swimmers to more difficult workouts as they

progress in skill and age.

Advanced Level of Competition

o As swimmers spend more years in our program, they generally

advance in competitive rankings and begin to qualify for higher level

competitions.

TEAM EXPECTATIONS

SWIMMER EXPECTATIONS

Show up to practice and show up on time.

Be respectful to coaches, other parents, and teammates.

Do your best! And we know your best is better than good. Do an excellent

job of whatever you do.

Practice honesty at all times.

Take responsibility and drop all excuses.

Support your teammates.


Be on your best behavior and give a positive representation of this team.

Listen to and follow directions the first time.

Respond to directions quickly.

Demonstrate positive body language.

PARENT EXPECTATIONS

Arrange for your child to be at practice CONSISTENTLY and ON TIME

Be supportive of the team and participate in team events.

Support your child without criticizing them. Let the coaches do the

critiquing.

COACHES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Coaches are responsible for ensuring the well-being of swimmers during

practice and competition.

2. Coaches are responsible for placing swimmers in their proper training

groups.

3. Coaches are responsible for teaching proper stroke technique and

providing training regimens specifically designed for particular ability

groups.

4. Coaches are responsible for determining which swim meets swimmers may

swim in. Coaches also determine which events swimmers will swim at

competitions.

5. Coaches are responsible for providing constructive criticism when

necessary for swimmers. Parents should refrain from criticizing their

children as it relates to swimming and performance. They should focus

only on providing positive feedback.

6. Coaches are responsible for determining relay groups at competitions.

7. Coaches are responsible for continuing education and training in the sport

of swimming to stay current in the most effective coaching methods.

8. Coaches are responsible for helping swimmers set short-term and long-

term goals and visions.


9. Coaches are responsible for keeping open lines of communication with the

parents.

WHAT COACHES CAN EXPECT

1. Respectful treatment by all swimmers, parents, and other staff.

2. Full support from all parents on the team.

3. To be able to conduct practice without unnecessary interruption.

4. To be compensated fairly for his or her services considering the financial

abilities of Razor Aquatics.

SWIMMER RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To treat the coaches, teammates, and parents on the team with the utmost

respect.

2. To speak to teammates only in an uplifting way.

3. To listen to directions the first time and follow them quickly.

4. To take his or her commitment to this team seriously.

5. To make the minimum number of days per week decided by the coach of

his/her training group.

6. To treat practice as a performance and do his or her best.

7. Bring the necessary training swimsuits and equipment needed for practice.

WHAT SWIMMERS CAN EXPECT

1. To be treated with respect.

2. Love and care from coaches.

3. To be given a training regimen that will provide great long-term benefits.

4. To be given proper feedback and instruction to improve performance.


5. To be praised when making improvement, giving great effort, or giving a

great performance.

6. To be given adequate attention by the coaches. Swimmers can expect not

to be neglected.

TEAM RULES

1. Remember that we are guests in our facilities and do not horseplay in the

building. This includes on deck, in the locker rooms, hallways, or any other

rooms in the building. Do not roam the buildings. Our activities are

designated for the pool area ONLY unless a coach is with you elsewhere.

2. Usually, there will be a coach on deck before anyone gets into the pool

area. But if there is a situation where a coach is not on deck, DO NOT GO

NEAR THE POOL (regardless of how well you can swim).

3. Children must be picked up in a timely manner.

4. Children must meet current minimum attendance requirements for their

training group.

5. Swimmers are considered on time when they are on deck ready to get into

the pool at the start of practice. Not just arriving to the building. Parents

should not plan an arrival schedule that starts after the practice start time.

(I don’t get off until 5:30 so they will get to practice 20 minutes late each

day). If a parent’s work schedule conflicts with the start time of practice,

the parent must arrange for the swimmer to get a ride from someone else.

6. Keep our environment positive. Any concerns from parents should be

brought to coaches in a respectful manner. No negative gossiping.

7. Honesty only. No lying, cheating, or stealing.

8. Inform your child’s coach if he or she will miss a designated day of training.

HOW TO BE A SUPER SWIM PARENT

1. Only provide positive feedback for your child. There is a common theme

when you interview Olympic level swimmers about their parents. They say


their parents were super supportive of them swimming and always told

them how good they were doing. Parents should always try their hardest

to avoid criticizing their child’s swimming performance. Provide

encouragement in place of criticism always. Let the coaches critique the

child’s swimming.

2. Do not try to coach your child unless you are on the coaching staff.

Children should be seeing their coaches as the professionals. That gets

confusing when parents are constantly giving advice or instruction. You

may see something you think your child could do better, but it is always

better to let the coaches make the adjustments. You can always

respectfully bring a question/concern to a coach and see if he/she could

address it. But please make sure your child understands that their coach is

the one they should be listening to when it comes to swimming. However,

this is different if a parent actually is on the coaching staff and has/is

receiving training.

3. Be patient. Children develop at wildly different rates. It is extremely

important to always keep your eye on the long-term success of the

swimmer and not get caught up with over-emotionalizing what’s happening

in the early stages. That means a slow learner can eventually catch up to a

fast learner and a fast learner still has a long way to go toward success

regardless of how prodigious his/her start looks. There are benefits to both

learning paces. Fast learners develop confidence at an early stage that can

last with them for life (as long as we teach them to understand the

difference between confidence and arrogance). Slow learners can develop

a higher appreciation for progress and develop a better appreciation for the

value of hard work.

4. Don’t let your child quit the first time. Once swimmers advance from the

basic swimming lessons stage, this sport requires more discipline, hard

work, patience, and mistakes than many other youth sports. Many children

need a long time to adjust to those concepts. Some children will say they

want to quit at one time or another (especially in their first year when they

haven’t started competing yet). DO NOT LET THEM. The great majority of

these swimmers that say they want to quit in the beginning change their

feelings later and end up falling in love with the sport. We recommend


giving this team well over a year to fully adjust to adding swimming to the

child’s life.

5. Don’t expect your child to compete in his/her first year of swimming. Our

team has a great track record of getting swimmers up to a competitive level

in their first year of being on the team. However, that does not mean every

swimmer will be ready to compete within the year and nothing is wrong

with a swimmer that does not get to the competitive stage within his/her

first year.

6. Do not criticize a coach’s decision in front of your child. Always support the

coach in front of your child so your child will continue to support the coach.

If you have concerns, always bring them to the coach and keep them

between the coach and yourself.

7. Plateaus are inevitable. A plateau is a significant time period of little to no

improvement in swimming speed. This usually happens in experienced

swimmers. Do not panic if after a few years, your child hits a plateau where

his/her times are not getting faster for a few months. There are always

“slow-down” periods swimmers must train through before they go back to

dropping time again. A swimmer can’t just keeping dropping seconds in

their events every week without ever skipping a week. Otherwise, they

would eventually be able to go up and down the pool in less than a second.

Just keep in mind that plateaus come and go. Every Olympic swimmer had

to work through plateaus at various parts of their swimming careers.

8. Allow your child to fail. Do not try to intervene every time your child faces

a challenge to keep them from making mistakes or failing. It is more

important to teach a child how to bounce back from disappointments than

it is to keep them from facing them.

9. Do not make the child feel as if they are burdening you by participating on

the team. Do your best not to complain about the sacrifices you make to

keep your child on the team in front of your child. This will make the child

feel guilty about swimming and eventually drive them out of the sport

because chances are they love you more than they love swimming.

10. Support your child’s team. Children subconsciously accept many of their

attitudes toward things from their parents. If the parent is enthusiastic

about being a part of their child’s team, that enthusiasm can trickle down

to the swimmer.


11. Once Again. Always remind your child how much you love them regardless

of how they perform. If they perform poorly at a competition or during

practice, do not let it negatively affect your attitude toward them once they

leave the competition or practice. Always reassure them of how they are

still doing well in the sport.

SWIMMER ACHIEVEMENT HANDBOOK

All swimmers on the Razor Aquatics Swim Team will eventually receive a Razor

Achievement handbook. This is a reference material to be read repeatedly. It will

provides swimmers with strategies, outlooks, and action plans to develop into

successful swimmers and high-achievers outside of the pool. It will teach

swimmers a plethora of skills ranging from organization and time management

techniques to action-oriented thinking and goal-setting techniques.

RAZOR BUCK SYSTEM

Razor Aquatics has a team point system whereby swimmers can earn “razor

bucks” by displaying positive training habits and behaviors during practice.

Swimmers periodically receive “razor checks” with their razor buck totals earned

during the past period.

TEAM SOCIAL EVENTS

Razor Aquatics frequently holds team social events. We engage in plenty of fun

activities ranging from laser tag, go-kart racing, going to arcades, waterparks,

trampoline places, recreation facilities, restaurants, and other events.

