New Parent & Swimmer Information

Once your swimmer is a registered swimmer with the JASI swim club, they will receive a login and password to access the 'Member Area' of the website. In the 'Member Area' swimmers can enter meets through the 'Calendar', access 'Coach's Corner', 'Flyer Information', 'Training Schedules' and can confirm their entries through 'Meet Entries'.

The Philosophy

A commitment to help you fulfil your potential.
Within the swimming programme at Jellie Park and the competitive arena that the swimmers of the JASI Swim Team are involved in, every swimmer is encouraged to reach their full potential in swimming regardless of the level of performance attained, at local, regional, national or international levels.
We pride ourselves on the development of the swimmers understanding of the basic fundamentals of swimming (such as streamlining and good stroke technique), along with an ability to apply these skills in a wide range of activities.
Good technique is the basis of all good swimming. At Jellie Park we look to develop this through a consistent programme of stroke progression and development continually challenging swimmers to improve and refine their skills.
To develop a consistent progression of performances, swimmers are encouraged to work at an optimal level rather than at a maximal level thus encouraging a continued raising of performance standards.
Swimming is not just about participation in sport, but also about developing the social skills of life which have to be practised when training in a busy pool. We hope that swimmers will enjoy the experience, make new friends and learn to deal with the ups and downs which accompany any walk of life. We hope that swimming through our programme will be an enjoyable, educational and successful experience.
As swimmers progress through the Bronze, Silver and Gold development squads they improve their stroke skills, their racing skills improve by taking part in the Splash Nights and some choose to join JASI and compete against other clubs swimmers.
After completing the Gold award, swimmers get the chance to join the training squads where training and racing performances are enhanced and continue to be developed further.

Training Squads

J Squad
J Squad (JASI Squad) is the first of the training squads were swimmers continue to develop stroke ability and quality. The programme follows a more structured seasonal format rather than by term and is based upon the type of training sessions they will do in the higher squads preparing them to race through the season. The work, however, is enough to stimulate and educate, developing the swimmers fitness and interest in the sport.
Work will include a variety of different types of sets aimed at improving endurance and natural strength in the water. Swimmers in this squad should be capable of racing 100 metres of Free, Back and Breast showing good form as well as the 200 Individual Medley. Other elements that are learnt cover the reasons for warm up and swim down, sprinting and pacing.

C Squad
C squad (Canterbury Squad), is an extension of J squad. The sessions continue to develop the skill acquisition of the swimmers and targets these swimmers on the qualification for the Canterbury Champs and National Junior Championships. Swimmers should be developing their strokes to a high level of aptitude and be able to race all strokes including medley events and distances from 50m-800m with good style and proficiency. Morning training is encouraged (once per week) and a variety of training techniques and sessions are used aiming to bring out the best in their swimming ability.
Promotion from C to JAG Squad is earned when 8 of the 9 squad assessments have been completed.

JAG Squad
JAG (Junior Age Group) squad follows a seasonal programmed format, targeting specific regional and national meets. The squad aims to peak every 12 - 16 weeks at a major meet. Swimmers in this squad are competent in all strokes and have the technical skills to compete with confidence.
While good stroke quality and technical correctness are still very important in this squad, the work is more challenging and uses a variety of different types of sets and intensities aimed at developing good all-round fitness.

A & Youth Squad
A (Age Group) and Youth squad swimmers must be registered and competitive members of the JASI Swim Team. The swimmers follow a structured, 3 peaks per year programme aimed at qualifying and competing at the National Age Group Champs, gain selection for the regional teams and aim to achieve the squad standard for promotion.
Swimmers compete over a variety of strokes and distances, although they may begin to set a preference for a particular stroke and distance. Training becomes more individualised and swimmers are introduced to land work which is aimed to develop flexibility, muscle balance and postural strength. Swimmers are expected to train one or two morning sessions per week as well as doing all the evening sessions available.
Swimmers will learn the concepts of economy of effort and tactical skills to meet their training and racing needs.

