The coaches and board of Directors of OMNI wish to thank you for your interest in our club. This brochure is intended to provide you with some information about OMNI and what we have to offer your children.
WHY SWIMMING?
· Swimming is an individual sport within a team setting and thus affords young athletes the opportunity to succeed through their own hard work while at the same time having the support and encouragement of friends who share the same experiences.
· Swimming is a life-long exercise opportunity. Long recognized as among the best of exercise activities for cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone, swimming is enjoyed by old and young alike. Competitive swimming takes these physical benefits one step further, encouraging the young athlete to develop a “can do” attitude and a level of self confidence that few sports can match.
· Watch a group of kids at the beach during the summer and you can pick out the swimmers. Watch the swimmers and you can pick out the competitive swimmers just by observing their comfort level in the water. In this land of 10,000 lakes, it is an added level of security knowing that your child is confident around water.
· Swimming becomes a way of life. It is a demanding sport, but one which teaches young athletes to budget their time and focus their energies. One of the most frequent comments of our high school swimmers, once their seasons have ended and they are not in the water every day, is that they miss the workouts and feel as though their whole daily routines have been upset.
· Swimmers can begin competing for high school teams in seventh grade. Every season there are 8th and even 7th graders who progress all the way to the State High School Meet.
· Swimming is a safe sport. All our coaches are certified life guards and have also been certified by USA Swimming through a coaches’ safety training course. Injuries due to swimming are rare - the most common ailments, shoulder and occasionally knee soreness, are often corrected by a modification of stroke technique and normal stretching exercises. In addition, many young people suffering from common medical problems - asthma being the most notable - actually find that the humidity in a pool area and the low-impact nature of the activity make their participation not only possible, but in fact desirable.
The OMNI Swim Club
During the past few years, the Tartan and North St. Paul high schools have had approximately 120 boys and girls who each year have participated in the high school swimming and diving programs. While the numbers reflected an interest within our district in competitive swimming, there had been a lack of opportunities for off-season growth for these swimmers as well as for younger swimmers who might wish to try competitive swimming. In the fall of 1996, parents of both Tartan and North St. Paul swimmers sat down and looked for ways to remedy this situation. It was decided that the best option was to form our own USS (United States Swimming, now known as USA Swimming) club that would provide quality competition for, and development of our swimmers. OMNI received its charter to become a USS team in December of 1996 and began operations in April of 1997, utilizing the pools at both Maplewood Middle School and Skyview Community School.
As a chartered USA Swimming team, OMNI is a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors. The board consists of up to 15 members who are elected by the members of the organization - the swimmers and parents who belong to the club. The Board hires the coaches, establishes the dues, and provides general guidance for the club.
OMNI operates on a year-round basis, with two seasons - Summer and Winter - as the general breakdowns. Each season ends with a state-wide competition involving other USA Swimming clubs in the state. Due to the scheduling of meets, the winter season is longer (7 months) than the summer season (5 months). Each season is further divided into sessions (three in the winter and two in the summer) to accommodate swimmers’ high school seasons and to allow swimmers more flexibility if they wish to participate without incurring the full season cost.
Structure of the OMNI Swim Club
USA Swimming meets are organized by boys and girls and by age groups - 8 and Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17 and Over. Within each age group, there are further divisions by speed into Pre-C, C, B, A, Champ and Zone swimmers. (It is possible, in fact likely, that a swimmer might be in different divisions for different events.) As a result, swimmers will always be competing against swimmers of their own age and ability level.
For training purposes, the OMNI Swim Club is divided into four levels - Rookies, Age Group, Pre-Seniors and Seniors.
Rookies:
Rookies are new competitive swimmers, generally ages 7 through 10, who have not yet learned all four competitive strokes - butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle (front crawl). Rookies will receive one hour of coaching three days per week. Although Rookie swimmers do put in considerable yardage during a workout, the primary focus will be the learning and mastery of strokes. As a guideline, swimmers who have completed levels 4 or 5 in Red Cross lessons or Fish in YMCA lessons are typically good candidates for our Rookie program.
Age Group:
Age Group swimmers are generally ages 8 through 12, have learned all four competitive strokes, and are ready for longer workouts with a higher emphasis on conditioning and speed. These swimmers receive 1 ½ hours of coaching three days per week. As a guideline, swimmers who have completed levels 6 or 7 in Red Cross lessons or Flying Fish or Sharks in YMCA lessons are typically good candidates for our Age Group Program.
Pre-Seniors:
Pre-Senior swimmers are generally ages 9-12 who have mastered all four competitive strokes and have shown an ability to endure strenuous workouts with an emphasis on conditioning and speed. Workouts are offered 5 days a week for 1 ½ hours per day.
Seniors:
Senior swimmers are generally ages 13 and up or younger swimmers who have already competed for high school teams. These swimmers receive 1 1/2 hours of coaching per day 5 days per week during the winter season and 2 hours of coaching 5 days per week during the summer season with a heavy emphasis on conditioning.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED that the workout hours above are available workout hours. The coaches for OMNI recognize that our swimmers have lives outside of swimming. Therefore, swimmers who are unable to make scheduled practices will not be penalized in any way. Similarly, attendance at meets is voluntary - swimmers may pick and choose which meets, even which days of meets in the case of weekend meets, they wish to attend and which events they wish to enter. The coaches will provide guidance in this process when requested.
Practice schedules during the high school seasons (September through March) vary considerably due to conflicts with high school practices and meets as well as community education swimming lessons. Normally, Rookies and Age Group swimmers practice as early as possible (usually starting around 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM) and if later workouts are necessary to complete the schedule, those times are assigned to Senior swimmers. All practices are held at either Maplewood Middle School or Skyview Community School. Whenever possible, OMNI attempts to schedule all workouts for a given day at the same pool. Practice schedules are published and given to all swimmers as soon as permits are obtained for pool use and other variables such as USA Swimming meet schedules, high school meet schedules and school events (such as school parties) are known.
Cost
Most USA Swimming teams are funded by a combination of dues, fund-raising and revenues from hosting meets. The primary source of revenue for OMNI is, of course, the club dues, which are determined according to workout group. The dues structure takes into account the number of hours offered for practice time and the overall length of the season. For current dues structure, please see the club registration form on our web site.
OMNI attempts to host at least one novice meet each season and one weekend meet per year. Our major fund-raising activity has been hosting an annual championship swim meet for the Catholic Athletic Association. This has been in line with the board’s desire NOT to have our swimmers involved with any door to door sales.
The largest and most important expense for OMNI is for coaching and there are currently four main coaches - one for each level: Rookies, Age Group, Pre-Seniors and Seniors. The Senior Coach doubles as the head coach for the entire team. When necessary, assistant coaches are added - especially at the Rookie and Age Group levels. The next most significant expense is for pool time. OMNI requires more than 900 hours of pool time for each year of operations to provide workouts for our swimmers. Other expenses include standard office expenditures, advertising, annual audit, and computer expenses for meet entries, record keeping and our web site.
Other Costs
USA Swimming Fees:
All OMNI members are required to be registered members of USA Swimming. The cost of a USA membership may be found in the club registration form on our web site. It covers the swimmer’s registration as well as medical insurance in the event a swimmer is injured at an OMNI practice or meet. This fee must be paid at the time of registration and all fees are passed on to the national organization.
Splash Fees:
When attending meets, the host club charges a fee for each event entered. These “splash fees” are generally a couple of dollars per event. They are collected when a swimmer registers for a meet and are then passed on to the host club. There are no admission fees at meets, although the host club will sell programs and concessions to raise additional funds to cover the cost of the meet.
Equipment:
Although NOT required, it is recommended that all swimmers have the following:
· Team suit - The official team suit is a Speedo swim suit. These suits are known for their high quality and durability and fit very tight to minimize drag on the swimmer. The cost of a boy’s suit is approximately $25 and for a girl’s suit is approximately $45. It is recommended that the team suit be kept for competition as they do stretch out over time. Ideally a swimmer will have a second suit for workouts and catalogs are available or swimmers could look for suits at stores such as Dick's in Woodbury. Another good place to get suits is at the larger weekend meets. There are usually companies there selling apparel often at very good prices.
· Goggles - Highly recommended, goggles give the swimmer improved vision under water during races and also greatly reduce irritation of the eyes from the chlorine in the water. NOTE: For longer life, goggles should be dried after use - not kept in a wet swimming bag.
· Swim cap (for both boys and girls) - You will receive an official team cap at the time of registration and additional caps can be purchased from the coaches at any time. Swim caps serve the obvious purpose of reducing drag for swimmers with longer hair, but also aid in keeping goggles in place when diving into the water off the blocks. And they assist the coaches tremendously at meets if they are looking for our swimmers. NOTE: For longer life, caps should be dried and lightly powdered with baby powder after use.
· Optional equipment - team clothing: From time to time (at least once per season) OMNI will place orders for sweat pants, sweat shirts, t-shirts and polo shirts either screen-printed or embroidered with our club logo. All swimmers will be notified and given the opportunity to place an order.
· We STRONGLY encourage all swimmers to put their names on all club clothing and equipment (caps, goggles, suits, towels, etc.). More often than we care to admit, these items are left at meets or practices and it makes it much easier to return lost items if they have a name on them. Use a permanent marker and label suits on the tag, goggles on the strap, caps on the inside or outside and clothing on tags.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Again, thank you for your interest. We hope that you will find competitive swimming and OMNI to be a positive experience and influence in your child’s life. If you would like additional information or wish to make comments or suggestions, please call:
