Welcome!

The Vista Diablo Dolphins are a summer recreational swim team.  It is recognized that there is a great diversity in individual skills, motivation, self-confidence, age and level of maturity among our swimmers.  We stress individual improvement through positive encouragement.  Participation in our program should prove to be a positive and satisfying experience, as it promotes good health and physical fitness in a social atmosphere.

Swimmers must be “water safe” and able to float at the onset of practices at the beginning of the season.  To be able to swim races during league and invitational meets the swimmer must be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted (without an older swimmer or coach in the pool).  The coaches have the final decision in determining a swimmer’s ability to swim in meets.  Safety is very important to our swim team.    

The Vista Diablo Dolphin Swim Team is sanctioned by the Vista Diablo Cabana Club, but is an independent organization.  A board of directors made up of volunteer team member parents are responsible for all organizational and team functions.  Please visit our website at www.vistadiablodolphins.com for volunteer opportunities and contact information.

There are four practice sessions.  Practice times are determined by each swimmers age group.  In some cases, the coaches may elect to have a swimmer practice with another age group based on the swimmer’s capabilities.  Practices will be Monday through Friday.  Practice times may be changed by the coaches and the swim board at any time.   Beginning May 3 through June 14th, the practice times will be as listed below:

3:45 pm - 4:15 pm  6 & Under and 7/8's
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm  9/10 
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm  11/12  
6:00 pm - 7:15 pm  13/14 & 15-18

Morning practices will start Tuesday, June 15th.  Practice times will then be as follows:

13/14 and 15-18    age group                                  7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
9/10 & 11/12  age group                                         8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
6 & Under and 7/8's                                                9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
 
We also have access to the pool from 10:30 to 12:30 every day for coach’s clinics and lessons.  During this time, our coaches will be sharing the pool with the Cabana Club sponsored swim lessons.  Specific use and availability will be determined on a weekly basis as the season progresses.  Sign-up binders will be available at the pool in early June.  Lessons will require additional fees paid directly to the coaches.  Lessons will be 15 minutes long, four days a week, for $28 per week.

PRACTICE TIMES FOR EACH AGE GROUP ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDENT UPON THE NUMBER OF SWIMMERS IN EACH GROUP AT EACH PRACTICE.
 

It takes many people to run a swim meet and most of the jobs are easy to learn and perform.  Every family is required to work.   A work assignment preference form is included in this packet.  There is also a description of all the positions.  The total number of work assignments is dependent on the total number of families available and the total number of positions that need to be filled.  Each family should expect between 7-9 assignments annually.

We will prepare and distribute a work assignment and swim team roster booklet.  This booklet will be available by June 9th.  It will include the work assignments for each meet, a family roster with addresses and phone numbers, a swim team roster, team and pool records, and maps for all of the away meets. 

IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT WITH ANY OF YOUR WORK ASSIGNMENTS, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND A REPLACEMENT. 

If you are not able to find a replacement, please notify our Meet Director prior to the meet.  A work assignment deposit of $100.00 is required as part of the total sign-up fees.  Each missed assignment will result in an adjustment to your deposit and some or all of the deposit may be withheld if work assignments are missed.  Unless you are otherwise notified during the swim season, your check will be held (not deposited) and destroyed at the end of the season upon satisfactory completion of all parent work assignment obligations.  This deposit should not be considered as a “pay instead of work” option. 

During practices, parents and non-swimmers are requested to stay off the pool deck.  Parents and non-swimmers may watch practices from the area next to the cabana club.  Parents are requested to refrain from interrupting the coaches during practices or at meets.

Before and after practice, children under the age of 13 must be supervised by a parent or guardian. 

If a swimmer under the age of 13 is unsupervised, they will be sent home. 

It is required that all swimmers under 15 years of age have a parent or responsible guardian present at all swim meets. 

In the event that a discipline problem with a swimmer occurs during a swim meet, the parent or responsible guardian will be notified and asked to correct the problem. 

If the problem continues, or if a parent or responsible guardian cannot be located, the swimmer will be escorted home and will be suspended from the following meet.

Questions and complaints

concerning swim team activities should be directed to a swim team board member or via email to vdst.dolphins@att.net where it will be forwarded to the correct person.

Confrontations with the coaches, particularly in front of our kids are counter-productive and seriously impair the coach’s abilities to properly run the team.  We encourage everyone to discuss his or her concerns with a board member. 

New ideas and suggestions

are always welcome.  Please e-mail vistadiablodolphins@gmail.com .

Contacting the Coaches

We have set up a separate email address for the swimmers to have access to the coaches. This can be used to leave a message for any of the coaches, such as "I cannot make my private swim lesson on Tuesday" or "I would like to work on backstroke during my lesson on Monday" or "I cannot make the practice on Wednesday". This email address is specifically for the swimmers or parents to communicate with the coaches in a direct and easy manner. Make sure to leave a message with pertinent details, including a telephone number for the coach to get back to the swimmer, if that is what you want. The coaches will return calls or talk to the swimmers personally.

The email address is vddcoaches@yahoogroups.com and it will go to all of the coaches. Again, note in your email specifically what the issue or request is. The coach noted in the email or the coach responsible will get back to the swimmer personally. 

The members are automatically being placed into a group email contact list. Please use this email contact in order to send an email to the membership. This email address to post a message to is: vistadiablodolphins@yahoogroups.com

If your email changes or some other circumstance requires you to change your own email address in the contact list, you can do this yourself by sending an email to unsubscribe and then resubscribe from the email account you want new messages to come to.

Unsubscribe:
vistadiablodolphins-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com from the "old" email account.

Subscribe:
vistadiablodolphins-subscribe@yahoogroups.com from the "new" email account. Future messages to the VDD membership will then come to this email address.

Please try to avoid sending messages to the group via your own list of email addresses. You may not have accurate information regarding how everyone wants to be contacted. Using vistadiablodolphins@yahoogroups.com will send the email you write to everyone on the list and more importantly, it will go the email address each family wants to be contacted on, for swim team related communication. If you want to reply to an email that comes to you from the group list, and you want everyone in the swim team to see the reply, simply hit the reply button on your email; it will go back to vistadiablodolphins@yahoogroups.com and thus go back to everyone.

Additionally, a history of messages will also be maintained online at http://groups.yahoo.com. Just pick the vistadiablodolphins group from the list of existing groups at this website.

Here, too, you can set specific delivery and notification information that you prefer. You also can store information in documents or spreadsheets for the group at this site as well. A Yahoo ID is required for this Yahoo groups website access, but they are free.  A Yahoo ID is not required for sending and receiving email via the vistadiablodolphins@yahoogroups.com email address.

The Concord City Meet is one of the highlights of our swim season and our last swim meet before the county meet.  It is scheduled for Friday, August 6th through Sunday, August 8th (Friday is only for swimmers entered in the Individual Medley).  The meet is sponsored and organized by the Springwood Swim Club.  The Vista Diablo Dolphin swim team will pay for the entry fees for this event in hopes that our participation will be close to 100% of our team.  Our Invitational Meet Director and/or coaches will be contacting all swimmers regarding the individual events that they would like to swim.  Since this is a fee based meet, it is imperative that the sign-out book be used wisely…if your swimmer is signed out for this meet, a last minute change cannot occur.  Also, if your swimmer did not sign out of the meet but signed up for events and end up as a “no show”, you may be charged the fee that was paid by the team for your swimmer to participate in this meet.  This fee can be taken from your work assignment deposit.

Crossings Challenge

Bishop Bash

Battle of the Ages

Our team has also been invited to swim at the Battle of the Ages, the Crossings Challenge, and the Bishop Bash.  The Crossings Challenge is a meet held on Saturday, July24th  at the Walnut Country pool in Concord.

The Bishop Bash is for 8 and under swimmers only.  It is a fun evening meet that gives all the youngsters a chance to swim all of their events (not including I.M.).  This is a great meet to attain some best times and to swim against a lot of teams at once.

The Battle of the Ages is hosted by the Pleasant Hill Dolfins.  This meet puts swimmers head to head against other swimmers their own age (not an age range). 

Swimsuits
We encourage everyone to have and wear a team suit at all of our swim meets.  Wearing a team suit helps promote team spirit and unity.  It is also a good idea to have a different suit (or two) to wear for practices.  This will minimize wear on your team suit and keep it looking new.  If you choose not to buy the team suit, please wear either the 2009 team suit or a solid blue suit for all swim meets.  2010 team suit order forms and information will be sent out soon!

Caps

Swim caps, although not required, are a good idea.  A swim cap keeps your hair out of your face and provides great water run off during races. 

Goggles

Wearing goggles help to protect the eyes from the chlorine and other irritants.  They are especially helpful during practices when swimmers will be spending long periods in the water swimming laps.

Our BEST TIME program provides equal incentive to all swimmers regardless of ability.  A record sheet is maintained for each swimmer throughout the season.  Each swimmer will establish a base time in an individual event with their initial swim.  Every time they swim a faster time (faster than their previous “Best Time”) in that event, they will receive a BEST TIME RIBBON.  Swimmers who earn

• 12 or 13 BEST TIMES will receive a Bronze Medal. 
• 14 or 15 BEST TIMES will receive a Silver Medal. 
• 16 or more BEST TIMES will be awarded a Gold Medal

at our Awards Ceremony.

We have an awards program that is designed to recognize all of our swimmers.  Award categories have been established to honor our most accomplished swimmers and those swimmers that have demonstrated the qualities of good sportsmanship, hard work, cooperation and team spirit throughout the season.  These awards are presented at the Awards Ceremony.  All swimmers (except the 15/18 age group) will receive a participation trophy.  Awards are given for boys and girls in each age group for each of the following award categories:

• HIGH POINT - The swimmer that has earned the most points during the season. (not including Invitational Meets)
• MOST IMPROVED  - The swimmer that has the best overall time improvement in all events.
• COACHES AWARD  - Selected by the coaches and the coaches advisory committee.
• COUNTY QUALIFIERS - Those swimmers that have achieved County qualifying times in one or more events will receive a special plaque.
• TEAM PARTICIPATION - Each participating swimmer will receive this award (the 15/18 age group will receive this award only upon request).
• BEST TIME MEDALS - See description above
• MOST INSPIRATIONAL - One boy and one girl for the whole team, voted on by the team members.  This person exemplifies team spirit and cannot be part of the regular season coaching squad.

We have a full swim schedule this year and will be swimming ten area teams in dual meets (as indicated on the swim schedule).  The Devil Mountain Pentathlon, Crossings Challenge, Pleasant Hill’s Battle of the Ages and Bishop Bash will provide our swimmers with the opportunity to swim against great competition.  Our season wraps up with two of the big highlight meets:  the TCSL League Meet and the Concord City Meet.   For those swimmers who qualify, the County Meet is the largest recreational swim meet in the Country.  The quality of swimmers is outstanding and the competition is the best found at the recreational level.

Meet Seeding

The coaches are responsible for determining what events each swimmer will be entered in.  Our team policy is to have each swimmer entered in at least 2 individual events.  Team size, time, and number of heat restrictions can make this difficult to achieve.  A swimmer usually swims his/her best events.  However, a swimmer may swim in on “off” stroke for practice/experience and to get a time.  Circumstances surround the decision, such as, each team’s strengths and weaknesses and our desire to see that every swimmer has a chance to develop each stroke.  We try to get times in all strokes for all swimmers.

The coaches, or our recorder, will post the seeding schedule in our “team area” for all dual meets.  Programs will be available for purchase at most of the Invitational Meets, the TCSL League Meet, the Concord City Meet and the County Meet showing the heat seeding for all events. 

We have many swimmer social activities planned outside of the pool.  These activities are a great opportunity for new and returning swimmers to forge new friendships and reaffirm old ones.  Throughout the summer different and exciting activities will occur until our Grand Finale on Wednesday, August 4th…our City Meet Spirit Night!

Parents will be needed to help drive/chaperone at some of these events.  Please check the Dolphin Bulletin Board during the summer prior to each scheduled activity for details and sign-up sheets.  The activity schedule will be available after practices begin.  
 

LET’S HAVE A FUN SUMMER!

Team T-shirts, sweats, towels, hats, duffel bags and accessories are available for ordering.  We will be making one large order at the beginning of the season.  Please pick up your Team Sportswear Order Form at Registration.  All available items and their associated prices are indicated on the order form.

Having Annual Fund Raisers helps to keep our dues and operating expenses manageable.  This year, each family will be required to pay/fund raise $75.00.  If the $75.00 minimum is not reached, the families fund-raising check collected at registration will be cashed. This year we’re allowing families to “opt out” of fund-raising and just pay the fund-raising fee of $75.00.  However, in order to keep our swim fees down the team must still fund raise in addition to the fee collected from each family.  We will be sending out additional information on these fund-raisers as the time gets near.   

 
Swim-A-Thon
This fun event allows for each swimmer to collect pledges from family, friends and neighbors to sponsor laps completed during a specific time period at the pool.  This is a team fundraiser that has been a tradition at Vista Diablo and has been a significant fundraiser in years past.
 
Non-Profit Status
This year we are fortunate to be able to claim non-profit status.  This means that we can be sponsored by local companies to help keep our team funded.  By doing so, it's possible to keep our fundraising needs lower at an individual family level.  We encourage everyone to participate in trying to get sponsors for our team.  Contributions are tax deductable. 

Swimmers

1. Be on time to practices, lessons and meet warm-ups.
2. Give as much as you can on each swim in both practices and at meets.
3. Respect and support your teammates, both in practices and at meets.
4. Show dedication to the program, to other swimmers, and to coaches.
5. Participate in team meetings and cheer before each meet.
6. Talk to the coaches before and after each swim.
7. Stay in team area during meets and stay for the entire meet to cheer the team on!

Parents

1. Support your child throughout the season.  Be positive!
2. Leave coaching to the coaches.
3. Don’t push your swimmer too hard to improve.  Swimmers develop at different paces.
4. Reinforce the team philosophy and team rules.
5. Cheer and support other swimmers on the team, especially at the Invitational Meets.
6. Try to get your swimmer(s) to practices, lessons, and meets on time!
7. Monitor your swimmer(s) activities and behavior at swim meets.
8. In you have an 8 & Under swimmer(s), make sure you know what events they are swimming and make sure they get to the shepherds area on time before each event.

• Applicants will be accepted within the limitation of the Boundary Limits Proposal.
      a. Any one gender/age group can’t exceed 16 members.
      b. Applicants living within the boundaries of the Cabana Club have the highest priority
         (Treat to BART tracks, Oak Grove to Lime Ridge).
      c. Applicants living outside the Cabana Club boundaries will be considered as follows:
          - Swimmers that participated on the team in the 2009 season will be accepted first.
          - Remaining openings will be accepted in the order they signed up.
• Cabana Club member must be in good standing.  Non-Cabana Club members must pay a
      Non-Cabana Club member fee of $50 per swimmer and $100 max per family.
• A late fee of $20 will be assessed if you payment is not received by 4/23/10 for the first
      installment and by 6/11/10 for the second and final installment.
• Swimmers must be 18 years or younger as of June 15, 2010 (birth certificate verification
      required for new swimmers).
• Parent participation during the swim season is required.  The 2010 parent work assignment
      sign-up form must be filled out and returned with the registration card.
• Parent and swimmer(s) participation in swim team social activities is strongly encouraged.
• Required forms and monies:
      - Registration card,
      - release and medical information forms signed and dated by a parent,
      - swim team fees (in installments, if desired) 
      - work deposit check (will be held, not deposited) 
      - minimum, mandatory fundraiser fee 
      - if applicable, Non-Cabana Club member fee and
      - Parent Work Signup Form
  must all be turned in prior to swimmers being allowed to participate in practices or meets.  Financial arrangements can be made with the Treasurer, if needed.

All forms are available via the links above, or by clicking here 

 

Families with three or more swimmers may choose to pay in three installments.  Call Heidi Hastings at 671-6861 to make arrangements.

A $100.00 work assignment deposit (separate check) and a $75.00 fundraising fee (separate check) for each family must be submitted with the 1st installment.  This check will be held (not deposited) until the end of the season unless an assignment is missed or for non-participation in the mandatory fundraiser.  At the end of the season, your check will be destroyed contingent upon satisfactory fulfillment of parent work assignment obligations and fundraising minimums.

Please use the fee coupons included in the packet or from this website when submitting your payment(s).  If the total dues are not paid by 6/11/10, swimmers will not be allowed to participate until the financial obligation has been met.  An additional fee will be required for those swimmers planning to participate in the Devil Mountain Pentathlon, Battle of the Ages, Crossings Challenge, and Bishop Bash.

The Non-Cabana Club Member fee is $50.00 per swimmer up to $100.00 maximum per family.  These fees will need to be paid with the first dues installment on April 11, 2008.

1. Diving board is off limits during practice times and swim meets.
   
2. Club house is off limits during practice times.
   
3. Stay off the pool deck if it is not your scheduled practice time.
   
4. Practice hours are for team swimmer ONLY.  Friends or siblings are not allowed.  Swimmers shall only attend practice sessions they are assigned.  Swimmers shall not enter the pool area prior to 10 minutes before their practice starting time and shall leave the pool area no later than 15 minutes after their practice session is over.  Exceptions to these time restrictions are at the discretion of the coaches.
   
5. Absolutely no horseplay in or around the pool during practice times.
   
6. Coaches are in charge at all times during practice and at meets.  Failure to follow coaches’ instructions shall be considered a rule violation.
   
7. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian before and after practices.
   
8. If your child is signed up for private lessons after practice, they must not be on the pool deck until the coaches call them over for their lesson.

The following are the penalties for rule violations:

In the event of unusual circumstances, the coaches, with final approval of the board president, may assess additional penalties.

PARENTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF EACH PENALTY ASSESSMENT.

If children interfere with individual lessons of other swimmers, the coaches can cancel the interfering child’s lesson without refunding any fees. 

For more detailed volunteer job descriptions click here, here, here and here