Attendance to all events is NOT required. However, parents are expected to

make an effort to arrange for swimmers to be able to participate in team social


events. No swimmer should be absent from all (or the great majority) of team

social events.

Team events make our team stronger. It gives swimmers and parents the chance

to build better friendships with one another. They also enhance our team’s sense

of community. This has a positive effect on our team’s retention, atmosphere,

and overall results. It also provides our swimmers with lots of positive

experiences they will cherish for a life time.

TEAM FUNDRAISERS

As mentioned earlier, our team usually holds 1-2 fundraising events per year.

Typically, we will have a major fundraiser and a minor fundraiser. For the health

of the team, it is vital that parents participate in our fundraisers.

Our main fundraiser

The RAZOR HEALTH CHALLENGE is a fundraising campaign hosted by the Razor

Aquatics Swim Team designed to encourage individuals and families to adopt positive

health and fitness habits in the household. We are looking to see how many families we

can get to take our Razor Health Challenge between January 1 and February 27, 2016.

Participating families challenge themselves to exercise at least 10 minutes per day, go

without eating highly processed food and junk food, and drink nothing but water (no

sodas, juice drinks, or flavored waters) for a full week. We are raising money from


friends, relatives, and acquaintances that would like to show support for the Razor

Aquatics Swim Team and show support for the families that are taking the challenge.

RAZOR HEALTH CHALLENGE CONDITIONS

FULL WEEK

1. Exercise at least 10 minutes per day.

2. No highly processed foods or junk foods.

3. Drink water ONLY.

Proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to lower the cost for families to participate on

the Razor Aquatics Swim Team. Participating swimmers will be able to have team

registration fees waived for the next year based on the amounts they raise.

RAZOR HEALTH BOWLING BLAST

On Saturday, February 27, 2016, Razor Aquatics will hold a celebratory bowling event for the families that participated in the challenge and the donors that

contributed to it. It will be held at Drakeshire Lanes in Farmington Hills, MI from 5pm until about 7pm. The cost will be $14/bowler which will include bowling

shoes and two games of bowling. Top fundraiser participants will also be recognized with awards at the bowling event.

EVENT WEBSITE

www.RAZORHEALTHCHALLENGE.com

NON-PARTICIPATION PENALTY

A $125 non-participation fee will be assessed to families that do not help in

fundraising and/conducting this team event.

FUNDRAISING MEMBER BENEFITS

Any families that raise at least $250 with this fundraiser will have their

registration fee waived for the next year. This is an all or nothing amount

however. In other words, if a family raises $150, they will not receive $150 off


next year’s registration fee. Families that raise significantly more than $250 may

be eligible for further discounts and/or team benefits.


TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR

PARTICIPATION/ TEAM POLICIES

1. Swimmers must meet minimum attendance requirements determined by

their age. During a two-month period that a swimmer misses the required

number of practice days, the parent will be notified. If the swimmer misses

the required number of practice days the next month, he/she will be removed

from the team.

2. Every 4 tardies will be counted as an absence. Swimmers that are late more

than 50% of the time in a two month period may be removed from the team

immediately.

3. All team fees are non-refundable unless there was a mistake made on behalf

of the team. Membership fees are held constant. There will not be any

prorating based on non-practice days whether they be due to unforeseen

facility closings or holiday breaks or other circumstances.

4. If parents are paying by cash, check, or money order, membership fees must

be paid four weeks ahead of time at the weekly membership fee rate for the

designated number of children on the team. However, if parents are paying

with automatic payments through the team website, they can have payments

set up to come out in weekly or bi-weekly increments.

5. Late payments for training dues will carry a $2/day late fee. After 5 days of

non-payment of training dues, the swimmer will be unable to return to

practice until payment is made along with the $10 worth of late fees and the

next week’s payment. Also, keep in mind the impact these absences can

have on team attendance requirements.

6. Any payments returned for insufficient funds or debit/credit cards denied

will be charged a $20.00 fee.

7. Established payment deadlines for additional events such as swim meets or

team functions are considered final unless there was an error in

communication on behalf of the team. Failure to make payments by

deadlines will result in non-participation.

8. Should a swimmer decide to discontinue participation in the program with

the Razor Aquatics, the weekly dues for the week of which he/she swims


any portion thereof and any outstanding fees are considered an obligation to

Razor Aquatics, and are payable upon termination of participation.