National Squad
This is the top squad and swimmers who train in this squad are striving to reach the top of their performance capabilities. They have shown the ability and the commitment to face the demands of training for national and international events. Swimmers have developed a greater understanding of the requirements of good training and racing performances and aim to put all those skills together to fulfil their potential, swimmers will get access to sports science testing, monitoring, plus extra sessions and backup which their training and racing performances demand.
Training aims to peak twice a year at the Open National Championships through the year at either a national or international competition. Swimmers follow a more individualised programme based upon their specific events. We look to develop an all round balance of skills and fitness for the individual which will allow them to train and perform optimally.
Swimmers also follow an individualised land programme aimed at developing strength, stability and flexibility through good posture and muscle balance. Training Sessions:

For training times for the respective squads, refer to 'Training Schedules' under the Member Area.

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The Committee

The JASI swimming club is run by a committee of parents who meet once a month to help the Head Coach organise competitions, meet entries, trips, fundraising, swim meets, officials and the administration of the club.
Without the committee the club would not function. Those on the committee are people who make our club one of the best run in the country. As with all committees, not everyone is on for life, new blood and new ideas are always welcome. If you would like to help out the club, but do not want to be a committee member, please contact admin@jasi.co.nz. Your help will be gratefully received.

Officials/Volunteers

Vital to competitive swimming are the swim meet officials. These are volunteers and include the referee, the starter, the inspectors of turns, the results recorder, the chief timekeeper and lane timekeepers.
As an interested parent, get involved at one of the Splash Nights. You will be teamed up with a qualified timekeeper who will show you the basics and help you through the meet. After officiating at a number of events, you may desire to become a qualified official; you can become registered with Canterbury/West Coast Swimming as a qualified official through JASI. You may choose to remain a time keeper or become a chief time keeper, a recorder or inspector of turns; it is all up to you. Almost all of the officials at swim meets are or have been parents of swimmers. All started out nervous of taking on a role but without officials swim meets could not happen. This is a great way to support your children in their chosen sport. There is usually a natural progression - Timekeeper, Inspector of Turns, Starter, Referee and experience is gained at each stage before moving on. Obviously not everyone progresses through to being a referee but most parents are happy to take on a timekeeping role. If you are new to timekeeping, the best place to learn is at the club Splash Nights,which are held every term. To become a qualified timekeeper you are required to sit a short oral examination, the answers to which are in the Swimming New Zealand Rule Bookunder Swimming Regulations. There is no charge for the examination and there are people within the Club who are prepared to help.Officials are expected to wear the official uniform (SCWC black polo and white pants/shorts/skirt) if possible.

There is an expectation that if a swimmer is swimming at a meet, that a parent/helper should timekeep/IOT/help etc. for a minimum of one session for that meet. If you are unable to officiate at a meet you have a swimmer at, please ensure that you offer an extra session at a future meet. If a swimmer is competing in an 800m or 1500m event, they need to provide a timekeeper.

Remember this is voluntary and you can choose which meets and sessions you would like to officiate at. You will gain an insight into the considerable work done behind the scenes of a competition and gain a better understanding of the needs of swimmers and meets organisers to make the sport successful and help the swimmers achieve their goals and help make the meets more interesting. For more details please contact a committee member or email admin@jasi.co.nz

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Fund Raising

As with most clubs, JASI must raise funds to supplement their revenue gained from registrations. We work throughout the year on a variety of fundraising activities that allow JASI to subsidise swimmers competing out of Christchurch and cover the cost of every JASI relay team and all individual national meets entries. Our main fundraisers are the two swim meets run by the JASI Swim Club [insert anchor].

JASI Swim Meets

We organise and run several competitions during the year. Our annual events are the JASI Winter Meet and JASI Christmas Cracker Meet where other clubs are invited to enter and compete. We also help run regional and national meets. These meets are run by the rules of Swimming New Zealand.
As well as our swim meets the Club help run the Splash Nightswhich are part of the Jellie Park coaching programme. Splash Nights can be entered through the 'Calendar' or entry forms are also available from coaches on poolside.
Catering Charge
The two events run by the JASI club each year are our main fundraisers. The JASI club is responsible for providing catering for the officials at these events. As a result, each swimmer is charged a small catering charge when they enter these events to cover the catering costs. Parents will also be asked to donate their time in assisting with running these meets whether they have a swimmer swimming or not.

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Team Uniform

As with all teams, the JASI Swim Team has a uniform that all swimmers wear at competitions. The blue club polo shirt, the black and blue tracksuit and black shorts, should be worn to meets to identify members of the Club. Pool coats for swimmers are also available. This is our uniform and all competitive swimmers wear it at competitions when representing JASI. When racing swimmers who wear caps race in a JASI cap and wear black togs, togs with the JASI logo and the other uniform items. To view the uniform and for contact details on purchasing it, refer to the 'Uniform' section under the Member Area.

Competitive Swimming

What Is It All About?
Competition is an exciting and enjoyable experience though sometimes a daunting one. Walking out of the changing rooms for the first time into a new pool where you're aiming to show your best can leave young swimmers a little nervous. Even older more experienced swimmers can get overawed by the situation of major meets in new environments away from home if they are not prepared for the situation or potential situations that await them. It can happen to the best of people. Hopefully, what follows will answer some questions. This will put you in the position where you go into a competition confident, and able to give your best throughout the day and be able to compete to your optimum level and avoid some of the pitfalls.
What is competition?

1. It is a contest in which people compete, both against the clock and against other competitors.
2. It is an opportunity to test your abilities against others.
3. An opportunity to see how close you get to your personal goals. There may be one winner of the race, but many winners and successes within the race.
4. It is an opportunity to test those skills that you have learnt and practised in training, to use the fitness that you have developed optimally over all the weeks of work so that you can maximise your performance in your entered event.
5. It's a fun social gathering and carnival of swimmers, officials, coaches and parents to celebrate the enjoyment of the sport of swimming. This can be forgotten by some involved who have to cope with the pressure from the other three parties, that swimming can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable of sports, which brings out the best in people.

Enjoy the experience!
What competitions can I enter?
There are many different types of competitions. They cover different age ranges, abilities, strokes and distances. Your coach is there to help advise you to which meets and events are right for you.

Junior Carnivals:These are for swimmers who are new to competition and are still learning about their racing and trying new events. Swimmers enter the meet online by a certain date as long as they are not faster than the time standard (displayed on the flyer information). These meets are held in 25m pools. List of events are displayed on the web site well in advance of the carnival with information on what swimmers can enter.
Club Meets:Individual clubs will send out information on their competition inviting swimmers from other clubs to take part. Entry information is displayed on the website for swimmers to read, dates are attached as to when swimmers must have completed their entries online so the club can process all JASI entries select relay teams.
Graded meets:These are competitions were swimmers can only race at them if they have not swum faster than the qualifying times. Canterbury B Champs, Canterbury Memorial Meet, all junior carnivals. Entries done online.
Championships Meets:(Canterbury, South Island and National): Swimmers need to have achieved a minimum qualifying standard in order to take part in these competitions. Entry information including time standards are on the website and entries are done online after consultation with your coach.
Junior Leagues, Inter Regional Meets, Internationals:Swimmers are selected to compete by their club, region or country.
Relay Teams:once all swimmers have entered then relay teams can be selected. The club pay for relay teams.

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How do I enter a competition?

Meet Flyers and Entries
A flyer is produced for each Meet with all the necessary information and can be found under Flyer Information. These are usually available a month or so prior to the meet and are uploaded onto this website as soon as they are received. Check out the Calendar, which lists all known upcoming meets and provides links to meet entries. Access to this section of the website is for members only.
Coaches may sit down with swimmers and choose events together. As online entries are received, confirmation of receipt of entry will be placed under 'Meet Entries' within 48 hours of submitting your entry. Once the closing date is past individual event entries will be placed under 'Meet Entries'. Some meets are classed as 'targeted meets' where the Coach requests that swimmers attend unless they are unable to for some reason. Other meets are swimmers choice. Information on what events swimmers should target is available under the 'Coach's Corner'. The closing date for JASI entries are on the Calendar. Online entries will not be available after the closing date. Entries are then collated and checked by a committee member and relay teams selected before being passed onto the meet organisers. Once entries have been received the entry fees will be deducted from your club account. Make sure you have sufficient funds to cover the entries. Should you have any queries regarding your meet entry, please email meetentries@jasi.co.nz.
National Meets
It is expected that swimmers who qualify for National Meets will attend as a team. Swimmers attending National Junior Champs for 10 to 12 year olds usually travel and stay independently at their own cost. For all other National Meets the Club arranges team accommodation and a Manager (or Managers if necessary) is appointed who will assist the Coach poolside and cook for and look after the team at the motel. The Club applies for grant funding to assist with the cost of these meets and the cost to parents is usually kept to $50 per night (incl food, accommodation, van travel etc) plus any airfares required.

NO LATE ENTRIES

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What Do I Need at the Meet?

Be prepared, the night before the meet make sure all your gear is sorted and everything is accounted for. Nothing is more unsettling than realising you have forgotten your togs or something else when you get to the pool. Following are what you will need and can help you through a meet.

• Bag :You should have a large, waterproof bag to take, to keep all your things in. This should be big enough to keep your clothes in, if there are no lockers never leave your gear in the changing room.
• Towels: You will need at least two towels, one to dry yourself between the races and one to use once you have finished swimming. Over the day your towels will become wet, so try to have one that is dry so that you can dry yourself quickly. A chamois is useful as this will save your towel.
• Togs: A number of them are required on competition days. You should have training togs in which to warm up, then some good racing togs to race in. Your racing togs should fit snugly and be close fitting with no loose material in the backside when wet. Be careful when buying togs. Make sure that they fit you and don't rub. Look around for togs that are well constructed and will not fall to pieces quickly. Price isn't always the best guide!
• Caps: If you wear a cap to race it must be a JASI cap. You should have a couple of spares in your bag. Caps have a habit of splitting just when you don't need them to. Use an older cap for training not racing.
• Goggles: Have a couple of spare pairs. If the nose piece or elastic breaks, you do not want to be fiddling with them, or searching frantically to borrow a pair from someone else, only to find that they do not fit quite right and feel uncomfortable just before you swim. Your spare goggles should be the same, so that it does not matter if one pair breaks. You can just pick up the next pair and use them with ease and comfort. When you buy goggles, test them out in training so you are happy with them before you race in them. Take your time and get the right ones. It is no good looking 'cool' in your snazzy goggles if you can't see out of them the moment you hit the water!
• Clothing: The team uniform is deigned for the purpose of keeping you warm and comfortable while around poolside indoors or out. T-shirts, you should have a couple so you have a spare when the first one gets wet, tracksuit, shorts, socks and some suitable footwear which will keep your feet dry. A hat for the cold, or shade in the sun. There are also JASI Pool coats for extra warmth and protection.
• Other Useful Items: Some meets can last a long time and can be tiring so have something to read or music to listen too, this can also help you shut out all other noise around you and give you time to focus on your upcoming event.
• Water bottle (plastic) - Keeping your fluid balance right and keeping hydrated is one of the most important aspects of your race preparation.
• Food - meets can be long so food is important to keep your energy levels up. Food should be kept in a water tight container and after always place rubbish in the bins provided.

Have your entire gear ready in the bag before you go. You will be in a better frame of mind to concentrate on your swimming.
Don't leave it to your parents to get your gear ready.

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What do I do at the Meet?

Study the Meet Programme
The start sheet or heat sheet will usually contain all the events that are to be swum in a session in the order in which they are to be swum. It will also list the order of the finals. You need to find out when your event is, what event number and what heat and lane number will you be swimming in for your race.
Seeding:Events can be seeded in a number of different ways.
Timed Finals:This is done in meets where times are the most important aspect. It means that swimmers of similar pace will be kept together, with the fastest swimmers in the last heat. Swimmers get only 1 shot at this swim. These events can be swum mixed or split male and female.
Circle Seeding:The fastest 3 heats are seeded, (see previous page) in an 10 lane pool the top 30 ranked swimmers are placed in the last 3 heats in a cyclic basis. The other swimmers in this event will swim in ascending time order through the preceding heats. This seeding keeps the fastest swimmers away from each other until the final. It also means that more swimmers have the opportunity to race for a place in the final as the fastest 8 swimmers do not get a chance to wait and see what times were swum in the previous heat and then swim to just beat that time.
Circle Seeding

Heats, Semi Finals, Finals:More National and International competitions are now bringing in this format of racing. The heats are circle seeded and the top 16 race off in the semi finals to find the 8 fastest to compete in the final.

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Race Preparation And Warm Up

Warm ups will generally follow the same format, although their length of time may change from meet to meet and session to session. When going to a meet, you should aim to arrive at the pool 15 - 20 minutes before the warm-up begins. This gives you time to acclimatise yourself to the pool facilities, changing rooms and toilets and find where your team is sitting and do some stretching before getting into the pool. It is useful to have some time just to calm down from the journey to the pool and collect your thoughts for the task ahead.
Most meets begin with a warm up period of general swimming. During this time diving may not be allowed. Later certain lanes are allocated as pace lanes and sprint lanes. The aim of this is to give those swimmers who need the opportunity to do pace work and sprinting from a dive the space without having to dodge around swimmers who are hanging on the walls or doing slower work. If you are not doing pace or sprint work you must stay out of these lanes.
The warm up ends approximately 10 minutes before racing starts and is signalled by the referee's whistle. You should aim to finish your warm-up before this point as to make sure you have done all need to do.
Marshalling For Your Race
You've got this far without any problems. All you have to do now is to swim! It is advisable to keep an eye on the event numbers as they go by, so you know when to get ready. You will be advised by the JASI team manager. To help you the JASI Team Manager and Coach will be there to advise you when you should make your way to marshal.
This gives the marshals time to ensure that all swimmers are there for the start of their races and send you up for your race. During this time, keep warm and relaxed doing some warm up exercises.
Some swimmers find that now is a good time to use their walkman to cut out all the distractions and focus on the race ahead.
The Race
When you go up for your race and stand behind the block, don't take off all your clothes immediately. If you do, you will begin to cool down too quickly and start to stiffen up. Keep a top on until the last moment. Get your cap on some minutes before you go up. Get your goggles on and set comfortably.
As the referee blows the whistle, take off your top and get onto the block.
Don't rush. Be positive with your movements and you will get a good start. Be controlled and deliberate in your movements. Be prepared to swim fast rather than using the first quarter of your race as a warm up!
REMEMBER - When you are racing, swim your race not someone else's. You can not do anything about the way someone else is swimming but you can do a lot about your own race, either to its benefit or detriment. When you have finished your race, if the scoreboard is in use take a look at it. Check your time and placing.
Exit the pool by the side when instructed by the referee. Always go to the side of the pool.
DO NOT CLIMB OUT OVER THE ELECTRONIC TOUCH PADS.
You can ask the timekeeper for your time. They will not always give it to you, but you can ask.
Go and get your coach's views on your performance, your coach is there to help you, not to hinder you, and any advice that is given will be aimed at helping you learn from your experience.
If you qualify for the finals, you need to ensure that you prepare in the same sort of way for the new race as you did for the heats. Improve on the points that your coach highlighted from the heats and above all prepare by doing what is right for you.
Splits
What do they mean?
After you have swum, your coach will give you a rundown of the main points of your race. The coach will usually give you your split times for the segments of your race (25, 50's or 100's depending on the distance you swam). What these splits represent is the pacing that you held in the various sections of your race. Large differences show the swimmer did not use their fitness to produce an optimum performance, therefore probably did not swim quite as fast as they were capable of doing. Use your splits to learn how to swim your races better. Look at the splits of the top swimmers and compare them to yours to see where you can do a better swim. You should also try to take note of your stroke counts during the race, this will tell you more about the balance of effort and the point at which you either made the most of your stroke or otherwise.
Disqualifications
From time to time swimmers are disqualified for an illegal action or a mistake during a race. If you are disqualified then don't get too upset. Learn what you have done wrong and use the information to help ensure it doesn't happen again. Find out by asking your coach why you were disqualified. (e.g. touched the wall with 1 hand instead of 2). If there is good cause to question the decision, your Coach will do so; do not approach the officials yourself. A swimmer getting disqualified usually comes from bad habits, practice good habits and techniques in training and they will transfer to your race.
Withdrawals
Withdrawing from an event can only be done after discussion with your coach, and then the appropriate forms are filled in and forwarded to the meet officials by the team manager.
A swimmer not showing up without withdrawing from the final of an event or a timed final will be fined by the meet organisers. Withdrawals from finals must be done before the end of the preceding session. Always check the results of your heat swims and find out if you have qualified for finals. Always check with the team manager before leaving the pool.
AND FINALLY...
Ultimately a swimmer goes to a race to try and improve on their best times, be successful and win the race. Winning, however, should be judged in relation to your personal goals, and less in respect of other people. If you have set a goal of a time, or a performance, and you achieve it, be pleased with it and enjoy your success. Then look to see how to improve upon that performance in the future. If your performance was not as good as it could have been, find out why, was it due to the way you have been training? Too hard, too easy, not enough! Did you warm up correctly? Did you eat and drink the right foods at the right time? Performance is reliant on putting a lot of factors together in a consistent manner on the day and the days leading up to the meet. If you do this, you will get a good performance to the level that you are capable of at that moment. Swim meets are a great occasion to meet new people, make new friends and have some fun. Don't miss out on the swim meet experience.

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JASI Swim Team Code of Conduct

This Code has been produced to raise members' awareness of their responsibilities within and towards the JASI Swimming Club. Its purpose is to ensure all members are able to enjoy their swimming without hindrance to any aspect of their participation. As part of the Swimming Club body, members have a responsibility to act in an ethical way, recognising their obligation to maintain a high standard of conduct in the spirit of the JASI Club. They are expected to :

• uphold the name of the JASI Club at all times.
• demonstrate good sportsmanship.
• perform to the best of their ability.
• be supportive of fellow club members.
• be supportive towards fellow swimmers, coaches and office bearers.

The Club Rules and Contractshould be read by all club members. In the event that a member feels disadvantaged in any way by any other member of the Club, there is a procedure to follow to air and resolve that situation.
Complaints and Grievances
If a Club member or parent wishes to lay a complaint about the conduct of a Club member, this should be done in writing, signed and submitted to the Club Secretary.
If a Club member has a grievance against the Club, this should be detailed in writing, signed and submitted to the Club Secretary. Complaints and grievances will be dealt with at a specially convened meeting of the Complaints and Grievances Committee. In the case of a complaint, the member against whom the complaint has been laid will be invited to defend the allegation. The Complaints and Grievances Committee will endeavour to resolve the situation expeditiously. A grievance may include any decision or action which a member may feel interferes with their ability to perform to their best within the JASI Swim Team.
Disciplinary Actions
The Complaints and Grievances Committee may recommend to the Club Committee that some disciplinary action is required. This could range from a letter of apology through to termination of membership.

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