The success of the swim team depends equally on the three legs of the Ridgetop tripod. Only when all three legs of the tripod are functioning well and acting in concert will a swimmer have a good swim team experience!

Swimmers

• Work hard to improve: attend practices, be attentive to coaches, exhibit a cheerful but focused attitude at practice, give a good effort.
• Be good teammates. Be polite and supportive of others in practice, cheer hard at meets.
  • Older swimmers: be mentors and role models for your younger teammates. They look up to you, make sure you act like it!
  • Younger swimmers: provide enthusiasm and a positive attitude to energize and engage your older teammates. You are the foundation of the team, make sure you act like it!
• Show good sportsmanship. Be a gracious winner as well as a gracious loser. Shake hands and congratulate opponents for a good effort. Show a positive attitude even after “bad” swims, and don’t celebrate good swims in a way that makes the other team resentful.
• Remember that THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN

Coaches

• Provide technical expertise
• Help define the parameters of success (with parent support) for the swimmers.
• Support and encourage ALL swimmers equally
• Provide excellent communication to parents and swimmers
  • Don’t just talk AT swimmers and parents, ENGAGE them in a two-way conversation
• Remember that THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN

Swim Team Parents

• Positive encouragement of the swimmers in your family
• Help reinforce the parameters of success (in partnership with the coaches) for your swimmers
• Serve as a reliable bridge of communication between coaches and swimmers (eg with emails and website info)
• Fulfill your meet volunteer obligations cheerfully and look for other ways the help the team. Many, many tasks depend on volunteer support. Meets do not run themselves!
• Remember that THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN