When swimmers get too comfortable in and around the water, they sometimes forget to be safe. Listed below are some rules to help your child remain safe in this potentially hazardous area.

1. NO RUNNING! The deck is always wet and may be slippery. Besides, swimmers should use their energy for swimming!
2. NO CHEWING GUM. Do not have anything in mouth while swimming.
3. NO DIVING EXCEPT UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION OF COACH. Diving should only be done when practicing starts with a coach. Swimmers should be tested in the deep end to check for proper entrance for safety. Starts should be done in water that is 6’ or deeper.
4. NO JUMPING IN THE POOL UNLESS GIVEN PERMISSION FROM COACH. The most common injuries among swimmers occur when a swimmer is jumped on. Enter the pool by sitting on the edge and turning to enter.
5. CIRCLE SWIM. This means that during practice, swimmers stay on the right side of the lane, move to the center for a turn, and push off on the other side, near rope. Make sure your child understands this process.
6. PASSING. Passing is done at walls only. To pass a swimmer, gently touch their foot during the swim so that they know to let you pass at the wall. If at a turning wall, the swimmer that is being passed should not do a flip turn, but should move to the corner of the lane so that the passing swimmer can turn. At a finish wall, simply get in front of the swimmer you need to pass.
7. ORDER. Stay in the same order. If you know a swimmer behind you is faster on certain strokes, let them in front of you on those strokes.
8. FIVE SECOND INTERVAL. The next swimmer should leave 5 seconds behind the other swimmer, except for a backstroke, which is a 10 second interval.
9. NO DQ’S. Swimmers should follow DQ rules when doing full strokes. Sometimes we do drills to increase stroke efficiency. Make sure your child knows the difference.
10. WEAR SUNSCREEN whenever swimming outdoors. Swimmers will be in the sun a lot. Tell your child to seek shade whenever possible.