Bronze swimmers have four practices available to them and should plan to make 2-3 practices a week. Silver, gold and senior swimmers should try to make at least 4-5 practices a week. Improvements in stroke technique and endurance are directly related to the number of practices attended.

Yes, many of our swimmers are also involved in scouts, music, art, theater, community activities, and even other sports! We expect our swimmers to be good students and good citizens and strive to develop the whole person.

There is no residency or membership requirement. KCST draws swimmers from Kettering and the surrounding communities.

The short course season runs from Sep through Mar and is called short course because competitions are held in 25-yard pools. Long course meets begin in May and are held in 50-meter pools. The long course season wraps up in late Jul/early Aug.

KCST hosts three home meets and participates in about six others in Dayton and the surrounding area during the short course season (from Sep-Mar). While participation is not mandatory, it is encouraged.

Even if swimmers do not participate in our home meets there is still a requirement for family members to support the team by working sessions at the meet. We simply cannot run meets without the support of our parents.

If you know in advance you will be unable to meet your work requirements during one of our home meets, you must make arrangements for suitable substitutes. One possible way to meet your requirements would be to offer to swap or cover sessions with another family. The team bulletin board may be used to find other families willing to swap sessions. If the volunteer coordinator has to fill your sessions, you will be charged $25 per session.

In addition to supporting the meets, we need parents to become involved in the various committees necessary to run a successful team. We welcome your assistance with hospitality, social events, Swim-a-thon, fundraising, marketing and publicity, etc. There are also opportunities to learn how to run our timing and computer systems and to become certified as an official. Not only does it set a good example, but the bottom line is that your child directly benefits from your involvement with the team.

Participation in most fundraisers is not mandatory, but encouraged. The only mandatory fundraiser is the annual Swim-a-thon. Swimmers are required to raise $100 each by asking for pledges per lap, for a maximum of 200 laps. The families of swimmers who do not raise pledges individually will be billed on the next monthly invoice.

Dry land conditioning is held the half-hour before water practice on most days. For bronze swimmers, they will have dry land conditioning for 15 minutes before they get into the water. Dry land conditioning stretches and warms the muscles in preparation for water practice.

All swimmers are invited to take advantage of dry land conditioning. Yoga is held once a week and is limited to our swimmers age 10 and above. Parents are also invited to attend the yoga sessions as long as they behave! Only individuals evaluated by the coach and deemed physically ready for the demands of weight training will be allowed to participate.

Stroke clinics are specialized training sessions where one particular aspect of swimming is spotlighted and trained. Stroke clinics are held three times weekly. Swimmers may sign up for one session every other week to allow everyone the chance to participate. A sign-up sheet is located outside the guard office.

There is no requirement to purchase and wear a team suit. Our team suit is a black competition suit with KCST embroidered on it. If a swim cap is worn during meets, it must be a KCST cap, which is provided when the swimmer joins the team. Other team apparel is available and wear is encouraged to show team spirit, especially during meets.

Our primary means of communication is e-mail, so we recommend providing an e-mail address that is monitored frequently. Other means of communication are our web site, team bulletin board, and newsletter.

If desired, KCST will pair you up with a veteran family who can help you with the many questions that may occur to you as the season progresses. In addition, KCST provides all our families with a phone tree to be used in case a short-notice bulletin to all parents is needed. The phone tree provides contact information for coaches and board members as well.

In addition to the wealth of experience our veteran KCST families can share, there are some sites that will be helpful. USA Swimming provides a great deal of information for swimmers and parents and can be found at www.usaswimming.org. Ohio Swimming (www.swimohio.com) is another helpful resource.