9. Each parent, guardian, and/or swimmer is responsible for reading and

understanding the contents of the Razor Aquatics Team Handbook.

10. Each parent, guardian, and/or swimmer will be required to read and abide by

the ―Parent’s Code of Conduct and Swimmer’s Code of Conduct. Failure to

comply with these codes of conduct may result in suspension or expulsion

from the Razor Aquatics Swim Team.

I understand and agree to the above terms and conditions of the Razor Aquatics

Swim Team in exchange for the privilege of my child ( )

to participate in the activities and swim program.

Signature of Parent/Guardian as indicated on the Razor Aquatics official 2015-16

registration form.

Date


SWIMMER CODE OF CONDUCT

SWIMMER CODE OF CONDUCT

RAZOR AQUATICS SWIM TEAM

1. The Razor Aquatics Swim Team rules are to be followed at all times, in all

facilities.

2. Disrespectful, disreputable, or destructive behavior will not be tolerated.

3. Use of proper language is expected at all times.

4. All athletes are expected to treat team members, coaches, staff, and competitors

with respect, support, and kindness.

5. Any person guilty of stealing, on or off of team facility grounds, will be subject

to expulsion from the team.

6. Each swimmer is responsible for replacing accidentally lost or damaged

equipment.

7. Each swimmer must have the team gear required for their training group.

8. Swimmers must be on time and prepared for practice, competition, and team

events.

9. Swimmers must ALWAYS represent the team positively in their behavior and

sportsmanship.

Our team must be unified to achieve our goals. Failure to comply with the code of

conduct may result in suspension or dismissal from the Razor Aquatics Swim

Team.


registration form will stand as agreement to the above conditions, on behalf of

the swimmer.


PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT

PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Razor Aquatics Swim Team

1. Practice teamwork with all parents, swimmers and coaches by supporting one

another and handling any differences in agreement in a positive, non-

confrontational manner.

2. Demonstrate good sportsmanship by conducting oneself in a matter that earns

the respect of your child, other swimmers, parents, officials and the coaches at

meets and practices.

3. The only parents that are allowed on deck to give any type of training advice to

swimmers during practice must be on the Razor Aquatics Staff.

4. Making disparaging comments, name-calling, use of abusive language or

gestures directed toward coaches, officials, and/or any participating swimmer will

not be permitted or tolerated.

5. Enjoy involvement with Razor Aquatics by supporting the swimmers, coaches

and other parents with positive communication and actions.

6. During competitions, questions or concerns regarding decisions made by a meet

official are directed to a member of our coaching staff. Parents may address USA

Swimming Officials via the coaching staff ONLY.

To achieve our goals, we must work together as a team. Failure to comply with the

codes of conduct may result in suspension or dismissal from the Razor Aquatics

Swim Team.


registration form will stand as agreement to the above conditions.


2015-2016 REGISTRATION FORM

First Name:

Last Name: Middle

Name/Initial:

Preferred Name (If you would like a different first

name/nickname to appear on registration card and competition

sheets)

Birth date: Age: M/F

Parent First Name: Parent Last Name: Phone Number:

Parent First Name: Parent Last Name: Phone Number:

Email address:

Home Mailing Address:

City:

State: Zip Code:

U.S. Citizen?

Yes

No

I hereby agree to allow my child to participate on the Razor Aquatics Swim Team. I

hereby certify that my child is fully capable of participating in swimming and that

he/she is healthy and has no physical or mental disabilities or infirmities that would

restrict full participation on this team. I also understand that my child’s image may

appear in team-related photographs and videos taken at practice, competitions, and/or

other team events. These pictures/videos may be used for team marketing purposes.

In addition to giving full consent for my child’s participation, I do hereby waive, release and hold harmless Razor Aquatics, their officers, coaches, sponsors, supervisors, and representatives for any injury that may be suffered by my child in the normal course of participation in the designated activities.

Parent Signature Date


TEAM STAFF- at the start of Fall 2015

JAMAL K. ROBERTS (Coach Roberts)

HEAD COACH/AQUATICS DIRECTOR

(313) 748-3483

COACH STONE Assistant Coach JIMMY PICKETT Team Assistant

MELVIN JACKSON Board Member and Team Assistant

DWAN UHURU Board Member JASON BLANKS Board Member

CHARISSE BLANKS Treasurer

PAMELA JACKSON Compliance Coordinator TRAVIS JAMES Communication

Coordinator

ELTON BRANCH AND JIMMY PICKETT

Team Photographers

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